Linda Hall: In the end, it's about people

Linda Hall.

I'm back at work after two glorious, busy, crazy, happy, stressful, chaotic, relaxing weeks.

It all began on Boxing Day when the bride-to-be arrived from Australia. My middle daughter is one of those people who goes hard out at work and stresses about "her team", but when she gets home she's a different person. Laid back with an attitude of what will be will be, nothing much fazes her.

So she was pretty relaxed about the wedding, after all she knew that the plans had been in the hands of her big sister who I might add had been stressing for the past month.

She would ring me nearly every morning with a list of things she had to do and what she wanted me to do. So when the two sisters meet after hugs and a catch up, the "wedding planner" produced a list. There was still lots to do and only four days to do it in. When the bride-to-be kept losing focus and going off in all directions, the planner turned into bridesmaidzilla.

Her words to the bride on the Monday before the wedding: "if you don't co-operate today, I quit." So we rushed around the shops for last minute things, visited the venue again, had a rehearsal, picked up suits, and on and on it went. The weather had been perfect but the long-range forecast was for rain. However, the day dawned sunny with a slight breeze - perfect. I'm not going to bore you with a blow-by-blow account of the day. I will say that it was perfect. Everyone had a great time and that was mostly down to the fact that the bride and groom couldn't stop smiling.

They were so obviously happy that it was infectious. The entire day was full of laughter and smiles. The little people looked adorable and walked up "the aisle" in front of a whole heap of strangers all going "ohhhhhhh" without a hitch - in fact they very nearly stole the show.

But nobody could outshine the beautiful, beaming bride.

Afterwards people danced with strangers, chatted with friends and family, ate, drank and smiled. We counted out 2014 and danced our way into the New Year. I must admit to having a few tears at midnight. It was the first time for years I had all my children with me to celebrate the New Year so they were happy tears. What a night - and as someone said to me the next day what made it was the people.

"It didn't matter about the food, the venue or the clothes, what made the day was the people". So true.

-Linda Hall is assistant editor at Hawke's Bay Today.