The Main Event

And so to the main event, the reason why I have escorted my parents 2,363 kilometers across the world - the wedding of their grandson, my nephew and godson and eldest child of my sister Kaye.  Today Matthew Neil Thomas makes an honest woman of Loren Penney in the adult Disneyworld that is Dubai.  The ceremony was to be held at the Dubai Ritz Carlton Beach - an unusually low-rise building across the road from our apartment block - if you could but negotiate a standard road and then some sort of 8 lane racing track!!!


The venue was unbelievable - the floral displays alone in all the common areas where out of this world.

Nothing had been left to chance with every tiny detail covered from heel covers to parasols.

The master of ceremonies today was an old family friend, John Hall who took the funeral service for my brother in law but today had a much happier job to perform.

It was cooler at 5.00pm when we assembled on the perfectly manicured lawns and looked out to sea to witness the ceremony but cooler is relative only to the heat of the day so I was glad that I had been able to wear my sleeveless dress without causing offence to anyone.

This was truly a fabulous location - absolutely out of this world - almost unbelievable, in fact I am now home and when I look at the photographs I find it hard to believe that I was there in amongst all that luxury.  It was, as John keeps saying, Fantastical!!!

The service was followed by the obligatory photographs but strangely the photographers separated Matthew and Loren and for most of the family shots they were with their respective friends and family but not together.  It was a bit of a shame as I had hoped to get a photograph of the happy couple with Mum and Dad but it was not to be.

We spent a while sitting in the elegant grounds before being called to a separate part of the garden for a starlit meal which was superb quality, real five star stuff all beautifully present and cooked to perfection.  Instead of wedding favours the happy couple had opted to make a donation to the Brain Tumour Trust in memory of my brother in law, Matthew's Dad, Richard and the staff who served us also gave a contribution which was fantastic.

Throughout the meal and earlier at points during the ceremony we were serenaded by a fantastic guy whose name I will have to find out because if he hits it big time I would really like to check him out - he was perfect for the occasion.

As the evening wore on we arranged for Mum and Dad to go back to the apartment by taxi.  Fortunately this is one of few things which is very reasonably priced and it probably cost under a fiver to get them back safe and sound.  I stayed on for a while as the wedding party moved from the garden area into a private room where the celebration continued.  I stayed for a while but in the end the travel and the time distance and the lack of sleep caught up with me and I didn't need to be asked twice by vicar John and his wife Rosie to share a taxi back with them.