Together

Planning

Hi everyone! I hope you've all had a nice day- it's been so long for me, and I can't wait to get some sleep! This update is gonna have to last you two days, because I have something super fun happening tomorrow... I'll let you all know about that on Friday when I see you again! Until then, you know the drill: enjoy, comment, vote!
-ab

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October 4, 2025

Patrick

"Harper, can we talk about this wedding?" I ask my girlfriend. "I mean, we want to make it happen quickly, right? So we should probably start considering... like, actually planning it."

"I suppose," she laughs. "What all do we need to do? A date, a venue, invitations..."

"Yeah, I guess so. And we will need to pick up a marriage certificate... I don't really know how that works, but I'm sure that we can just ask Taylor and Joe."

"And we will need decorations, food, music... should we hire somebody to help us? Lots of people get wedding planners."

"Maybe," I admit. "What about an officiant?" Neither of us are particularly religious people, so it might be more special for us to get a friend to officiate the wedding, as opposed to a priest.

"What about... babe, I know that this is going to sound absolutely insane, but just hear me out. We go to the registry office and sign the marriage certificates, then we can spend our money on a honeymoon."

"Don't you want our friends and family to be a part of the big day, though?"

"We can have a party when we get home. Rent out somewhere that isn't nearly as expensive as a wedding venue."

"That's not a bad idea..." I tell her. "Hon, would you be okay with it, though?"

"You know me. I don't love having a big deal made over me, nor do I particularly care for social activity," she laughs. "It would be fine by me if it's fine by you."

"You wouldn't get a dress and stuff, though?"

"I can get something simple for the party, maybe."

"If you're sure..."

"I'm more than sure," Harper assures me. I look her in the eye.

"Do you want to just plan on that, then?"

"Fine by me."

"Our parents and maybe a 'maid of honour' and 'best man' can come to the registry office with us."

"Perfect," Harper tells me. "Thank you, hon." She plants a little kiss on my cheek. I will admit, I'm a bit surprised that she's chosen to go this direction, but I can't say that I mind it. Like her, I also don't particularly care for people making a big deal over me. My graduation party was far from fun, simply because all of these relatives which I barely knew wanted to come congratulate me, complete with lots of hugs and cuddles, when I really would have rather been hugging and cuddling Harper.

"I'd really like Joe to be there as my best man," I tell her. "Any thoughts on the maid of honour?"

"Honestly, probably Taylor," she laughs. "I'd never be able to pick between Nessa and Katherine, and they are my three closest friends."

"Sounds like a plan, then," I reply. "When can we make it happen?"

"As soon as possible!" she exclaims. "I mean, I suppose that we will need to make an appointment, but I'd bet that we can make it happen quickly..."

I pull out my phone and give it a quick google. "We will need to give a notice, and then have a ceremony at least 28 days later."

"That's quite a specific amount of days," Harper lets out a chuckle. "Like, not a month, but 28 days."

"Hey, you can take that up with Parliament," I tell her with a small punch on her shoulder, to which we both burst into laughter.

"Maybe I will," she tells me, with a cheeky hint in her voice.

"Well, how about this... it's probably too late now, but tomorrow, after your little date situation with the girls, we can go set things up with the registry office... unless that would be all too soon. We don't have to do the ceremony in 28 days, of course."

"We can totally do it tomorrow. Twenty-eight days would put me dangerously close to my Anastasia opening, though, and that would just be a lot of stress. Perhaps we could just wait another month or two? Maybe we could do it sometime around Christmas, and take a honeymoon to somewhere warm, just when it's all dreary and cold here in lovely old England. Like, the end of January or the beginning of February."

"That sounds like a perfect plan. That'll come up sooner than we think, though, so we should probably finalize some dates and a destination so that we can book a flight out of here within the next few days."

"Perfect. I'll have to request off from the show, too. I have a vacation week in my contract, so that'll be perfect. I'll just take a paycheck cut on the day that we have the ceremony, I guess."

"We could do it in the afternoon and then send you to the evening show," I offer to her.

"That's not romantic," she giggles. "Just because we aren't having a traditional wedding doesn't mean that it can't be romantic. How many people do you know who have gotten married, and then split up so that one can go to work?"

"Touche," I tell her. "If you're alright with taking off, then I am too."

"It won't be too much of a pay cut. Especially since you have such a nice job and we don't have to rely on my salary to make ends meet..."

"Okay," I concede, planting a little kiss on the top of her head. "I can't wait to get to call you my wife, for the rest of our lives."

"And you're going to be my husband, forever. It's weird, you know? My whole life, I've fantasized about this... and here you are. I'm really going to get married, and I'm really going to live until I grow old with the man of my dreams."

"No getting old quite yet, though," I say with a cheeky smile. "We have so much of our lives to live before then, and I know that every day is going to be so, so special, because we are going to be together, and that's all that's going to matter."

She wiggles her way into my lap, then plants a kiss on my lips. "That sounds absolutely perfect."