My Wedding Day by Heather Alexander

The day of my wedding had arrived. I was very nervous my stomach was doing summersaults since last night, I couldn't sleep last night I heard the crowing of the dawn chorus; the sun light breaking over the tops of the houses in the nearby village, as I spent the last hours of freedom before I became Mr. Sarah Louise Hudson.

I filled the claw-foot tub and sank to my chin in lavender-scented bubbles. I was going to enjoy this day to its full. I climbed out of the tub and dried off with fluffy towels warmed on electric rods. Wrapping a towel around, I aimed a blow-drier at my hair.

"No," Paul said (my groomsman). "We've got a hair dresser for that," he added.

"Sure," I said padding out of the bathroom into the bedroom. There was a nock on the door Paul crossed the floor and opened the door.

Standing there was a man, Paul stepped out of the way to let the man enter the room he was carrying a metal case.

"So this is the blushing groom?" he said.

"Yes, I am."

"Lets get started we want to make you the most beautiful groom ever," he said and walked across to where Paul was seated; he put the case down and opened it.

"You have gorgeous hair, let's show off that beautiful neck of yours," he said. Then he started to twist my long hair up in strands and pinned it up causing a layering effect.

"Perfect," he said after he'd finished with my hair then he started with my make-up. Taking great care he outlined my lips then filled it in with pink lipstick, then he did my eyes.

"Well what do you think?" he asked.

"Thank you he looks beautiful," Paul said.

"Well my work here is done I hope you and your wife will be happy," he said.

"We will be," I replied.

Paul saw him out then turned to me. "Time to get dressed," he said.

"Yes it is," I replied smiling the moment of my dreams and fantasies were about to come true.

I stepped into the most delicate of white satin thong pulling it up my long smooth legs.

"Now for the corset."

"Right," Paul replied and picked up the white over bust satin boned corset. He placed it round my chest and fastened it then he started on the back laces.

"Breath in."

I took a deep breath then Paul started to tighten the laces up the back inch after inch the tighter the corset restricted my already small waist till it was a mere twenty inches.

"How does that feel?"

"Good." I turned and looked at my reflection in the mirror my breasts stood out nearly breaking out over the bust of the corset.

"Sit down and I'll put your stockings on," Pau said gently moving me away for the mirror and over to the dressing table.

Paul knelt down in front of me, reaching over to the bed he delicately picked up one of the white stockings which had lace tops and little roses designed on them. He slid the stocking over my foot and up my leg, I felt the soft caress of the silk on my skin he made sure it was perfectly straight and that it hugged every inch of skin, he fastened it to the suspenders hanging for the corset. Then he repeated the whole process for the left leg.

"Don't get up I'll put on your shoes," he said and picked up a white box and opened it, he removed one of the most exquisite shoes either of us had ever seen they were white satin with a thread of gold running around the outside and a small rose on the heel. Each shoe had a 4in heel. Paul took my left foot and slipped on the shoe, which was a tight fit as they were a size smaller than normal I didn't want them coming off during the day, they were painful but this was my wedding day. Paul repeated the process with the right foot.

Standing up I walked across the floor to the mirror as I walked my there was a hissing sound that my stockings made as they rubbed together this sent a shiver through my body.

"Your beautiful. Time for your dress."

The dress was an ultra fitted gown with strapless bodice and princess seams. The skirt flared out to a mermaid style and into a long sweeping train. The bodice was accented with beads and Swarovski crystals. I stepped into it and Paul helped pull it up over my body as each of the buttons was fastened I could feel it restrict my waist even more.

"Perfect, just perfect."

Paul slipped the tiara onto my head then attached the veil to the back on my head.

"Now you're done."

My sister Heather who would be giving me away today came in and she looked at me and said, "wow, you look fantastic Sarah will be dumbfounded when she sees you walking down the aisle today. I'm so proud to be giving you away. I only wish mum could be here to see this day she would have been so proud".

I nearly bust out crying we hugged.

Paul then handed me the bouquet.

"The cars are here," Heather said and we left the house and got into the cars.

We arrived at the church, it was an old country church made of stone I remember it was the church my parents used to drag us to every Sunday the graveyard used to scare me I felt a shiver run down my spin the last time I was here was to bury my parents, that was four years ago, we stopped looking out over all those gravestones I picked out there gravestones.

We stepped through with Paul walking behind us. As we started down the aisle the organist started to play the wedding march.

I could see Sarah standing at the bottom of the aisle beside her stood her sister Megan. We walked slowly down the aisle, I could see everybody in the church looking at me and several of the men had tears rolling down there checks, when we reached the bottom of the aisle Heather let me go and Sarah took my hand and lifted up my veil and smiled at me.

The priestess, look at us and began the service. "Dearly beloved, we are gathered here in the sight of God, and in the presence of this company, to unite Sarah and Andrew in holy matrimony. Marriage was ordained by God in Eden and confirmed in Cana of Galilee by the presence of the Lord, and is declared by the Apostle Paula to be honorable among all women. On this occasion we begin by asking God's blessing on this marriage service."

"Who gives this man away?"

Heather stepped forward.

"His family and friends gathered here today do."

Then the priestess turned to us she smiled and took my hand and placed it in Sarah's hand.

"I now turn to the two of you since marriage is the bedrock of society. The bonds of matrimony are not to be entered into lightly or in hast so I ask you know do you wish to continue on?" she asked, and turned to Sarah.

"I do."

Then she turned to me.

"I do."

"I now call upon the persons here present to say that if anyone knows of any lawful impediment when this marriage cannot be then let them step forward now or forever hold there peace" the priestess said. I waited nervously for the minute to pass hoping that no one stood up.

"Since there are no objections to this marriage we can now proceed. Do you Sarah Louise Hudson take this man Andrew Robert McLean as your lawful wedded husband to keep him and to care for him and to forsake all others from this moment till death do you part."

"I do."

"Do you Andrew Robert McLean take this woman Sarah Louise Hudson to be your lawfully wedded wife to love, honour and obey her and forsaking all others till death do you part," she said.

"I do."

"Now for the ring" the priestess said, Sarah turned to her sister Megan who handed her a simple gold band. Sarah took the ring and placed it on the ring finger of my left hand.

"With this ring I do wed" Sarah said.

"This ring is the symbol of my devotion," I said.

"I now pronounce them wife and husband. You may kiss the groom," she said.

Sarah kissed me. The church erupted in joy.

I took her arm and we walked into the office of the church where we singed the register and I signed the forms that changed my name to hers. The photographer took some pictures and we then left the church to the sounds of church bells we stood in the church yard while the photographer took the pictures that we would look back upon in the future of out greatest day.

Then we got into the cars and went to the reception, which was being held at a country house, next to the river.

As we entered the reception hall the guests stood up and applauded, she slipped her hand round my waist and pulled me closer to her.

We sat down at the table and before the meal was served the best woman and my sister read the speeches. Then it was time for us to lead off on the dance floor.

She took my hand and led me onto the dance floor as the orchestra started to play a slow waltz. She placed her hand in the small of my back and took my hand and I put my hand on her shoulder. She started to move me round the floor in time to the music.

"I am the happiest woman in the world today."

I realised my future was now in the hands of another, someone who I loved and who loved me. As we danced in front of our family and friends that reality made me the happiest I have ever been.