Photos at 2 Months

Been busy working with photos over the last month. Guess it's pretty obvious that the main subject would be little Eleanor for most of these, though in truth I'm surprised and a little embarrassed that I haven't taken more photos. She's 9 weeks old today and growing up so quickly. Thankfully she's developed a routine and is starting to sleep through the night and isn't as bothered by the small things like changing clothes and diapers.

Capturing the little bub on camera was a challenge until a week ago when she started to develop something resembling posture to allow assisted posing. It's difficult to think too much about composition when you're trying to photograph a baby with the rigidity of a blob of jelly (incidentally one of her nick names).



First photo project we had to put together was for our thank you cards that we sent out. I smashed something together in iPhoto and got them printed out on card which worked out rather well. The selected photos are titled "Zsa Zsa darling", "Downward Facing Dog" and "The Fonz" in clockwise order from the left.



Another photo project that I've been working on in iPhoto for a few months now (in secret) was to put together our wedding album. Alison has been on my case for years since the wedding for not allowing the photographer to put an album together for us (as I thought I could do a better job naturally). It took a while but I got my act together and compiled what I think is a pretty nice book for us to keep and sent it off to Apple to print. Aside from the great quality of the book, it was also nice to see Alison's confusion and concern when she saw the Apple logo on the box.



The book includes photos all the way from the start of the proposal in Sydney to the end of the honeymoon. Compiling this took over three months of subterfuge and secrecy so it was nice to finally give this to Alison.



As for Nelly, we were heading out to meet some friends for lunch today and decided to dress the little one up. She looked so cute in her outfit that we just couldn't resist grabbing the camera for an impromptu photo shoot. Alison worked hard to distract the baby while I took as many shots as I could. We even tried to be creative with some props. Here's Nelly having a great time with her friends (who were very compliant I must say)



Not all the photos turned out as well as I'd hoped, sometimes because of the angles and some unflattering cradle cap that I had to crop out. Played with cropping up close with this shot and desaturated for what I think is a haunting yet surprisingly arresting effect. If I weren't so lazy I'd try and photoshop my reflection from her eyes.



My favourite photo amongst what I believed to be the keepers was this one. She didn't really smile but I love that she's staring right at the camera and looks so adorable. Daddy bias may affect my objectivity of course.



You can view the rest of the photos from the shoot on Facebook here

Fatherhood

Being the sappy and clucky guy that I am, I've been thinking about this blog post for many years. Next to the announcement of nuptials over three years ago, this would be the next logical milestone to chronicle on this little weblog of events. Though I'm sure I could drag the buildup for a few more labored sentences, I think I'll save everyone time by coming right out and saying this; Alison and I are going to be parents in April next year.



It's been hard to keep this all under wraps for the past 12 weeks while we waited for the socially appropriate time to spread the word. Friday was the first of many tests that this child will have to endure in it's life and I'm pleased to say that it's already excelling all standard benchmarks. Admittedly my assessment could be considered marginally biased.



That's a beautifully formed left hand I think. Absolutely perfect for playing the guitar and video games as you would expect. One thing that doesn't come across in the pictures is how much the baby moves during the ultrasound. We were absolutely transfixed on the screen, watching in awe as the baby (a mere 5.5cm from crown to rump at this point) floated around and danced on the screen. I'd buy one of those machines to take home if I could.



There were also 3D pictures taken but they didn't come out as well. I'm going to be taking a lot of photos over the next few years so this kid better not be camera shy. Fascinating that it sleeps the same way I do with my arm over and face against the wall. Well... I found it fascinating anyway.

The new grandparents and family are suitably excited about all of this, with mum booking trips out in November and April to be with us. We may even get Uncle Wing to drag himself away from work for once with the promise of being able to hold a new bubbie. The estimated due date at the moment is the 12th of April 2011, which would be an Aries. Another Tauren in the family wouldn't have gone amiss but I'm sure we'll manage.

It's still too early to tell the sex of the baby though Alison and I both plan on finding out. Names on the other hand will have to be a surprise for April. Rest assured that there will be posts to follow our upcoming adventure.

Three Years of Wine and Cheese

Well, considerably more than three years in reality but it has been three wonderful years since Alsie and I tied the knot. Celebrating a little early this year granted, but we managed to get a killer booking at Spicers Peak Lodge so we had to jump at the opportunity. It took us about two hours, a minor squabble regarding my dirt road driving and a Mexican stand off with a herd of cattle but we finally arrived just past midday at the most awesome lodge house I've ever seen. The view of the surrounding wilderness would have been magnificent if not for the heavy fog that enveloped the peak when we got there, but a roaring fire and an offer to trade our car keys for a cold beer didn't leave time for disappointment.



Chilled glass in hand, we both descended onto one of many plush couches surrounding the stone hearth in the lounge room and began flipping through a picture book that chronicled the construction of the lodge. The task was a mammoth one at we could well appreciate from the long, windy dirt track we had to navigate after the Cunningham highway. It made the opulent decor, fine trimmings, an extensive game loft with a pool table and the sonorous tones of Simon and Garfunkle streaming through ubiquitous Bose speakers even more impressive.

Lunch was very nice and the matching wines helped us choke down the confit of duck and pan fried squid we were served. Immaculately presented with wonderful produce, though Alison and I both felt that the chef had a penchant for over seasoning his dishes which was a minor blemish on the experience. Even so, I would have happily wolfed down another serving of that beautifully bitter chocolate fondant with caramelized pineapple.

After lunch we headed out into the cold to explore he surrounding countryside. Driving on the road up to the lodge we spied two chairs invitingly perched on the edge of the lawn, overlooking the surrounding field and hills so we headed in that direction first.



A short stroll and we found a table at the northern lookout that would have been gorgeous to have a picnic if not for the inclement weather. After savouring the view for a moment, we headed back to check out the tennis court and helipad before reviewing our room for the night. Our eye was immediately drawn to the fireplace but I think the room was pretty nice in general.



The rest of the afternoon was wasted away playing a few games of pool and taking advantage of the complimentary WIFI with our iPads. As a side note, Carcassonne for the iPhone is a most impressive port of the game and works really well on an iPad for two people. Two more glasses of wine later and we were being served canapes to ease us into dinner; a seven course degustation with matching wines.

To start with we were served an unbelievably rich globe artichoke demitasse, coupled with a Reiseling that I actually enjoyed. The rest of the dishes that followed were good, though not especially memorable until we got to the steak; a 9+ wagyu sirloin with leek tarte tatin and babaganoush. A trifle over seasoned once again but the flavours worked wonderfully in concert. By the dessert course the wine had certainly compromised my ability to enjoy the food so I could only stomach a spoonful of panna cotta and a bite of the pistachio praline before retreating to bed.

We woke up a few times throughout the night to scavenge for food and tend the fire but still ended up having a relaxing sleep by breakfast the next day. Good thing too as the breakfast menu was quite exciting. Alison ended up ordering a smoked haddock omelet with minted peas and creme fraiche, fabulously rich and smooth. I on the other hand, feeling a little worse for wear from the night before, opted what was basically a sophisticated big breakfast; free range scrambled eggs, roasted tomatoes, wilted spinach, mushrooms with hollandaise sauce, bacon and amazingly earthy black pudding. The tomatoes could have probably been roasted a little longer but everything else hit the spot.



We were having such a good time that we'd love to have stayed another night, but all good things must come to an end. Handing in the room keys earned us a pot of honey from the on site bee hive as a parting gift, then it was time for us to head down back to civilization.

A quick stop by Aratula for some antiquing on the way back home and that was pretty much the end of our little trip away. Thankfully our return to Brisbane still left us with lots to look forward to. Naomi and Nat were going to host a raclette party at their swish city apartment. The meal was described as a reverse fondue, though as I'd never had the pleasure of trying fondue that wasn't much help. In saying that, any meal which involves a bowel clenching quantity of cheese is alright in my book.

We rocked up with a semi chilled bottle of chardonnay and were treated to a smorgasbord of cured meats, vegetables, bread and assorted cheeses to melt and drizzle. The idea was to place a blend of soft cheese on your personal raclette pan and stick this under the grill for the cheese reduce to a bubbling pool of melted goodness, a simple concept with fabulous results. Our hosts had peeled and boiled a pot of Dutch Cream potatoes (just recently my discovered spud of choice) that were beautiful sliced up and combined with sour cream, chives, paprika and smothered with a velvet blanket of raclette cheese, gruyere and gorgonzola. I would have paid more attention to my arteries hardening if my taste buds weren't screaming maniacally with pleasure.



So all up a good night with friends and food. The only mild sour note was that we were too full to enjoy the dessert that Nat and Naomi had whipped up.

Sunday was a day of necessary jobs, as the house had somehow degenerated into a state of gross untidiness. At least we got things back on course before lunch and had time to pop out to Bunnings to pick up a few things for an afternoon in the garden. The little animals we picked up when antiquing in Aratula found a home by the fence.




Our vegetable patch has been decimated several times by possums much to our dismay, so we're fighting back by improving our agricultural defenses. The netting seems quite fragile but we hope it will prove to be enough of a bother to deter mischievous marsupials from causing trouble. With luck we might actually bring a tomato to full term for us to eat.



A long weekend with one more to enjoy next week. Had lots of fun with my baby and it's nice to celebrate this special milestone, which is leather this year I believe. Happy anniversary darling.

Year of Cotton

Haven't written a blog post in a while, really just due to sheer laziness. May was actually fairly eventful with a 28th birthday (mine), a first choir concert (Alison's) and the purchase of an Apple TV (again mine). Will try harder in the future to post more often for the sake of posterity.

The Queen's Birthday Long Weekend has come by again which marks our second year as a married couple. Celebration was a little more subdued this time around as Als and I just had a relaxing weekend at Twin Waters Resort on the Sunshine Coast. We passed the time by watching a lot of movies in our room, emerging occasionally to gorge ourselves on restaurant buffet. Our first night was a treat as gourmet seafood was on offer so we polished off a few trawlers worth of shellfish.



Kayaking, circus school and cycling were all available for guests but we just didn't feel in the mood. Instead we opted for a quiet walk on the beach whenever we needed some air. Guess we must just be getting mellow at our old age, though still happy and ever in love.

Year of paper

Alison and I have never been ones to pass on an opportunity to celebrate a special occasion. We've copped more than a few knowing looks and sceptical eyebrow gymnastics when confessing our tradition of monthly "going out anniversaries", yearly "going out anniversaries" and engagement "anniversaries" (which coincidentally happens to be Alison's birthday). So far we've been keeping up with all of this (56 months thank you very much), but this weekend we managed to celebrate the real deal. Seems like it wasn't that long ago that we made an appointment to meet at the end of the aisle, but the calendar is quite unambiguous about how much time has passed.

We marked our first wedding anniversary at the Byron at Byron resort... err... at Byron. Our accommodation during our last stay in the area was somewhat secluded and minimal so we thought this trip would be a perfect chance to luxuriate.

The rooms were more than comfortable with plenty of creature comforts, certainly more than enough for the two of us. One shouldn't be surprised by the excess of electronics available given that the owner of the resort is none other than Gerry Harvey of Harvey Norman fame.



Dinner on Saturday was a lovely affair which began with half a dozen oysters accompanied by a particularly potent batch of pickled ginger slices. I then dug into a two succulent fillets of beef over a mozzella and potato cake, while Alison was satiated by an impressive cut of Bangalow pork. Alison was wearing the blue ring I gave her at Tin Dog which was for our third "Get Together" anniversary. I figured a wedding anniversary really needed something new to commemorate, which I just so happen to have in my camera bag under the table. I think she likes it. It's the last thing I'll ever get to buy from Michael Hill Jeweller at an attractive price.



We skipped dessert at the restaurant in favour of a special bit of cake that's been saved for the past twelve months. The alcohol was a little stronger but the taste certainly had not suffered in cold storage. The cake was so indulgent that we only managed to choke down a few slices, but every bite reminded us of a rolling fun day we had last June.



Sunday morning was kicked off at a languid pace when we eventually emerged to enjoy our buffet breakfast. The rest of the day was spent lazing around the infinity pool and sweating it out in the sauna. In a solitary spurt of adventurism, we trekked our way to Tallow Beach to observe the waves. It didn't take long for us to then retreat back to the resort and continue our course of relaxation together.



Paper down, on to Cotton next year.

Photos... just not of the Honeymoon

Surprise surprise, the photos from the NZ trip aren't quite finished yet. I did make an effort but there are still about 200 snaps that need to be augmented before they can withstand public scrutiny. I realise it's been a gajillion years since I've posted anything of interest so here are the professional wedding photos we got from Deazeley's.



Hope you enjoyed those. NZ photos to come... promise...

Home sweet home

Short post to say that we're finally back home safe and sound in Brisbane. The flight back was a little bumpy and the bus trip from Queenstown to Christchurch was long but at least we got there in the end.



Can't tell you how happy we were to see that bus pull up in Queenstown. I think we'd have been royally stuffed if we had to try to cancel our flight and look for another plane to take us out of New Zealand in time.



Then we had to wake up at 3AM to catch our flight. Couple of bloodshot eyes at Christchurch Airport.

Now that we're home and somewhat settled it's a bit of a relief. Thanks to kind mums and dads for cleaning up the place and buying food for us to eat. Honeymoon pictures to follow once I get some rest and wade through all the photos.

We just lost the moon

Well our bus trip to Dunedin this morning turned out to be a fizzer. The road to Cromwell was closed once again due to icy conditions and things didn't seem likely to change today. We've therefore decided to scrap Dunedin off the trip and stay in Queenstown till Monday when we'll take a coach straight to Christchurch for our flight. The weather's a lot better today and all reports indicate that things will be clear by Monday. *fingers crossed*

The owner of the B&B we're staying in has been kind enough to give us a super low rate for the next couple of days so we won't have to find alternate accommodation thankfully. She even passed on a couple of DVDs for us to watch. I selected Peter Jackson's King Kong for our afternoon entertainment, geez that's three hours of my life that I'll never get back.

We're still having fun here in Queenstown and managed to pick up a pretty funky teapot in town for an NZ souvenir. Plan is to hang around town again tomorrow and maybe catch a movie at the cinema, my vote's for Pirates 3. We'll be pretty darn happy when we're back in Brisbane on Tuesday... hopefully.

Wedding Media

Stuck indoors with the cruddy weather outside so I figured I'd get moving on putting together the photos from the recent festivities. Haven't gotten around to writing captions yet but we plan to when we get a chance.

Tea Ceremony


Wedding


You can also browse the photos at a leisurely pace on our Picasa Web Album. Tea Ceremony available here and Wedding here.

Alison and I played a little photo montage after our speech at the wedding to say thank you to our beautiful parents. I've uploaded the file to youtube for a quick preview. I'd like to host the original AVI as well but Google Pages isn't being particularly cooperative at the moment.



Photos from the honeymoon will probably take a lot longer to get ready. I've already taken close to 1500 snaps of which hopefully a quarter will be salvageable. Lots of photoshop work lies ahead for me. :P

Derf's demise

I guess things were going too smoothly. We were having a nice day out driving to Glenorchy when a snow storm suddenly hit us with a vengeance. Since we were over half way out of Queenstown we figured it'd be best to try to make it on to our destination rather than turning around. The roads looked a little white but I'd figured that snow chains weren't needed yet. Oh the benefit of hindsight.

Coming down a slope our trusty Corolla lost traction and the brakes locked up. I did all I could and managed to turn the car away from the side wall but still ended up smacking into a road sign and the guard rails. We were pretty shaken even though it was really a rather slow crash. Thankfully someone came along the road in a four wheel drive and escorted us to Glenorchy. The frustrating thing was we were just 2 minutes out of town.



Sad to say we had to say goodbye to Derf at Glenorchy. We certainly weren't game to try getting back on our own and all the locals didn't recommend trying the roads without a four wheel drive, snow chains and nerves of steel. After calling around insurance companies and rental agencies we caught a lift back into Queenstown with some nice staff from Dart River Safari.

The weather report suggests that the snow is going to continue for the next three days at least. Assuming things lift we'll probably get a coach to Dunedin and then on to Christchurch. Right now all the roads are closed out of Queenstown until the snow plows come out.

It's a horrible feeling, especially when we were having such a good time. Looks like tomorrow's going to involve talking to the police and rental car people rather than seeing the local sights but at least we're alive and well. There were apparently over 50 accidents in the area due to the storm including the death of one girl when her van drove off into lake Wanaka. Could be a lot worse.

Kiss my arse!

We've made it to Queenstown and loving the accommodation here. Alsie's definitely done a good job selecting a B&B for us to stay over the next four days. Food is great as usual but the temperature this far south isn't exactly warming. Thankfully there are heaps of pubs with roaring fires to keep us nice and toasty.

Speaking of pubs, I thought I'd share this with the lads from Operation Bullfrog. I realise the proper spelling is Pog Mo Thoin but what the hey.

Greetings from New Zealand!

Ah! At long last I finally have internet access again! Not exactly free but certainly reasonable compared to what we've seen elsewhere.

I'm posting live from Te Anau, a lovely little town which will be our home fro the next two days. Our trip so far has been absolutely terrific. The weather has ranged from a little chilly to "Oh my god my snot has turned to ice!" freezing. Very happy we were loaded up with lots of warm clothing courtesy of John and Sheena prior to our departure.



Here's Derf, our ever faithful companion that has taken us all the way from Christchurch across the west coast. She's been a fun drive so far and has handled everything we've thrown at her. Can't believe how clean and shiny she was when we picked her up. Post journey photo of the car to follow when we return to Brisbane.

Anyways, we've seen a fair bit in the week we've been here so far. Lots of mountains, plains and sea which of course means that I've been taking a heap of photos. Seriously, with country side this beautiful the only way you'd be able to take a bad picture is if you had the lens cap on. Will have to wait till we get back to Brissie before I start sharing the holiday snaps though as I'm not sure how much bandwidth this motel connection will provide.

The trip so far has seen us stopping in at Hokitika, Franz Josef, Wanaka and now Te Anau. The highlight of the trip so far would definitely have to be walking on Franz Josef glacier. A little physically demanding but we were glad that we managed to complete an activity that required "average physical fitness".



Tomorrow we'll be taking the bus to Milford Sound which should present more photo opportunities I'd hope. Then Derf will be taking us to Queenstown for a few days of relaxation before embarking on the last leg of our trip to Dunedin and back to Christchurch. Driving around has been tricky at times with both of us in the car but thankfully the newly weds haven't resorted to grevious bodily harm when resolving disagreements.

On that note, I guess I'd better stop blogging before Alison reaches for the cutlery drawer...

Here comes the bride

The moment we’ve been waiting for has finally arrived. The Malaysian mob caught two cabs to the church at a quarter past two just so we could be sure everyone would get a good seat. Cel did his best to keep me calm during what I perceived as the point of no return. Between Pastor Jessup and my old bud I think I just about managed to stave off fainting in the vestry.
We were soon led out to be gawked at by the guests who I swear were hanging from the rafters. Thankfully I didn’t have to sweat under all the staring and pointing for long as Don started to play the processional and Alison’s bridesmaid Mary began to walk down the aisle. Of course soon after that all eyes, mine included, turned to Alsie who looked wonderful. This was the first time I’d seen the dress and I certainly wasn’t disappointed.



James, Kath and Andrew read beautifully and it was really special having them do that for us. Somehow I managed to mumble my way through the vows without getting too tongue tied and before I knew it we both had rings on our fingers and were signing the registry.



With the legal bits complete we were officially introduced as Mr and Mrs Chua and left the church in matrimonial grace. At least that would have been the case if I didn’t keep tripping up on Alison’s dress on the way out. Good thing no one was video taping that bit… I hope…



Trust us to pick one of the coldest days in Toowoomba to have a wedding. I believe the bureau of meteorology had ambient temperature at 10 degrees Celsius but the wind chill certainly made it feel a lot colder than that. Thankfully the photos don’t really show how uncomfortable it was to stand still and be snapped. Our faces were frozen in position so smiling became pretty simple.

We were whisked away to have an obscene number of photos taken throughout the Empire Theatre and by the end of it I was ready to chuck a fit. I can definitely say without a doubt which side of the lens I’d rather be on. The venue was absolutely stunning though and they even let us into the theatre itself.



Once we were allowed to leave the photographers we mingled for a bit and got a chance to talk to all the guests who had come from so far away to share this special day with us. I was rather glad that my pseudo-Sherwani turned out to be a hit. Hopefully I might have started a new fashion movement in Toowoomba.

Dinner itself was held in what used to be the old Wesley church which is attached to the Empire Theatre. The Empire staff worked wonders with the hall with lighting and decorations. I know I had to catch my breath when I entered the hall for the first time. The Chinese characters on the wall are the symbols for Double Happiness in case anyone’s interested.



Our small contribution to the décor came in the form of 1000 paper cranes that Alison and I meticulously folded before the wedding. The majority of these were hung from twisted willow centerpieces with any leftovers used as scatters along the tables. I think all the effort was worthwhile in the end and pretty much everyone we’d talked to took some home to remember the night.



The rest of the night continued with a lovely dinner, touching speeches from the family and a little bit of dancing. It’s a good thing that I managed to avoid stepping on Alsie’s dress while all eyes were on us.



Dessert was rounded up with a super yummy cake baked by my new mother-in-law Sheena and decorated by Alison’s Aunty Fiona. The cute little top pieces were found by Als on our recent trip to Hong Kong. While it’s kinda hard to see in the photo, the girl actually has reddish blonde hair so Alison thought this was rather appropriate for a kwailo (Caucasian) – Chinese couple. :)



I can’t believe how much fun we’d had on the night. It’s really touching how everyone that came were fully willing to enjoy themselves and really get into the festivities. I don’t think I’ll see another Australian wedding where everyone screamed “Yaaaaaaaaam Seng!” (Cheers) for a while. Even the dance floor turned into a mosh pit when what seemed like the whole room got up to have a jig or two. Thank you for making the evening truly magical.

All good things must come to an end though. I’ve been told on many occasions that the wedding just zips by you if you blink but never could I have imagined how fast the night past us by. We’re usually the first ones to retire for the night but this time we managed to last the whole stretch. The new married couple then gratefully accepted a ride back to their accommodation in John and Sheena’s car. Never too old to rely on mum and dad I say.

John put together a scrumptious brunch the next day for everyone to sit down and go over the night. This would be the last time I’d see all the family that flew out for the wedding so it was a rather bittersweet event. I’m glad that everyone had a great time and hope that those continuing on to see more of Australia will enjoy what this country has to offer.



I guess this is just the start of things. Not nearly enough time to post all the photos I’d like to before we have to get to the airport for our flight. Promise to put more up on Flickr or some other site when we have a moment. Next adventure for Mr and Mrs Chua will be touring the South Island of New Zealand for the next three weeks. More blog postings of our travels to follow if Internet access and time permit.

Tea Ceremony

Hard to believe that after months of discussing the tea ceremony it’s finally over with. Lucy, Mak Long, Dominic and Paul flew into Brisbane on Thursday morning and hit the ground running with preparation for the festivities. I don’t believe the cooking stopped until I picked Wing and the girls up from the airport that evening. Even after this all day slog they still had to wake up early the next morning to get things ready for the Bride to arrive at nine.



The food had to be blessed and offered to the ancestors first of course. This has to be done outside and was primarily for grandma and granddad who are no longer with us. I’m sure that they would have enjoyed the feast it’s a shame they never got a chance to meet Alison in person.



Alison and her folks were supposed to meet me up the road so that we could come down together but the traffic from Toowoomba must have been a little better than expected. As things weren’t quite ready yet we decided to head out for a quick drink at McDonalds before making our entrance. Our outfits probably raised a few eyebrows at this point.



Traditionally the groom is supposed to travel to the Bride’s house to escort her to his home, normally a fair distance away. On approaching the groom’s house the party is supposed to make as much noise as possible to signal their arrival which should then be answered with fireworks and crackers. As with most Chinese customs this is supposed to drive the evil spirits away from the area. In our case this was represented by a Mazda car horn and firecrackers of the electronic variety. Not exactly authentic but certainly enough to scare away spirits and annoy a few neighbours.





A brother of the groom is then supposed to approach the car and open the door for the Bride to emerge, but only if the Bride offers an adequate bribe. My cousin Paul must have been happy with his Ang Pow, a red packet containing money, as we were soon allowed to descend and enter the house.





We were then greeted by the family and brought over to pray to the deities and ancestors. This symbolized an announcement of our intent to marry each other and to introduce Alison all the Chua ancestors so that she could be acknowledged as one of the family.





After the ancestors had been informed of a new family member we then prepared to offer tea to our parents and relatives so that they too would accept Alison and me into the family as husband and wife. This involved serving a sweet tea brewed from dried red dates and longan in a special tea set to each family member in turn.



The relatives would then drink the tea to display their approval of the match and express their happiness by presenting us with Ang Pow or gifts of gold. Alison received a wonderful array of rings, pendants and earrings that day from my mum and aunts while I got a beautiful gold and onyx ring with a hammer-set solitaire.



I also served tea to John and Sheena and it was wonderful that they could come to take part of this special day with us. Everyone had a great time and it was a really nice bit of tradition to follow.



After all that the ceremony was over and we had taken our first step towards becoming man and wife. Oh and the feeding frenzy could start of course. :)