Late as I may be in editing and posting these pictures, I have to admit that I don’t regret having waited a while. Sitting now in a balmy Cape Town and remembering this warm summers evening in Dilley, Texas has left me with a lump in my throat and a wistful heart. Some of the magic of pictures, I now realise, is that in the processing of them, I’m afforded an opportunity to step back in time and relive snatches of the all the sensations of having been in that moment. The particular moment in question today, is that of Dalton and Katy’s Wedding Rehearsal Dinner! Walking into the Matthews Ranch felt like walking into a place that must always have been home somehow. Whether its attributed to Pappa Joe and Grandy’s warm and inviting ways, the garden party scene (expertly set up by my incredible friend Cara) or just the peace one knows when the sun begins to set on a warm day, and you can see the dust suspended in the air as it settles back down to earth. Most likely on this day, it was a combination of all three, and even more – the expectation of two family’s becoming one on the following one. The evenings festivities, hosted by the Foster family, were true to Dalton and Katy in their laid-back, fuss free, simple elegance. Beautiful and uncomplicated, we ate a wonderful al fresco meal and enthused together about the day that followed. If I could travel back to this special evening, I’d do it in a heartbeat! Well … to the evening and also to Grandy’s special Banana Pudding, a treat for Dalton and a challenge for me. It turns out that South African’s don’t pronounce “banana puddin’ ” correctly, so I happily received a little education on that from too;) To all the darling members of Dalton and Katy’s families, I hope you’ll enjoy this flashback and enjoy recalling this day as I have. Sending you all such love, Claire xxx