Walking out of the bathroom, Mom had a beautifully wrapped present waiting for me. She insisted I open it immediately because she claimed that ‘I NEEDED IT’ she wasn’t wrong; it was a beautiful silk knee length robe that was sexy yet functional.
So, there I sat in my beautiful robe as Sierra fixed my hair and did my make-up. She really found her calling; she had the touch when it came to fixing hair and making up faces. I was thankful, without her I don’t know what I would have done. Once she was done with me, she quickly fixed up Mom and then herself. We enjoyed the peacefulness of already being where we needed to be.
I decided to start getting dressed about twenty minutes before Mary was set to arrive, thinking it would save time once she got here. Apparently that isn’t what the bride is supposed to do, which Mary quickly let me know as soon as she stormed into the cabin and saw me standing there in my dress. She quickly staged a few photos to make it look like I was getting dressed for the sake of documenting the day.
Once those pictures were out of the way she pulled me into the bedroom to show me what she had done for my wedding gift to Steve. She had a beautiful hardback book made of a variety of pictures; some included me from the original boudoir shoot, some from our joint botched proposal shoot, and some from the BMW shoot. And, tucked at the bottom of the book box was a disc with all the images from our botched proposal shoot. She told me the images were not edited if we wanted her to edit some she could, we just had to tell her which ones. Seriously she gave me the best wedding gift to give my husband. Nothing could top this.
Mom wrapped the gift while Mary took me outside to get some pictures by the lake. My dad and brothers were the first to arrive. While waiting for the others, Mary took photos of just our original family; Mom, Dad, my two brothers, and me.
Before Steve arrived, she sent me back inside the cabin because she wanted to stage Steve seeing me for the first time. I heard their car pull up and multiple doors opening and closing. I waited until Cal opened the door to the cabin and told me they were ready. As I walked out towards the water, I could see Steve standing there in a blindfold waiting for me. Sierra and Cal stood on either side using their phones to take pictures of me, while Mary focused only on Steve. When I got about eight feet away Mary told him to take the blindfold off.
In that moment, I could see and feel more love than I had ever felt in my whole life. His smile was bigger than any I have ever witnessed from him. I knew the instant he realize I was wearing his mom’s dress because it was then that his tears rolled down his face. He took two steps to my one to reach me, pulling me into his arms and holding on like his life depended on it.
I didn’t realize I was crying until I felt the wetness rolling down my face. I wiped my eyes before resting my forehead against hers. I kissed her gently before telling her, “You are the most beautiful woman I have ever seen, inside and out. Seeing you, knowing you are wearing my mom’s dress, I can’t even tell you how happy that makes me. I would have loved for her to know you, but I know looking at you she is here supporting us and watching over us. Thank you Baby; thank you for agreeing to be my wife! I am so fucking happy that today is our day.”
Silently she took hold of my beard, pulled my face to hers and kissed me. Mary called a stop to us, before we could get carried away. She said we had too many pictures to take.
And just like that, she directed us where to go and what to do while she proceeded to take a million pictures. It’s a good thing I know what the end result of today will bring, otherwise I might have had issue with the million pictures.
While Mary took individual pictures of all the couples and the trio in attendance, I pulled Steve into the cabin so I could give him his wedding gift. Unlike with Cal and Sierra, I got to wait while he opened his gift. Not sure if that was wise, but since everyone was just outside we managed to keep it PG. He kissed me hard and told me, “I can’t wait to spend a lot of time studying this book and looking at the pictures on this disk. But more than that, I can’t wait to fuck you hard then make love to you all night long. It’s only hours away now. Are you ready for your first wedding gift?”
Going up on my toes, I kissed his soft, full lips before heading for the door. “You know you didn’t have to get me more than one gift, right? But I will never complain about presents.”
He quickly told me to close my eyes as he took my hand and guided me back outside. Letting go of my hand I could feel him moving in front of me when he said, “Okay, you can open them.” There he stood leaning up against a brand new silver 4Runner limited. He held his arms out as I fell into his embrace. It was perfect, he knew I loved the color and the car.
The officiant was the last to arrive and the reality is he was a half hour early. Our guest list was small and we certainly weren’t having a traditional wedding, so we had everyone stand in a circle, with the officiant standing with everyone else in the circle. My dad escorted me from the porch of the cabin through his space in the circle into the middle where Steve stood waiting. The two of us stood surrounded by the people that we love most in the world.
Unbeknownst to me Steve had arranged for each guest to either read a printed quote or speak from the heart. The officiant started the ceremony in the traditional, “We are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Hannah Julianne McMann and Steven Andrew Morrison.” From there on it was anything but traditional, “As witnesses to this union we are tasked with supporting them in their journey as husband and wife. A journey that some of us know is not always easy. In an effort to show Hannah and Steve our support we each have something to say to as they start this journey; starting with the father of the bride.”
Rather than standing face to face, using his hand on the small of my back Steve guided me so we were standing side by side facing my dad as he began. “Always strive to give your spouse the very best of yourself; not what’s left over after you have given your best to everyone else.”
Steve wrapped his arm around my shoulder as he pulled me closer to him. I slid my hand around his waist as we rotated to face my mom. Smiling with light in her eyes she spoke, “I had to pick from the samples, this one by Dave Willis: A Strong marriage requires loving your spouse even in those moments when they aren’t being loveable. It means believing in them even when they struggle to believe in themselves.”
Next came Kyler, he looked a little uncomfortable but made the best of the situation and gave his honest words of support. “Have the kind of marriage that makes your kids want to get married, just like Mom and Dad did for us.” I couldn’t just stand there, I had to hug Kyler. Squeezing him tight I whispered words of love and appreciation.
Steve pulled me back into his body before a chuckling Mary started to speak. “Settle arguments like adults; in the bedroom, naked!” Of course she would go there.
Will was next; he winked at Mary before giving his words of wisdom. “Don’t argue with her when she’s looking for a fight. Smile. Gather her up, throw her over your shoulder and take her to bed.”
Steve was still laughing when Callie gave us a kind smile while Curtis had one arm around her waist and Will had another around her shoulders. “Love your spouse more than you love your career, hobbies, and money. The other stuff can’t love you back. By Dave Willis. Not sure who Dave Willis is, but it sounds like he has some pretty sound advice.”
Curtis didn’t hesitate to give us his encouraging words, “Make choices that say, “I love you” instead of “I love me” Will it be easy? Nope. Will it be worth it? Abso-fucking-lutely!”
Seeing the smile Norma was flashing suddenly made me a little nervous. She spoke loud and proud, “Claim her, love her, fuck her, spoil her, be faithful to her, and trust her and she will remain yours.”
While still smiling at Norma, Alfred spoke, “Speaking from experience, the key to a great marriage is to keep the fights clean and the sex dirty.”
I saw Calvin give Sierra’s hand a little squeeze before he began to speak, “A few weeks ago, Dad gave me this advice before my wedding. A good marriage isn’t something you find; it’s something you make, and you have to keep on making it. Love you little sister.” My tears escaped as Calvin spoke.
Sierra spoke last, not sure if that was the smartest move, since she started crying when my dad spoke and had yet to stop. She smiled through her tears and gave us great advice, “Instead of telling him “I love you” tell him why you love him. Same goes for you Steve, sometimes all she needs to hear is, “you look beautiful” be each other’s biggest supporter.”
The officiant took over from there, “The bible says: love is patient, love is kind; it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps not record of wrong, love does not delight in evil, but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, love never fails. Steve and Hannah please face each other and join hands.”
Hand in hand looking into his eyes I felt more love, more excitement, and more secure than I had ever felt in my life. The officiant let our guest know, “Steve and Hannah have prepared their own vows. Steve, please recite your vows to Hannah.”
Steve took a deep breath and voiced his commitment for all of us to hear, “Hannah, I take you to be my best friend, my faithful partner, and my one true love. I promise to encourage you and inspire you and to love you truly through good times and bad; sickness and health while we are richer or poorer. I will forever be there to laugh with you, to lift you up when you are down, and to love you unconditionally from this day forward.”
Soaking in his words I looked to the officiant to see if it was my turn. Without waiting for him to speak I began with the words I had been replaying on a constant loop in my mind for days. “Steve, I choose you to be no other than yourself. Loving what I know of you and trusting who you will become. I will respect and honor you always and in all ways. I take you to be my husband to have and to hold; in tears and in laughter; in sickness and in health. To love and to cherish, from this day forward. Today and all the days of our lives, I give you all of me.” The narrowing of his eyes tells me he knows exactly what I am referencing with the final statement. Both leaning in until we were forehead to forehead the connection undeniable.
The officiant gave us a moment asking those witnessing our exchange, “Can I please have the rings?” I had asked Calvin to hold Steve’s ring and Steve had given mine to Curtis; so each of our brothers stepped forward to hand over the physical items that would represent our commitment to each other for the entire world to see.
Clearing his throat to get our attention the officiant said, “Steve, please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.” I always imagined my hand would be shaking with nerves at this point in the ceremony, instead I stood proud and steady, smiling bigger than I ever thought possible.
Steve held my left hand, looking into my eyes while declaring loudly, “With this ring, I thee wed.”
Handing me Steve’s ring, the officiant say, “Hannah please repeat after me. With this ring, I thee wed.”
Without hesitating, I looked into his eyes while saying, “With this ring, I thee wed.” I had to pull my eyes from his face to make sure I put his ring on the correct finger. Once his ring was securely in place our eyes connected for the first time as man and wife.
The officiant announced, “With the power invested in me; I now pronounce you man and wife. Steve, you may now kiss your bride.”
I didn’t hear the hoots and hollers; I could only hear the beating of my crazy heart as Steve wrapped me tightly into his arms, kissing me with all his might. I was tipped backwards, brought forward, and twirled around all without breaking the kiss. Finally I had to breathe and ended the kiss; only to have Steve lift me up off the floor with both arms wrapped just under my ass. The position forced me to look down at his face. I took hold of his beard so I could tilt his face up, once again connecting forehead to forehead as he let my body slide down his. It was in that position that I finally heard the commotion surrounding us, including Mary calling our names for a picture.
Since the group was so small we were able to hug them each individually. Mary wouldn’t let anyone leave until she got a few group shots. She had us all group together by the lake, using the self-timer function on her camera she was able to be in the pictures with us. She had Sierra take a couple shots of her and me together and then a few that included Steve.
Being small and intimate along with the fact that we started early, we were pronounced man and wife before we had even been scheduled to start the ceremony. For the most part there weren’t a lot of tears. Okay, let me rephrase that; other than Sierra, who cried the entire time; there wasn’t a lot of tears. In my eyes it was perfect, but I couldn’t wait to get the rest of it over with so Steve and I could get to the good stuff. Apparently Cal knew exactly what I was thinking because he announced that he’d contact Jacks and they were ready for us.
Everyone started to load up in the different vehicles so I told Cal, “Go on ahead, Hannah and I will follow behind everyone.” She is finally my wife and I can’t possible wait another minute to have her.
Apparently, Cal wasn’t done with his overprotective role just yet because he quickly responded, “The hell you will! You will help my sister into that car and lead the way to Jacks. I know what you’re thinking and let me be clear; it’s not happening. Keep your dick in your pants for a little bit longer.” I couldn’t manage words, but I grunted in frustration as he walked away to assist his own wife into his truck. Watching him physically lift her into the truck, I decided maybe it was time they got a family car too. Won’t it be fun for me to sell him one?