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The scent of flowers clung to the air, as guests made their way through the entrance, sitting on opposite sides of the aisle. The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement and joy.
The sky casted its shades of periwinkle and violet as the evening settled. Stars were starting to show up and Laurel couldn’t help but smile to herself. The stars are what brought them together, and now here they were.
She was still nervous, sweating through layers of mascara as she smoothed her dress in the mirror for the thousandth time. It’s the exciting kind of nerves. She’d been dreaming about this day ever since she laid eyes on Maria, and now she didn’t have to dream anymore.
Her dress was gorgeous— a long-sleeved powder-white ball gown with delicate lace elements on both the bodice and sleeves. It had an elegant full satin skirt that reached the floor. She wore a pair of small kitten heels of the same colour to go with it.
Her heart was racing, a feeling of warmth blooming through her chest, heavy yet certain.
-
“And there,” Maria said, faceting the last button on her daughter’s small sandals.
“Why can’t I wear a dress like yours?” She asked, pointing to her mother’s gown. It was a strapless satin dress that framed her figure but was not at all skin-tight. Every fold or wrinkle of fabric was intentionally placed. The bottom half of the gown split into two layers the further it went down, with the previous satin being meticulously pinned at an angle, almost creating a flower-like formation.
“Because,” She replied, her voice gentle but firm as she looked up, “You have a very special job to do.” She reached for a beige woven basket filled with soft pink and yellow petals. Her face lit up at the sight of them, forgetting entirely about the dress.
She heard the first few notes of the piano ring out, signaling the start of the ceremony. Her heart raced at the notes, nervous in a good way.
“You go out there, just like we practiced.”
She sent her out, watching her child toss flower petals in all different directions. She smiled, taking one last look in the mirror before heading out. This was it. The day she’s been waiting for her whole life.
-
The setting sun met as the two brides met each other at the start of the aisle, locking hands as they made their way down. Maria couldn’t stop smiling, turning her head each second to glance at her soon-to-be-wife again and again. Laurel was no different. Although she pretended to be calm, her heart was racing.
When it was time for them to deliver their vows, they couldn’t do them without both laughter and tears. Laurel’s vows were dear, reminiscing a story from their late years at the Academy, the moment she knew Maria would be the one. She was pretty sure the redness of her cheeks were strongly visible, despite the foundation she applied, but she didn’t care. She couldn’t care about anything else at that moment, because all that mattered was she’d finally be able to call Maria her wife. She’d finally be able to spend the rest of her days with her.
Maria’s vows were short and sweet, though she delivered them in a quieter tone. It didn’t matter as long as Laurel could hear them. They were just for her.
Then came the kiss. They moved closer to one polished, Laurel’s heels clicking against the marble flooring. She brushed part of Maria’s bangs behind her ear, hand gently cupping her jaw as they both leaned in, lips grazing each other with pure passion despite the shortness of it. They were giggling like teenagers after, looking into the other’s eyes, then looking away, only to look back again and repeat.
The crowd, which the two brides almost completely forgot about, cheered, both relatives and friends tearing up out of joy.
Maria slipped the gold ring onto her wife’s, Laurel doing the same but with a silver ring, as it was all she ever wore.
“I’m never taking this off,” She whispered with a smile, studying the ring intently. Her eyes sparkled, catching the setting sun in her reflection.
“Don’t we have a ride?” She said, motioning towards the road in front of them. There sat a black limousine.
She chuckles, taking Laurel’s hand in hers as they headed to the limo.
-
The after party of their wedding was smaller, reserved for only the closest of family and friends. It was a small indoor venue, only holding around forty people.
Guests were popping champagne, requesting music, and overall having a good time. Chatter and laughter filled the room as the evening deepened.
The newlyweds, now free from the formality of the ceremony, practically floated through the crowds, barely focused on anyone but each other.
A slow song came on as Maria pulled her onto the dance floor, hands around the other’s waist. They had almost everyone’s eyes on them, yet that didn’t matter. It was only the other that did.
She rested her head under Maria’s chin, gently swaying to the soft acoustic strings of the song.
“This is like senior prom,” Laurel said, already reminiscing their early years as if they were already old together.
“Prom was lame. The only thing I remember about it was you, really.” She said, her mind replaying memories from that night. She remembered her now wife wearing a light purple dress and thinking she looked amazing, even in high-school, when she thought she was 100% straight.
“Oh, stop it,” She teased, a smile tugging on her lips anyway.
As the night mellowed out further, and more and more guests started to depart, The brides found themselves sharing a glass of wine, talking and laughing tiredly as the last few guests trickled out, wishing them nothing but the best.
“This is the best night of my life.” Maria said, yawning as she looked at the girl beside her.
She laughed, fixing her partner’s now messy hair.
“I’m so excited to grow old with you.”