The trumpet fanfare continued as Maid Marian eased her way out of the carriage with her father at her side. With tears in his eyes, he led her to Rob, whose face lit up with a glow paralleling the lights on the carriage.
Tears sprang to my eyes. I turned to grab D.J.’s hand. “This is how it should be for every girl. Just like a fairy tale!”
As the trumpeters ended their fanfare, the four knights created a sword arch for the bride and groom to walk under. Once they made it through, Rob and Marian led the way around the side of the wedding facility to the castle in the back. With the sun now dipping off in the west, the castle had a magical glow about it. I could never have pictured it looking this perfect, but it did. If I used my imagination, I could almost see Camelot.
We made our way into the castle, where the guests took their seats at appointed tables. Unlike traditional weddings, the bride and groom went about greeting their guests, toasting the occasion and laughing with great cheer. I’d never seen such enthusiasm prior to the ceremony, and I’d been to quite a few weddings over the years. This was truly something to behold. And while the guests and wedding party were playing a game, they were quite serious in their accolades of the bride and groom. Seemed everyone thought this was a match made in heaven.
Funny. I paused to think about that. When you were perfectly matched, others knew it. You didn’t have to convince them, did you? No, they just knew the two of you were meant to be together. And tonight, with so many witnesses in attendance, there was an overwhelming sense of support for Rob and Marian’s decision not just to wed, but to wed in this fashion.
Finally the moment arrived. A string orchestra took the stage, along with Marian’s pastor, a short, balding fellow with a whimsical smile. He wore medieval attire appropriate to a man of the cloth, but I could tell the neck piece was bothering him a little.
As the music shifted gears, Rob and his knights took their places next to the pastor. Then, as the violinist began a lyrical piece that sounded lighter than air itself, the ladies-in-waiting began their walk up the center aisle, followed by the flower girl, who’d now run out of petals.
I watched from the back of the room as the violinist played her introduction to
The Wedding March
, my heart beating so fast I thought I might faint. Sure, I’d been to hundreds of weddings, and the walk up the aisle always got to me. But we’d planned something special for this particular walk up the aisle, and I wanted it to go smoothly for everyone involved.
At that very moment, the bride’s and groom’s family members lifted beautifully decorated archways to cover the aisle. Then the guests rose from their seats as Marian began her walk toward her groom-to-be, crossing under each archway as she went.
I whispered a prayer that the rest of the ceremony would go as planned. Somehow I just knew I didn’t need to fret over this one. Everything would be picture-perfect. And when all was said and done, there really would be a happily ever after.
True to my predictions, the wedding ceremony came off without a hitch. And though I’d never coordinated a royal event such as this, I felt like a pro in no time at all. In fact, I was feeling so confident about it that I almost forgot all of the work involved. Then again, that was always the case. No sooner did one wedding end than I was ready to go again with another. I barely remembered the work. Or the cost. No, all that mattered was the event itself.
And this was quite an event!
When the vows had been taken, D.J. introduced himself to the crowd as the town crier, then kicked into gear, inviting the guests to stay for the king’s feast. Already Jenna, Laz, and Nick were putting appetizers out on the beautifully decorated tables, with D.J.’s parents scurrying along behind them, offering assistance. I knew the hot foods would follow, but not until the photos had been taken.
Scurrying around, I located Joey. Looked like I didn’t need to worry. He had the wedding party organized up front in no time and snapped pictures with joyful abandon. I knew he lived for nights like this. And apparently his fiancée Norah enjoyed it too. She helped him get the people lined up, making the process that much easier. They made a great duo.
While that was taking place, the guests loaded up on appetizers and punch, and the orchestra began to play. I knew it would be only a matter of time before the real party began.
Glancing over at Twila, Jolene, and Bonnie Sue, I gasped. They were making the rounds from table to table, doing some sort of comedy routine. Would Rob and Marian kill me or find this humorous? Hopefully the latter. The guests seemed to be enjoying the ladies’ antics, at any rate.
When the pictures were finished, the wedding party took their seats at their table of honor on the stage. They were served by young women dressed in authentic peasant attire. The guests were served next. I could hear folks oohing and aahing over the quail and the beef kabobs. But ironically, the thing they seemed to enjoy most was the turkey legs. Go figure. Rob had been right about that. I’d have to tell him later.
The party really got going as the bride and groom rose to dance their first dance. D.J. announced them, of course, doing a fabulous job as town crier. The words “Come one! Come all!” had never sounded so good.
The violinist played a lively little jig, and Rob and Marian danced a well-rehearsed number that might very well have come out of Renaissance times. This was followed by the father-daughter dance and then the money dance, which seemed to go over well with the crowd. At D.J.’s bidding, the guests danced with Marian, tucking fifty-dollar and even hundred-dollar bills into the palm of the first knight, Brock Benson. My honey did such a fine job drawing people in that Brock soon had to remove his cap to contain all the money.
A few minutes into the money dance, I noticed something rather unusual. Uncle Laz was walking around with Guido on his shoulder. I’d heard Rob tell him he should but didn’t think he would actually do it. Of course, with Laz dressed in rogue-looking attire, the bird seemed a fitting accompaniment. Guido greeted folks with an “Arrr!” and a “Whatcha lookin’ at, wise guy?” Thankfully, the guests found him delightful entertainment. Occasionally a guest was given the plan of salvation by the somewhat scatterbrained bird, but that was okay too.
I walked into the kitchen to check on Jenna and Nick, who were serving up the quail. Jenna looked pretty snazzy in her peasant frock. For that matter, so did Nick. I’d seen my brother dressed in a suit before, but never medieval attire. He looked over at me with a sigh. “Don’t ever ask me to wear tights again, Bella. They’re all twisted up . . . and let’s just say that’s not exactly making this a stellar evening. I’d like to focus on the food, not untwisting my pantyhose.”
His words got me tickled. I went over to him and planted a kiss on his cheek. “Nick, I wish I could promise you wouldn’t ever have to wear tights again, but I can’t. I can only say how grateful I am that you—all of you—have been so willing to play along to make this evening spectacular. The food is great, your costumes are great . . .” Tears filled my eyes. “I really do have the best family on Planet Earth.”
“Yes, you do,” my mother said, entering the room with a tray in hand. “And don’t ever forget it!”
Like I could do that.
Pop came in, grabbed a turkey leg, and took a bite. I gasped. “Pop!”
“What?” He played innocent.
“That’s for the guests.”
“What do I look like? Chopped liver?” He took a couple of hefty bites, then left the room, turkey leg still in hand.
I glanced at my watch, stunned at the time. “Oh man. I’ve got to find the Splendora sisters. It’s almost time for them to take the stage.”
I found Twila gabbing with one of the guests, showing off her new outfit. Tapping on her shoulder, I whispered, “You’re on, ladies. Dazzle us with your madrigal tunes. Oh, and have fun!”
Maybe I shouldn’t have added that last part. After D.J. introduced them, they made quite a production out of getting to the stage, flirting with several male guests along the way. As the trio moved toward center stage, they fussed with each other’s hair and makeup, making a big scene about that too. The audience found it entertaining, thank goodness.
Then the music began. Their first number was out-of-this-world good. So good, in fact, that a guest asked for their card. I’d never heard such tight harmonies before.
After a few madrigal tunes, things took a bit of a turn in an unexpected direction. Twila had apparently worked on a little jester-like comedy routine for the women to do. I watched it all, laughing so hard tears ran down my face. Still, I wasn’t sure how the bride would respond to this impromptu addition to her wedding. I looked at Marian, and a wave of relief washed over me. She, too, was laughing. In fact, I’d never seen her look happier.
Then again, why wouldn’t she be happy? It was her wedding day, after all. The day she’d waited for . . . for years.
I grew a little sad thinking about that. I hadn’t known D.J. for long. Just over three months. But I was nearing the place where I was ready for a commitment. Did he feel the same, or were we destined to date forever?
The orchestra began a jolly piece of music, and D.J. invited the guests to round dance. Marian had explained this part to me in detail, claiming it was the perfect opportunity for young men to meet ladies. Not to mention check out their dancing skills.
I watched with surprise as Brock went over to Rosa and extended his hand. Would she really dance with him? With flushed cheeks, she accepted his invitation, and within seconds they had joined the others on the floor. Rosa didn’t really look confident with the round dance, but she seemed to be taking it in stride.
I searched through the crowd for a sign of D.J. Oh, if only things would slow down so that we could join the dance. Not that the wedding planner necessarily needed to be dancing. There were other things I should be attending to. Like the wedding cake, for instance. The bride and groom were supposed to cut the cake before the round dancing! How could I have forgotten?
As the dancing ended, I signaled the trumpeters to sound the call for the cutting of the cake. D.J.—now completely in his element as town crier—went to the stage to speak to the people about the tradition, something he and Rob had arranged in advance. The court jester, a lively fellow dressed in typical jester attire, acted out D.J.’s words as he spoke.
“Wedding cakes have an interesting tradition,” D.J. said, using a more dramatic voice than before. His British accent wasn’t very good, but at least he was giving it his best. “Back in Roman times, a small loaf of bread was broken over the bride’s head for fertility.”
That got a chuckle out of the audience. Brock elbowed Rob, who flushed. The jester pretended to break a cake over the head of one of the guests, which caused even more laughter. “In the Middle Ages, guests would bring small cakes to the wedding ceremony and stack them on top of each other.”
I signaled for the ladies-in-waiting to enter the stage, each carrying a white cake. They looked a little nervous, especially the poor bridesmaid who carried the bottom layer. It was quite large. She managed to get it onto the table without dropping it, and I could read the relief in Marian’s eyes.
One by one the cakes were stacked, the largest on bottom and the smaller ones above. The audience took great delight in this process, and I could hear the clicking of cameras around the room.
In the end, the cake stood four layers high. Well, five, if you counted the tiny cake on top, which the flower girl placed with D.J.’s help. I stood back and looked at how changed the table looked. Funny how such a thing of beauty could come from so many people working together. In a sense, that’s what had happened with the wedding facility. I could never have pulled off this wedding if not for my parents and my siblings, not to mention Laz, Rosa, and Jenna. Yes, we’d stacked our cake layers—symbolically speaking—and the outcome looked pretty tasty.
At this point, D.J. grinned. “Would the bride and groom come to the stage, please?” Marian and Rob climbed the steps to the stage, taking their places on either side of the small table. “To symbolize good fortune and prosperity, the bride and groom would kiss each other over the top of the cakes. Without knocking them down, of course.”
This got another laugh from the crowd.
“Rob and Marian, let’s have a little smooching!”
The photographs that followed must’ve been priceless. They made it over the top of the cake—barely—and kissed, but Rob’s doublet laces got hung up in the cake topper. When he stood up, the topper was dangling from his chest with icing all over it. The crowd went nuts, of course.
They also went nuts over the cake, which was the tastiest thing I’d ever eaten. In spite of her busyness, Rosa had still managed to pull off a great wedding cake. Nothing new there, but she’d never made one the same week she debuted on television. The woman was a wonder!
D.J. joined me and we shared a piece of cake. I’d just taken my last bite when Bubba swept through the door. I was pretty sure it was Bubba, anyway. He was still in his Figaro costume— decked out from head to toe.
As Bubba drew near, I looked at D.J., confused. “What in the world?”
“It’s a surprise for Rob and Marian,” D.J. explained. “Brock asked us to do this after hearing Bubba sing at the opera. He asked Bubba to entertain us here tonight.”
“So here I am!” Bubba grinned.
“Oh, that’s wonderful!” I took his hand and gave it a squeeze to show my delight at this news. “Are you singing in Italian?”
Bubba nodded. “Yeah. I’ve got a couple of songs from the show that will do. I have to sing fast, though, because we’re on intermission at the opera house. I need to get back as quick as I can.”
“I don’t believe it! You left the show to come here?”
“Yep.” Bubba took his place before the crowd of wedding guests and began to sing. Everyone—and everything—came to a grinding halt. Marian moved my direction with a stunned look on her face. “Oh, Bella! Why didn’t you tell me? He’s marvelous. Just perfect!”