Music recommendations: Christina Perri- "A Thousand Years" (Piano & Cello Cover) -The Piano Guys, and Vivaldi- "Spring" (La Primavera) from The Four Seasons :)
As the bright morning sun rays shone through the wooden shudder slats, Alisa woke up refreshed and excited for the day ahead. Today's my wedding day! She thought excitedly. The weather outside had finally warmed enough for her wedding with Kirin.
Kirin and his family had been working on their new home, with the indoor plumbing and heating system that Alisa had requested. Everything was perfect!
Katie came into the room carrying a tray of fresh pastries in one hand and Aza in the other arm. "Wake up, blushing bride! Today is your wedding day!" She sang excitedly as Aza giggled. "Don't forget to eat something, today is going to be a long day!" Katie reminded me as she set the tray down on the nightstand next to my bed.
I smiled at Katie and Aza as I sat up and reached for a cherry cheesecake pastry. Mmm, so good! I moaned as I savored the sweet and tart flavors of the cherries, combined with the creaminess of the cheesecake and the flaky pastry crust. It was a delicious way to start my perfect day!
The wedding was scheduled for the late afternoon to make sure it would be warm enough. We could start the ceremony around 4 pm, and have the reception into the night. Alisa had a dream wedding in mind with the sunset in the background as she said her vows and had her first kiss as Kirin's wife. The thought gave her butterflies in her stomach!
Katie and Abby had been planning most of the wedding details. Alisa gave her input on certain things that she wanted, like the music, cake, and wedding dress, but she left most of the planning up to them. They had both been married in this world already and knew the customs from Earth.
Abby was able to practice The Piano Guys' version of "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri on her piano. A few of the elders practiced with the violin and other instruments to create a small band. They had been practicing all winter individually and practiced together whenever the weather made it possible.
Al was going to officiate and had his lines memorized. Adam would be the ring bear, and had his adorable bear cub costume. Katie would carry Aza down the aisle as the flower girl. Zed had said that it would be his honor to walk Alisa down the aisle. She was a little uncomfortable at first, but agreed to help him feel included.
Oh, I hope nothing goes wrong! Alisa thought to herself. She imagined all the things that could happen, or so she thought! The worst thing she imagined was Zed and Kirin getting into a fight. Tobin had accepted her as his new sister-in-law and had already started to move on. He was courting a girl who worked at the printing press and acted in the same plays as he did.
Alisa shook the negative thoughts away and decided to focus on her happiness for her wedding day. She got out of bed and took a warm, floral bath. After the bath, her hair was clean and smelled like lavender and rose. She wanted today to be filled with all the pretty things.
Abby came over to the house and helped Alisa get ready. Katie helped to fix her hair after it dried. Abby added a floral crown. Aza played with the flower petals happily. Al had taken Adam to Kirin's house to help him get ready. It was customary for the bride and groom to get ready in separate houses, usually their own homes.
The day passed quickly, and even though they did not have as many customs as the modern world, they made it special for Alisa. She barely had time to eat a sandwich for lunch before they took her to finish the hair and skin care routine.
"Don't worry, there will be food after the wedding. Luckily, you are not wearing a corset, so you should be able to eat at your wedding." Katie lamented as she remembered her royal wedding to Al. She was so dressed up, and her corset was so tight that she could barely eat a bite of cake!
I grinned at her remarks and felt grateful to have some control over my wedding dress. I had spent all winter hand-sewing the perfect bohemian-style empire-waisted wedding dress. It was beautiful!
"Ok, it's almost time. Let's get you in the wedding dress." Katie announced as they helped me to get dressed without messing up my hair.
Leyla and Zed came over to escort us to the wedding venue on top of the hill. It was partially surrounded to block out some of the wind, but still had a beautifully decorated archway that allowed the scenic sunset view in the background.
Everything was perfect! The villagers were well-dressed and waiting in rows. Kirin stood proudly at the altar with his father and brother next to him, and Al stood in the center of the floral altar. Abby went to the piano on the side of the altar and began to play the wedding music.
Katie walked with Aza as she playfully tossed a few handfuls of flower petals. Her giggles were infectious and caused others to smile and laugh as well. Adam roared in his childish voice as he walked down the aisle towards his father, carrying the rings in a small pouch around his neck. It was adorable!
Zed looked at me and extended his arm for me to take it as he walked with me down the petal-strewn aisle. Leyla walked behind me as the Matron of Honor. Kirin's eyes glowed brightly as the sunset reflected off his silver-grey irises.
My breath hitched as I met his admiring gaze. He looks so handsome in his black suit! I had mentioned the something blue custom in our homeworld, and he died his tie and pocket square blue. He also had a blue flower in his suit pocket.
I walked arm-in-arm with Zed and carried my wildflower bouquet as I made my way to the altar. I wasn't wearing heels, but my dress was long enough that I almost tripped on it. I had to walk slowly and steadily.
The ceremony was beautiful. We said our vows while gazing into each other's eyes, and just as we leaned in to kiss, I heard an explosion. The sound startled me and shook me from the kiss. I looked around dazed for a moment to see what was causing the commotion.
Zed yelled, "Look out!" As he pointed towards the direction of the explosion, my heart almost stopped as I saw the giant flying machine approaching. Of all the things that could have happened, I never even considered this as the worst-case scenario!