Submitted by Firefly on Thu, 11/11/2004 - 15:49
Posted in
I am going to go ahead and post an opening for the wedding ceremony up here. Anyone who wants to interact before the ceremony itself or add impressions during can do so. It's not quite time for this to go up on the board, but it's close enough that I'd like to get it moving so that it can be edited and polished in plenty of time. This is just the ceremony itself to begin with. After that, I'll probably do something similar for the reception that night, but lets see how this goes first.
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The wedding...
*** Saturday, June 20, 2007, 3:20 pm ***
*** Memorial Beach ***
The sun sparkled over the water and shone down upon the rows of chairs arranged neatly with an aisle between them. A beautiful canopy of flowers had been arranged with the altar neatly set up under it, and an archway opened up to the area, with a flower petals making a path that led from the end of the aisle between the seating to the altar itself. Not far away, two marquees were set up, one for the brides party and the other for the grooms, where everyone was being dressed and seeing to last minute details. Not far down the beach, hired help was scurrying around beginning the many preparations for the reception that would start later that evening. Everything was festooned with bright blossoms and the arriving guests were milling about as they were being shown to their seats, organized by their connection to the bride or the groom. In these moments, before the ceremony was set to begin, people greeted one another with kind words or warm embraces. There was a sense of comforting normalcy to the entire affair that was a blessed relief to many in attendance.
Finally, though, the guests were settled and the show was supposed to begin. They turned their attention towards the front as a man in white robes took his place at the altar. Moments later, he was joined by the groom, dressed to perfection and looking joyful, if a bit green around the gills. The robed man smiled benignly down at everyone, and a woman seated nearby began to play the harp sitting before her. As the music began, everyone turned towards where the bride was supposed to emerge. They blinked in surprise when instead a lovely, dark skinned woman hurried up, looking chagrined and apologetic. She moved towards the waiting men and spoke to them in a low tone. Sam and Drew’s friend, Matt, were right behind her. They stopped and waited while she talked to Drew, then stood aside so she could hurry back down the aisle.
Drew stepped forward and cleared his throat nervously. “Uhm…it seems that the bride is having some…wardrobe trouble,” he said. “If you’ll just bear with us, the ceremony will begin as soon as they take care of it.”
Drew stepped back and began to speak to Sam and Matt. The guests watched them, all wondering if there was really just some minor annoyance causing the delay or if something more were going on. They began to speak quietly amongst themselves, no doubt discussing the delay.
Ok...feel free to add pre ceremony stuff...and when everyone has (if anyone has anything to add), then I'll put the ceremony itself up here too. Thanks.
The wedding...
Ok...if you've any reaction you want included up to this point, now's the time. I'm just waiting on one post from Heather and Matt, and then the wedding will be ready to start. Thanks everyone. I think I'll go ahead and post the ceremony part now...so you can fill in wherever you see fit.
The wedding...
And here's the ceremony itself...
Slowly the music began again. Everyone turned to finally see Sam and Tash slowly walking up the aisle, followed by Matt and Kate. Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Delays always created tension. No one wanted to be at a wedding that didn’t actually happen.
The music swelled and Daye finally appeared, passing under the flowered archway and moving towards where her friends and Drew waited for her. She walked alone, but didn’t seem to be the least bit self conscious about it. After making them all wait for so long, she appeared serene and happy as she slowly made her way down the aisle. She passed between her friends and his family. She came to a stop before the man officiating the ceremony and stood beside Drew, who beamed at her, love and relief shining in his eyes. Daye smiled at him, determined that he should never know what it cost her to do so. They both turned to the man before them as he began to speak.
“Shakespeare said, ‘Love comforteth like sunshine after the rain.” The man standing before the altar in the quiet clearing wore a soft, indulgent smile. Martin Veran was a High Priest and a personal friend of Daye’s from her time with the Watcher’s council. He’d agreed to marry her as soon as she’d asked and flew in from Ireland just this morning for the ceremony. He was an ordained minister, so the ceremony would be legal and binding in the eyes of the law as well. “The rain has been falling on you all for quite some time now. It’s fitting then that now we have some sunshine.”
“Beloved family and dearest friends, we have come together in this sacred place to celebrate the love of two people,” Martin continued. “In a world filled with danger and strife, oftentimes love is the only comfort we can depend on, as Andrew and Amanda have come to do so well.”
“It is customary at this time to ask if there be any here present who can think of just cause why these two should not be joined together,” Martin said, the question one that had to be raised, even when no one expected it to be answered.
“Very well. At this time the bride and groom wish to express the love they share in their own words,” Martin continued. He turned first to Drew and nodded. “Please, Andrew, if you will begin…”
Drew turned to Daye and took her hands in his own. “It is love that fashions us into the fullness of our being--not our looks, not our work, not our wants, not our achievements, not our parents, not our status, not our dreams. These are all the fodder and the filler, the navigating fuels of our lives, but it is love: who we love, how we love, why we love and that we love which ultimately shapes us.” Drew paused. “I found this somewhere and when I read it, it made me think of you and I. I have had many good things in my life. I was born to loving parents and had many opportunities. I had dreams and goals and I achieved most of them before we ever even met. Yet, I don’t think I was truly the man I’m meant to be until the day I started loving you. You’ve brought so many amazing things into my life. Without you, the world I know would be only half formed. Knowing you, Amanda, loving you, it’s made me a better man.”
“I promise you, from this day forward, for all the days of our lives, I will love you and cherish you. I will hold you in my heart and stand beside you even at the darkest times. I will never let anything come between us. You are a part of me and I am a part of you. Now, and forever, Amanda Blaise, I promise all of myself to you.”
“Amanda,” Martin prompted.
Daye held onto Drew’s hands. She forced herself to breath and not to turn towards where she’d seen Marcus sitting. She couldn’t look at him. If she did, she’d never get through this. It was far too late to change her mind. *He doesn’t want your love…he threw you out…threw you away. Drew loves you. This is the right thing to do.*
“DH Lawrence wrote that ‘Love is the flower of life that blossoms unexpectedly and without law, and must be plucked where it is found, and enjoyed for the brief hour of its duration.’” Daye drew in a deep, steadying breath and forced herself to smile warmly at the man standing before here looking at her with such love in his eyes. “When I met you, Drew, I had loved and lost and I never thought to feel that way about anyone again. I never expected to fall in love with you. But you were patient and kind and you took your time. You looked at me, looked into my crazy, mixed up world and you weren’t afraid.”
Daye raised her chin slightly and her voice came out clearer, more confident. “You were never afraid to love me the way that I loved you. Thank you for that. Thank you for your faith and for your love. I hope I can someday be worthy of all your devotion. I know that I promise you, here and now, that I will try each and every day to be the woman you need me to be. I promise to love you and cherish you. I promise myself to you, Andrew Langley.”
Daye and Drew turned back to Martin. “Now, then, repeat after me,” he said, turning first to Drew. “I, Andrew Langley, do swear my love for you, Amanda Blaise, and promise to love you all the days of my life. I bind myself to you, body and soul.”
Drew repeated the vows without hesitation. Martin then turned to Daye. “And you, dear,” he said. “I, Amanda Blaise, do swear my love for you, Andrew Langley, and promise to love you all the days of my life. I bind myself to you, body and soul.”
Daye for a moment felt the words choking her. *I can’t…oh, Goddess, how can I? I don’t…I love…no…I have to…this is the right thing for me…the only thing for me…*
Daye smiled shakily. “I, Amanda Blaise, do swear my love for you, Andrew Langley,” she prayed that the quake in her voice and the tears in her eyes would be attributed to happiness, “and promise to…love you all the days of my life. I bind myself to you, body and soul.”
“As you promise it, so shall it be,” Martin intoned. “Two souls bound together for eternity, such are you bound by your love and vows one unto the other. We who share in your joy wish you boundless love and peace. We pronounce you man and wife. You may seal your union with a kiss.”
Drew’s mouth tilted up in a small smile and he reached for Daye, drawing her into his embrace. He brought his mouth to hers and kissed her, long and slow, the embrace full of restrained passion. They could hear their friends and family cheering in the background. Then, as the music began again, they started back down the aisle, arm in arm, towards their new life together. Daye kept her eyes locked on her husband, refusing for even a moment to glance at anyone else.
The wedding...
I'm all ready up to the first part of the ceremony. Is there anything I need to wait for, or can I just post that then?
The wedding...
Okay, here's what I have to add to the ceremony. I decided to just paste it into the original since it's easier than pointing to each place where it would fit.