Happy wedding day Veera

My dear friend Veera,

First of all, many congratulations to you and your new hubby Chris on the occasion of your wedding. How I wish I could have been there. I have been looking at the pictures all day long. I had to laugh when you told me you would get married in the Philippines, halfway between your home in Sydney and your old home in Finland. Not really half way :-), but looking at the pictures of Boracay Beach, I know why you chose it. It is simply paradise.

You looked amazing in your white dress, flowers in your hair and feet in the sand. It is a dream getting married on a white sandy beach, surrounded by palmtrees and under a blue sky. I am so happy you were able to spend your day with your  families and closest friends.

Who would have thought this 20 years ago when we kept each other sane during our 1 year au-pairship in Ohio. We were young, had hundreds of dreams and were ready to conquer the world. Druing that year, you saved me from my horrible family and I kept giving you 'grandmotherly' advice. I remember fondly our common interest in music, our weekend outings to Cincinatti, Columbus, Niagara Falls or the Amich country. We did not leave a stone unturned in Ohio, nothing was save for us. It was the best year of my life and that was also because of you. Your amazing personality shined through in all we did.

20  years on, you live in Sydney as a yoga teacher, I live back in Belgium. For both of us, it was the love of our life that brought us to where we live now.

We have made a lot of our dreams come true.

You now start the married live, nothing new under the sun, as you have lived together for almost 15 years, but it is a next step in your life, you are now officially Mrs Bedford.

I wish you a long and prosperous life together with much happiness.

And I hope to see you soon in Sydney. Cheers my friend.