Blame it on the Nile

From left: Georgina Crouth, Mohamed El Shabrawy, Shane Crouth, and Cecelia Amory.

Egyptians believe once you drink from the sacred river, you're fated to return

Shane and I eloped on the Nile, in the shadow of Luxor Temple.

We had a long and happy engagement, but somehow, never set a date. We knew we’d get there, eventually.

Turns out, all we needed inspiration – and a little push.

That came in the form of Cecelia Amory, a doyenne of South African travel, who I met in 2009, when she invited me to Egypt on an exclusive press trip, plus-one included.

Our stalled engagement came up in conversation. Her retort: why not get married in Egypt?

Within days Cecelia had taken charge and was arranging a wedding on the Nile.

Spanning the length of Egypt in 10 days, our journey was a masterclass in travel choreography, from Abu Simbel’s temples of Ramesses II, relocated during an extraordinary international rescue mission, to Alexandria, known as the “Bride of the Mediterranean”.

About midway through the country, along the banks of the Nile, lies Luxor, our wedding destination.

It’s famous for the nearby Valley of the Kings, where British Egyptologist Howard Carter unearthed Tutankhamun, the majestic Winter Palace hotel, where he publicised his findings, and where Agatha Christie drew inspiration for Death on the Nile.

The groom broke a glass and a fiddler struck up Hava Nagila

Nile weddings are now more common, thanks in no small part to the efforts of people like Cecelia who have led tourism to Egypt.

Our story encapsulates what At Last Travel Design does: the perfectly personal, the wonderfully unexpected, precisely executed.

Wanderlust

Cecelia has spent her whole life in travel. She started on the ground, as an SAA airport desk agent, then moved through reservations and on to British Airways.

At Varig Brazilian Airlines, where her Portuguese skills were in demand, she developed a taste for complex itineraries.

As General Sales Manager of EgyptAir in South Africa, she launched Egypt Day in 1994 and built the relationships that have since drawn her back to the country more than 60 times.

With decades in the business, Cecelia’s helped make sporting dreams come true alongside her partner, Robin Ball, at Champion Arising, and built deep expertise in luxury travel, visiting more than 70 countries and working events and forums around the world.

She knows who to call to make almost anything happen – and they take her call.

On the Move

I’m a journalist at heart: I’ve been a food critic, wine writer, consumer editor, business and travel writer. I’ve covered the world and the businesses behind it, and spent many years in newsrooms.

Time in public relations taught me how experiences and opinions are shaped.

When my family emigrated, Cecelia and I decided to build something together, drawing on her expertise and network, and my journalism, commercial instinct and foothold in the UK.

So At Last operates from both South Africa and the UK. We open doors, rooms, tables and experiences.

We started by doing something we were told couldn’t be done, and we’ve built the business the same way ever since.

Georgina Crouth,

Co-founder

People thought we were insane.

The Nile is a source of life for Egyptians, but traditionalists believe marrying on water is bad luck. It didn’t bother us.

Cecelia rallied the troops. One of the group supplied flowers, glasses and a wedding album. Her daughters were our flower girls.

Our fellow travellers stood in as guests. My aunt Nicky represented the family.

The boat's owner, Mohamed El-Shabrawy, gave me away.

A Coptic priest blessed our Christian-Jewish union.