Images of a magical wedding in Africa-preparations

1. Decorations in the trees by the tables
2. African confetti
3,5 Preparing the ceremony site by the waterhole
4 Bridal bouquet

Images of Africa #1

Photos 1-3 were taken on the game drive before the pre-wedding dinner.












Photos 4-7 were taken at Giraffe Camp - rhino reflection at the camp waterhole at sunset and a warthog family behind the fence









8. The Drakensberg mountain range

A month in Africa

I have been in South Africa for a month. The first port of call on this amazing journey was to stay in the home of Ingrid and Les, in Pretoria. Their niece, Nici, was being married at Giraffe Camp in Limpopo and I would drive there with them to officiate at the ceremony in conjunction with Father Chiko (a Portuguese Catholic missionary), attend the celebration and all the associated pre- and post-wedding festivities.

These are two of the ten tortoises who live in Ingrid and Les' garden!

Ingrid and Les had been incredibly involved with the preparation for the wedding and their house was filled to the rafters with the most amazing collection of 'things' that needed to be taken to the venue - cake and knife for cutting, flowers for bride's bouquet and decoration, food, drink, decorations made by bride's mother, ice and ice bucket, champagne, rug for the couple to kneel on, flares for the garden, candles, innovative candle holders made from plastic soft drink bottles to 'plant' in the ground...................... the list goes on. We traveled in two vehicles + trailer as 3 adults, their luggage and all the wedding stuff would not fit into one car.

The drive took us almost 6 hours, traveling north east from Pretoria, through beautiful rural countryside and, in the afternoon, beside the Drakensberg mountain range. We stopped for lunch in Dullstrom, a small holiday town where fly fishing is the main holiday activity.

In the late afternoon, after traveling comfortably in convoy all day, we arrived at our destination - Giraffe Camp, close to Kruger National Park - a small, private game reserve that has 8 one bedroom cabins and a central cooking and dining building. It is a self-catering camp, so everything that was needed for a four day stay for 2 people in each cabin (16), a pre-wedding dinner for 25, a wedding reception for 60, a post-wedding brunch for 30, had to be brought in and prepared and served by those in situ. The camp provides outdoor staff and some kitchen help.

For some reason this blog won't let me load pics right now so - the following pics (which are actually above this post) are a snapshot of the camp and the people and the animals.

New website live NOW!

www.foraweddingandafuneral.com.au

Time to update this blog

I can't believe my last entry was in August last year! My, how time flies :)

Since then I've........

• had a clean bill of health through my regular blood test
• been house sitting in Kiama and looking after 2 dogs, 2 cats and 3 birds - as well as the house. Although I thought being in Kiama, beautiful little seaside village, would be enjoyable, I soon learnt that living 30 minutes drive from my usual home town is not so much fun. Everything I was focused on was still in Wollongong and I spent a lot of time in my car travelling between the two places. We had the most amazing dust storm while I was there
• moved into my own place - finally. I haven't lived in my own place since 2002, so it's really nice to be among my own things and my own four walls.

• conducted my first weddings in my capacity as a Civil Marriage Celebrant successfully with generous, positive feedback from the happy couples

This photo is of the first bride and groom I married. There are photos of the others, but I can't load them right now for some reason. Grrrrr.....

• conducted several funeral services in my capacity as a Civil Celebrant - also with generous feedback from family members
• had a wonderful Christmas with most of my family - but without my own children and their children (the other family's turn!). My sister and her husband came from Canada as did one of their son's with his little family. Lots of local family members to make the day memorable. Christmas Day was iffy weather-wise and we finished up having the first course outside in the garden and the second course inside after the rain started. It was all good family fun
• spent January relaxing in the beautiful summer weather with my sister, Leigh, and her husband, Bob
• made it to February and I'm in South Africa. On 6 February I was privileged to conduct the wedding of Nici and Mat in Giraffe Camp in the African bush. I worked in tandem with Father Chiko, a Portuguese Catholic missionary. It was a beautiful ceremony, with a beautiful bride and groom, happy families and happy guests. Even the giraffes, zebras, rhinos, wart hogs, kudus, baboons, buffalos, birds and all sorts of antelopes appeared at the right times and helped us all have a most wondrous experience.
• I'm now staying in Durban, where my daughter, Nikki, and her family have been living since July last year. I'm here for a month to spend family time and to ensure the grandchildren don't forget me!!!
• have been working with a company to develop my celebrancy website. Watch this space for its launch in the next few weeks :)
  

And when I return to Australia in early March it will be time for me to have my annual CT scan and blood test. Always a little anxious at these times. I have more weddings to plan, so will be kept busy.

Life pics

Oops! It's been a while

Wow! 30 May since I talked to you. Well, in that time life has been great. My health is at it's peak - how do I know that?....... because my clothes are getting too tight. Now, you might think that that's a good thing given that I have been far too skinny for the past 3 years. But, in actual fact, it really has to stop NOW.

On the positive side it means that there musn't be any insidious growth in me - gobbling up all the goodness. On the negative side - well, I quite liked my svelt self of recent times, the wardrobe I have accumulated which all fitted me perfectly. Now every garment is tooooo tight and there's this bulge around my middle that is uncomfortable when I'm sitting.

On the list of the benefits of having cancer that I had been developing was "never need to worry about your weight again". Well, I guess that's true when you have it (the Big C), but when you no longer have it you need to remember to worry. And that's what I'll have to get back to - being careful about how much I put in my mouth!

So, if you see me when I'm eating - just give me a look that will remind me, please.

Since I last wrote about the 'jolly good fellows' I have been developing my celebrancy practice and now have a few nice engagements to look forward to. The first wedding will be at the end of October and there's one every month from then until Easter 2010. Hopefully more will come in time.

I have also been conducting funerals. It started with a friend asking me to conduct the ceremony for his mother's funeral. And it's gone on from there. It certainly is different from planning a wedding but I have found it rewarding - through the process of establishing rapport with grieving families and giving them confidence about the process of honouring their loved one's life. I sense great relief when I talk to them about the ceremony and how they would like it to proceed. And I've received grateful appreciation from them after the event.

And now a few pics from life over the past few months.