Wedding Day

On September 9, my twin sister got married to my favorite brother-in-law, who is perfect for her. Many hours went into planning this special day, which was exactly as she’d imagined, apart from a few details which were out of anyone’s control. On Saturday morning, the bridesmaids arrived at the church by 10 AM to get ready together. The wedding planner provided each bridesmaid with a Starbucks drink of her choice, which “hit the spot”. My sister hired two hairstylists to do the bridesmaids’ hair and makeup and then another to do her own, which was absolute perfection, as she looked stunning. My grandma provided food for all of us, but I was so busy getting ready that I forgot, or at least didn’t take the time to eat. Once we were finished getting ready, we all went into the hallway to see the bride in her dress and were all speechless!

We then carpooled to a local park for pictures and the weather was far beyond perfect. The groom and groomsmen were there prior to our arrival taking pictures, so once we arrived, it was time for the bride and groom’s “first look”, which was exceedingly romantic, as there was not a dry eye around.

We then took the rest of the pictures, and when it was time for the entire wedding party pictures, I started getting nauseous and noticed the signs of syncope; suddenly, I was on the ground and everyone staring at me with concern. I got back up, horribly embarrassed, but was then overtaken with a sudden need for the restroom, so my dad then carried me to the car and drove me to the nearest outhouse. My grandma then held my dress to keep it from getting soiled and after about fifteen minutes, all the pictures were already finished, so the rest of the bridal party headed back to the church to eat lunch but I drove with my parents to our house, where we quickly “whipped up” a protein shake, as there was little I was comfortable with eating due to severe anorexia nervosa. I “chugged” the protein shake and we rushed to the church, where the wedding was scheduled to begin in less than twenty minutes.

 Utterly embarrassed, I couldn’t face the bridal party, so I took off for my dad’s office in the church, where I could cry in silence. My twin then entered and was hurt that I didn’t want to come out and witness her special day, and decided that due to concerns for my safety, I would not be walking down the aisle as planned but would instead sit in the front row with the rest of my family. I began sobbing and was so ashamed of “ruining” my twin’s special day, but my aunt then came in and gave me a “pep talk” and held my hand as we walked into the ceremony together. It was difficult to watch the rest of the bridesmaids walk up the aisle and to imagine myself walking behind my younger sister, but the disappointment faded once I saw the pure joy on my twin sister, the bride’s face, as she gave her heart to the one man that had stolen her heart. 

My dad gave her away and we then sang some praise and worship songs and then the ceremony began. My dad had gotten his license to marry prior to the wedding, just so he could perform the marriage ceremony of his first daughter to get married. They then lit the unity candle and combined pink and grey sand and finally both set of parents gathered around the couple to pray for them.

 It was then time for the first kiss, and the bridal party was escorted out into the hallway. We then greeted everyone and headed to the gym, where the reception was held. My twin decided she wanted me to sit at the front of the gym with the rest of the bridal party, so I walked into the reception escorted by my “date” after our names were announced. It was nice to be a part of the reception, and everyone treated me as if nothing had happened, which was comforting. The gym was breathtaking, with lights strung across the ceiling and flowers everywhere, as well as gorgeous “touches” of my twin’s, as well as her fiancé’s personality, including a pink sparkly tablecloth on the cake table and popcorn as favors for each guest. The reception was far beyond perfect and we had such a good time, and before we knew it, the time arrived to “pack everything up”, after we had wished the bride and groom “good luck’ as they headed to the hotel where they would spend the night and then “fly on a jet plane” to their honeymoon destination. This day was one I will treasure forever, even though things didn’t go quite as planned!