Nerida McMurray Photography

2010-08-19T09:10:00.003+10:00

I have moved to a Word Press Blog :-)

Please visit me at www.neridamcmurray.com.au/blog

Thanks !

Nerida

Thank You

2010-04-14T14:02:00.003+10:00

Dear Samia & John,

What a thoughtful couple you are!

I have never been served 3+ meals while working at a wedding ... and receiving my own personalized favour on top of that was an extra special treat.

Many thanks!

Nerida

In Love Part IV

2010-03-25T16:32:00.004+11:00

In Love Part III

2010-03-21T11:56:00.001+11:00

Engagement

2010-03-12T21:22:00.000+11:00

Elizabeth in Red

2010-03-06T19:15:00.006+11:00

Engagement

2010-03-06T18:09:00.005+11:00

I had SUCH fun today with Megan & Ben on this shoot it ended up going for over 2.5hrs ! I'm going to show a few pictures from their shoot every day for a week because there is so much goodness to share :-)

Ben was living in Surry Hills when they first started dating so they wanted their shoot to be there. I'd never done an inner city shoot before so I was very excited about it - I could have kept going but left them in the pub to share a cold beer together ... evenutally !

Enjoy!

Sneak Peek ...

2010-02-19T13:51:00.003+11:00

This is Elizabeth ... I shot her wedding last weekend and she wore a red dress !

Coming soon :-)

Happy Valenties Mum & Dad :-)

2010-02-15T15:14:00.003+11:00

I'm so glad I got to see my parents yesterday and take this picture ...

Happy Valentines Mum & Dad to 38 years of marriage - you mean everything to me xxx

A little bit different - Rebecca & Garth

2010-02-12T08:49:00.005+11:00

Rachel & Gareth always wanted something a little bit different for their wedding photos - and of course - always up for a challenge ... I obliged ;-)

They wanted to contrast their beautiful formal outfits with a grungy location for their photos after the ceremony.

How cute are they ?!

Secret Life of a Wedding Photographer

2010-02-10T17:15:00.002+11:00

There is a big difference between how most clients think I spend my time ...

And how I really spend my time ...

I found this great pie chart comparison care of the Bride Tide Blog.

Self Portrait

2010-02-08T16:34:00.003+11:00

Sometimes I think photographers to communicate better with photos than words.

I can think of lots of words to describe how I was feeling when I shot this self portrait but the beauty of photography is that I don't need any words :-)

My great-grandmother Olive

2010-02-05T18:06:00.005+11:00

Recently I was looking through some old family photos with my cousins ... I found this amazing photo of my great-grandmother Olive on her wedding day. I think she is divine !

Part 2 ... Samantha & Steve - I love a short wedding dress!

2010-02-03T19:12:00.004+11:00

We went to Botanical Gardens for Samantha & Steve's location shots ... the light was beautiful !

Rachel & Derek in love

2010-02-02T16:13:00.006+11:00

I realised yesterday that I've never actually shared any of my engagement sessions on my blog ... so here are some from Rachel & Derek - you can tell from these shots they are simply the BEST of friends !

Their facebook album from their wedding last week is also up here.

Part I ... Samantha & Steve - I love a short Wedding Dress !

2010-02-01T13:05:00.007+11:00

Last Thursday I gave you a sneak peek at Samantha & Dave's simply gorgeous wedding from early January... well a sneak peak at the Bride :-) Today I am sharing some bride prep shots and ceremony.

Stay tuned in a few days for their location shoot - it's my favourite so far this year. Below are some details for future brides to drool over !

Did your wedding have a particular theme or a particular style?:
Not really - we wanted the day to feel like a wedding but we didn't necessarily want to do it "by the book". I wanted to incorporate some of my favourite things so there were lots of blue-and-white stripes and big fluffy hydrangeas.

Describe how you wore your hair:
I wore it in big loose curls. Amelia from Agency Hair & Makeup who did my hair and make-up for the day was amazing! Nerida Winter in Double Bay made me a beautiful birdcage veil and also the flower that was on my dress.

Describe your shoes in detail:
I wore white Christian Louboutin slingbacks with a half a large bow on each.

Describe your dress & name the designer:
My dress was a silk faille Oscar de la Renta dress with a V-neck, a big flower at the bottom of the V and of course it fell only to the knees. I loved it instantly and nothing else looked right after I first tried it on.

Describe your bridesmaids/flowergirls dresses:
My matron of honour wore a navy and white striped Diane von Furstenberg dress.

Ceremony: Aria Restaurant Sydney - Terrace

Describe your bridal bouquet:
My bouquet was white hydrangeas, David Austin roses, lissianthus and snow berries.

Staff Christmas Lunch in January :-)

2010-01-29T18:11:00.006+11:00

Karina and I had our belated Christmas lunch today.

December was soooooo busy for us we decided to wait until the new year when we could relax and enjoy - Icebergs Restaurant was the perfect place to be in the world today ... we think :-)

Excuse the quality of the photos they are from iPhone ...

Nerida x

Sneak Peek at Samantha & Steve's Wedding

2010-01-28T17:10:00.005+11:00

These 2 shots are from earlier this month of the ever lovely bride Samantha - what a stunner !

Those Christian Louboutin shoes had me in love all day :-)

I've asked Samantha to share the rest of her wedding with us ... all the suppliers and her inspiration so stay tuned.

Nerida x

Bride to Be EDITORIAL

2010-01-06T17:51:00.003+11:00

Today, one of my favourite magazines goes on sale ... the Bride To Be, Your Day Annual edition.

I have one coming to me in the post and can't wait to tear it open when it arrives and pour over all the beautiful real weddings .... not to mention 2 of mine !

Below is a sneak peak for Jenny & Aaron and Vida & Nigel's weddings that they are featuring - I suggest going and buying a copy RIGHT NOW :-0

Thanks for letting me submit your pics guys :-)

Happy New Year everyone !

Nerida x

It's time for time off :-)

2009-12-23T14:13:00.004+11:00

Well happy holidays everyone - we are closing the studio from today till January 4th 2010 for some much deserved time off :-)

I'm looking forward to spending lazy days with family ... especially my Mum & Dad.

I think they are 2 of the cutest people around.

Here is a photo from their wedding day in 1972 !

Till next year everyone,

Take care,

Nerida x

Blogged on Polka Dot Bride !

2009-12-21T20:52:00.006+11:00

I was chuffed when Ms Polka wanted to showcase Lauren & Nathan's Wedding last week on her amazing blog Polka Dot Bride here and here !

I LUUURRRVVV KIKKI-K

2009-12-10T14:46:00.004+11:00

This morning I had the pleasure of shooting the brand spanking new WHITE by Kikki-K Store in the Strand Arcade. If I didn't have to rush back to the studio and process all the shots for press I would have spent some serious shopping time in there ... oh how I heart white kikki-k !!!!
I also got to shoot the brains behind the concept the lovely Kristina Karlsson who was an absolute pleasure.
Hope into the store it is definitely worth the trip ... Happy Shopping !
Nerida :-)

Hunter Valley Last Weekend

2009-12-04T12:46:00.004+11:00

I had the opportunity to shoot a gorgeous wedding at Tamburlain Organic Winery last weekend. I stayed in the sweetest accomodation and had an early morning stroll the morning after just before the massive dust storm.

Wedding of the month: OCTOBER Lisa & Christopher

2009-11-30T09:10:00.001+11:00

Chris and I met on Christmas Eve in a Bar close to where we both grew up, we got to chatting and never stopped!

Ceremony location
Captain Henry Waterhouse Reserve, Kirribilli

Did your wedding have a particular theme or a particular style?
It all came together very organically. The colour theme ended up being olive green and ivory.

Describe your bridal bouquet and name of florist
My bouquet was bright pink, ivory and ivory with a touch of pink roses with some greenery. I winged it and saved cash! A day before the wedding I walked around the city looking at which Florist had the nicest looking flowers. When I found them I asked him to assemble them into something that looked like a bouquet.
Georges Flowers, corner of Martin Place and Pitt Street.

Describe your dress & name the designer
"Strapy semi slim gown with shaping from knee seam. Lace is finished with embellishment of embroidery, which adds dimension to the lace."
Designer: Roz La Kelin

Describe how you wore your hair
My hair was in what the stylist called an 'de-constructed curl, side bun'. It was swept up to one side, curled and pinned into a bun. The curls weren't all uniform, but it wasn't the messy look either. To finish it I added a netted fascinator.

Describe your shoes in detail
I fell in love with my shoes as soon as I met them and decided despite being only slightly shorter then my husband, to go with a stiletto. I've always loved the way I feel in high heels. I used not having to adjust the hem on my dress as an excuse to do away with traditional stereotypes and indulge! They are latté coloured, peep toe stilettos, jewelled with crystals.

Describe your wedding bands/engagement ring
Our wedding bands are classic Cartier. Chris's is a simple squared platinum band and mine is diamond incrusted to match my engagement ring.

Where was your reception:
Harbour View Hotel, Lavender Bay Rooms, North Sydney

Describe your wedding cake/cake maker:
The wedding cake was vanilla and chocolate marbled cup cakes with a vanilla frosting and decoration that included editable glitter. Chris's mum generously arranged the whole thing, including bringing us cakes to taste. We were thrilled with her efforts!
Cakes for all Occasions
Website: http://www.cakesforalloccasions.com.au/

Describe your bonbonniere/maker:
There are several creators! They featured as an all-in-one, table decoration, name tag and bonbonniere. I engaged a potter to make small pots that I had designed. I then hand glazed them and had them fired. My family did a team effort to grow a variety of succulents . We had a BBQ and potted all the succulents, added stones and name tags. It was nice to be able to give our guests something to take away that we had created with love. No doubt Chris and I over the years will observe who has killed their plants!

Blue Bouquet !

2009-11-19T15:08:00.001+11:00

I just loved this bouquet from Shannon & Gregg's wedding on the weekend I had to share it with you - so unique !

2009-11-14T00:13:00.004+11:00

Speaking of Grace Kelly .... I nearly dropped dead when I saw Holly today looking SOOOOOO much like her !
This is just a sneak peek ... more in a few weeks :-)

Carlie & Adam ... they ARE the table numbers !

2009-11-04T18:02:00.004+11:00

Carlie & Adam are due to get married in the Hunter Valley on 28th November, in a few weeks.

They came to me with a great idea for their engagement shoot and just happen to be very photogenic, super chilled and really fun to work with.

They have great ideas for their table decorations - one of which was making their own table numbers. On the day of the shoot it was raining pretty hard so we decided to shoot in the studio instead with great results! Here are their choices for tables 1-9.

A very creative idea - they are going to have an A5 sized photo displayed on each table ... aren't they cute !!! Looking forward to your big day soon Carlie & Adam :-)

2009-11-02T10:08:00.003+11:00

On the weekend I watched To Catch a Thief (1955) with Cary Grant and Grace Kelly.

They make such a glamorous couple. and Frances Stevens (her character) would have made a beautiful bride in this stunning gown although in the movie it was not a wedding dress, but an evening gown.

Watching the movie has inspired me to find my parents, their parents, and their parents wedding photos ... will post these next week :-)

Nerida

My Wedding PART THREE ... well "Our" Wedding :-)

2009-10-31T09:00:00.001+11:00

Hello Everyone,

Here are some pics from our location shoot.

After we walked down the aisle there was a surprise bottle of Pol Roger waiting for us from my parents with a Shakespeare Sonnet and a note of congratulations ... Thanks M&D :-)

My Wedding PART TWO ... well "Our" Wedding :-)

2009-10-27T15:07:00.005+11:00

Hi Everyone,

Here are some shots from our ceremony - our Fijian wedding co-ordinator was in tears during our vowes - he was so cute !

PHOTO BOOTHS - Polite in Public

2009-10-17T10:26:00.003+11:00

Thursday night Matt and I went to a great event for Tiger Beer at The Wharf Restaurant. My favourite part of the night was getting our photo taken by Polite In Public

What a fun way to get your guests in a party mood at your wedding or event and get some truly unique shots.

My Wedding ... well "Our" Wedding :-) August 2009

2009-10-15T18:35:00.007+11:00

Hello everyone,

I have promised for a long time to all my clients that I'd share my photos from our wedding in August at Tokoriki Island Fiji. We set sail for a much needed vacation and we tied the knot in a tropical destination ... yes ... we eloped !

It was quite bizzare being on the other side of the camera - which I anticipaged - and promised our photographer Isoa, not to micromanage him and just let him do his thing :-)

He did a great job and it was definitely the most special and romantic time of my life ... married life is bliss and we're looking forward to many more years of it :-0

Thanks for all your well wishes and congratulations ... Here is the first installment of our pics the 'getting ready' shots. It was amazing and personal getting ready together and making it just about 'us'. More pics to come next week :-)

Matt doing up my dress and helping me with my jewelry - I wore my mothers wedding band and diamond braclet so she felt close to me on the day.

Mum made my viel out of silk tuielle with vintage crystals sewed to the comb - crystals she had from a previous outfit - that was my 'something old' - isn't she clever !

Off to the ceremony we go !

Wedding of the Month :: July 2009

2009-08-05T20:39:00.019+10:00

Freya & Shurjo

How we met:

Shurjo and i met through friends and he asked me out for dinner. On our first date Shurjo brought me chocolates, opened the car door, halved the last scallop and then paid for my taxi home like a true gentleman. After one month he told me i was the one, with a very romantic evening planned. Three years later, we married on our aniversary.

Did your wedding have a particular theme or a particular style?
I was after a romantic, sophisticated and elegant with the wow factor to it. The focus was more on a traditional wedding than a modern one. Ceremony location: St marys Anglican Chuch, Waverley, 240 Birrel Street , Waverly At 1:30pm Friday 24th julyhttp://www.stmaryswaverley.org.au/

Describe your dress & name the designer
My dress was an A-line skirt with a sweetheart neck line, embroidered with crystals, pearls and lace. I had the straps made out of the left over lace. The designer was Maggie Sottero and was bought from DRESSSENSE Bridal in Miranda.http://www.dressense.com.au/

Describe how you wore your hair:
i got the inspiration from the video clip "Love Story" by taylor swift. I wanted to be a little more formal for the ceremony and then be able to take it down for the reception.

Describe your shoes in detail:
My shoes were ivory round toe with little crystal beading on the toes. I bought these from alan pinkus. i didnt want high heels as i wanted to be as comfortable as possible.

Describe your wedding bands/engagement ring:
For my engagement ring, Shurjo looked at different pictures and sent it to our family jeweller in India. His mother chose the diamonds and discussed with the jewller as he made it. Our wedding bands were 22 carat plain gold.

Describe your bridal bouquet and name of florist:

Christopher moores Florist.
My bridal bouquet had 3 shades of ivory roses, the bridesmaids, purple, blue and ivory.
The minute i spoke with Christopher, i knew i was in good hands. He was very helpful, reliable and full of creativity.

Describe your bridesmaids/flowergirls dresses:
Flower Girls were wearing a soft lilac and ivory dress which i bought from DRESSSENSE bridal.
I found the Bridesmaids dresses at charlie brown. I didnt plan to have blue originally but loved the colour when i saw them and bought 4 in different sizes on the spot.

Where was your reception:
Reception was at Gunners Barracks Mosman

Describe your wedding cake/cake maker:
It was a three tier traditional fruitcake. Carol from Cakesplus in Lane Cove did an amazing job. She was very professional and enjoys what she does.

Describe your bomboniere/maker:
For the bomboniere, we selected small boxes of Chocolates from Jeff De Bruges on King Street in the city. These chocolates hold a special meaning for us as these were the chocolates that Shurjo bought for me for our first date.

Wedding of the Month :: June 2009

2009-07-29T11:45:00.011+10:00

Kate & Frank

How we met:
We were in the same circle of friends at school and became firm friends at 16. We starting dating in university and were married just prior to our 10 year anniversary.

Did your wedding have a particular theme or a particular style?:
The wedding wasn't themed. We just wanted to keep things quite simple and pared back as we considered our marriage the most important part - not the reception. Everything was pretty much white or ivory, with a dash of black and soft pink.

Describe your wedding bands & engagement ring:
My wedding band was white gold and very thin, to tie in with the shoulders of my engagement ring. It has a matching row of diamonds across the top, also tying in with the engagement ring. Frank wanted something inspired by his dad's wedding band, so had the jeweller make something based on his description. It is a wide white gold band with the inside brushed and then a border of polished white gold.

Describe your bridal bouquet and name of florist:
My bouquet was a mix of ivory roses (my choice of roses was limited with a winter wedding), freesias and lissianthus. They smelled beautiful! My florist was great - very chilled out but on the ball. She also gave great suggestions of what could work in winter time. Verdaflore in Oatley (no website) 95796900. They have lots of albums of bouquets they've done before, which is very helpful for inspiration.
Describe your shoes in detail:
My shoes were low ivory slingbacks from Deseo in Leichhardt. I couldn't have anything too high, as I'm only an inch shorter than Frank! They had a jewel on the front.

Describe your dress & name the designer:
My dress was an ivory strapless silk organza gown by Jian Ador in Rushcutters' Bay. It was a variation of something I saw in the window. I just had it simplified - again I wanted something simple. I'm going to remove the flower from the front and have it framed.
Describe how you wore your hair:
Loosely pulled back off my face - nothing too harsh or structured.
Describe your bridesmaids dresses:
We had an idea of what we wanted for the bridesmaids - something cinched in at the waist and flattering for all the girls. My sister is also pregnant with with twins so we needed something that could be adapted to fit her. My mum selected a beautiful embroidered silk fabric in ivory (with a pink silk lining) - she has better taste than me! My dress maker is a lovely lady who we've known for years. She always understands what we mean and is very relaxed about things.
Ceremony:
St James' Catholic Church, 2 Woolley Street, Glebe

Where was your reception:
Doltone House in Pyrmont. www.doltonehouse.com.au
Describe your wedding cake/cake maker:
The cake was a 4 tier round cake. It was ivory, with ivory ribbon wrapped around each layer and a couple of flowers placed on the tiers to reflect the flower on the front of my dress. The bottom two tiers were chocolate mud and the top two tiers were fruit cake - one to keep for our anniversary and one for the older guests who wanted the traditional fruit cake. Celebration Cakes made the cake. Choosing the cake was really fun - their showroom is awesome - you can try all the cakes and they bring out a "stunt cake" make of polystyrene so you can get an idea of what the cake will look like.www.celebrationcakes.com.au

Wedding of the Month ::May 2009

2009-06-07T20:04:00.016+10:00

Adelle and Jarrod met as Chemistry students at the University of Sydney. They frequented the same local student pub "The Royal" on Friday evenings.

Adelle’s gorgeous dress, picked by her bridesmaid is a Maggie Sottero A-line gown with ivory and champagne coloured Chantilly Lace over light gold satin from Abbey Bridal. Her veil was an ivory mantilla from Brides Unlimited

Adele’s describes her shoes as the most comfortable heels she’s ever worn with ivory satin straps over the toes which buckled up at the ankle from Panache Bridal Shoes.

The bride’s teardrop-style bouquet was filled with white phalaenopsis orchids and Singapore orchids with magnolia foliage and dotta vine created by Nati Bros Roses.

The ceremony was held at St. Therapon Greek Orthodox Church at Thornleigh.

Adele's bridesmaid wore a Champagne-coloured dress from Forever New. Simple and stylish - it just goes to show you don’t have to spend a fortune to look fantastic.

The bride’s engagement ring is white gold centred with a princess cut diamond and surrounded by five baguette cut diamonds from Larsen Wedding Rings.

Both wedding bands, made from white gold, where also designed by Larsen Wedding Rings and the couple where assisted by an experienced jeweller at every stage of the ring making process.

The DIY bomboniere were assembled by the bride and groom. Three gold foiled wrapped chocolate hearts sat side by side in pastel cream coloured boxes decorated with a cream satin organza ribbon with gold trim.

The reception was held at Springfield House in Dural.

The traditional fruit cake was decorated with phalaenopsis white orchids and biance white roses and was made by Thea Cubis.

Wedding of the Month :: April 2009

2009-06-07T15:42:00.013+10:00

Sjoerd and I first met in Buenos Aires, Argentina whilst backpacking through South America, but the meeting was brief as he was homeward bound and I was travelling to Brazil. We next saw one another a year later on a weekend trip from London to Amsterdam - he was living in the south of Holland and offered to show me the capital - and have been together since.

Emma & Sjoerd had a lovely intimate lunchtime wedding with 25 people and you’d never guess that Emma is 3 months pregnant....How glamorous ! Sjoerd was very emotional during the ceremony which nearly made ME cry ! A cute couple of kids offered to serenade them as a gift during the location shoot – how special.

Ceremony location: Balmoral Beach rotunda

Dress: Made to own design with corded lace and silk.

Shoes: LK Bennet shoes in taupe

Wedding bands/engagement ring: Antique style diamond ring from Pijnenburg Jewellers in Eindhoven, Netherlands.

Flowers: White David Austen roses, blush pink lisianthus, stephanotis and berries from La Vie En Rose in Kirribilli.

Reception: The Bathers' Pavilion.

Cake: Babycakes cupcakes in tiramisu, strawberry and lemon and poppy served after the ceremony with prosecco.

Bomboniere: Personalised blackcurrant flavoured rock candy from Sticky confectioners.

Wedding of the Month :: March 2009

2009-04-16T09:59:00.010+10:00

Amber & Ronan were a great couple – very obviously in love and Amber did a sensational job of organizing a very classy affair. Amber’s ideas were to have a traditional and elegant wedding with personal touches and the results were fabulous.

Amber’s flowers were by Lindy Robinson from MollyBlooms and she bought her shoes in New Zealand.

Amber’s dress designer was Rhonda Hemmingway.

You can see where Amber got her good looks from – Ambers Mum was smiles all day and sported a great Mother of the Bride outfit.
Amber’s veil had a beautiful border of French Chantilly lace.

I loved Amber’s Dad in old school style Ray Bans – what a rocker!

An afternoon storm came which made for some great pics.

The ceremony was held at Kincoppal-Rose Bay and reception at The Royal Sydney Golf Club – I love the golf club it has to be the most stylish and respected club in Sydney. The décor and details for the function room were just gorgeous.
All Amber’s friends had a great sense of style – there were great dresses and shoes everywhere.

Congratulations Amber and Ronan

Wedding of the Month :: February 2009

2009-03-01T14:26:00.019+11:00

Kate & Dave’s wedding was such a pleasure to shoot, as I know Kate quite well from school and our time together in New York. The day ran so smoothly thanks to the help of Kristin O'Brien from Wedding Design and every detail was organised to perfection.

On the day, Kate was the picture of classic style, with a dress from Peter Trends and a bouquet by Susan Avery

Her hair was just like her mother’s on her wedding day – some things never go out of style!

I loved the bridesmaids dresses from Nicolangela a Melbourne based designer who won the 'Fashions on the Field' at last year's Melbourne Cup.

Kate, her Dad and the girls drove to the ceremony in white vintage English Bentleys.

Kate & Dave were all smiles despite the light rain after the ceremony.

I just loved the bridesmaids shoes from Midas. Great outfits they’ll be able to wear again.

We escaped the rain at Georges Head, Mosman for the location shoot and got some great clouds in the background.

The Tearooms at Gunners Barracks had a very cozy feel inside and is such an elegant venue.

The view is also spectacular!

The bridal table was scattered with Rose petals and name cards where hand written in calligraphy.

One of Kate’s friends made her wedding cake and adorned it with beautiful white Roses. It’s always special when a loved one makes your cake :-)

Kate & Dave cut their wedding cake with Kate’s Dad’s military dress sword, from his days serving in the Australian Army as a Lieutenant Colonel. The sword cut the cake at her parent's wedding, Kate’s Christening and her 21st ! How nostalgic and great is that?

Slide McBride are my all time favourite band to have play at a wedding. Not only do they play great music, they are very entertaining boys with a cheeky sense of humour.

Their very romantic Bridal Waltz was Unforgettable by Nat King Cole.

Congratulations Kate & Dave xxx

Wedding of the Month :: January 2009

2009-01-19T11:26:00.018+11:00

Tanya & Simon's wedding was just like a fairytale, set in the historic grounds of Terrara on the South Coast of NSW.

Tanya wore a stunning vintage inspired dress by Arushie.

Her grandmother’s antique amethyst stone broach was also worn on her dress for good luck.

The ceremony was held in dappled sunlight under the large fig tree in front of the Estate. Although it was a gloomy-looking morning, the sun came out just in time!

The location shoot was in and around the grounds of the Estate – there are plenty of places to shoot – I just wanted to capture them having a good time together and being in love.

The reception was held in a marquee with the gorgeous detail. From the French white iron chairs to the linen wrapped in fresh rosemary, table arches laden with fresh flowers and candles for every guest.

Tanya & Simon also organised a ‘honeymoon vintage suitcase’ from Sydney Wishing Well Hire for their friends to place personal messages and cards and cut the cutest cake from I Do Cakes in Bowral.

Tanya, Simon and their guests partied into the night, when the marquee came alight with laughter, light and love.