Everyone loves weddings.  And the closer you are to the lucky couple the more exciting the big event is and the more meaningful is the occasion.  For the father of his only daughter it doesn’t get more special then when he walks her down the aisle.  And so it was for me, one of the proudest moments of my life when Anna and I slowly walked through the middle of a group of close friends and family to begin the formal proceedings of her marriage to Carl.  She looked stunningly gorgeous and I was bursting with pride as we stood in that green mountain setting under bright blue skies and I handed her over to Carl.  What a moment!

In keeping with their nature Anna and Carl chose a beautiful outdoor setting in the Blue Mountains near Sydney, surrounded by people they held dear, low on religious tradition but high on symbolism and celebration.  The ceremony was fantastic, the smiles, hugs, and yes – tears, were everywhere and then the party began.  Scattered families reunited, far flung relatives converged, close friends danced and the overwhelming theme of the night was one of celebration.  It was an amazing night to remember and one which Julie and I will never forget.

 

From Carl’s side it was the first time his extended family had all been together in many years, from our side it was occasion enough for seven people to fly in from the US and two overseas cousins to join us as well.  For Anna and Carl’s friends it was a great opportunity to catch up, swap stories and have a drink or two.  Four generations were present and no one left until after the final tune had been played and the honeymoon couple had slipped out.  And we won’t even mention the after-party or the after-after-party or anything that happened after that.

If weddings are an opportunity for celebration and reunion, and this one certainly was, then such rare opportunities must be leveraged to the max.  So on the day after the wedding, and after having suitably recovered with a large family breakfast, our Aussie-American clan headed off for the family property for a couple days of camping, bushwalking and telling stories around a big fire.  How many people get a chance to pack for a wedding/camping weekend?  And how in the heck did Julie organise a flawless wedding followed immediately by a huge group camping excursion?  Unbelievable!