Our Love Story: Part 2

Preface: If you missed Part 1 of our love story, go back & get caught up here before continuing below!

It was the day before the big day.

I was with the bride, following her around like a puppy dog version of a personal assistant. Dedicated, loyal, and working off a mental to-do list. Today was the day it all needed to come together. Decorations needed organized, several car-loads of stuff needed to make it’s way over to the church, family & friends of the bride & groom were arriving from out of state (and out of the country), and there was a countdown flying by of hours until the rehearsal. If I was going to be a good Maid of Honor, today was the day I needed to step up my game.

Today was also the day I knew I would meet the Best Man. I was a good personal assistant/Maid of Honor, so his arrival time was noted on my mental checklist. But I truly didn’t have the time or headspace to dwell on it that day. During one of our trips back & forth to the church, I had overheard that he had gotten lost and would be arriving later than expected. It didn’t matter, as long as he was there for the rehearsal.

Time buzzed on. Lunch time came & went, and oops, I had forgotten to stop & feed my bride! Subway was quickly grabbed & back to the newlywed’s apartment we went to take a 7 ½ minute break.

We were standing in the kitchen – Naomi (the bride), Colleen (a bridesmaid), and myself. We were giggling & scarfing down our subs, discussing what needed to happen next. As much stuff that still needed to get done, we weren’t overly stressed out or panicking, we were truly having fun! Naomi’s soon-to-be In-Laws were also bustling around the apartment, tying up loose ends.

Cue the magic – that’s when Derrick walked in. Except, instead of pixie dust and angels singing, you have to imagine the squealing of a record being stopped, because there was no magic.

Unknown to the 3 of us in the kitchen, the Best Man had arrived. He had picked up his tux on the way in, and was in the bedroom trying it on. With our mouths full of lettuce, ham, and Italian bread, he walked into the kitchen to show his Mom his tux for the wedding.

Introductions were made. We all said hello. And that was it.

Flustered from his extended drive in, Derrick truly didn’t pay that much attention to who any of us were (except Naomi, he knew her already). His best friend from growing up, Jake, was also due to arrive at any moment, and he just wanted to be out of his tux by then. In retrospect, he remembers Colleen more than anything, simply because she was tall. And being a tall guy, he took note of things like that. But, if you had quizzed him on our names just 5 minutes after our introductions, he would have gotten a big, red F. Jake was walking in the door with a PS3 for Derrick, and that was all he had attention for.

Our 7 ½ minute break finished, we gathered up the next load of stuff and headed back to the church. Honestly, I was so preoccupied with the never-ending list of things to do, that I hardly even thought about Derrick. Sure, he was super tall, just as Naomi had promised, and he was handsome, but we had a wedding to pull off.

The rehearsal arrived quicker than we’d planned. Suddenly our stress-free, easy-going day was broken as Naomi hurried to change into a dress & curl her hair. We were rushing around in the bathroom of the church & in the room where we’d all get ready the following morning, when suddenly a voice came over the loudspeaker. It literally stopped me in my tracks.

“What is that?” I asked Naomi. I could only assume they were cuing up the tracks for the processional, but I hadn’t remembered a song with words being on that list.

She had stopped mid-curl too. A big smile came over her face and she said, “That’s Derrick singing.”

Woah – no way.

I made up an excuse to sneak out of the getting-ready room to take something (probably a tissue or something completely useless) to the sanctuary. I just had to see this.

Sure enough, there was that tall, handsome Best Man, up on stage, microphone in hand, belting out the words to “When You Say You Love Me.” Wow, when they promised me that he could sing, they weren’t kidding. He was amazing. Not wanting to be caught awkwardly staring; I rushed back into hiding, completely star-struck.

The rehearsal started late, but we flew through the practice. The rehearsal dinner came & went, Paul & Naomi gave out gifts to their bridal party, and we were instantly back to work. Everything needed cleaned up & set up for the wedding the following morning. Everyone (guys & girls) was getting ready at the church, so the bathrooms had to be cleaned up of rehearsal-prep-stuff and flipped to wedding-prep-stuff. Shoes, jewelry, dresses, tuxes – everything was lined up for an easy early morning.

The Best Man & I never came into contact with each other again that night. He left shortly after dinner was over to head back to the newlywed’s apartment to hang out with Jake & Paul.

The last thing on our to-do list for the evening was to steam & iron everything. Our numbers quickly dwindled as the hours of the night got later & later. Naomi’s sisters were the first to leave – they had the longest drive of all of us. Other family members left as their “assignments” were completed. Soon, it was just Naomi, Colleen, and I.

The steaming & ironing took way longer than we’d ever imagined. Midnight came & went. And with a morning wedding looming, Colleen & I sent Naomi home to at least get a few hours of rest. As the two of us finished up in the wee-hours of the morning, you could say we got a little silly. Sleep-deprived, nervous for the wedding, and giggly, we finally got around to iron the Best Man’s tux. We pulled his pants off of the hanger and couldn’t help joking about how long they were.

“Omigoodnesss, look at this!” I commanded, laughing. I set the hem of his pants on the floor, and held the pants up against my body. “They come all the way up to my chin!”

We laughed. “I know I’m short, but he must be way taller up close than he actually looks! The Best Man is a giant!”

Drunk on silliness, Colleen snapped my picture. Little did I know, what would transpire in just a few hours.

..Part 3 coming soon!