The Two-Night One-Night Wedding

by Ryan Ringbloom

  The woman rings me up for the white sundress and matching shirt for Matthew. Close to the register is a refrigerator with fresh leis, and I choose a vibrant strand of purple orchids to wear with my new sundress. I even grab an orchid hair clip and use it to pull back one side of my brown locks right there in the store. With my new purchases swinging in a plastic bag, I enthusiastically rush back to the room.

  I open the door, breathing a sigh of relief to see Matthew in clothes.

  “I got you something.” I tear at the price tag, breaking the plastic barb, and hand him his new shirt.

  He takes the shirt, holds it up, and chuckles. “I love it.” He slides the stiff shirt over the tee he has on and starts to button. I shake off my shorts, kicking them to the side, and search through the suitcase for a strapless bra. I know I packed one. Success. I pull off my tank and bra, switching it for the strapless one, and slip into my white floral dress.

  He walks across the hotel room and wraps his arms around my waist. “You look gorgeous. This could be a wedding dress.”

  “You like it?” I give a sexy shoulder wiggle. If he thinks this dress is nice, wait until he sees the real one in a few days. A few days! A shiver of excitement runs through me at the thought.

  “Mm-hmm.” He steadies my shoulders and places a delicate kiss on my neck. The spot where his lips land is like pressing a button that leads directly to my vag. I straighten out my arms and push him away.

  “What?” He laughs.

  “You know damn well what. Breakfast, let’s go.” I step behind him and give him a push toward the door but get him back by pressing a firm finger in a forbidden zone of his own.

  “You play dirty, Mrs. Daniels,” he teases.

  “You better watch out, I’m not Mrs. Daniels yet,” I tease back.

  “Well, maybe we should do something about that,” he says, and stops me dead in my tracks.

  “THIS IS CRAZY,” she says through a huge smile, her gorgeous brown hair blowing in the breeze. My bare toes curl in the sand under our feet. The sun sets in a slow pink haze over the ocean. No moment has ever been more perfect in my life.

  “The Hawaiian word for love is aloha. Tonight on this beautiful beach, you’ve chosen to come together to celebrate the special aloha that exists between both you, Holly, and you, Matthew.” The large Hawaiian man who came highly recommended for a last-minute beach ceremony by our hotel concierge folds his hands in prayer. “You are about to begin your life where you will belong entirely to each other, one in mind, one in heart, and in all things. May your aloha continuously grow more wonderful with each day you enjoy together.”

  “I love you,” Holly mouths silently, and I want to say it back but the lump in my throat and the building emotion swelling up inside prevents me. I see it in her face. She knows.

  “Do you, Matthew, take Holly to be your wife? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health, to cherish with devoted love and faithfulness until death do you part?”

  “I do.” It’s a struggle to form the words, and the moisture in my eyes is getting harder to contain.

  “Do you, Holly, take Matthew to be your husband? To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness, in health, to cherish with devoted love and faithfulness until death do you part?”

  “I do. I really, really do,” Holly sings out, and I wish this was the part where I could kiss her.

  “Please take out the wedding rings.”

  Holly and I look at each other. The thought of rings did not even cross our minds when we hurried to plan this impromptu ceremony.

  “We don’t have rings,” I say. “Actually, we have rings, but they’re at home.”

  “No rings? Hmm. But you do have a marriage license?” The officiant scratches a hand through his wavy hair.

  “Yes, but we’re getting married again on Saturday and my brother is officiating, so we’re gonna have him take care of the certificate.” I squeeze Holly’s hands. “It’s just that I love her so much, I wanted to marry her today.”

  “So, this isn’t actually….” He stops and reflects over the water for a moment. In his head I’m sure he’s wondering why we’re doing this if it isn’t an actual wedding. But when his gaze returns to us, there’s a sparkle of understanding in his eye. He places his hands over ours, cupping them. “You two have something very special. I want you to take the feeling you have right now, the feeling of youth, excitement, joy, and most importantly love, bottle it up, and place it in your heart. Be careful with that bottle, never let it break, and remember to open it during the bad times and return to this feeling.” He squeezes our joined hands, driving the sentiment home. We both nod our understanding. “Do either of you have anything to add before we conclude the ceremony?”

  The vows I have written for our wedding, I’ll save. They’re filled with facts about love and how those facts are a reality, thanks to Holly. But right now, in this moment, I need to speak from my heart.

  “Holly, you are so much more than I ever dreamed possible. I never thought I’d be this lucky. I look into your eyes and I can see my entire life with you by my side. You fill my heart and make me know for sure that I have a soul because I’ve felt it link with yours. I love you, you are my heart and soul. I will love you forever.”

  “Oh, Matthew.” Holly brings our intertwined fingers up to her face, and I feel a tear slide down the back of my hand. “I love you forever, too. You are my heart. My soul. I’m lucky. Oh my God, I’m just copying your vows.” She sniffs out a giggle. “But everything you said is so true, and I feel the same way. You’re my prince, my knight, my world, and when we get home I am pushing the beds together myself and roping them up tight. I never want us to sleep apart again.”

  I can’t resist; I step forward, pulling her into my arms and up to my lips. Her arms squeeze behind my neck and her lips open up for a passionate kiss.

  “I guess you may now kiss the bride,” the officiant says through his laughter. My hands tighten around Holly’s waist and I lift her up off the sandy beach, never breaking from the kiss. “I now pronounce you in love,” he says, as opposed to husband and wife.

  We know the ceremony isn’t legal, but it’s very real. A ceremony just for us, private and raw. A moment we will always remember, bottled up and sealed in our hearts just like he said.

  “What did you call it when we met?” I ask, setting her back down. “Two one-night stands or something?”

  “I said it was a two-night one-night stand.” She crinkles her brows. “Why?”

  “’Cause I think now we sorta have a two-night one-night wedding thing going on.”

  “I love that.” Holly giggles, and I scoop her up in my arms, her bare feet kicking in delight.

  “What do you say we go back to the room for some four-time five-time wedding night sex?”

  “I say—put me down so we can run and get there faster.”

  “HOLLY, THE FLOWERS were just delivered.” Jayne enters her bedroom in full hair and makeup, wearing a silk robe. She offered up her apartment for the night before the wedding, and I gladly accepted, getting dropped off straight from the airport and setting up camp at her place. My large gown hanging in the corner takes up half of her small room.

  “Delivered? Here? I had arranged for them to be delivered directly to Romeo’s.” I put down the lip gloss I’m midway through applying and go off to the kitchen to investigate.

  Beautiful boxes are piled up on Jayne’s counters and table. I lift a lid and see brilliant red roses with white stephanotis accents. I pull the bouquet from the box and admire it in awe. It’s a work of art. Full, blooming roses, prettier than anything I’ve ever seen. My dream bouquet.

  “Those are not from Costco.” Jayne states the obvious.

  “No, they’re not.” I lift the lid on the other boxes, revealing bouquet after bouquet of gorgeous flowers for the rest of the bridal party. “Where did
these come from?”

  “Here. They’re from Sweet William’s Florist, and there’s a note.” Jayne discovers a little card in one of the boxes and hands it to me.

  Dear Holly,

  It’s not a Fireball fountain, but every beautiful bride deserves beautiful flowers.

  Love, Jeremy

  My hand trembles, and I start to weep at the incredibly thoughtful gift.

  “They’re from Jeremy,” I tell Jayne, wiping away black tears from the thick coat of mascara on my lashes.

  “Ah, you’re ruining your makeup. Cry about it tomorrow.” She rushes at me with a box of tissues and starts blotting my face furiously. There’s a knock at the door. “Come in,” Jayne yells, still blotting away.

  “She’s crying already? This is Ashley all over again.” Robin enters with Michelle all dressed up in her flower girl dress, tight little curls gathered on top of her head.

  “Aunt Ashley cried at her wedding?” Michelle gasps.

  “They were tears of joy.” Robin smiles at her daughter, then leans in my direction and whispers, “Mixed in with some pregnancy hormones.”

  I’m glad for the excuse to laugh. I take the tissue from Jayne and dab the corners of my eyes one last time. Another knock on the door, and my mother, sister, and niece come barreling in. My mother is wearing a long blue gown. I nod toward Robin.

  “I’m on it,” she says, already typing in her phone.

  Mrs. Daniels, I mean Grace, had chosen a pink gown and a lavender gown—just in case. She had asked to be notified once my mother had confirmed her gown choice, which we all knew wouldn’t be until the actual day of the wedding.

  “Where are Ashley and the girls?” my mother asks, fastening her surprisingly tasteful pearl earrings.

  “They’re meeting us there. She thought it would be too much to have all the girls running around here, and she offered to go to Romeo’s early to make sure everything was set up properly and ready to go.”

  There’s another knock at the door, and my mother jumps in front of Jayne to answer it. “That’s probably him.” I assume she means my dad, but when she opens the door a man I don’t recognize, in black pants and a white shirt, walks in holding a camera. “Come in, come in. The bride is right over here.” The man is ushered toward me. “Holly, this is Jamie Sublett. He’s going to be the photographer.”

  “Oh my God!” I clutch my chest. I can’t believe it. I figured we would rely on phones for all the photos, but an actual photographer…. I’m blown away. “Thank you.” I hug my mother, and Jamie snaps his first photo. “This is such an amazing surprise.”

  “And there’s a few more to come.” She pats my back, letting me know hug time is over. “Are you ready to get dressed? Look at the time.”

  I glance at the clock on the microwave. Time is flying by. We all gather in Jayne’s cramped bedroom, and I disrobe to my white bustier that is helping to cinch in my waist. I blush, looking down, almost having forgotten that I had chosen thigh highs over a more traditional pair of pantyhose, but no one seems to really notice or is too shocked as they help me to step into the voluminous gown. Jayne zips me up and pulls my hair back to attach the veil.

  “Rou rook ruckin rorgeous,” she says with a bobby pin between her lips. I’m thankful for the somewhat censorship the bobby pin offers in front of my nieces.

  The photographer snaps a few pictures as Jayne carefully makes some last-minute touches to my face and poses my mother to adjust my veil. My very pregnant sister and my niece, Amanda, and I pose until once again there is a knock at the door. I’m encouraged to answer it and swing the door open to my very distinguished-looking father, beaming with pride as he takes me in.

  “You look simply stunning,” he says with a raspy crack to his voice that tugs at my heart. “Are you ready to go get married?”

  “Yes.” I tap my cheeks lightly to chase away any tears trying to resurface, and link my arm through my dad’s where he escorts me downstairs and out front to a waiting white Rolls Royce.

  “I thought we’d arrive in style,” he says, sweeping his arm toward the door being held open by a chauffeur. “I thought I could go for one last ride with my little girl before Matthew whisks away his new wife after the wedding is over.”

  Jayne is already behind me with a tissue in hand. I grab it from her and use it to block the tears from escaping. My father assists me into the car and takes his seat beside me. The door closes and a burst of butterflies take off in my stomach. It almost feels as if my excitement is what propels the luxury car forward.

  Here we go. This is it.

  I can’t wait to say I do… again!

  HOLLY AND I spin on the dance floor in the center of the tables. She’s breathtaking. I’ve struggled to breathe all day long around her. She floated down the makeshift aisle toward me like a vision. And now, we are officially husband and wife.

  Glasses clink and we kiss.

  Kent arranged for a DJ, but for our first dance, he’s singing the wedding song we selected. His voice hits the notes and booms, adding even more emotion to a room that is already overflowing with it.

  I look around and know every face in the room. They all watch us with genuine love and happiness. We made the right choice. This small, elegant wedding is everything we needed and more. Thanks to Kent, our ceremony went off without a hitch. We recited our vows, laughed as I fumbled with the ring, and ended the ceremony with a kiss as electric as the one on the beach.

  The song ends, and Holly and I take a seat at a table for two next to a beautiful three-tier cake that I learned was gifted along with the flowers by Jeremy. Patrick stands up and clears his throat, commanding attention for his speech.

  “It’s been a very emotional day, and thanks to Jeremy, even the cake is in tiers.” Patrick tugs on his collar. “Please laugh because that’s the only joke you’re getting in this speech.” A low grumble of laughter follows. “Holly, you are stunning, and Matthew is incredibly lucky, as are we, to have you become part of our family. We love you and welcome you to the prairie.” He pauses, and I look at Holly, who just shakes her head with a grin. Yeah, I may have mentioned her Little House on the Prairie comments to him. Patrick continues, “I’m going to tell you all a secret, although, in this family we don’t do secrets all that well, so I guess it should come as no surprise when I tell you that Matthew is the favorite. Everyone’s favorite. He is the favorite son, the favorite brother, the favorite brother-in-law, the favorite uncle, and deservedly so. I don’t know a greater, more caring man than my brother Matty. He’s smart, loyal, dedicated, and after me, the most handsome man in the family.” Chuckles come from the crowd. “Why are you laughing? I told you, you were only getting one joke. That was serious.” Another round of chuckles follows. “We all hoped that Matthew would find a woman who was as amazing and as wonderful as he is. And today we raise our glasses because our favorite guy has found that woman. His perfect match, a woman who has transformed our favorite guy into our favorite couple.” He raises his glass. “Cheers, to Matthew and Holly!”

  “Cheers!” the room roars, and the champagne is sipped. Patrick grasps my hand and pulls me in for a hug, then leans over to place a kiss on my wife’s tearstained cheek.

  The rest of the night speeds by. Food is served and taken away before I’ve even had one bite. We cut the cake and go for it, smashing the slices into each other’s faces. Holly laughs and poses for a fantastic picture with white frosting coating her long lashes. I spend most of the night with my cheek pressed to hers dancing. I’m sad that our honeymoon is over, but overjoyed by the life that’s beginning.

  The final song is played, and after a night filled with emotion and love, not to mention lots of wine, all the guests huddle together in a swaying embrace to finish off this amazing day. After the final note, Holly and I are guided toward the doorway, where we are bombarded with love-filled hugs and well wishes one after the other. My mom is last and hugs me so tight, she almost cracks my ribs.

  “I’m so ha
ppy for you,” she says through tears. It’s emotional, but I’m sure I’d feel way more sad if we weren’t going right back to her house to live tomorrow night.

  The room is finally empty, all except for the DJ packing away his gear and the busboys who have started cleaning up. Holly goes back to the table to grab her bouquet. The car her parents surprised us with is waiting out front to take us to our hotel room in Philly for the night.

  “Today was perfect. I wish it didn’t have to end.”

  Holly and I hold hands as we enter the restaurant part of Romeo’s, where we had pizza the first night we met. The cheesy aroma from prepared pies on display hits me, and my stomach churns.

  “Are you hungry?” I ask.

  “Starved. I think I had two bites of food all day.”

  “Me too.”

  The table we sat at that very first night we met is available, and I sweep a hand toward the empty booth. Her face lights up and she lifts and squishes herself into the tight little bench seat, white tulle and lace surrounding her. She opens her mouth to say something.

  “Extra cheese, extra mushrooms,” I say for her and wink. I know. I place the order and return to our booth, where we’ve attracted a lot of attention. I guess it’s not every day you see a decked-out bride and groom eating pizza.

  “This booth has seen a lot of stuff with us.” She pats the table gingerly, like it’s a living thing. “Our first night together, our second. It saw me coming here looking for you when I realized I had screwed everything up.”

  “It saw me here looking for you, too.” Memories of our angst-filled beginning flood back to me.

  “I wonder what else it will see. Kids?” There’s a look of terror and delight on her face at the same time.

  “One day,” I say, and we both gaze around the room, thoughts of what the future holds twirling in our minds. So much lies ahead.

  The slices get set down in front of us, and Holly takes a bite of pizza, grease shining on her perfect lips. I want to kiss her. No, I need to. I jump up from my seat and although I’d love to say I swoop her up in one fluid motion for that kiss… that does not happen. Remember, this is us we’re talking about here. It takes several attempts and a busted button to remove her many layers from the booth, but when I finally do, I pull her into my arms and the kiss is epic.