That Wedding (37 page)

"It's Phillip, the groom!" I say excitedly. "Do you mind if I answer it quick?"

"Sure," she says.

I answer and say, "Hey."

Phillip's soft dreamy voice fills the room. "Hey, Princess. How's the dress shopping going?"

I apologize to Hillary. "Sorry, I must have hit the speaker button." I turn off the speaker and say to Phillip, "I'm still looking, but I think we're getting closer."

It's a total lie.

Both Hillary and I know this.

I tell him I need to go, and he tells me he knows I'll find the perfect dress today.

As I'm ending the call, I notice Hillary looking at me kinda funny. "He calls you Princess? Is that his nickname for you?"

I nod my head and launch into the story about how when we were ten, Mary Beth Parker told everyone not to play with me. How Phillip still did. How I told him he acted like a prince. How since that day, he's called me Princess. How he's always called me Princess in private, but lets it slip out now in front of our friends. I even get a little misty when I tell her about how we used to play games as kids. How I would be a princess, and he would rescue me from dragons. How as we got older, he rescued me for real. When my parents died. From bad dates. Flat tires. You name it. How when I was little, my parents told me I should marry Phillip. How I laughed and told them I was marrying a prince.

Pretty much, I gushed on and on about how amazing Phillip is.

Hillary's eyes light up. She gets a big grin on her face and says, "I have an idea."

She dashes out of the room while I think about Phillip. About how much I love that boy. I need to keep reminding myself that's what this wedding is all about. I'm going to marry the boy I love and have always loved. I think that's why I've been having such a hard time. I'm trying to find a dress worthy of that love.

Maybe I'm approaching this the wrong way. Maybe I should think about what kind of dress Phillip would like.

I think about the dress he bought me for our engagement, freaking covered in sequins, but still tailored and simple.

Hillary is grinning as she bounds in with another dress. She looks peppy again. "This dress is not a mermaid style. We've been getting sidetracked by what everyone thinks you look good in. You told me you want classic and romantic. Timeless. Mermaids are fashionable, but they aren't timeless. I want you to try this dress on with your eyes closed. I want you to see it in front of the big mirrors for the first time."

She seems super excited and sincere, so I say, "Okay."

I mean it's the least I can do for the woman who's probably going to need some kind of deep post-traumatic stress counseling after dealing with me.

I close my eyes as she slides a dress on me.

Then she holds my hand and leads me on the now familiar walk out front.

"Keep your eyes closed," Hillary whispers to me. "I'm going to grab a veil."

I want to open my eyes. I can hear the moms and Lori whispering.

Hillary pulls back half of my hair, slides a comb and veil into it, then lays a headband across the top of my head.

"Okay, sweetie, now you can open your eyes."

I look in front of me.

Staring back at me isn't me in another dress.

Staring back at me is a BRIDE.

And this bride is wearing the most beautiful dress I have ever seen.

The top of her dress is strapless and satin. It fits the bride perfectly and accentuates her thin waist. Crossing her waist is a band of beautiful crystals. The gown of her dress is layer upon layer of frothy silk organza. Her hair is half pulled up, her blonde curls are cascading down her shoulders, and there's a long veil with a crystal headband that perfectly finishes the bride's dress.

It takes a second for me to realize the bride I'm looking at is me.

I get little tears in my eyes. I've been looking for so long, and I'm so happy I didn't buy another dress because this is EXACTLY how I want to look for Phillip. This dress is a combination of my tailored style and, well, kinda like a princess. A princess that isn't going to the ball in a big hoop skirt. This princess is more like a fairy princess, and she's going dancing in a frothy, swishy, twirly skirt that feels like she's wearing a cloud.

It's perfect.

I'm dabbing the little tears from my eyes when Hillary says, "Finally, the tears. So what does everyone think?"

I pry my eyes away from the gorgeous bride in the mirror, I mean, me, and look back to see their reactions. They're all in tears too.

Danny's mom gets up and hugs me. "Honey, you look so beautiful. Look at those gorgeous crystals." She backs up, looks at the dress again, and shakes her head sadly. "Your mom would have loved this dress. I really wish she was here with us today."

I cover my mouth with my hand. I can't hold back the tears anymore. Just hearing that my mom would love my dress makes them flow down my face.

Hillary hands out tissues because we're all bawling.

"So is the fact that we're all blithering idiots over this dress mean it's the one?" Lori asks.

"Yes," I say. "This is definitely the one."

Mrs. Mac says, "You look a little like a princess," as she dabs her eyes.

Like Phillip's princess, I think.

"I'll take it," I say.

Then I stare at the bride in the mirror some more.

I can't wait for Phillip to see me in this dress.

This past weekend, Lori gave me a book that was written by both a mom and daughter about planning the daughter's wedding. She thought it would give me some insight as to what my mom would have been thinking and feeling if she were here with me now.

But I got more out of the book than I expected.

I realized that I've been kinda selfish. This wedding is not just about me and Phillip. It's really the merging together of families, and those families have dreams of their own.

So if you're planning a wedding someday, here's my advice to you.

And notice that I'm giving this advice before I put my plan into action, so that way if this all ends up with me screaming in a bathroom,
What the hell was I thinking
, you will do it regardless of my outcome.

I thought back to when we were doing the guest list. Mrs. Mac asked me a question about our plans, and I sort of shut her down and told her that we'd tell her when we figured it out. Like she was just a guest. I realized that Phillip's mom has probably been both dreaming about and dreading the day her precious son will get married. She's inviting her friends, and I'm sure she has something pictured in her mind about how it should be.

So now that Phillip and I have a lot of the basics planned out, I've decided to ask the other important people in my life what they'd like to see happen at the wedding, or their dream way of having it.

Who knows, they may have some amazing ideas.

This morning, I met Phillip's mom at the Diamond's for Mrs. D's wonderful cinnamon coffee cake.

I took my idea board and inspiration powerpoint. I told them about all the food Phillip and I picked out, about the rooftop ballroom, and how I wanted it to be romantic. I also told them that Phillip has had about all the wedding planning he can take. He wanted a say in the things that were important to him, like food and alcohol, but the rest is just fluff to him. I invited them to come to Kansas City with me on Thursday to meet the wedding planner and help me with the rest of the decor details. I still have to pick the flowers, the cake design, and finalize all the reception decor. They were especially thrilled when I set a stack of bridal magazines in front of them and told them to go crazy.

After that, I go in the study to talk to Mr. D.

I ask for his opinion. Ask if there's anything he'd like to see happen at the wedding.

He thinks about it for a minute. "I know alcohol is one of the most expensive parts of a wedding, but it would be nice if there was a secret stash of good scotch for us old guys to enjoy. I'd also love to smoke a cigar in your dad's honor."

Phillip had mentioned that a scotch and cigar bar would be so cool. Plus, I'm getting him an engraved humidor as his wedding gift, so it would be perfect.

And then it hits me. I never asked Mr. Diamond to walk me down the aisle. I was gonna ask him the night he told me he was holding my wedding money hostage. I've been a little mad at him since, honestly.

But I look at him. The man who's helped me though every major crisis, from financial to what to major in. Who has gently guided me down the path to adulthood. Who has done way more than I'm sure my parents ever imagined he would when they named him executor of my trust. He treats me like his daughter. And he wants to toast my dad at my wedding?

He sees that my eyes are filling up with tears and says, "Honey, I'm sorry. I didn't want to upset you. I know it's very hard on you not having him here. Maybe it's a bad idea."

"You didn't upset me. I think it's a wonderful idea. I got tears in my eyes because I have a big favor to ask you, and it seems like I all I ever do is ask you for favors."

"Don't be silly," he says. "I loved your parents, and you know you're like a daughter to me. I'll always do anything in my power to help you in whatever way you need."

I smile at him through crocodile tears. "So does that mean you'd consider walking me down the aisle? Standing in for my dad?"

He sits there for a minute, which I have to say I appreciate. He understands the gravity of this to me. He's even a little choked up when he replies, "I'd be extremely honored."