I always felt it was a lot to ask of Ro’s partner, to become part of our family.  All five of them got on so well, both with each other and with us, that it could have been quite a challenge.  It would take a big-hearted woman, to feel part of the family and not want to take Ronan out of it at all.  That Dora has fitted in completely is just part of the reason she is clearly the right woman to be Ro’s wife.

They planned the wedding wonderfully – so meticulously done that it seemed effortless, completely unfussy yet not casual at all, absolutely delicious food (which always goes down extremely well with me, as you can imagine).  I think it’s the best food I’ve ever eaten at a wedding, in fact.

All that was asked of me was to choose a reading – in fact, I came up with a choice for them.  From the first three, they chose one for the registrar to read, explaining that it was a bit short for me (I know, darlings, I’m a bit short myself).  So I came up with another four, and the one I posted yesterday was the one they decided on.

I’d learned it, of course, it is only twenty lines, but I did take a copy with me and I’m a bit cross with myself for having glanced two or three times at it, just for security.  But maybe that’s Sinful Pride.  Anyway, it was a joyful day and I ate too much and danced until my feet were tired, sat down and chatted for a while and then danced some more.  Then Zain and I found each other at the cheese board and we – well, we were a bit disgraceful, I suppose.  We sampled all the cheeses and compared notes, then filled our plates with our favourites and went and scoffed them.  Then ate wedding cake.  I know, I know.  I can only hope that all that dancing will have made up for the amount I ate.

The next day, everyone congregated here – all my children except Phil (because Weeza stayed overnight, as she is borrowing the Sage’s van until Phil can ride a bike again), Al and Dilly’s three children and Dora’s sister, with her husband and little girl, as well as Winkie, Charlotte, Zain and Daphne.  Ro and Dora are away just for the weekend now, their honeymoon being booked for December, but they came to open presents and talk about the day.

Dora comes from quite a big family, so there are a lot of us when we are all together.  When Weeza and Phil threw an engagement party for them last January, there were 25 of us, with two absentees – and that’s not including Dilly’s and Phil’s relations.  Gosh.  I must count up.  Before I married the Sage, it was just my mother, Wink and me.  How we have come on!