Riley Porter

June 5, 2021 11:08 AM

"If the bride does not have an Advil in her hand by the time I walk into that room, you're all fired and not getting paid for the work you already did. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes, Miss Porter." one of the caterers nodded and grabbed the bottle of pills from the counter. "I'll run them to her right away."

Riley shooed them off and checked her watch, sighing loudly upon seeing the time. She had three hours left to get everything in order for her cousin's wedding, and she had never imagined that being the maid of honor would be so stressful. Then again, she was also used to bossing people around, so the job was coming naturally to her.

"Ri, you need to get in here." Jen's voice crackled over the walkie-talkies that the entire wedding party had in order to help everything run smoothly. "She's panicking."

"Good grief." Riley muttered under her breath before running out of the tent where they would hold the reception and into the church next door. Sydney and the rest of her bridesmaids were getting ready in one of the side rooms that had been converted into a beauty salon for the morning. Riley rushed inside to find exactly what happened when one of the two able-minded people in the wedding party left the room for even a minute.

The other one ran up to Riley as soon as she walked in.

"I don't know what was said to her, but I think it was Aria who said it." Jen told her former college roommate, "I can't deal with comforting Syd and keeping Katie from day drinking."

"Understood." Riley replied, spotting Sydney across the room with a tissue in one hand and a mascara wand in the other. "I'll get the bride."

She ran over to her cousin and grabbed the mascara out of her hand.

"What is the number one rule of doing your own makeup?"

Sydney looked up at her cousin and sniffed loudly.

"Don't ever apply your eye makeup when you're crying." She replied sheepishly. "I just wanted to get everything done!"

"You still have three hours until the wedding." Riley told her, "So don't worry about that. Why are you crying? Did Aria say she didn't want you as a sister-in-law?"

"No, of course not!" Sydney replied, wiping her eyes. Riley cringed as what little mascara was already on her eyes smudged across her face. "She said she couldn't wait for me to be her sister-in-law. How beautiful is that?"

Riley raised her eyebrows. She could deal with sad crying. Sad crying was easy to combat. Happy crying was far more difficult; you looked like a more heartless person for telling someone to stop being happy.

There was one kind of joke, however, that could always put a frown on Sydney's face.

"I thought that we specifically planned this wedding around your period, Syd."

The bride-to-be's face immediately turned into a stone.

"Riley..."

"Oh good, you're done crying." Riley grinned, giving her cousin a quick kiss on the top of her head. "Now redo your makeup and if I hear you crying one more time I'm slapping your hair out of place."

This wedding was going to be perfect even if it killed the maid of honor.

***

Dan Menck

June 5, 2021 12:05 PM

"I'm telling you, I said navy ties."

"And I'm telling you that my wife told me navy will clash with the black tuxes." Dan snapped, "So we got Cambridge blue."

"That sounds like the most feminine thing I've ever heard." The groom muttered, "Why am I just finding out about this on the day of my wedding?"

"I put Alan in charge of telling you about changes." Dan shrugged, "Blame him if he forgot."

In all honesty, Dan couldn't remember exactly who he put in charge of telling Connor about changes. Being the best man was far more difficult than he had anticipated.

"I'll blame him, but only because I can't get mad at you after that speech last night." Connor grinned as he began to tie his Cambridge blue tie around his neck. "I don't think I've ever laughed so hard in my life."

Dan shrugged, laughing at the memory. His toast at the rehearsal dinner the previous night had been nothing short of legendary, if he did say so himself.

"I'm trying to think of anything we could be forgetting." Connor mentioned as he finished his tie, "Oh, you have the rings, right?"

Dan nodded.

"Of course I have the rings, man. Don't worry about a thing, your day's going to be perfect. Nothing is going to ruin it for the two of you."

Yet as he said those words, Dan's heart was pounding in his chest and his mind was picturing only one thing: the velvet box with the two rings inside of it, sitting on his bedside table in the apartment complex right outside of JMU--an hour away.

***

Britt Menck

June 5, 2021 12:39 PM

"Hi, are you with Syd right now?"

Britt looked over towards the area where all the bridesmaids were getting ready for the wedding in less than an hour and a half: Aria was helping Sydney with her eyeliner as they talked excitedly about becoming sisters, which thankfully didn't include any more tears. Jen and Riley were arguing about some wedding logistics in the corner, far away from Sydney so as to not give her any reason to panic. Katie and Mel were arguing over roommate issues, per usual, as they got their hair done by the professionals that Riley had hired for all the women. Lucy was attempting to drink a milkshake that Justin had brought her without messing up her lipstick.

"Yes, I'm with Sydney. What's going on?"

"I have a slight issue, so I would suggest getting out of the room before you hear me out on this one."

Britt rolled her eyes. As much as she was completely in love with her husband, there were so many times in a day that she wanted to slap him.

"Alright," She agreed, walking outside of the room and into the hallway of the church building. "What's the issue?"

"I forgot the rings at home."

"You did what?"

"I know, I know, you reminded me like twelve times. But it's an hour away and the wedding starts in an hour and twenty minutes. So I'm going to try and make it there and back in time, but if I don't, I need you to stall."

"No way." Britt shook her head, "You drive like a turtle stuck in molasses, I'll get the rings and bring them back in time."

There was silence from Dan's end for a moment before he sighed.

"Alright. Give me updates every ten minutes."

"No." Britt replied before hanging up the phone. She ran back into the room and up to Riley, who was walking away from Jen with an expression that showed they hadn't resolved whatever the issue was.

"Hey, so, not to make your life any harder, but I have to run back to JMU real quick. I promise I'll be back in time for the wedding, but it's important."

Riley sighed.

"Fine, I don't care. Jen's dealing with some fighting family members and it's all I can do to not flip out on everyone who walks in that door."

Britt took that as permission and ran out of the church, grabbing her keys and praying that she would be able to do this.

***

Jen Hamile

June 5, 2021 1:57 PM

"The wedding starts in three minutes, so can someone please explain to me why no one is out there and why I am missing a bridesmaid?"

They were the first words Jen had heard Sydney speak since applying her makeup, and she knew that the bride would not be shouting unless she was completely and utterly fed up.

"Yeah, where's Britt?" Jen whispered to Riley, "I haven't seen her in like an hour."

"She had to do something." Riley replied, "She should be here in time, though."

Jen checked her watch. It was now 1:58, and Sydney was set to walk down the aisle in two minutes.

"Ri?" Syd turned to her cousin and maid of honor, "Do you know where Britt is?"

"I'm right here!" Britt ran into the room, her hair a bit frizzy and cheeks a bit red but altogether fine. "Sorry, I was in the bathroom."

Sydney raised her eyebrows at her former roommate but didn't comment on it, choosing instead to turn to the two people who had been there for her since the very beginning.

"Ri and Jen, I need you two to make sure this works. Everything has to be perfect, do you understand?"

Jen nodded and felt Riley do the same from beside her.

"We're here for you Syd. Through everything."

Sydney nodded, taking a deep breath as she checked the clock on the wall.

"It's 2:00." She breathed out, "I'm getting married."

***

Connor Hall

June 5, 2021 2:03 PM

The wedding music began to play. Connor had been in the room when they picked out the song that Syd would walk down the aisle to, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was called once the wedding party started to walk down the aisle.

Nate Porter was the first to enter the church, with Aria on his right and Lucy on his left. After them came Hayden Porter with Mel on his right and Katie on his left. Alan came out next with Britt on his arm, followed by Trey escorting Jen. The maid of honor and best man came out just before the bride, both of them walking down the aisle with a look of relief on their faces.

Connor didn't want to even think about what had potentially gone wrong behind the scenes. Besides Dan forgetting the rings; he had seen it on his face the second Connor asked the question. But the box was in the hand of Connor's little cousin standing behind him, so he wasn't worried.

Last in line was Sydney.

The entire congregation stood as Sydney Porter entered with her father, the wedding march becoming a tad bit louder to signal the entrance of the bride. Connor felt tears pricking at his eyes as he watched the love of his life walk towards him, dressed in all white and looking like an absolute princess.

His princess.

Mr. Porter dropped his daughter off in front of Connor and kissed her cheek before returning to sit with his wife. Sydney stepped up next to her fiance and smiled at him, reaching up and wiping a single tear from his cheek.

"You look beautiful." Connor whispered, "Absolutely breathtaking."

"And you look like a very, very handsome sap." Sydney whispered back, kicking Riley from behind her as the maid of honor snorted at the comment. "Why are you crying?"

"Because I never thought I would be this lucky." Connor replied, "Never in a million years."

"May we begin?" The priest asked the couple, causing them both to break into giggles.

"Yes, sir." Sydney nodded. Connor knew she was only having her wedding in a church to make his family happy--she wasn't exactly the most religious, so referring to the priest as 'sir' made him want to laugh even harder.

"Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to witness the joining of Connor Hall and Sydney Porter in holy matrimony."

Connor wasn't exactly sure what he said afterwards, since he was too busy staring at his gorgeous almost-wife. All he remembered was placing the ring on her finger and wondering why the box smelled so strongly like the inside of Dan and Britt's car.

"Connor Hall, do you take Sydney Porter to be your lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do."

"And Sydney Porter, do you take Connor Hall to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

The smile on Sydney's face was something Connor knew he wouldn't be able to replicate again if he tried.

"I do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

Connor wrapped his arms around Sydney and dipped her down, kissing her for far longer than a normal wedding kiss should have gone. When he stood up again the world was a bit fuzzy as he watched all of his friends and family clap for the happy couple.

He took Sydney's hand in his and couldn't keep the smile from his face as the two walked out of the chapel, hand in hand, ready to begin their lives together.

***

Sydney Hall

June 5, 2021 7:54 PM

"Alright, I hope you all have been enjoying yourselves at our wedding reception, and we thank you all for being here."

Sydney looked up from showing off her new ring to Katie and Jen as Connor grabbed the microphone from the DJ at the front of the room. She wasn't exactly sure what he was doing, but it was definitely not something they had planned.

"I would now like to invite everyone to look at a little slideshow I put together with the help of a few tech-savvy friends." Connor continued, "In honor of my wife and our journey to get where we are today."

The screen behind the DJ booth lit up and a soundtrack of sappy love songs began playing as Connor rejoined his wife at their table.

"What is this?" Sydney whispered, feeling tears already beginning to form in her eyes.

"Just watch."

Connor's face appeared on the screen in a terribly-obviously homemade video.

"Hi wedding people. So I wanted to make this video for Sydney, who is going to be my wife...wait, I mean already is my wife if you're watching this at our wedding reception."

Everyone laughed and Sydney immediately felt herself bursting into tears at the video of the Connor she loved: the dorky, fumbling-over-his-words boy she had fallen in love with five years ago.

"So anyone who knows us knows our story." Connor on the screen continued, "We met pretty unconventionally: over letters during our junior year of high school. I never told Syd this, but I kept those letters for all the years since, because I always knew I wanted to be able to look back at how we started."

Sydney shook her head as Connor rubbed her back in the present, her eyes a blur of tears.

"So, this is the first letter Sydney ever wrote to me." Connor laughed on the screen, holding up a creased paper. "And I wanted to point out something I loved about the letter in particular: this one line. She told me, 'I'm definitely not a stalker, but if I was, I wouldn't have even needed all the personal information, because your address was on the front of the envelope you put my letter in and I could have found you from there. I could have easily thrown away the letter and still have a way to find you. Lucky for you, I'm not into that kind of stuff.' I thought that it was funny that she had no idea how lucky I was going to become after that letter, and all the ones that followed."

The wedding guests were all laughing at the letter excerpt when the video seemed to be drawing to a close.

"And one more thing from this first letter from Sydney that I wanted to read to you...it's the first thing she ever told me about herself. 'My name is Sydney. Like Australia, even though I've never been.' I hate to make history wrong, but I figured we should change the fact that my wife has never visited her namesake. So sorry Syd, but I changed our honeymoon plans...we're going to Australia."

Sydney's eyes widened as she spun around to look at Connor.

"We're what? I thought that tickets that far away were too expensive for us--"

"I made it work." Connor whispered to her, his eyes lit up at the fact that she was excited. "I figured it would be the perfect place for us to celebrate our first days as a married couple."

"I love you so much, Connor Hall." Sydney whispered, pressing her forehead against his and taking a deep breath. "I love you so incredibly much. How did I get so lucky?"

"I'm the lucky one here, Syd." Connor laughed, kissing his wife before looking back up at the screen. "I don't know where I would be without you in my life."

"Somewhere far better." Syd winked.

"Anywhere without the love of my life is somewhere far worse."

Sydney took a deep breath, shaking her head.

"I love you, Connor Hall."

Connor grinned.

"My dear Sydney," He whispered, "I love you too."

A/N: There are nine epilogues left, but this is the end of the real book! (Also I told you this chapter was going to be ridiculously long)

Thoughts on the wedding? Did you like how it was done? Did you want more from Connor/Sydney? Let me know in the comments!

ALSO keep an eye out in the next week for an announcement from me about my new book being on Swoonreads.com! It's a fantasy book that will be up in FULL and for FREE within the next week.

-Katherine