––––––––
“It doesn’t look right,” Starr whines, pulling on the top of her strapless, white lace wedding gown that’s fitted at the top and flows outward like a ball gown. The bottom just brushing the floor.
“It looks perfect.” I smack her hand away. “Stop messing with it. You’re just nervous. And you have no reason to be. Mark is amazing and you two are going to do incredible things together.”
“You really think so?” She kneads her bottom lip between her teeth the same way I do when I’m nervous.
“I know so.” I smile, slipping the large white bouquet of flowers into her hand. “Now come on. You don’t have much sunlight left.” My sister will melt down if she misses the sunset photo op she’s had her heart set on for as long as I can remember.
Her plan has always been to marry on the same beach where our parent’s wed. To say “I do” with the sun dipping beneath the horizon, casting an orange glow in the sky. Starr always has been the dreamer. And I gotta hand it to her, when she sets her mind to something she sees it through.
“Thank you for everything, Lennon.”
“You don’t ever have to thank me for anything. I’m your sister and I love you. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for you. Always know that.” I give her a reassuring smile before reaching behind her to pull open the door to the deck that leads out onto the beach.
“That goes both ways you know,” she says, her attention shifting to our father who’s waiting for us on the deck.
“I’m pretty sure I have the two most beautiful girls in the world right here.” He smiles proudly, leaning down to kiss my cheek before stepping past me to Starr. “You ready for this, princess?”
“As I’ll ever be.” She smiles up at him with tears in her eyes.
This whole day has tested my emotions beyond their limit. The ceremony hasn’t even started, yet I’m already seconds away from resolving to a puddle of tears.
“I’ll go tell them we’re ready.” I smile at my dad and little sister before taking the stairs down to the beach where the rest of the wedding party is waiting.
“Is she ready to run?” Chelsea jokes the moment she sees me.
“Run?” Julie shakes her head. “No way in hell. She got a good one. She’s not running anywhere.”
“But this is Starr,” Jaime reminds everyone.
“She’s not going anywhere,” I cut in, reaching over to fix the strap of Sandy’s dress that is twisted. “We’re ready to start. Jaime, you’re up first. You meet Todd at the end of the aisle. The violinist should start playing as soon as she sees you. Julie, you go next. Josh will meet you at the same place. Then Chelsea, then Sandy. Everybody clear?”
“Aye aye, capitano.” Jaime does a little salute before walking barefoot through the sand to meet Mark’s friend, Todd. The other girls follow behind in a straight line, each one barefoot wearing knee length pale yellow dresses, hair down with a single white flower tucked behind one ear.
That’s how Starr wanted it. Everyone natural and beautiful. For someone who is all about fashion and looks, she really impressed me with her choices for her wedding.
My dress matches the others, except it’s a pale blue. The dress is simple, yet very beautiful. With thin straps that crisscross in the back, it’s fitted at the top but opens up just below the bust line, hitting me right about the middle of my knees. The material is thin and airy, and I know for a fact that it twirls all the way out when you spin. I may or may not have tested it out earlier in front of the mirror.
I manage to get everyone down the aisle and in their places just as the music shifts. The minute I see my dad and sister coming down the sand, I almost lose it again.
She looks so happy, her hair blowing freely behind her, eyes locked on her future husband. I glance in his direction right as my first tear falls. He’s looking at my sister like she is the beginning, middle, and end to his everything and to top it off, he’s crying.
A grown, successful business man is weeping at the sight of his bride coming down the aisle toward him. A weird knot forms in my stomach and I do my best to push it down but I can’t stop the image of Hudson that floods in front of my eyes.
I imagine it’s me walking down that aisle. That he’s the one crying at the sight of me because not only am I the most beautiful thing he’s ever seen but because I am his beginning, his middle, and his end.
I’m snapped out of my daydream when Aunt Brenda begins to speak. My mother’s only sister and Sandy’s mom, Brenda is a special bird. And when I say special I mean as in one of those free spirited people who tries their hand at a new profession or hobby every other week. Last year she decided she wanted to become an ordained minister. It lasted about three weeks, but hey, at least it worked out for my sister and Mark who didn’t want to go the traditional marriage route in a church.
The rest of the ceremony passes in a blur. It feels like I blink my eyes and my aunt is announcing Mark and Starr as Mr. and Mrs. Phillips. My sister gets her photo op right as the sun dips below the horizon and the small group in attendance breaks into applause.
We snap a few more pictures; Starr with me and our parents. Mark with his parents. The two of them with both sets of parents. The wedding party. I swear the photographer doesn’t know when to quit until my mother announces we have to go.
Everyone remaining piles into the limo Mark rented and we head to the reception hall down the road. It’s an outdoor venue that Starr knew she had to have the minute she saw it.
While the wedding was small, the reception is anything but. The place is already hopping with people as we climb out of the limo one by one. It’s clear to see that Starr invited every single person she’s ever met and probably some she hasn’t.
I wait until we are all out of the limo before giving everyone the run down on our entrance. Starr really should have hired a wedding planner to do this, but alas, I got roped into it doing all of it.
The venue honestly looks like a humongous deck you might see on the back of someone’s house, but way bigger than that. There’s a tiki bar along one side and a make shift stage along another. Circular tables are strategically placed around the space for this specific event. They also have a wedding party table on risers set up not far from the stage where the band we hired has already set up.
Since all the girls went barefoot at the ceremony, Starr conceded into letting us all wear white flip flops for the reception instead of squeezing into uncomfortable heels. I quickly slip mine on and cross the floor toward the band, waving at a few relatives and family friends I pass along the way.
I’ve only met the band once, the day I booked them. They are a local group of four guys in their early twenties. They specialize in hit music in almost every music genre which is why Starr loved them so much.
The singer, Chad, hops off the stage when he sees me approaching.
“Wedding party all here?” he asks before I say anything at all.
“Here and ready to go.” I hold out a piece of paper to him. “These are the names in order of how they should be announced. And here’s the list of activities and the times you need to start them.” I hand him another paper. “If you have any questions, I’ll be around.”
“I think we can handle it.” He chuckles, offering me a warm smile.
“Thank you.” I wave to the other guys on stage before quickly turning and making my way back to the limo where the rest of the party is waiting.
Once I have everyone rounded up, Chad starts making introductions and side by side the couples file in, taking their assigned seats at the wedding table. When it’s my turn to go, I snag my arm through Tony’s and plaster a smile on my face, so happy that my maid of honor duties are almost over.
The band will take over with the schedule from here, announcing when it’s time to do each activity. This way I can sit back, get drunk, and dance my ass off because why the hell not? It is a wedding after all.