Page 7 of Sea Breezes at The Beach House Hotel

“Have fun, everyone,” I said. “See you later.”

Vaughn came over and gave me a kiss. “Everything is fine here. Go and enjoy the wedding.”

I held up the handkerchief I’d tucked into the pocket of my dress. “All set.”

“You’re such a romantic,” Vaughn said, leaning down to kiss me again.

I noticed Bailey and Ned watching us and wondered if they saw this often at home. Or was it as bad as I thought they might be?

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Back at the hotel, I met with Lauren and Annette to make sure all was ready for the wedding, reception, and dinner. After confirming that everything was in order, I walked outside to the garden where the ceremony was to take place.

Manny and his crew had done an excellent job preparing the grounds. Grass lay like a green velvet cover atop the ground. The hibiscus hedges along one side and against the hotel walls were trimmed, their pink and red blossoms creating a lovely accent.

Chairs, whose backs were covered in white linen cloth, lined up in two sections in front of the gazebo where the harpist would play behind the minister. Pale blue ribbons adorned the backs of the chairs.

As I was standing there, Danielle from Tropical Fleurs entered the garden, carrying an arrangement of blue hydrangeas, white roses, and white calla lilies.

“How beautiful! And so unusual,” I said.

“The bride discovered blue flowers stand for not only desire and love, but also hope and the beauty around her. Very appropriate for an art teacher, don’t you think?”

“Very sweet,” I said. “She’s become one of my favorite brides.”

“Mine, too,” said Danielle. “The mother of the groom not as much.”

“Oh? Was there a problem?” I asked.

“She was afraid the blue wouldn’t look compatible with the russet color of her dress. She wanted to make sure the blue would be soft enough.” Danielle shook her head. “I talked to the bride, and we figured it out.”

“This arrangement is stunning. Thank you. Rhonda and I are delighted that you’re part of our wedding business group.”

“Thanks. I appreciate it.” Danielle finished placing the arrangement on the white altar, and then, satisfied, she left.

Studying the flowers and knowing what they signified, I thought back to Nell and Clint’s wedding. It had been such a happy one. Nell was truly in love, and Clint had become overwhelmed with emotion when he saw Nell stroll into the garden on Vaughn’s arm. I hoped whatever problems they were having could be resolved.

I turned as the harpist arrived with her instrument, and I helped her up the steps into the gazebo.

“Lovely day for a wedding,” she said.

After a few minutes, she sat and began playing. As those pure musical notes floated above and around me, I felt my eyes water. My emotions were all over the place.

Forcing myself to concentrate on the details ahead, I hurried to my spot at the garden entrance to help guests find their seats.

I stood back as the bride appeared, looking angelic, and was then ushered into the garden by her father. Usually, Rhonda was with me. I missed her by my side as, once again, emotion overcame me.

Once the ceremony was underway, I headed into the hotel to check on the reception by the pool. We’d enlarged the pool deck to accommodate such affairs, and weather permitting, many wedding groups opted to be outdoors near the pool.

Inside the dining room, which had been partitioned, the area for the wedding dinner was ready, with baby blue linen tablecloths adorning the tables. I loved that we could offer a variety of colors for table linens to match the wedding's color theme.

Annette came over to me. “Hi, Ann. How are you doing? I spoke to Lorraine a while ago. She’s devastated by Arthur’s death. I think it’ll be quite a while before she’s ready to come back to work. I told her not to worry about it, but I’m concerned about staffing.”

An idea flashed through my mind. “I think I may have someone to help out. Let’s talk on Monday after the weekend is over.”

“With Thanksgiving coming up, I didn’t want it to be a problem,” said Annette.

“You’re right to bring it to my attention. What would we do without you?” I said, giving her a quick hug. Married to Bernie, she was a treasured addition to the hotel family.

Lauren joined us. “Ann, I know your daughter just arrived. Everything is set for the reception and dinner. Why don’t you go home and spend time with your family? I’ll see you tomorrow at the after-wedding breakfast buffet.”

“Thanks. I think I’ll do that. Everything seems to be running smoothly.” I left and went to my car, eager to be home with Nell.