Page 25 of Marry Me Tomorrow
“How about the beginning of April?” I suggest hesitantly.
All three sets of eyes turn to me, each of them looking slightly shocked. The silence stretches for a beat too long before Mrs. Hughes says, “But it’s mid-March now. That’s only two or so weeks away.”
“You’re right,” I say. “I see how that could be not ideal for everyone.”
“No,” Trent says, his ears still tinged red. “That could work. Like I said, we do want to get married sooner rather than later. As long as it’s not April Fools’ Day, I’m game.”
“A spring wedding would be beautiful,” Mrs. Hughes admits. “And the cherry blossoms will be in bloom then too, but that’s much too soon! I’m not sure we could get everything ready in time.” Mrs. Hughes looks at Gwen.
“I really am okay with a simple wedding,” I say.
Gwen shakes her head. “I don’t do simple.” Then she looks through her planner and adds, “It would be really tight, but I if we push it back a week, I can pull this off. Would Saturday April twelfth work for you all?”
I nod, then look at Trent.
“Looks like we have a date,” Trent says, his grin softening as he glances my way. “Now that we have that settled, everything else should be easy peasy, right?”
We all laugh, though Gwen’s and Mrs. Hughes’s laughs sound strained. Even I know full well the mountain of decisions still ahead. But in that moment, surrounded by the buzz of plans and the warmth of shared excitement, it all feels doable, at least to me.
“Okay,” Mrs. Hughes says, “so now that the date is settled, and you’re sure you don’t want the beautiful fall wedding Gwen was showing . . .” She looks at Trent and me, giving us time to respond. When I shake my head, she says, “No, okay, well then we’ll need to get save-the-dates out as soon as possible.” Her pen poised over a notepad, she says, “Let’s decide on a pattern for the invitations, and I’ll come over tomorrow so we can start working on addressing the envelopes.”
I nod, my thoughts already swirling with color palettes and fonts.
“And,” Gwen cuts in smoothly, flipping through her meticulous planner, “if we can decide on a cake design today, I can get you both in for a cake tasting with Holly first thing in the morning. Do you have a preference for flavors?”
The thought of cake perks me up. “I love lemon cake, and it might be nice to have something fresh and bright for a spring wedding,” I say, imagining the tangy sweetness melting on my tongue.
“Great idea!” Mrs. Hughes beams at me. “Lemon feels perfect for spring. What do you think, Trent?”
“I’m down for anything Holly makes,” Trent says, “but if her Sunrise Sin muffins can be turned into a cake, it’d be out of this world.”
Gwen’s pen moves swiftly across the page as she nods. “Noted. I’ll check with Holly as soon as I leave the marina. As for catering,” Gwen continues, her voice firm and efficient, “I have an excellent caterer I use for many events. Hopefully we can get them with this soon of a date. I’ll try to pull as many strings as I can.”
Mrs. Hughes turns to Gwen. “Are you referring to the caterer that you used at our Christmas event last year?”
“That’s the one,” Gwen confirms with a small smile.
“Excellent!” Mrs. Hughes says, clapping her hands together. “They were simply divine. Going along with Jenny’s suggestion of a fresh cake, I think we should ask the caterers to create a light and refreshing menu. I’m thinking salads, fruits, maybe chicken. Gwen, could you coordinate that?”
“Will do.” Gwen adjusts her glasses and jots down another note. “We’ll schedule a tasting in the next day or two. I just need to go over a few options with the caterers first. For now, I’m thinking we stick with this light and fresh theme—maybe incorporate fresh flowers? A wedding outdoors at the marina? For the bridesmaids, pink and yellow are great spring colors. For the men, tan and white suits, with a pop of pink or yellow in the ties. What do you think?”
The rapid-fire suggestions take a second to sink in. I blink, then smile. “I love that. Maybe a soft pink to accent the cherry blossoms?”
Gwen pauses, her head tilting thoughtfully, then nods in agreement. “Jenny, I will get you in for a dress fitting as quickly as I can. Bridesmaids and groomsmen fittings following that. And then, of course, the parents of the bride and groom. When can we expect your parents to come in for that?”
I hesitate a moment before saying, “They won’t be.”
“Oh?” Mrs. Hughes asks.
“They’re not really involved in my life,” I say.
Trent takes my hand and gives it an assuring squeeze. “But her grandpa Henry will be there, and he’ll need a suit.”
I nod. “Yes, he’ll walk me down the aisle.”
Gwen and Mrs. Hughes nod solemnly. “We can do that, dear,” Mrs. Hughes says.
“Of course,” Gwen adds.
