It was a gorgeous March day in Africa. We were driving out of Port Elizabeth at about 3 pm, the sky a deep, unusual blue for so late in the year. The sun shone warmly on my lap and Goldfish, a band we all loved. was playing.

I looked around at my three girlfriends in the car, singing and laughing, my beautiful sister at the wheel, and at cars both ahead and behind, filled with my favourite people. We were headed to our beach house for my hen party, and my heart almost burst with joy. I felt so lucky to be marrying my love and to have all my special friends together for such a happy time.

We arrived at the beach around 5:30 p.m. As we rounded the last bend before turning onto our beach road, the view almost brought me to tears. The water on the river was like glass, reflecting the sky in shimmering gold. It looked as if someone had thrown a handful of gold dust into the river, and it had splashed up into the clouds. We drove down the hill along the river’s edge, the dunes rising like pyramids balanced on the sea.

Everyone tumbled out of the cars, giggling and shouting like schoolgirls, calling dibs on beds, running up and down the stairs, and hauling out the BBQ and deck chairs to watch the sunset.“Let’s go for a quick dip in the sea before we unpack!” Helen shouted.

We ran down the river to the ocean. The sun was just touching the horizon as we threw our towels down and ran into the waves. The water was clear, cool, and icy enough to steal our breath. Walking back over the dunes, chatting and laughing, I felt the freedom of that moment, alive and deeply grateful for my friends and for the evening ahead.

Kate and Annie took charge of a “Welcome to the Weekend” cocktail while Wends, Tanya, and Trace unpacked the kitchen and organised a massive snack platter. Gaylene and Benita became our designated DJs, and Ally, Tash, and Nicole tried their hands at being BBQ masters. The rest of the crew tackled bar duty, stocking fridges with Savannas, cold beers, and Jägermeister.

As I sat on the deck with my bare feet in the warm sand, I thought about the whirlwind of the past two years, meeting Dave, and what life would be like as a Mrs.

I knew this would be a weekend to remember.