TEARS OF JOY

Kate falls apart over weddings and babies

I’ve always been a sucker for weddings. And babies, actually. Weddings and babies are my weakness. I cry every time. I barely need to know the couple – when I see vows exchanged, and all that love, hope and promise, I melt. The lovebirds can actually be complete strangers and I’ll still tear up.

Take Meghan and Harry. Covering their wedding in London for NewstalkZB was a thrill, but actually being at Windsor, and seeing the horse-drawn carriage carrying the bride and her groom through the tiny streets filled with wellwishers, I was overcome. I stood there frozen amongst the crowds and despite not knowing them personally, I felt nothing but joy for them.

Weddings are magical because of everything they represent – not necessarily because of who the people are or what designer gown they’re wearing.

I like that weddings these days are losing their fuss a bit too. People seem to be catching on that lots of money spent on goodie bags or candles with your initials monogrammed on them are not really the be all and end all. In fact, it’s usually a waste of money.

The best weddings are often the simplest ones. Hand-picked flowers, Nana making the cake, a mate taking the photos and a venue that can be as low-key as a beach or some grass. People remember how they felt at a wedding, and not how many votive jars with rope and fancy lollies there were. Often the best things to happen at weddings are the words – the vows, readings and the speeches. They set the tone like nothing else.

Likewise, when it comes to babies, I am mush. I am the ultimate hand that rocks the cradle. You’d think that with five kids between us, I’d be over that by now, but no, I’m still a total sop when it comes to that chubby flesh and newborn smell.

It transports me back to when I first held my own babies and I am awash with mama hormones. I never tire of snuggling them and I don’t even mind when they cry. I’m that rare person on the plane who doesn’t roll their eyes when a baby bawls as the sound of a newborn’s screams somehow never bothers me.

The biggest problem with having babies around me is that I want to take them all home. A girlfriend of mine travelled to India and said the hardest part of it was all the women who’d fling their babies into her arms and say, “Take it, take it.” I’d be the sort of person who would, simply because I’d be unable to say no. This sort of thing terrifies my husband. I’m sure that’s why he never suggests we travel to Third World countries. He’s not prepared to take the risk.

So whether it’s a royal getting hitched or having a baby, or just someone down the road tying the knot or giving birth, they’re all the same to me – pure joy.