It’s from my heart, and that’s what matters most, she reminded herself.
Sierra stood to the side and watched all the people enter the church’s narthex. Bob was talking to Todd, and Sierra smiled when she saw Todd, the beach bum, dressed in a black tux. All the ushers were guys Sierra had met, and all of them were surfers, transformed in their formal wear—especially Larry, who was the largest guy Sierra had ever known. She wondered if it had been hard to find a tux big enough to fit him. He certainly looked good in it.
Tawni and Jeremy stood together at the guest book, and Marti gave Tawni a kiss that touched the air beside Tawni’s cheek. Sierra walked over to join them.
“Hi,” Tawni said, looking Sierra over with an expression of pleasant surprise. “You look nice. Is that a new dress?”
Sierra swallowed a scream. “Not exactly.” Wearing something that her sister approved of was not something Sierra normally did. Actually, it was a dreaded thought. Tawni’s approval meant that Sierra had sold out her unique style and become like everyone else. She couldn’t do that. She had to remain unique and be noticed for it.
When Sierra didn’t offer any more explanation about the dress, Jeremy asked, “Should we sit on the bride’s side or the groom’s side?”
“I don’t think it matters when you’re friends with both of them,” Tawni said.
“Maybe not,” Jeremy said, “but let’s ask one of these guys in the monkey suits.”
He led Tawni by the hand over to Todd and said to him, “What are you doing out here? Isn’t the best man supposed to be back there making sure the groom doesn’t pass out or something?”
Todd laughed. “They didn’t need me, that’s for sure. Doug had enough photographers and fathers and grandfathers and uncles with him to keep him busy until the organ cranks up.” He smiled at Tawni and Sierra, giving them both a chin-up nod.
“That’s a nice dress,” he said to Sierra.
She clenched her teeth and forced herself to smile. “It’s vaguely familiar, don’t you think?”
Todd didn’t catch her comment because a tall, good-looking guy with dark, wavy hair and chocolate-brown eyes strode up to their little group and gave Todd a punch in the arm.
“Hey, Moon Doggie,” he said sarcastically. “What’s up, dude?”
Todd gave him a punch back and said, “Hey, dude! How you been? I heard you were getting married.”
“No, not me,” the guy said, turning to check out Sierra and Tawni. It felt like a visual X ray.
“You know Jeremy,” Todd said. “This is Sierra and Tawni Jensen.”
The guy gave Sierra a polite nod. Then he offered his hand to Tawni and held it just a little too long, Sierra thought.
“This is Rick Doyle,” Todd said. “We go way back.”
“Christy’s here, isn’t she?” Rick asked.
Todd nodded. “She’s the maid of honor. You won’t be able to miss her.”
“And you two are still…?” Rick tilted his head and looked at Todd.
Todd didn’t reply. He stood his ground with his arms folded across his chest, waiting for Rick to complete his question. Sierra thought she saw a hint of laughter in Todd’s silver-blue eyes.
“Never mind,” Rick said, throwing up his hands. “Why do I bother to ask?”
“Beats me,” Todd said.
“Beats you,” Rick repeated under his breath, letting out a huff. “Like I ever could.”
“I think we should probably go inside,” Tawni suggested.
“Good idea,” Rick said. He held out his arm to Tawni, inviting her to take it and let him usher her down the aisle.
Tawni refused his offer by turning from him and taking Jeremy’s arm. Rick recovered flawlessly from Tawni’s snub, and for a moment, Sierra thought he was about to make the same offer to her.
Before Rick had a chance, though, Todd stepped in, and in a calm, steady voice, he said, “May I escort you to your seat, Sierra?”
She slipped her hand into the crook of his tuxedoed arm and let Todd usher her down the aisle on the bride’s side. He stopped about six rows back, and Sierra took little steps in until she was next to Jeremy. Tawni was on the aisle.
A thick white satin ribbon roped off the end of the pew from the center aisle. Bright nosegays of summer flowers were gathered in the middle of white bows on the end of each pew. A long white runner went down the middle of the church and came to an abrupt halt at the altar.
As tender piano music filled the air, Sierra could feel her heart beating a little faster in this beautiful, holy place. She drew in the heady fragrance of the flowers. Two tall wicker baskets at the front of the church spilled over with a colorful assortment of roses, carnations, statice, and ivy. A brass archway laced with ivy and roses stood between the two flower arrangements. Sprinkles of baby’s breath dotted the ivy and flowers, giving it a touch-of-heaven look. In front of the archway stood a kneeling bench covered in white satin.
“Have you seen the dresses yet?” Tawni asked, leaning over Jeremy and whispering to Sierra.
She shook her head.
“Me neither. I wonder what they’ll look like, because I know she wanted a garden theme. It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” Tawni asked.
Sierra nodded.
More guests entered in a steady stream. All the aisle seats and the first five rows were packed. Now the ushers were filling in the row where Sierra sat. She turned to see that the guest who lowered himself into the place next to her was Rick. Giving him only the slightest nod and smile, Sierra looked back toward the front of the sanctuary. She shifted in her seat and found she had involuntarily moved a pinch closer to Jeremy and farther away from Rick. Sierra didn’t know why, but he gave her a creepy feeling. She usually was a good judge of character, and this was one guy she didn’t like.
The church continued to fill with guests.
Rick leaned over, his musk-scented aftershave coming too close to Sierra’s nose for her liking. “Looks like this is the event of the century,” he murmured.
Sierra didn’t feel compelled to respond.
“You would think they were the only two people who ever decided to get married,” Rick mumbled in Sierra’s ear. “There must be 300 people here. And there’s more coming. What a mob! You think they’re all here to see Doug’s lips finally lose their virginity?”
Without turning her head, Sierra stated flatly, “Well, it must be a sight worth seeing. You’re here, aren’t you?”
She heard no sound from Rick in response. About a minute later, he stood and, excusing himself, stepped over people all the way to the side aisle. Then he disappeared into the narthex.
“What did you say to him?” Jeremy whispered.
Sierra shrugged and used her eyes to convey her innocence to Jeremy.
He smiled at her and said, “Don’t give me that.” He tilted his head and looked at Sierra with the same kind of tender big-brother look Wesley gave her. “I probably shouldn’t tell you this…”
He paused and glanced at Tawni. She was watching the people being seated across the aisle. Sierra noticed that Rick was one of them. He had found some other, more attentive young woman to sit beside.
Jeremy looked at Sierra again and said, “Tawni told me I should tell you, but I wasn’t sure.”
“What?” Sierra said. Her curiosity was stirred by the look on Jeremy’s face. He seemed tender and concerned. She couldn’t imagine what it was he wanted to tell her.
Just then the piano music stopped. All eyes went to the front as the minister stepped out from a side door. Facing the wedding guests, he positioned himself between the altar and the kneeling bench under the garden arch. Sierra knew Jeremy couldn’t finish his sentence now, but it didn’t matter. Right behind the pastor, in a straight line, came Doug followed by Todd and two other groomsmen. They all wore black tuxes. Doug had a single white rose adorning his lapel. He stood to the right of the garden arch and turned to face the guests with his hands folded in front of him.
Sierra
had never seen a face brimming with so much dignity and honor. Clearly, Doug took this ceremony seriously. She knew no goofy smiles or gestures would be exchanged with the groomsmen as she had seen in other weddings. Doug’s expression made it clear this was a holy moment between himself, his bride, and the Lord.
A reverent hush fell over the sanctuary.
SUDDENLY, THE SILENCE was broken as the pianist began to play a lilting classical piece that Sierra vaguely recognized. As the song filled the air, Doug’s parents were ushered in, with Tracy’s mom and grandparents following.
An angelic little girl wearing a wreath of flowers in her blond hair started down the center aisle, one foot placed carefully in front of the other. She held a tiny garden basket in her hand. Halfway down the aisle, she remembered to take out some of the pink rose petals and sprinkle them on the white runner. Her task seemed to become more difficult as she dropped the flowers. Step, stop, take out one petal, drop it. Step, stop, repeat the one-petal drop.
People were smiling, whispering, and craning their necks to see the flower girl dutifully complete her journey to the front of the church. She received a subtle wink from Doug when she reached her goal. Then, with continued careful little steps, she made her way to her post.
The first bridesmaid, a relative of Tracy’s, began her slow walk down the aisle with the music lifting into the air. She wore a long, flowing gossamer dress in pale lavender and a wreath of flowers and ivy around her head. Instead of a bouquet of flowers, she held what Granna Mae called a gathering basket. It had a long, flat bottom made for collecting cut flowers from the garden. From this bridesmaid’s gathering basket tumbled a cascade of summer garden flowers. Sierra thought it was clever and exactly like Tracy to think of something so creative.
The second bridesmaid made her way down the aisle in the same outfit, only her dress was a pale pink. Then came Christy in pale blue. Her long hair hung over her shoulders, curled perfectly at the ends. The wreath of flowers about her head was thicker than the other girls’. Her gathering basket bubbled over with flowers so that it looked as if she had just stepped out of a garden in full bloom.
Christy’s round cheeks glowed. Her clear eyes danced, taking in the rose petals on the runner, the guests smiling along the aisles, and the bows and flowers strung along the way. Sierra watched as Christy looked up to the front of the church. Her eyes stopped their merry waltz when she saw the best man. Her gaze fixed on Todd, and she didn’t seem to blink the rest of the way down the aisle.
Sierra smiled when she saw the expression on Todd’s face. He seemed mesmerized by Christy’s appearance. His mouth hung open slightly, and his eyes had grown wide and stayed fixed like that as he, too, didn’t seem to blink.
In the pew two rows in front of Sierra sat Christy’s parents and her younger brother. Bob sat next to him, and Marti was on the other side of Bob. She noticed both Christy’s mom and dad dabbing at the corners of their eyes after their daughter floated past them.
Out of curiosity, Sierra glanced across the aisle at Rick. He sat a head taller than the young women who were perched on either side of him. His back was straight, his chin stuck out, and his lips were pursed together. One eyebrow was raised slightly. He wasn’t taking his eyes off Christy either. Sierra decided she would have to ask Katie about this guy. If anyone could fill Sierra in, it would be Katie.
The piano music came to a sweeping finish as Christy took her place at the front. The organist picked up right where the piano ended. Grand and glorious, the music of the traditional wedding march boldly flew from the shiny organ pipes and filled the church. Tracy’s mom stood and turned toward the entrance. The rest of the guests took her cue and stood as well. Sierra peeked at Doug. He straightened his shoulders and seemed to draw in a deep breath. Then his face lit up. Sierra knew Tracy had appeared in the doorway and had started down the aisle. Not because she saw Tracy, but because it was written all over Doug’s face.
Now, that is the look of a man in love! Sierra thought, sighing. He’s about to burst I think I even see tears in his eyes.
Without warning, a fresh batch of tears sprang to Sierra’s eyes, blurring her vision. How could anyone keep from crying after seeing the expression on Doug’s face? Sierra quickly wiped away her tears and turned to look at the bride.
Petite Tracy securely held her father’s arm. Her dainty steps barely ruffled the rose petals strewn along her path She was clothed in white from head to toe. Her dress had a delicate lace inset on the bodice, and the long sleeves were made of the same sheer lace. The full skirt was sprinkled with pearls and behind her flowed a long satin train.
As magnificent as the dress was, it wasn’t the gown that was most noticeable. What stood out more than anything was the radiance of Tracy’s heart-shaped face beneath the thin veil of lace. The veil hung around her like a wisp of a cloud and seemed to tumble like a waterfall from the crownlike wreath of all-white flowers that she wore so elegantly on the top of her head. In her hand she held one long-stemmed white rose. Tracy was the picture of virtue and purity. To Sierra, she seemed to be a walking work of art. And the sight of her seemed to make everyone want to cry.
A rustling filled the church as the guests sat down.
The pastor spoke up. “Who gives this woman to be wedded to this man in holy matrimony?”
“Her mother and I,” said Tracy’s dad with a tremble in his voice.
He squeezed Tracy’s hand. Doug stepped forward. Tracy’s dad symbolically took Tracy’s hand out of his and placed it into Doug’s. Then he let go of her and went to the empty seat next to his wife.
Doug not only grasped Tracy’s hand when it was given to him, but he also tucked her arm through his and pulled her close. Together they climbed the three small steps that led to the kneeling bench under the archway. The scene created a beautiful picture, the two of them standing there before God and the many witnesses. Sierra hoped with all her heart that one day her wedding would be this sacred and beautiful.
The pastor began by stating in a rich, rolling voice that marriage was a holy institution and not to be entered into lightly. He read Scripture and talked about the mystery of God’s design in directing two people to be knit together in love.
“God’s Word makes it clear that a man is to leave his mother and father and cleave to his wife. The two are to become one flesh. These are your instructions then,” the pastor said. “You are to leave your parents, cleave to one another, and allow God to weave your lives together.” He solemnly told Doug and Tracy that it would take everything in them and a strong relationship with Christ to make their marriage a lasting one.
“I now have instructions for you, the guests,” the pastor said, looking beyond Doug and Tracy to their family and friends. “You are to pray for this young couple. Encourage them. Love them. Always expect the best from them and be ready in times of adversity to offer your support to them. I charge you to nurture this union.”
He motioned for Tracy and Doug to kneel. Doug helped Tracy lower herself onto the soft kneeling bench. The minister stretched out his hand over the couple and prayed for them, for their marriage, and even for the children that might come from their union. Sierra silently agreed with the minister as he prayed for God’s richest blessings on Doug and Tracy.
When they stood again, the minister instructed them to hold hands, face each other, and repeat their vows.
“I, Doug, take you, Tracy, as my lawfully wedded wife. I promise before God, our family, and our friends to love, honor, and cherish you until God takes me home to be with Him.”
“I, Tracy, take you, Doug, as my lawfully wedded husband. I promise before God, our family, and our friends to love, honor, and cherish you until God takes me home to be with Him.”
The pastor motioned for them to exchange the rings. Todd reached out his hand and placed the ring in Doug’s open palm.
Looking into his bride’s eyes, Doug lifted her left hand and slowly inched the ring onto her finger. “As a constant reminder of
my never-ending love for you, I seal my vow with this ring.”
Tracy turned to Christy. It appeared to Sierra that Christy was wearing Doug’s large wedding band on her thumb, and now she easily slipped it off and handed it to Tracy.
Lifting Doug’s hand, Tracy pushed the ring on and repeated the words. “As a constant reminder of my never-ending love for you, I seal my vow with this ring.”
The couple then turned to face the minister, and the piano played a gentle tune. A young man stood by the piano and sang into a handheld microphone a popular Christian love song that Sierra had heard once before at a wedding. As she listened, she looked down at her gold ring.
Father God, this ring is already becoming a constant reminder of Your never-ending love for me, she prayed silently. I vow to stay pure and save myself for the man You want me to marry, and I seal my vow to You with this ring.
She clasped her hands together in her lap and for the first time was glad her ring was gold and not silver. It symbolized something strong and powerful. Sierra liked that it didn’t resemble all her other fun jewelry. This ring was special, just as Wes had said. It was set apart from all the rest. And in a way, at this moment, that’s how she felt.
THE FINAL NOTE escaped from the singer’s throat. He returned to his seat, and all eyes returned to Doug and Tracy, who had stepped away from the arch, each on the appropriate side, and walked around until they met at the altar.
“In thanksgiving for their purity before God and between each other,” the pastor said, “Doug and Tracy are offering a sacrifice of praise to the Lord. Each of them now presents a gift on the altar.”
Tracy laid her long-stemmed white rose on top of the altar. Doug unpinned the white rose boutonniere from his lapel and laid it down. The pastor swung the kneeling bench out from under the arch so that it resembled a garden gate. Doug and Tracy joined hands and walked through the gate together. They stood just on the other side of the arch and looked intently into each other’s eyes.