December 17th, 1996
After giving a concert and catching a flight back to the US, Michael was exhausted to say the least. He had slept on the plane, and he was still dozing off in the car, though Marlon would tap him every now and then to keep him awake.
They were having a family dinner that night and the wedding would be tomorrow afternoon. Then he'd have to fly back to Japan and sleep for the day until his show that night. However, he'd then have Mariah with him and they could begin working on starting their family.
Michael found himself being shaken so he pushed Marlon's hand away. He tried to shake him again, but Michael wouldn't budge.
A few minutes later, he felt lips against his ear. "Baby? You're home."
He cracked open his eyes to Mariah leaning over him. "Welcome back."
He sat up and threw his arms around her, giving her kiss. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you more. I can't wait until all of this is over so we can just be together." She said, resting her chin on his shoulder.
"Tomorrow." He said. "Tomorrow is the beginning of the rest of our lives."
She sat up and looked him in the eyes. "I know, and I can't wait to be your wife."
Michael stretched. "Guess we should be heading inside. This is our last night of us not being married."
December 18th, 1996
Latoya, Stacee, Rebbie, Alejandra, Carol, Shawntae, and Rachel were all getting ready, putting on their bridesmaids dresses. Stevanna, Randy's daughter with his wife Eliza, was Mariah's flower girl and she was sitting with Rebbie as she was explaining to her for the last time what she was supposed to do. Alejandra seemed to have a bit of an attitude when Mariah had picked Stevanna over her daughter with Randy, Genevieve, but Mariah didn't care. She had never particularly liked Alejandra.
Mariah was shuffling around in the bedroom, getting prepared to get married and commit herself to Michael. She was finding it hard to focus on one thing and her mind was all over the place. Her nerves were terrible and now she had a problem.
"Toya where are my earrings?" She asked, looking through her jewelry box.
Latoya, helping Stacee into her bridesmaids dress, shook her head. "I have no clue."
Mariah sighed. "Janet!"
She waited a few seconds and Janet hurried into the room, still not dressed. "What's up?"
"I can't find my earrings, have you seen them?" Mariah asked, growing agitated.
Janet started laughing and Mariah was put off. "Not funny Janet. I'm serious."
"Mariah, what's in your ear?" Janet asked.
Mariah's hand slowly traveled up and sure enough, the earrings were in her ear. Feeling embarrassed, she sat down in the chair near the mirror and huffed.
"Calm down Mimi. In less than an hour, none of this will even matter okay?" Janet said.
Mariah nodded. "I'm just feeling all these different emotions and... are we ready for this?"
"A little late for that, don't ya think?" Latoya inquired.
Janet rolled her eyes. "Shut up, Toya. Anyway, Mariah's that just your nerves getting to you. Everything is going to be fine."
Mariah glanced into the mirror, admiring the work of the makeup artist she had hired. This moment felt different than the moments before her wedding to Tommy. Though she was nervous, it wasn't the same sense of foreboding that she had felt when she was getting ready for that wedding.
"Janet, get dressed before Mariah has a conniption." Rebbie said.
Mariah turned around in the chair. "I'm not having a conniption. I'm just...nervous."
"You and Michael both." Janet shook her head. "Marlon and Randy were about to tie his ass to a chair he's so nervous."
Latoya giggled. "I'm gonna go check on him."
Mariah watched her leave and Janet went towards the back of the room to get her dress out of the closet.
"Janet did you see my mom?" Mariah asked.
She hadn't invited her mom to the family dinner and she hadn't really spoken to her since their confrontation. She wasn't sure why, but she wanted her to be there.
Janet nodded, pulling up her dress. "She's downstairs with Mother and Joseph. Your dad, I think he's talking to Mike still. He might've gone back downstairs by now though."
"My dad was talking to Michael?"
Janet nodded. "Oh yeah, he was having that man-to-man, 'if you hurt my daughter I might have to go to prison' conversation. Even though we can all pretty much tell he likes Mike."
There was a knock on the door and Elizabeth stuck her head in. "Alright ladies, it's time."
December 18th, 1996
Janet was so glad that the wedding had finally arrived. After six long years of trying to help Michael and Mariah stay together, she felt like the fruits of her and Marlon's labor was finally paying off.
She was waiting in line for the bridesmaids to walk. As the maid of honor, she was supposed to go last. It started with Shawntae and she linked up with Dominic Cascio, then Rachel and Janet's husband Rene, Stacee and Nate, Rebbie's husband, Alejandra and Jermaine, Rebbie and Jackie, Latoya and Tito, Carol and Randy, and then finally Janet linked her arm with Marlon's as he was the best man. They walked down to Whitney Houston's You Give Good Love and took their places on the opposite sides of the minister.
Janet could tell Michael was nervous. His eyes kept darting down the aisle as he anticipated seeing Mariah come down with her father. Janet noticed Marlon tap him and he started looking down, tapping his foot along to the music.
As the first song faded, Aretha Franklin's You Make Me Feel Like A Natural Woman song began playing and Janet knew Mariah was on her way. Stevanna came first, sprinkling the flower petals on the runner to signal Mariah's arrival.
The guests all stood as Mariah and her father began to pass them. Mariah looked stunning in her dress, it was simple, but classic which highlighted Mariah's own beauty. Janet cast a glance to the left at Michael, whose jaw had dropped. He quickly recovered, but he seemed completely in awe of her.
The minister stepped forward, clearing his throat. "Dearly beloved, we have come together in the presence of God to witness and bless the joining together of this man and this woman in Holy Matrimony. The bond and covenant of marriage was established by God in creation, and our Lord Jesus Christ adorned this manner of life by His presence and first miracle at the wedding in Cana of Galilee. It signifies to us the mystery of the union between Christ and His Church, and Holy Scripture commends it to be honored among all people.
The union of husband and wife is intended by God for their mutual joy; for the help and comfort given each other in prosperity and adversity; and, when it is God's will, for the procreation of children and their nurture in the knowledge and love of the Lord. Therefore marriage is not to be entered into unadvisedly or lightly, but reverently, deliberately, and in accordance with the purposes for which it was instituted by God."
We're gonna be standing here all day. I told Mariah to let me wear some flats, she's gonna be paying my podiatrist.
The minster continued. "Into this union Mariah Carey and Michael Joseph Jackson now come to be joined. If any of you can show just cause why they may not be lawfully wed, speak now, or else forever hold your peace."
Janet glanced into the crowd of spectators, daring anyone to say anything against it. She was particularly looking at Mariah's mother, but no one opened their mouth.
Thank God I won't be going to jail today.
"I charge you both, here in the presence of God and the witness of this company, that if either of you know any reason why you may not be married lawfully and in accordance with God's Word, do now confess it."
Mariah and Michael both remained silent, and Janet felt herself getting that much closer to being able to breath a sigh of relief.
"Mariah, will you have this man to be your husband; to live together with him in the covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto him as long as you both shall live?"
Mariah grinned. "I do."
Damn you right you do.
"Michael, will you have this woman to be your wife; to live together with her in the covenant of marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, honor and keep her, in sickness and in health; and, forsaking all others, be faithful unto her as long as you both shall live?"
Michael nodded. "I do."
"Who gives this woman to be married to this man?"
Mariah's father, who had been standing beside her until this point, answered. "He can borrow her."
Janet chuckled at his answer as he gave Michael a knowing look.
"Time for the vows."
Mariah and Michael took each other's hands and she could hear Carol and Latoya sniffling behind her.
God, can they say their vows first?
Mariah took a deep breath. "Michael, you surpass all my fantasies and I keep thanking the Lord above for blessing me with so much. Because I know how it feels to be part of me but you make every day in my life so abundant with joy. And I honestly never thought love could be real until the angels guided you to me. . Now, it finally feels like my life has begun now that I can share it with someone I truly love. Our love will always persevere, anything you ever need you know I'll be right here. If you lost everything I'd keep on standing by your side and it seems like every day I fall deeper in love because I can't get enough of you. Everything that you do is so amazing to me and you just brighten up the moon and stars at night, you keep me seeing rainbows in the sky you bring new meaning to my life, now I believe in miracles, Michael, I'm forever yours."
How corny? Cute, but corny.
Michael seemed like he couldn't contain his grin. "Mariah, once I was lost all alone in a world of strangers. I had no one to trust, I was on my own, and I was lonely. You suddenly appeared in my life when it was cloudy before but now it's clear. You took away my fear and you brought me back to the light. You gave me strength, when I wasn't strong. You gave me hope when all hope is lost, you opened my eyes when I couldn't see that your love was always here waiting for me. Now I wake up every day with this smile upon my face. No more tears, no more pain all because you love me. You help me understand that love is the answer to all that I am and I'm a better man since you taught me by sharing your life. You are the sun or more like the stars that twinkle at night. You are the moon that glows in my heart. You're my daytime, my nighttime, my world. You're my life."
At this point Carol, Latoya and from what Janet could hear, Rebbie were all sobbing behind her at their heartfelt vows. Janet carefully wiped a tear from her eyes as she noticed Dontae, Jermaine's son, coming down the aisle with the rings.
"Bless, O Lord, these rings as a symbol of the vows by which this man and this woman have bound themselves to each other; through Jesus Christ our Lord."
Michael took the ring from Dontae and slipped over Mariah's finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
Mariah grinned before turning to Dontae and slipped on to Michael's finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my love, and with all that I am, and all that I have, I honor you, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit."
The minster nodded. "Now that Mariah and Michael have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, with the joining of hands and the giving and receiving of rings, I pronounce that they are husband and wife, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Those whom God has joined together, let no one put asunder."
Oh thank God, it's almost over. Now I can take these shoes off.
"Mariah Carey and Michael Joseph Jackson, having witnessed your vows of love to one another, it is my joy to present you to all gathered here as husband and wife." He then turned to Michael. "You may kiss the bride."
Michael bit hip lip as he lifted Mariah's veil and pulled her into a passionate, albeit restrained kiss. They then walked down the aisle and the bridal party followed them.
Cocktail hour was just getting started, though not too far off Mariah and Michael were talking pictures with each other, though from where Janet was sitting, it looked like they were just talking and laughing with each other.
Marlon joined her. "We did good, Dunk."
Janet gave him a fist bump. "We did damn good."