The second I put my hand in George's hand, I felt my whole word stop.
But in a good way
He looked at me, smiling widely as he studied my features.
I wanted to just wrap my arms around his waist and kiss him this instant, but we had to wait for minister Shacklebolt to say the words.
I felt George brush his thumb over my hand as he looked at me.
"Are you okay?" He asked in a whisper, and I nodded, offering a reassuring smile.
"Are you ready to start?" Shacklebolt asked and George looked at me for an answer.
I smiled, nodding.
"We are."
Shacklebolt nodded before he started speaking, starting the ceremony.
"Welcome! Good afternoon, friends and loved ones. We have come here today to celebrate the wedding of George and Dahlia. On behalf of the bride and the groom, thank you for participating today. By your presence, you celebrate with them the love they have discovered in each other, and you support their decision to commit themselves to a lifelong relationship. Marriage is a bond to be entered into only after considerable thought and reflection. By making this commitment today, George and Dahlia's relationship will become stronger, better and deeper. Today, George and Dahlia demonstrate their devotion to each other by dedicating themselves to a life together and they show their respect to each other. By setting forth to honour the vows they have created today, their lives, which began on separate paths, will be joined as one."
I looked down at George's hand holding mine, smiling at the way he was still brushing his thumb over my hand, and then I looked up at him again as Shacklebolt continued.
"Today represents not only the joining of George and Dahlia, but also the joining of their families and friends. George and Dahlia would like to recognise their friends on this occasion. They offer their profound gratitude for all the love and care their friends has showed towards them while waiting for today."
George laced his fingers with mine, wiggling his eyebrows at me and I tried my best to not chuckle.
"Deep abiding affection, the magical and compelling shared impulse that makes us seek each other's company, is among the greatest gifts of the human experience. Any of us who has been fortunate enough to find and express the kind of loving devotion that we are celebrating here today knows that it is an awesome and beautiful thing."
George's eyes were still a little red from crying as I walked down the aisle.
"At this time, I would like to share three suggestions with the both of you. My first suggestion is this; be constantly grateful for this precious person who has chosen to make a life with you. My second suggestion is this; be generous with compliments. Be attentive and helpful. The world can be a tough place... and any of us can be subject to rough handling. Each of you can, by your tenderness toward each other, kind words and thoughtful actions, make your marriage and your home an uplifting refuge. Last, but perhaps most importantly; Make truth the unfailing bedrock of your lives together. A happy, loving marriage is built on trust and respect. That trust and respect can only be sustained if you are both deeply committed to always being open and truthful in every exchange no matter how small. My hope for you is this; That you have many long years to delight in each other's company, to feel gratitude for your great fortune in having found each other. To make a home together that is at once sheltering and welcoming, to each to meaningful, productive work at home and in the world and to love and be loved by the friends and family who have come here today to support you."
Shacklebolt took a step back and closed the book he had been reading out of.
"The couple has each taken their time to write their own vows." He announced. "George, if you will..."
George's smile grew a little, as he looked at me, taking a deep breath before I heard his voice.
"I tell you this every day, but what better day to repeat it than today? You are the love of my life, you are my best friend, you're my lover, you're my inspiration. You make every day better and you make me better. I promise to love you unconditionally though thick and thin and sickness and health. I promise to accomplish one of the greatest streaks any human could ever wish to pursue — to tell you I love you every single day for the rest of our lives, which by my calculations should be around thirty-six thousand and five-hundred more consecutive days if we live to be one-hundred and thirty years."
I snickered with laughter, lifting a hand to wipe away the tears.
"I promise that as we adventure through the rest of our lives together, I'll always be by your side loving you, pushing you and celebrating with you. I will always put you first and give you my absolute best for the rest of my days."
Oh shut the fuck up and kill me right now.
He gave my hand a squeeze when he noticed that I couldn't stop crying, even though I kept trying to wipe the tears away.
I didn't want to ruin my makeup.
"My love..." I breathed, grabbing his other hand, giving them both a squeeze. "...as we stand here on our wedding day, my heart is overflowing with love for you. Since the moment you came into my life, you have been a source of love and joy. You are kind, thoughtful and you have the sweetest heart. Your sense of humour and wit continue to make me fall in love with you every day. I love that I am sometimes the only one laughing at your jokes, it shows how connected we are. You are shamelessly handsome however your soul is even more beautiful than your exterior. I am so proud of the man you are and I truly believe you make me a better person. The way you love me is unlike anything I have ever known. With you I feel safe, loved, accepted and appreciated. You truly see me for who I am and you love me at my best and my worst. Being in your arms is my favourite place on earth. Our love has always been so simple, which is what I love most about it. Since the beginning, we have fit together so naturally and deep down I always knew it was you. I told Inez that I was going to marry you after only a month of dating. It was almost like my heart was like; 'oh, there you are. I've been waiting for you"
George laughed and so did someone else but my full focus was on him.
"I've told you this before but I never understood marriage until I met you, even though I'd been married before. However, you have shown me what a true partnership can be. I feel fortunate beyond words that we can get to go through life together as husband and wife. You are the greatest man I have ever known and I could not imagine a better husband out there in the world. You are an excellent father, not only to Freddie and Roxi but the way you also treated Elsie and Leah like they were your own, made me fall in love with you even more. I feel so blessed that we get to experience all that life has to offer us together. With you by my side, nothing seems too difficult. I can't believe I get to spend the rest of my life holding your hand. I get to fall asleep next to you every night and wake up to you every morning. I feel blessed beyond words that we found each other."
He brought a hand up to cup the side of my face, using his thumb to gently wipe a tear away.
"Today, I commit my life to you as your wife. You are the love of my life, George, and I promise to let you know that every day. I promise to take care of you, to love you, and appreciate you every day. Today, I give you my deepest love and devotion. I open my heart to you as a sanctuary of warmth and peace, where you may find love and strength. I will support you in heartache and celebrate with you in joy. Today, I pledge my love to you. I love you, George."
He looked at me for a second, brushing his thumb over my cheek before he leaned down to kiss me, not caring that we were in the middle of the ceremony.
I kissed him back and as we didn't pull back after a couple of seconds, Shacklebolt had to clear his throat.
George stepped back and I let out a heavy breath, looking at him.
He looked so beautiful.
"Rings?" Shacklebolt looked towards Fred to stepped forward with the small pillow that carried the rings. "For thousand of years, men and women have exchanged rings as a token of their vows. Let these rings be a sign that your love has a past, a present, and a future. George, take Dahlia's ring, place it on her finger and repeat after me."
George grabbed the ring and slid it onto the start of my finger, resting it there while he repeated Shacklebolt's words.
"I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you."
"I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you."
"To be my wife, my partner and my best friend to the end of my days."
"To be my wife, my partner and my best friend to the end of my days."
He fully slid on the ring and I smiled at the way it looked on me.
"Now Dahlia, take George's ring."
I did, holding George's hand as I slid it on the first part of his finger.
"I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you."
"I give you this ring as a sign that I choose you."
"To be my husband, my partner and my best friend to the end of my days."
"To be my husband, my partner and my best friend for the end of my days."
I slid the ring on and we looked at Shacklebolt as he declared the marriage.
"George and Dahlia, we have heard your promise to share your lives in marriage. In the honesty and sincerity of what you have said and done here today, and in accordance with the law of the wizarding world, it is my honour and delight to declare your henceforth to be husband and wife."
I felt my heart skip a beat as I looked at George again, our eyes meeting.
"You may seal your vows with a kiss."
George hand slid up to my jaw again, pulling me closer and my arm snuck around his back as he leaned down and pressed his lips to mine in the first official kiss as a married couple.