Two days pass and things are coming along smoothly, more than I expected. The meeting with Father Michael went as well as can be expected. I am able to check off a comprehensive list of what I wanted to confirm off him. The church has already organised the banns, and he has provided a copy of the church bulletin for me to review. We have gone over the ceremony run sheet and it looks like a very spiritual ceremony. Consisting of five biblical readings, Prayer of the Faithful, nuptial blessing, and prayers, the church has also reached out to the performers who will be singing Morning Has Broken and Ava Maria. The priest has been very helpful, providing assistance in revising the ceremony programs, which I intend get printed for Yvonne and Terry to review. I'm feeling better about this wedding; it doesn't hurt that everyone has been incredibly helpful. I just have to fill in the blanks.After the meeting with Father Michael, I head off to the large printing shop on Rama IV Road to
I open the door quietly, peering in. Thankfully it's beautifully setup and I step into the spacious Spring Ballroom. Right now, it's full of chairs but I can see just how beautiful it will be. It will be divided into two for Yvonne and Terry's wedding. The walls are covered with a shimmering white paper and in the middle of the ceiling hangs a couple dozen white lantern lights. The ceilings are high, windows wide. I can see modern sliding doors, left slightly ajar to let in the scented summer air. I wish I was contracted to help with the reception too, this would have been so great if it was in my hands. I can already see what the head table can look like, white bows and silk sashes scream at me. Suddenly I can hear muffled sounds. At first it sounds like someone is coughing and I ignore it, walking around to myself. But then it gets louder, and louder.It's crying, hysterical crying. The sobs are only interrupted by the person's need to draw breath. And that person is just behind
The rehearsal went well, almost too well. Father Michael was amazingly efficient, that Gabe and I just had to watch the audience from time to time and field an occasional question from a member of the family. Terry looked glum and stiff as usual. Dean looked happy and relaxed as always, and I caught him looking at me a few times. However, all I could focus on was Yvonne.A strained smile sat permanently on her face as she walked down the aisle with her father, Bill, and she showed her big teeth all the way through Terry's vows. I could see the strain on her face, the sadness in her pretty and wide eyes.Watching the blessing and giving of rings was painful, and even Gabe winced a few times at how distant Yvonne looked during the whole thing. As Father blessed the rings and declared "The circle of the ring declares the unity and the oneness of your two lives, which shall contain your devotion beyond every journey that you may always return again to your togetherness." Yvonne could onl
Miracles do happen, especially in Bangkok. The wedding went full steam ahead! Yvonne texted me at 5am in the morning, and it was the best wakeup call I have had in a long time.The text was so simple but it spoke volumes to me:*Yep, it's still going ahead. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.*Even though I didn't need to get to the church until 10am, I was too excited to go back to bed. The wedding went ahead! Tristan won't fire me! Setting up the church and the rest of the preparations was relatively smooth and hassle free tying the white ribbons to the wooden benches, putting the church programs at the entrance, prepping the altar. The makeup and hair stylists met Yvonne at the hotel as expected, and after that I felt a lot more relaxed about this wedding, much more than many of the others I had planned in the past.Even though Yvonne didn't tell me whether she and Terry had resolved their problems, something told me that she took my advice. And I was right because just o
Resting my head on the deck chair, I put my large sunhat over my face as I relish the tropical sun tanning my body in my black triangle bikini. In the distance there's traffic, but far away enough not to bother me. My cell phone is back at the resort, just two hundred feet away. The events of the last week almost sent me into a near panic attack, but now that feels like a million years ago. I could sit here all day. Note to self, book a holiday to come back here as soon as possible."This was such a good idea," I turn my head to the right to speak to Gabe, in the deck chair next to mine. "I told you," he replies, his eyes shielded by trendy sunglasses. The large rainbow coloured beach umbrella is tent like, giving us the perfect coverage to bask in this tropical heat without roasting ourselves silly. After the wedding finished, Gabe insisted staying a few days to explore, and this time he wanted me to join him. I couldn't resist the offer to enjoy some down time in Thailand. We
BOOK FOUR: PARIS Grabbing the box of tissues, I groan when I realised I've grabbed the last one. Ugh. Somehow I've gone through a fresh box in the last six hours, and my nose is still flowing like the Nile River. This flu is ghastly. I have a clown red nose; my voice is so hoarse and raspy that I think I have become a man. Given how hectic my schedule has been over the last three weeks, I'm not surprised that I look like I'm two shades away from being a living corpse. To say I have been busy is a massive understatement, which has clearly taken a toll on my body. Ever since I came home from Bangkok, the enquiries have been flooding in. There was a wedding in Bali five weeks ago, one in New Zealand this past week, and one in Fiji coming up in two weeks. I think I'm starting to get the hang of all of this and setting myself into a rhythm - I get to plan the wedding from the comfort of my own home, and communicate with the client via phone, email, and video chat. Depending on what th
Ivy and ferns grow through the crevices of the old winding stone path, which lead directly to the vast residence straight ahead. Behind the white picket fence, the red-brown bricked home stands brightly under the sun, flanked by neatly trimmed shrubs and potted plants. The house has two stories and a one story extension at the rear for the kitchen. A small flower garden is planted in the front. Though most of the time it is carefully planned and loved, now it is riddled with weeds.This is the house I grew up in, and I always feel a sense of genuine happiness whenever I walk towards the blue front door. I turn the golden knob and walk in to the smell of noodles being pan-fried. My mom, Elaine, is the cook in the family, and she is definitely making lunch. I walk into the open kitchen, confirming my suspicions. Mom is busy tossing the sliced beef, bean sprouts and noodles on the wok, and Dad is pouring some hot tea. It's usually jasmine or green tea, at mom's insistence. "Doodlebug
I'm excited to do this thing! The wedding is for Marie Herveaux, a forty-two-year-old , a socialite from New York who is getting married to Alain Langlais, a forty-five-year-old businessman. Tristan was able to secure her because he had planned several fundraisers for her in the past and combined with my reputation and expertise, she was more than convinced to hire us. Hopefully third time's a charm, but they are definitely sparing no expense. We have a two-day extravaganza to plan for them: an intimate family-only ceremony and dinner reception on Friday at Chateau de Riviera, 15th Century castle about forty kilometres north of Paris. Because Alain is a naturalised citizen, the paperwork side of things has been fairly smooth and I was able to expedite the arrangement of a legally binding ceremony. This will then be followed the next day with a more relaxed, and deliciously banquet-filled reception which overlooks the Seine River for their friends and extended family. Divine, just d