Page 140 of Nerdplay
It’s already a perfect day and I’m not even married to him yet.
The music begins. In lieu of more traditional songs, I chose a violin version of “In Dreams” from Lord of the Rings. This ceremony is for the bride and groom, after all, and we want it to reflect us rather than society at large.
Olivia is our flower girl. I thought she might object because flower girls are supposed to be much younger, but she actually cried tears of joy when I asked her. Her parents have been ensconced in new relationships and she’s not a huge fan of either new partner, so the wedding gave her something positive to focus on. She also asked to work as a junior counselor at camp this summer to “beef up her resume,” and Charlie and I were more than happy to agree.
Elizabeth walks behind Olivia. According to Charlie’s reports, I half expect her to perform acrobatic feats, but she places one foot in front of the other just like the rest of us.
Chewy is the ring bearer. “The Imperial March” plays as the Yorkie trots down the aisle. He was meant to be first, but his nervous jitters relegated him to the back of the line. We’re nothing if not flexible in our approach to tradition.
The music changes to signal my turn. My heart swells as “Across the Stars” begins to play.
All heads swivel to face me. I don’t love the spotlight, but I know Charlie is waiting for me at the end of this path and that thought sustains me.
I walk slowly past the rows of chairs, in time to the music, letting my gaze wander. I feel a surge of emotions as I spot a group of campers on my side of the aisle. Charlie worried the song might be too melancholy for a joyous occasion, but there’s so much excited chatter, I’m not certain anyone else is even aware of the music.
I focus on the archway that Gloria and some of the others crafted for us to stand under for the ceremony. In lieu of flowers, they used balloons of Yoda’s head. Charlie’s brother stands beside him. He wears a traditional tuxedo and a solemn expression. I noticed Kayla seated on the groom’s side, holding their squirming toddler on her lap.
Charlie stands at the end of the aisle watching me like I’m the only other person on the planet. I bask in the glow of his adoration as I approach the arbor where the OG Shadow Daddy waits to join us in intergalactic matrimony.
I glide down the aisle with my back to the past, ready to meet my future.
Charlie’s handsomeness has exceeded all expectations. He wears a traditional tuxedo and bowtie, save for the elven leaf brooch pinned to his suit jacket. Grinning from ear to ear, he taps my foot with his own, prompting me to look down at a pair of brand-new special edition Star Wars Converse. His, not mine. I can’t remember the last time he wore Gucci or any other dress shoes. For better or worse, he’s one of us now.
Our wedding bands are simple gold rings, modeled after—you guessed it—the One Ring. I have no plans to throw mine into the belly of Mount Doom though.
One of the balloons pops when I say “I do,” and everybody laughs when the Dark Warlord is the first to hit the ground, covering Chewy in a protective embrace.
“I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss or dance a jig or however the spirit moves you.”
Cue the Marvel opening theme song. Everybody cheers. I’m not sure whether it’s for the recognizable tune or the conclusion of the ceremony, but it doesn’t matter.
Charlie takes my hand and together we walk down the aisle, our first official act as a married couple.
The reception immediately follows the ceremony. I change out of my dress into white satin shorts and a Princess Leia racerback tank top that features her famous quote: I Love You. It seemed apt when I bought it. Melody serves as the wedding deejay, although she was disappointed when we opted for the non-karaoke package. The playlist is perfect, spanning several decades of pop music and Peter Quill’s awesome mix tape from Guardians of the Galaxy.
Jeannie is the first to congratulate us. She left the law firm a month after Charlie and now works as our company’s administrative professional. Without her, we’d be a mess. She keeps the files organized and the schedule running smoothly, dotting all the i’s that we—and by ‘we’ I mean ‘I’—miss. She and Ben seem to have hit it off, which I try not to get overly excited about so I don’t scare them off.
“Make sure you open my gift before you leave for the honeymoon,” she tells us for the third time this week.
“It will be the very first gift we open tonight,” Charlie promises.
“You’ll need it for the plane,” she adds, and I can tell she’s desperate to reveal the present before we even open it. Two more drinks and she probably will.
My guess is some sort of matching husband and wife neck pillows. Our honeymoon will be a long flight, but it’ll be worth it to see Hobbiton in person, and the rest of New Zealand, of course. My pointy ears are packed. I can’t wait to walk those hills and pretend I’m in Middle Earth with my very own Aragorn or Legolas, depending on my mood. I tried to persuade Charlie to grow out his hair a bit, but he nixed that one right away. Even without the hair, he’s my hero.
Elizabeth is the life of the party. I’m pretty sure she’ll have managed to dance with every single guest at the reception by the end of the night, which is no small feat. There’s no denying the lightness in her step ever since she quit the pro golf circuit.
“I hope I find myself like you did, Charlie,” she says, shimmying beside us while “Funkytown” plays in the background.
“Keep looking and you will.”
Elizabeth presses her pink-glossed lips to my cheek. “Don’t tell Kayla, but you’re my new favorite sister-in-law.”
“Not everything has to be a competition,” I remind her.
Her blue eyes widen as she pivots to her brother. “See how ingrained it is?”
“Oh, I know.” He envelops her in a hug. “You’ll get there, Lizzie. It takes willingness and work, and you’ve got both in spades.”
