A wedding on a lake

It's not often Fiona and I get out to play without the children. Yesterday was one such rare occasion - it was the wedding of my youngest cousin, Katy, and so a good proportion of our extended family gathered for a really enjoyable celebration in the spring sunshine.

However many weddings you've been to, it's hard not to be moved by seeing someone you know walk down the aisle and take their wedding vows. There's also something amazingly refreshing about the degree of commitment that these vows entail. There's no 'let's wait and see' about the sorts of promises made. They're final and absolute.

Then it was off to Dorney Lake for the reception. It's an amazing place: a world class rowing facility (the Olympic rowing will be held here in 2012) in extensive grounds, with a gorgeous club house that doubles up as a great venue for hospitality. Katy and her husband Simon arrived by rowing boat (pictured), which was a nice touch.

For the meal, I was sitting on a table with my three siblings and their partners, plus my cousin Nick and his wife. It was great fun. Whenever we attend events like this we always come away thinking that we should get together more often. The wine - a French negoce red and white - was pretty respectable, and we drank quite a bit of it.