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Louise Belcher having her hair done was an odd occurrence, she was never much of a “girly-girl” so she had never bothered to have it professionally tended to like her mom and sister liked to do, yet here she was with her mom’s long time friend Gretchen being primped like a show poodle.
“Starting to realize why I never do this.” Louise said, “This is taking forever…”
Gretchen chuckled, “You gotta look your best for your big day Louise. Besides, I’m almost finished.”
Ah yes, her big day. To make the occasion even weirder, Louise wasn’t just getting her hair done for the fun of it, no. Today was a day that a younger Louise would’ve insisted would never happen, yet older Louise had been looking forward to every day for the last few months. Today was Louise Belcher’s wedding day.
As Gretchen put the finishing touches on Louise’s hair, Linda walked into the room.
“How’s my baby girl’s hair doing Gretchen? Is it perfect and sparkly for her big day?” She said excitedly.
“Just finished, Linda.” Gretchen replied, “I still think you should’ve come to me earlier Louise, the perfect wedding hairdo should be prepared weeks in advance.”
“Nah, I only needed a good style for the day.” Louise said bluntly, “It’s not like I’m trying to impress anyone with my hair, Mom just wanted it to look good for the photos.”
Louise stood up out of her chair and turned to face her mother.
“So, how do I look?” Louise said slightly sheepishly, “I’ve never really dressed this gaudy before so… I have no idea if I’m even doing it correctly.”
Linda immediately began to tear up, “Aww sweetie. You look so beautiful!” She sobbed, “My little girl is all grown up and getting married, and your dress is astonishing!”
“Pft, astonishingly expensive maybe.” Louise chuckled, “I never understood why these things cost so much, I’m only gonna wear it once and then it will rot in my closet.”
“It’s so you look your best for your wedding Louise, it’s a once in a lifetime event.” Linda said before remembering that the groom himself was a child of divorce, “Well, for you I assume it will be once in a lifetime, you and Rudy are a perfect match.”
Louise couldn’t disagree with her mom’s statement. As much as she didn’t like to get all mushy about romance, she truly did love Rudy with all her heart, and Rudy loved her. Tina always liked to tease Louise over the fact that the girl who hated anything overly girly or sappy ended up with a fairytale-like romance. Even if something happened and she and Rudy were separated, Louise could not imagine marrying anyone else.
“Besides it might come in handy, what if you have a daughter to pass it on to in the future.” Linda suddenly added, knocking Louise out of her thoughts, “I’ve always kicked myself for not keeping my dress to give to you or Tina. I mean it was a rental but I’m sure they would’ve understood if I decided to keep it.”
Louise cringed slightly, feeling bashful at the idea of children. She had been adamant in her younger years that she would never have any, and still to this day hadn’t solidly made up her mind if she would or not.
“That’s assuming I’ll even have kids Mom.” Louise mumbled, “Seems like way too much of a hassle.”
“Aww, but you would make a great mother Louise.” Linda said with a slight frown, “I mean you do an amazing job babysitting for Tina, I think Daniel likes his aunt more than his grandma.”
Louise scoffed, “That’s different, babysitting is only a few hours every week or so, not every moment of the rest of my life. Not to mention I didn’t have to carry him for nine months and then go through the pain of labor.”
“True, It can be a bit of a handful.” Linda mumbled before quickly switching back to a more upbeat tone, “But it is worth it though! Having you kids was the best thing I ever did.”
Louise decided it would be best to change the subject, “Well, it’s almost time.” Louise said, “You know it’s funny, I’ve been excited for this ever since Rudy proposed to me, but now I’m more nervous than anything.”
Linda smiled and put a comforting hand on her daughter’s shoulder, “Aww sweetie. You have nothing to be nervous about, Rudy loves you and you love him. And I’ve seen you do incredible things, you can do this.” She assured her.
Louise smiled back at her mother, “Yeah, I guess you’re right.” She agreed, “I guess it’s just, I’m not really used to having our relationship out in the open like this. I mean you saw how embarrassed I got when Rudy kissed me at our Christmas party last year, now there’s an entire room of people with their eyes on us.”
Linda gave a comforting hug to her daughter, “You’ll be fine sweetie, trust me.”
In another room, Rudolph Stieblitz was just as nervous as his fiancé, if not more.
“Okay Rudy, you can do this.” He reassured himself whilst looking at himself in the mirror, “You just gotta say the vows, exchange the rings, kiss and not freak out.”
Both Rudy’s dad, Sylvester and his stepdad Paul stood at the sidelines watching their son freak out. Paul looked Sylvester in the eyes and nodded, silently communicating that he should step up and say something.
Sylvester walked up to Rudy and placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, “Hey buddy, It’s your big day, there’s no need to panic, everything will be fine.” He said softly, “You know, I was nervous on my wedding day too, both of them. But believe me, once you see Louise walking down the aisle, all your worries will fade.”
Rudy sighed, “I know, it’s just… I have this feeling that I can’t describe.” He said, “It’s like I’m simultaneously the most happy, excited and scared that I’ve been in my life.”
Paul walked up to his stepson, feeling the need to speak up, “There’s nothing to be afraid of Rudy.” He said, “Everything will go perfectly fine, and even if it doesn’t, it’s not like Louise will mind. All that matters is that you both love each other dearly.”
“But she deserves the perfect wedding!” Rudy explained, “She’s so beautiful and kind and I love her so much. She deserves everything in the world, a perfect wedding is the least I can give her.”
Both Sylvester and Paul chuckle, hearing their son gush about Louise was a regular occurrence, but it never got any less adorable. Sylvester remembered how excited Rudy was after proposing, he had spent the next few weeks swooning over the fact that the perfect girl had agreed to marry him.
“Relax Rudy.” Sylvester said, “You know Louise, whatever happens today she’ll think it’s perfect just as long as she’s with you. Trust me, she loves you just as much as you love her.”
Rudy continued looking at himself in the mirror, focusing on his breathing to calm down.
“You’re right, it will all be fine.” He said confidently.
Rudy looked at the clock, it was almost time for the ceremony to begin. Zeke, his best man, walked into the room.
“Well buddy, it’s almost time.” Zeke said in his thick southern accent, “We gotta get you down to the altar, you feelin’ alright? ya need anythin’?”
Rudy smiled, “Thanks Zeke, but I’m alright.” He said, “I was a bit nervous but I’m ready now.”
Zeke smirked and gave Rudy a slightly too firm pat on the back, “‘atta boy!” He said, “Man, feels like just yesterday you were my little fish back in Wagstaff.”
Sylvester and Paul walked off to find their seats while Rudy and Zeke made their way towards the altar to await the bride’s arrival.
As the wedding guests were ushered and piled up in the venue, the wedding’s officiant walked up to the altar with calming classical music playing, marking the beginning of the processional.
Rudy took a deep breath, a rush of excitement and nervousness flowing through him as he walked to the altar. He looked around at his stunning wedding venue, figuring out where to have the wedding was the first question that came to mind for Louise and Rudy, a matter they were unsure of until Linda had offhandedly mentioned that her daughter was getting married while visiting The Royal Oyster for one of her fancy bathroom trips. Upon learning this information the hotel offered to be the venue for the wedding for practically free, an offer that Louise and Rudy couldn’t refuse.
There were many guests at the wedding, Rudy had invited some of his close family members such as Mandy, he could also see his mom, dad, stepmom and stepdad all sat watching him. On Louise’s side he could spot a lot of various family and friends, such as Gayle, her mother Linda who had already used up half a pack of tissues through crying, Teddy with Kathleen, Nat with Peggy. Even some members of the One Eyed Snakes such as critter and Mudflap were there.
Zeke then walked down the aisle along with the rest of the wedding party. Gene took the role of groomsman whilst Tina was the maid of honor, a reversal of Tina’s own wedding where Louise was the maid of honor. Then came Louise’s bridesmaids, Jessica, Kaylee, and even Millie.
Louise had wanted Daniel to be the ring bearer, but he was just too young, only just learning how to walk, so Zeke opted to keep hold of the rings in his son’s place.
The last people to walk down the aisle before Louise herself were her grandparents. Al and Gloria walked side by side while Big Bob was assisted by Teddy who had got up after seeing the nearly centenarian struggling. Louise had insisted to her grandfather that he didn’t have to go down the aisle and that he could just relax in his seat, but Big Bob declined, stating that his family was his duty as long as he remained alive.
Finally the time had come for the last person to walk down the aisle. The music faded as it was replaced with a new track. Louise had insisted that she had to walk down the aisle to the song Why Don’t You Lead Me To Love, a song she considered special as it played in the restaurant the couple dined at on their first ever date.
As the music played throughout the venue, Louise walked in the room, her teary-eyed father by her side. Rudy was stunned at the sight of his bride, her wedding dress was stunning and Louise herself was absolutely beautiful, Rudy couldn’t help but tear up a bit at the sight of her.
Bob and Louise walked down the aisle side by side before finally making it to the altar. Louise and Rudy looked each other in the eyes longingly, both feeling an intense feeling of love and excitement welling up in their chests as they smiled at one another.
As the music faded, the officiant began the ceremony.
“Hello, and welcome everyone.” The officiant said. “We thank you all for coming here today to witness the union of two souls. Louise and Rudy have grown from elementary school friends, to committed lovers, and today they will join each other in marriage.”
Louise herself was starting to tear up at this point, along with many of the guests who had known the girl since she was a child.
“Louise, Rudy. Your journey as a couple has been beautiful, what started as a mere field trip partnership soon bloomed into much more. As you two journeyed through life as the best of friends, the two of you quickly became inseparable, and blossomed into lovers.” The officiant continued, “Today is your opportunity to express your love and commitment to one another as you exchange your personal vows. Please share with one another your promises for a life of love and devotion.”
Rudy felt a warmth in his chest as he produced the paper he had written his vows on from his suit pocket. Although to be truthful he felt like he could probably recite the vows by heart with how often he read over them.
“Louise Lily Belcher. Before I met you I was afraid, afraid I would never be able to fit in with others, afraid that my illness would hold me back from ever experiencing a fulfilling childhood.” Rudy stated, “But when I met you, it was like you unleashed a side of me that I had locked away, a side of me that was willing to take risks, a side of me that would live life to the fullest, not letting my ailments hold me back.”
Sylvester and Holly started to cry at their son’s vows. It was true, by partial fault of their own, Rudy had spent a lot of his early years as if he were made of glass, always preferring to stay safe than to experience the joys of childhood. But since he met Louise on that fateful day, he had a new-found zest for life trying new things and taking risks that he never would’ve before.
“Louise, you are the most amazing, beautiful and kind girl I have ever met, and I love you with all my heart. You have always been by my side and willing to do anything for my happiness. When I was still shaken by my parents divorce and my Mom meeting Paul, you were my rock who supported me, comforted me, and helped me come to terms with the feelings I tried to hide from even myself.” Rudy continued, starting to cry tears of happiness “I vow that I will always be by your side, that I will always be there to protect you and comfort you on your worst days. I vow to love you for the rest of my days, and stay loyal to you until the day I die, because you are both my best friend and my true love.”
Rudy put the paper back into his pocket as he finished his vows. Louise, touched by her soon-to-be husband’s words, wiped away the tears that fell from her eyes as she received the paper she had written her vows on from the officiant.
Louise began to read off her vows “Rudolph Brian Stieblitz, when I first heard that we would be going on another field trip to the museum, I was initially annoyed, honestly I was even thinking of skipping school that day just to get out of it.”
Most of the wedding attendees laughed at her honesty. Louise had always been a trouble maker after all.
“Now all these years later, I can tell you that deciding to go on that trip was the one of the greatest decisions I ever made.” She continued, “If someone had told me that I would meet my best friend on that trip, I would’ve laughed at them. If they then told me that same friend would later become my husband, I probably would’ve checked them into the nurse’s office. But funnily enough that’s exactly what happened.”
Rudy could remember that field trip fondly, meeting Louise was for sure the best thing to happen to him.
“As cliché as it sounds, you helped change my outlook on life. I could sometimes be a bit of a brat when I was younger, but you helped me become better, you were one of the only people who would put their foot down and tell me to my face when I was going too far or being selfish. I didn’t realise it at first but you completely changed the way I thought about others, I started to be more empathetic towards people and realised that helping the people I cared about felt far better than any prank I ever pulled. Seeing the ones I loved happy filled me with a sense of fulfillment I had never felt before.” Louise said, “I mean sure I still pulled pranks, but many of my schemes became less about my own personal gain and more about helping out my family and friends.”
Louise smiled as she turned the page to the other side.
“Before I knew it, I started to feel strange around you, it was a feeling I had never felt with anyone before, a strong urge to constantly be with you and to make you happy. It wasn’t until Valentine’s day when I realised that I had a crush on you, and as much as I tried to deny it, my sister saw right through me.”
Louise said, “The day we officially started dating was probably the scariest day of my life, I was so afraid you wouldn’t feel the same as I did, and for a brief moment I thought I was too late. But when you told me that you loved me, I was the happiest I had ever felt in my life. Rudy, I vow that from now until the end of time I will be with you to help you through any hardships you may face, I will love you and only you for eternity, and I vow that I will never let anyone hurt you so long as I live, because I love you Rudy, more than I could ever convey with words, and I cannot wait to spend the rest of my life with you.”
As Louise finished her vows, the wedding went silent, the guests taking in all that had been said by the couple. Until finally the silence was broken by the officiant.
“The best man, Zeke, will now present the rings.” He said.
Zeke reached into his pocket and produced two rings, passing one to Rudy. Louise held out her hand as Rudy repeated after the officiant.
“With this ring, I vow that I’ll love you for the rest of my days, and to always protect and cherish you.” Rudy vows as he slides the ring onto his wife’s finger.
Louise was then handed the other ring, and took Rudy’s hand.
“With this ring, I vow that I’ll love you for the rest of my days, and to always protect and cherish you.” She repeats before sliding the ring onto her husband’s finger.
“Louise, Rudy. May you two always love and cherish one another as you have promised here on this day, and may your days be filled with joy and happiness.” The officiant stated, “I now pronounce you Husband and Wife. Rudy, You may kiss your bride.”
But before Rudy could even begin to initiate the kiss, Louise practically leapt at him, beating him to the punch. The wedding guests all cheered and applauded as the two lovingly kissed one another.
After the ceremony, the wedding reception kicked off without issue. Gene helped DJ the reception, Zeke gave a touching speech and Bob showed off his special burger that he had made for the occasion, A combination between Louise and Rudy’s favorite burgers which he called the “LouWheeze Burger” a pun that was mostly appreciated by just him and Louise.
As the day came to an end and guests went back home. Louise and Rudy went hand in hand back to their own home, ready to start a new chapter in their lives.
Not as best friends, not as boyfriend and girlfriend.
But as Louise and Rudy Belcher-Stieblitz.