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Epilogue: THE WEDDING
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2024-10-29 19:42:56THE WEDDING
The ceremony that officially takes a couple to the beginning of their happily ever after… a gathering that involves a lifetime of promises.
Breathe in. Breathe out.
I looked at myself in the mirror. I could barely recognize myself. The girl staring back at me was wearing a very elegant white princess gown made from the finest duchesse satin and silk. The bodice that has a sweetheart neckline was encrusted with genuine crystals. The romantic full skirt with elaborate ruffles and folds was adorned with crystals and intricate embroidery, as well as the cathedral length veil that I wore. The famous designer who made my gown made sure that the dress was fit for fairy tale and princess romances, too.
My hair was curled and clipped in a half pony and fastened with two diamond hair combs that belonged to Ryder’s mother. My hair cascaded around my face and there were very s
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Knight in Shining Suit 1. MOTIF
1. MOTIF: a dominant color. In choosing a color motif for a wedding, keep in mind the colors that mean something in your relationship, and what you want to attract in your future. “We’d like the colors moss green and brown,” Estelle, the happy bride-to-be was saying to me and my best friend Nicole. I watched her dreamy eyes and her happy smile and I couldn’t help wondering if I looked as ridiculous as that when I was planning my own wedding. Nicole smiled back at her enthusiastically. “That’s a good combination. So…” “Jungle-like,” I suggested, cutting Nicole off mid-sentence. Estelle stared at me for a moment and her dreamy smile threatened to fade from her beautiful face. “Excuse me?” Nico
Knight in Shining Suit 2. ENTOURAGE
ENTOURAGE: A group of people surrounding an important person or persons… like the bride and groom in a wedding. I met up with my friends. I could tell that they were all getting bored with me. I whined about the usual things. Like how I had known Bryan since I was in college and we had been friends first before we dated and how I’ve known Geena since we were little and never in my wildest dreams had I imagined that she would betray me like she did. Dannie Jones, my gay best friend, became the most impatient of my group. He had listened to me enough, I guess. John Green, my guy best friend, was the angriest at Bryan for what he did to me. Nicole was the most sympathetic for my feelings. “I wonder how he is now,” I asked. “Oh, for crying out loud!” Dannie muttered. “Ash, please! Don’t do this! You’re beautiful, you’re smart! You have your whole life ahead of you!”
Knight in Shining Suit 3. DIAMOND
DIAMOND: The strongest and hardest mineral. Commonly used in engagement rings to symbolize the unbreakable bond between a man and a woman. For the next few weeks, I spent my time job hunting. I tried to steer clear of weddings for now. I knew that I was still in pain, but acknowledging the pain didn’t really mean adding up to it or provoking it in whatever way. But by end of the week, I still had nothing. I was still the same clueless girl I was weeks ago. “Hang in there, sweetheart.” Nicole said to me one night we decided to check out the new bar in the city called Oil Rig. “You’ll find one. Although, you would have found one already, if you just went back to wedding planning. You were famous before. People loved your work. It would have been easy to get a job with the competition.” I rolled my eyes. “What’s the point of planning other people’s weddings when I don’t believe in
Knight in Shining Suit 4. RSVP
4.RSVP:Répondez s'il vous Plaît, meaning, “Please Respond”I’m not going. I’m not going.At least that’s what I kept telling myself over the last two weeks. Now, it’s one week until the wedding and no phone calls from my mother begging me to go. Not even an encouraging look from Adam.So finding mystery Alpha Male is out of the question. Until I received the call that I thought I would never receive.“Sweetheart, it’s Uncle Jack.”I took a deep breath. “Hey, Uncle Jack! How’s it going?”“Not bad,” He replied. “How are you?”“I’m…fine, Uncle Jack.”He sighed. Then he said, “Sweetheart, I know that what Geena did to you is just… unforgiveable. I… couldn’t believe it
Knight in Shining Suit 5. BRIDAL CAR
5.BRIDAL CAR:The car that carries the Bride and the Groom after the ceremony; usually adorned with flowers and signage saying “Just Married!”I picked out a bright lavender outfit that accented my curves, bared my shoulders and exposed my long perfect legs. I was going to tease Bryan… with something he never had. Something that he should have been having by now, had he waited.I used to be a little bit on the conservative side when I was with him. But they’d stripped me of almost everything so what did I have to lose?I went to the salon to color my hair. I tried a multi-colored hairstyle. Blonde, red, reddish brown, dark brown and a few black strands. When the hairdresser was finished, I thought I looked cool and my hair looked stylish. As a benefit, no one could tell what my natural hair color really was.No contacts anymore. When
Knight in Shining Suit 6. PLACE CARD HOLDER
PLACE CARD HOLDER:Use a place card holder in line with your motif or theme to ensure that your guests will be seated according to your preference (not theirs!)I fought hard to hold the tears that threatened to spill from my eyes when I saw the whole ballroom. It was exactly as I had imagined it would be. The colors, the hues, the lilies. Everything was perfect.“Welcome to my dream wedding,” I murmured to myself, but Ryder heard me.“Welcome to the wedding that you’re going to best—a hundred times over,” Ryder whispered against my ear.I looked up at him and he gave me an encouraging smile. Then he leaned his forehead against mine and he said to me, “Relax, Astrid. You have to remember, it’s me you’re in love with now.”And then he leaned forward and gave me a butter soft kiss. “And I love you m
Knight in Shining Suit 7. WEDDING GARTER
WEDDING GARTERWorn by brides above the knee. Nowadays, wedding garters can come in different materials, and colors.After dancing with Adam, Nicole and I switched and I was back in Ryder’s arms once again.“Hmmm… I thought you weren’t going to dance with any other lady aside from me,” I said, faking a cross expression on my face.He chuckled. “Well, I figured, I needed to score with the women in your life, starting with your mother. I danced with the rest because I didn’t want them to think I was only impressing your mother. Then I danced with your nieces and the little girls because I thought you’d think that was sweet. I danced with your best friend because I needed her approval, too.”“What’s the verdict?”He leaned closer to me and said, “Your soul is sold, love. I’m afraid I am the highe
Knight in Shining Suit 8. THE WEDDING NIGHT
THE WEDDING NIGHT: The first night as husband and wife.If torn between the much-needed sleep and passionate lovemaking, keep this in mind: You only have ONE wedding night! Make it memorable. Make it count!Everything was dark and hazy. I opened my eyes and the first thing I felt was the severe pain in my head.I opened my eyes and saw light peeking through the curtains. I didn’t feel cold like I usually do when I wake up in the mornings. Normally, an image of Bryan popped up in my head when I woke up, reminding me of my broken heart.This time it was different. This time, the first image that popped up in my head was that of a much more handsome guy. His eyes were deep ocean green, his hair raven black. He looked like a wonderful Adonis drawn out from the pages of a historical novel. His face was perfect. His body… his abs were perfect, his muscles well-toned, his skin flawles
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Knight in Shining Suit Epilogue: THE WEDDING
THE WEDDING The ceremony that officially takes a couple to the beginning of their happily ever after… a gathering that involves a lifetime of promises. Breathe in. Breathe out. I looked at myself in the mirror. I could barely recognize myself. The girl staring back at me was wearing a very elegant white princess gown made from the finest duchesse satin and silk. The bodice that has a sweetheart neckline was encrusted with genuine crystals. The romantic full skirt with elaborate ruffles and folds was adorned with crystals and intricate embroidery, as well as the cathedral length veil that I wore. The famous designer who made my gown made sure that the dress was fit for fairy tale and princess romances, too. My hair was curled and clipped in a half pony and fastened with two diamond hair combs that belonged to Ryder’s mother. My hair cascaded around my face and there were very s
Knight in Shining Suit 38. THE VENUE
THE VENUE:The place where the whole wedding will take place. Considerations in choosing a venue could be because the place holds special memories for the couple or it could be sentimental to one of the couple’s parents or grandparents. But more than anything, the venue chosen must accommodate the theme of the wedding.It was the most hectic following months of my life. I was setting up Ever After Manhattan, meeting up with potential suppliers, and hiring and training people. On top of all that, I was planning my own wedding. I had to actually get Nicole to stay in New York once in a while to help me. Leilani, my assistant in Malibu, was left in charge of the branch and Nicole and I would just fly in if there were important matters that needed our attention.The first major problem that I had was the location of my wedding. I could easily have that in a hotel, but it wasn’t good enough
Knight in Shining Suit 37. RING
RING:A ring is round because it represents eternity… like a love that will last forever. It is a symbol of never-ending commitment. It is usually worn on the left hand, on the fourth finger, as “myth” states that this finger contains the “vena amoris” or the “vein of love”, which is connected to the heart.We were sitting on the deck; Ryder was strumming his guitar, serenading me with his smooth, soulful voice.I couldn’t help but be drawn to him and the world he was bringing me to when he sings. If I wasn’t in love with him already, hearing him sing to me would probably do the job.“How come you sing so well?” I asked him.“Genes, I guess.” He smiled.“Did you always know how to play the guitar?”He nodded. “Ever since I was a kid. I play the piano, too.”&ldq
Knight in Shining Suit 36. PRESENT
PRESENT:A moment or period in time perceptible as intermediate between past and future; The period between Yesterday and Tomorrow… Today.It is also referred to as something special given to another person… a Gift.Remember this quote? “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, and Today is a GIFT, that is why it’s called the Present.”Astrid.It’s been almost a week since I got out of the hospital. I got away just fine with some stitches on my forehead, just above my left brow. My wrist was also stitched up as apparently, I landed on broken pieces of glass when Bryan banged my head on the kitchen counter.Ryder was still at the hospital. Apparently, he took a couple of blows for me when he came to my rescue. And I k
Knight in Shining Suit 35. WEDDING ALBUM
WEDDING ALBUM:A collection of the snapshots and pictures captured during the wedding day. The Wedding Album holds all the memories of the most wonderful day between a husband and a wife.Ryder.I have to meet her. The girl I spent half a day looking for around the city! I thought I would never see her again.“I’ll cover the bar, guys!” I told my bartenders. I took my jacket off and grabbed the baseball cap from one of my staff and wore it on my head. “Borrow for a while, okay?”He looked at me like he thought I was high or something and then he nodded.I watched her. She was alone. Now, I wish I knew some pick-up lines. Or if I did, I knew how to use them effectively! But so far the only things that I could remember hearing around were:‘Did it hurt when you fell from heaven?’or
Knight in Shining Suit 34. SOMETHING BORROWED
SOMETHING BORROWED:A bride must complete her outfit by wearing something that is not hers. Suggestions would be a tiara, hair clips, gloves, jewelry, and the list goes on and on.Astrid.My heart pounded in my chest. But I knew that I shouldn’t panic. This was Bryan! He was one of my best friends before we decided to become more than friends. I knew him. Once in his life, I loved him. And he loved me. He will never hurt me physically… or will he?“Bryan…” I breathed. “Are you okay? You look… drunk.”He laughed. “Oh, I am more than that! And I like it!” His eyes gleamed with mischief and I got even more scared.“Wha-what do you want?” I asked him, taking a step backward.“Ha!” He sighed angrily. “You still don’t know
Knight in Shining Suit 33. SOMETHING BLUE
SOMETHING BLUE:The Bride must always wear something… anything… blue. It can be a trinket or undergarment. Some choose to put a blue lining on the wedding garter that they wear under their wedding gown.Ryder.That did not go as planned.Astrid is a little firecracker. You don’t handle her properly, she will explode. And damn! I did not handle that well.I wanted to woo her, show her my charming side, the one that is not uptight and suspicious of all women. The real me without masks and with all my guards down.I thought I was doing a great job earlier in the afternoon. I thought she’d appreciate the movers, but I don’t think Astrid likes owing people anything, especially favors with a financial value attached to it. A very admirable trait.Wow! I have
Knight in Shining Suit 32. SOMETHING OLD
SOMETHING OLD:A bride must also complete her ensemble on the wedding day with something old. It could be an heirloom piece, old jewelry, or anything that the bride owned in the past.Astrid.The following days, I barely left John’s house. Rose was taking care of all the queries for the company. I spoke to my suppliers over the phone. I searched through the net to find a new place with a lower rent.I was getting frustrated because the places with lower rents are really smaller. So it means that I have to rent a separate apartment for myself.“Why don’t you just rent a room instead of a place of your own?” John asked. We were eating pizza in his house.“I suppose you’re right. I mean, I can afford a new apartment, but I don’t want to spend too much on that. I still have a long way to go with my co
Knight in Shining Suit 31. SOMETHING NEW
SOMETHING NEW:Brides are supposed to wear something—anything—new during the wedding ceremony. It can be as small as a trinket, jewelry, an undergarment, or the gown itself.Astrid.I met up with my friends at Starbucks.“So, because Ryder forgot about you, we all have to be sober now?” Dannie asked. I knew what he meant. Since Ryder forgot about me, I had been steering clear of Oil Rig and Rig Style. It was too painful for me to go there. The sweetest guy I’d known didn’t want anything to do with me and looked down at me as if I was the biggest gold-digging slut on the face of the Earth.“No, Dannie. No one is preventing you from getting drunk out of your wits. As long as you don’t do it with me and in any of Ryder’s bars,” I said.“But those are my favor
