Here Comes The Bride

Little fingers that belong to small hands are knotted together. A silver bracelet hangs from one wrist. The charm, a tiny oval diamond, sparkles in the sunlight like a beacon of a lighthouse, advising the skippers to steer away from the tower and the dress of treacherous coastal rocks it wears so warily.

Small feet inside little white slippers are barely visible beneath the silk wedding dress. The expensive fabric affectionately wraps around the waist and then falls to the floor in finely draped layers. The bride’s arms, shoulders and neck are swathed in exquisite cream Brussels lace. The appliqué design is painted over her fair skin. The pattern of different flowers in bloom gives this Gibson girl the look of a porcelain doll.

Long black eyelashes curve up to reveal polished sapphire jewels. Each eyebrow has been meticulously shaped to form the perfect arc. Golden blond hair sits atop her head like a halo resting upon the head of an angel. 

She is Cinderella today. Her prince, a modest dentist, stands waiting at the altar. This humble church has become a grand castle where they will dance until midnight. Two sets of aged wooden windows transform into extravagant Picture windows with polished emerald Tiffany glass. The crumbling brick walls become vast stone-cut hallways.    

This Cinderella smiles and blushes slightly. Her cheeks shade pink. Three little mice holding baskets of white rose petals shuffle along in front of her. Their eager little fingers snatch the petals and throw them at the ground before taking a step forward and beginning the ritual all over again.

The band plays hastily but she does not quicken her stride. The eyes watching try to push her forward but she is content at her pace. Everyone is afraid. Maybe she is uncertain? Maybe she will decide to leave her prince and not go through with it? Their thoughts, though silent, seemed to shout at her.

But she does not notice. Because she knows, as she keeps her steady gaze on her soon-to-be husband, that he will wait as long as he must. She knows, as she walks down the aisle, that these steps are the final words of a chapter she is about to leave. She saviours the memories of the characters she encountered. And as she takes the final steps to meet her prince, she feels a page turning. She welcomes the new chapter, excited to begin it.