No one ever tells you the amount of hustle a wedding really brings. Eddie was having a nice easy morning with Chris but August had a different morning.
"What do you mean?" August asked confused.
"You have no shoes!" Susan repeated.
"What do I do?" August asked as she was getting her makeup done.
"Honey don't worry I'll get you some shoes." Karen said. "Do you know what you're looking for?"
"My dress covers everything so I don't think it matters." Karen nodded. "Why don't I just go barefoot?"
"You can't do that." Karen said. August shrugged. "You're getting married in the woods."
"It's not a big deal I have a short walk." August said and Karen sighed.
"It's up to you, I'm just saying I can get you shoes."
"I'll just go barefoot. It saves everyone the trouble." August said. Karen nodded and August got her makeup finished.
The photographer came in and took pictures of the dress and all of them getting ready. August got a hair team for Susan and Karen but she wanted to do her own hair. The wedding was at a Lodge outback and the reception was in their venue space. It was so beautiful and August was so happy. Eddie didn't know what to except but he was really happy as-well.
August braided her front pieces of hair and tied them back and smiled at how she looked.
"You look great." August smiled at Susan before hugging her.
"Me? You should look at you!" Susan said. Karen had went to spend the last hour or so with Eddie as guests began to arrive.
August helped Susan into her dress and she looked gorgeous. She was so happy, they both were. After about 40 minutes a knock came to the door.
It was Chris and Stone.
"I have your gift." Chris said handing it to August.
"Thank you." August smiled. Chris went to talk to Susan while she opened the gift. It was a gold necklace with a charm on it that said 'Forever and Always' Like the inside of her ring. She smiled at it.
"Okay you need to put on the dress." Susan said as Chris left to go back to Eddie. Stone was leaning up against the wall.
They went into the bathroom and Susan got her all zipped up and fixed her hair. Susan came out of the bathroom first and August followed.
"Holy shit." Stone said looking at her.
"I'll wait outside." Susan whispered in her ear. She smiled at Stone who was walking around admiring her.
"August, you're the most beautiful woman ever." Stone looked at her.
"Thank you," She smiled.
"I mean it." He looked at her and shaked his head. "God, Eddie is so lucky." He gave her a sweet smile. "Your dress is beautiful, you're beautiful, and everything out the is beautiful." He pointed.
"Did Eddie like it?" She asked.
"Yes, he loved it." Stone smiled.
"Let me put my jewelry on and then I'll be ready." She said. Stone stood in the bathroom doorway as she put on her necklace from eddie and her earrings.
"Ready?" He asked and she nodded. He kissed her cheek and they walked out of the room. Susan stood outside and they walked out of the lodge. They saw Chris who was waiting for Susan so they could start the wedding.
August began to panic a little bit. Chris and Susan kissed and they walked down the aisle. The wedding planner changed the music to 'I will' by the beatles. Eddie had picked it for them. August linked arms with Stone. He gestured for her to breathe. Then they began walking and turned so they would be walking down the aisle. August tried to control her breathing and kept her eyes down. Stone moved his arm to try and get her to look up.
Eddie had his mouth slightly parted as he looked at his beautiful soon to be wife. He began to tear up and his bottom lip whimpered watching her. Once they reached the end Stone let go of her arm.
"I love you Augustine." He whispered and went to sit down. Eddie reached for her hand and smiled at her.
"I'm not wearing shoes." August whispered to him.
"God, I love you." He said and she smiled at him.
"You may all sit." Jeff said as he was the officiant.
"First, I'd like to begin by welcoming everyone and thanking every one of you for being here on this happiest of days. It's no accident that each of you is here today, and each of you was invited to be here because you represent someone important in the individual and collective lives of Eddie and Augustine." A few claps occurred.
"I truly can't think of a better venue than the great outdoors for an occasion that I know is not only monumental for the wedded couple to be but for all of us who are lucky to know and love them as individuals; but even more so as a perfect pairing." Jeff cleared their throat.
"The most remarkable moment in life is when you meet the person who makes you feel complete. The person who makes the world a beautiful and magical place. The person with whom you share a bond so special that it transcends normal relationships and becomes something so pure and so wonderful, that you can't imagine spending another day of your life without them. For Eddie that happened the first night he met Me." August and the audience laughed and Jeff winked towards them.
"But, on that same night he met August who is pretty cool too." August shook her head and smiled at Eddie. "I know how deeply these two care for and love one another, and I feel privileged to be here today among all of you as a witness of their commitment to a lifetime of love for one another.
I think I've had the good fortune to meet most of you here today at some point or another, but for those of you whom I haven't met, my name is Jeff and I have been a friend of August's for 7 years and Eddie's for 2 years."
"Now, August and Eddie have asked that I keep this speech short, classy, and family-friendly, and politely asked me to leave out stories that are unflattering to either of them. So I've had to redline stories about previous flings...drugs or alcohol...encounters with the police...but I do feel comfortable saying, "I told you so." This is exactly what I said when I learned that August and Eddie's relationship was becoming truly serious." Eddie wondered what he had prepared.
"As a third-party spectator to their developing love, it was extremely clear that the two of them represent a perfect pairing because each of them complements the other so well. They balance one another, and while each of them is a tremendous individual on their own, together they are even better. And being better together, as a team, a unit, and partners in crime, is what has been many years in the making and ultimately leads us to be here today, witnessing their commitment to one another in front of those they love most.
I wish I could tell you a single story about Eddie and August that summarizes their relationship and how they enrich each other's lives, and the lives of each of us, but the truth is there isn't one single event that is a good encapsulation of what they mean to me, to each other and all of us. But what I do know is that both of them care deeply and passionately for each other; they protect each other; they make each other laugh and think outside themselves; that time magically seems to both fly and slow down when they're together. They help each other in ways that are obvious and unnoticed but always appreciated.
I also know that it's not just anyone with whom you can have communication with simply a look, or remember the weirdest names of each other's lift drivers, or surprise each other with reservations at a restaurant you've been eyeing for years, or say "I'm sorry" every time it's warranted. They do that for and with each other." August began to tear up.
"But it's also my personal experiences with Eddie and August that highlight the quality of their love. It doesn't matter if I'm with them in person, or simply in a bizarre phone call wear I can hear Eddie go into his what I call 'August voice' where he lowers his voice and talks quieter. And what I wish for them on their wedding day is that their life together as a team is one of complete contentment; full of those moments that they wish would never end, and that they continue to make one another smile and laugh as they make each of us do." Eddie squeezed her hand tighter and smiled.
"Dearly beloved and honored guests: We are gathered together here to join Eddie and August in the union of marriage. This contract is not to be entered into lightly, but thoughtfully and seriously, and with a deep realization of its obligations and responsibilities. The bride and groom have each prepared vows they will now read." Jeff took a step back while Eddie cleared his throat.
"My Augustine, I have loved you for 740 days. That may not seem like a lot but that is 17,760 hours or 1,065,600 minutes or 63,936,000 seconds. All of those time intervals are examples of how long you have been on my mind. The thought of you hasn't left my head for that long. I will admit I don't think about much but when it comes to you I could think forever about you. I vow to love you for however many more hours, minutes, or seconds we have left on earth together. I vow to love you even harder on the days 'your curls aren't curling' as you say. I vow to love you even harder when I do something dumb and you're upset me. I vow to never give up on you." His voice began to crack. " I vow to never let you. I even vow to argue to put oceans on the set list." August smiled at him with tears her eyes now. "I love you so much." He said and smiled at her.
"Oh Eddie." She smiled already letting a few tears fall and he wiped them. "The first time I noticed I you were going to impact my life so much was the first time we went hiking together. We went up the beautiful hill together to watch the sunrise after we ate breakfast. As we get to the lookout Eddie decides to begin taking his clothes off and striping down to his boxers and jumping off the cliff. I think my heart leapt out of my chest when you did this. I peered over the railing to see your head pop out of the water and a huge smile on your face. And yes, that was what semi prepared me for the stage diving yet it scares me every time. With that being said I will promise to always be concerned for everything thing you do which I know you love so much." He rolled his eyes and the audience laughed. " I chose to tell that story because that sort of explains our relationship, we didn't know we had those feelings for each other just like I didn't know you would plunge into the cold october waters. You jumping was us taking a chance at our relationship. Me looking over the railing signifies us not really knowing what was happening. You in the water smiling is us finding out there was no one else we would want to spend our lives with. Us on the beach after you jumped is us today. I love you so much and am so grateful we jumped to be here." She smiled.
"And now, Eddie do you take Augustine to be your wife? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect her forsaking all others, and holding only unto her forever more?" Jeff looked at him.
"I do." Eddie said very confidently.
"And Augustine, do you take Eddie to be your husband? Do you promise to love, honor, cherish, and protect him forsaking all others, and holding only unto him forevermore?"
"I do." Jeff grabbed the rings.
" Eddie and August will now exchange rings as a symbol of love and commitment to each other. Rings are a precious metal; they are also made precious by you wearing them. Your wedding rings are special; they enhance who you are. They mark the beginning of your long journey together. Your wedding ring is a circle—a symbol of love never-ending. It is the seal of the vows you have just taken to love each other without end." He handed August ring to Eddie. "Eddie please place the ring on August's left hand and repeat after me: As a sign of my love That I have chosen you Above all else With this ring, I thee wed."
"As a sign of my love That I have chosen you Above all else With this ring, I thee wed." He slid the ring onto her finger.
"Now August, please place the ring on Eddie's left hand and repeat." Jeff said.
"As a sign of my love That I have chosen you Above all else With this ring, I thee wed." She said now sliding the ring onto his finger.
"And now by the power vested in me by the great state of Washington, it is my honor and delight to declare you married. Go forth and live each day to the fullest. You may seal this declaration with a kiss. I am so pleased to present the newlyweds, The Vedders." Eddie grabbed August's face kissing her passionately. They smiled at each other and walked back down the aisle.
"We just got fucking married!" August said.
"I love you baby." Eddie said.
"I love you too." She kissed him.