The pergola itself is gorgeous, the installation instructions were everything we expected after reading previous reviews which were pretty bad. They leave out important details, please look at all the images closely to see where the holes line up. We knew what we were getting into and yes, the instructions are bad and it will take at least 3 hrs for 2 people but it was worth it for us. We anchored ours into our wood deck using 12 bolts as we are in a windy area. The canopy does let light through but takes the edge off the brightness. We love it and it fits our needs perfectly!!