"And do you, Stanley Martin Covington Junior, take Harper to be your lawfully wedded wife?"
"I do," said Lee.
"And now, by the power invested in myself, God, and the city of Oak Falls, I now pronounce you husband and wife!" said Stanley Sr. "Lee, you may kiss your bride!"
Lee and had a long, juicy kiss while the crowd cheered and all nine of our kids shouted "Eww!" We walked back down the aisle after all the bridesmaids and groomsmen, then went to take pictures.
"I'm gonna cry! That was seriously perfect!" Etsy said.
"Surprisingly perfect," I said, "Especially since we had so many little ones. It went off without a hitch."
"Hopefully the reception will be the same way," Lee said.
The Diamond Platinum Hotel was super fancy and had a ton of pretty spots for us to take photos. We took a whole bunch in one of the rooms upstairs, where there was a big giant window overlooking the snowy forest behind the hotel.
Once we were done taking pictures with the bridesmaids and groomsmen, they brought all the kids up to us. The sextuplets did not want to stay still for photos, so Lee and I were doing a lot of carrying and hand-holding to keep everyone in line.
When photos were finally done, we could go to our own private cocktail hour with the bridesmaids and groomsmen. I stood by a table where Etsy and Hazel had a hell of a time bustling my dress. They'd only practiced it once and I had an awful feeling that the layers were going to come right off the buttons. I tried to just enjoy my fancy cocktail weenies and mac and cheese bites.
When cocktail hour was over, Lisa led everyone upstairs to the main ballroom where our reception would be. The DJ introduced the groomsmen and bridesmaids again, and then it was time for the kids. First was Ella, Lukas, and Zozo. They did great. Ella stopping to pose for pictures wasn't planned, but at this point we were rolling with it.
Next were Robin and Hawk. They ran to Sophia, just like we practiced. After them was the trouble pair of Griffin and Wren. Again, Griffin started crying, but he didn't want to move. There was an eerie silence in the room before the DJ announced them again.
"Come on down, Griffin and Wren!" he said.
"Come on, Griffy, go see Grandpa John!" I said.
"No! Don't want to!" he said, still crying.
"I'll go myself!" Wren said.
She did. She skipped right in there, smiling and waving to all the people clapping for her. John came in and physically picked up Griffin to bring him in there. Finally, it was Raven and Phoenix's turn. They went right in without a problem.
"And now, ladies and gentlemen, introducing for the very first time: Mister and Misses Harper and Lee Covington!" said the DJ.
I ran in with Lee, holding my bouquet in one hand and his hand in the other. Everyone roared with applause. The ballroom looked so beautiful with Etsy's present flower box centerpieces, and the black tablecloths with white napkins.
A gift table with two boxes was over in the far corner of the ballroom. The card boxes were so full that the envelopes were sticking out of the slots. It made my heart happy. We already had enough money, plus all the stuff our fans were sending to our P.O. box. So, as wedding gifts, we asked our guests to give money we could donate to Saint Jude. It was the least we could do after what they did for us.
"Alright, let's turn everyone's attention to the dance floor for the couple's first dance!" said the DJ.
With our entire bridal party and groomsmen lined up along the edges of the dance floor, Lee and I took our spot on the dance floor and got ready for our first dance as husband and wife.
***
Just one chapter left! Thank you all so much for reading!
More wedding stuff! Dresses for Wren, Raven and Robin:
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