Valentine's Day Eve

With Debbie being a full-time wedding planner, I thought our wedding would be a breeze and all I would have to do is just agree with everything she suggested. I really didn't care that much about the wedding itself, more so my upcoming life with her. After attending a hundred wedding, they'd become old hat. It was just the first day of our life together. It was something I heard years ago and it stuck with me—a beautiful wedding doesn't a marriage make.

A hall, a caterer, a D.J. a church, flowers, invitations, limo service, and a photographer all had to be nailed down among other things. I wanted to go with her to pick out her dress since she had already picked out the guys' tuxes.

"You can see it when I walk down the aisle, not before," I was informed. My Mom told me later it was exquisite, adding that I will love it.

I moved into Debbie's apartment a month before the wedding. I was spending most nights there anyway. Even with everything going on, we both tried to fit in as many weddings for her, and special events for me, as we could because two weeks before and the two weeks after were, as Debbie put it, off limits. For our honeymoon, Debbie booked a cruise.

"Steve, the travel agency gave me a great deal because of all the business I've thrown their way over the years. We've got a stateroom with a balcony, one deck down from the pool deck. I hope you don't get seasick." I had never been on a cruise ship so I didn't have a clue, but I hoped not either. I had big plans for this honeymoon and they didn't include puking off the balcony.

A week before the wedding it was all done. Debbie personally knew everyone she had hired for our wedding, and they were going the extra mile to make sure we'd be satisfied, taking no chances of screwing up future business. Two days before our nuptials, over dinner, she wanted to talk to me about something.

"Steve, I love you and I'm looking forward to being your wife forever, but I want to do something at our wedding you may not be comfortable with." She was starting to fidget. "Two people, and one in particular, got us together. Without her, we might have met but probably not, and I think we owe them something, don't you?"

"Hon, they're dead. Even if we wanted to, there isn't anything more we can do for them."

"Steve, not just for them, for us too."

"Okay, I'm all ears, what do you have in mind?" And she told me.

Our wedding went off without a hitch, it was like everything was scripted—probably was. When the priest asked if anyone objected, I was almost afraid I'd hear Dan yell something from the back of the church, but everyone was quiet.

I told the photographer what we wanted for pictures, and when I started instructing him on his lens selection and the lighting, my new bride told me to back off and let him do his job. I did, but it was hard.

The reception was in the same hotel where we first met. The food was fantastic and the D.J. played whatever anyone wanted.

The best man and our dads had just finished making their customary toasts when Debbie announced that we had one of our own. At the head table there was an empty chair and place setting to her right and one to my left. Everyone thought it was a little strange, but hell, the bride had specifically requested the seating done in that way, and no one was going to argue with the bride on her special day.

We stood up and holding hands, I said that we'd like to propose a toast. Everyone stood up.

Debbie began by saying, "We'd like to thank all of you for joining us on our special day, but there are two people who played a big part in us getting together." Everyone looked at everyone else.

"To Becky and Dan," I continued where she left off. We raised our glasses. She turned to toast the empty place setting next to her while I did the same next to mine. "May you enjoy your just rewards in heaven." We downed our glass of champagne and came together and kissed as everyone yelled, "Here, Here."

Our cruise was something out of a romance novel. We were the typical honeymooning couple. We walked everywhere hand in hand. It seemed to us we were the only ones aboard that entire ship.

We'll be celebrating our first anniversary this Sunday. We never saw Dan or Becky again. I think they are up there somewhere smiling, looking down on us thinking what a great job they did with the two of us. There is only one thing; at every wedding I work I keep one eye on the bride and groom, but every once in a while I scan the crowd hoping to see my little model again. I just want to thank her personally for giving me the best Valentine's present a guy could ever hope to receive—the love of his life.