A Winter Wedding Part 3

Well, I'm happy to say that this post is finally done! This is the tale of my wedding to Steve, which occurred on February 14th of this year. It will be told mainly through pictures, since I figured those would be the most fun to see. Enjoy!

***

"Wakey, wakey, eggs and bakey." An amused voice whispered.

"Eggs and bakey?" I responded immediately, my voice dull and groggy. "What on earth is a bakey?"

"I haven't the slightest idea," Steve chuckled. "But I have neither eggs nor bakey. I brought you chocolate instead."

I rose quickly, my head still spinning with dreams from the night before. Before me, in the early-morning light, my husband-to-be was kneeling and holding two squares of a miniature chocolate bar. I remembered it to be the very exact kind of chocolate we had used for our first date together, back in 2014. Hard to imagine we'd been together more than four years! (Well, three, if you don't count the year Steve was stuck in the attic.)

"Are you serious? We can't have chocolate at this hour!"

"Nobody has to know," said Steve, handing me my piece. "Besides, it's our wedding day. I think we deserve a little treat to celebrate."

"I know it's our wedding day," I said, smiling. "It's all I've been able to think about. But isn't it bad luck for the groom to see the bride before the wedding?"

Steve rolled his eyes. "Oh, that only applies if the bride is seen in her wedding dress. Speaking of, was Idina able to make you one in time?"

"I think so. I'm meeting her for the fitting this morning."

"I'm sure you'll look gorgeous."

Flattered, I laughed, and snorted accidentally. From her spot on the shelf, Nessa bolted upright as if she had been waiting for an excuse to get up so early. "Who's there?"

"Just us, Nessa," Steve replied. "Elsa and I are having breakfast."

"Aw, cute!" Nessa said. "Can I join you?"

"Um... it's 7:00am, Nessa. She's not even awake yet." I said.

Nessa twirled herself out of her cape, which she had been using as a sort of blanket, and jumped from the shelf, landing on the dresser next to Steve and I. "I know, I know. But there's just so much to do today! I can't possibly fall back asleep now."

"Don't worry," Steve said. "A flower girl doesn't have any lines to memorize."

"But that's not it! I have a big responsibility in your wedding. What if all the flower petals get stuck together in one big clump and I can't shake them apart? What if I find out I'm allergic to pollen and I start sneezing? What if I drop the basket? What if-"

"Nessa! It really isn't anything to worry about. Elsa and I aren't concerned in the slightest. Right, Elsa?"

Holding my chocolate square to my nose, I inhaled deeply and felt immediately relaxed. I nodded.

"There. See? It's all fine. Westley gave you the petals yesterday, didn't he?"

"He did. And the bouquet," Nessa sighed and fell onto her back dramatically, looking up at She's ceiling o' snowflakes. "Speaking of, Elsa, when are you going to toss the bouquet? I want to be sure I'm there for it."

"Um... after the wedding ceremony, I guess? Before Steve and I head off on our honeymoon?"

"Oh yeah. That sounds right."
Nessa rolled onto her side and curled up as if preparing to sleep, but her eyes were wide open. She would blink multiple times, with her eyes darting this way and that.
"Don't worry, Nessa. I chose you as flower girl for a reason. And if I'm not worried, then you shouldn't be worried."
"I'm not worried! Not really. I just want to make absolutely sure that Vision sees me whenever I catch the bouquet." Nessa had left Vision's name without sound, mouthing it to me and only me.
"Already so sure you're going to catch the bouquet?" I said, stroking Nessa's hair sweetly. "You'll have to make sure you keep your eyes on it, then. I'm a terrible shot."
"But I'm a good catcher. Just... can you make sure that you absolutely see Vision there before you toss the bouquet?"

"I will check. I promise," I got up slowly and handed Steve my chocolate. "Thank you. But I really must be going to the fitting. I just realized I haven't seen Idina yet this morning. Or Olaf."
"Probably in the basement, if I had to guess." Steve replied.
"Yeah, they both are. I saw them leave earlier."
"Nessa, just how long have you been awake?" I asked, incredulous.
"Um... 3:30? I've been practicing. And I should probably practice some more. Bye! See you at the ceremony!" Nessa took a running jump and caught onto the shoelace that She had hung between the shelf and the dresser so that we could come and go from one place to another with ease. She scaled the rope ladder with three strokes of the arm before settling back into her place.
"That doll can climb." Steve remarked.
I agreed. "I feel like Nessa has a lot of strength she doesn't realize."
"Hm. Yeah," Steve nodded. "Anyways, enjoy your fitting. But don't take too long, okay? I want my future wife to show up at her wedding."

I laughed and hugged him before I left the dresser. "I won't be late."

Less than an hour later, I was told I was looking my finest. ("Not that your fine isn't fine enough! Don't worry." Olaf had said.) Idina had managed a miracle and I now possessed the dress of my dreams. The gown was made of tissue paper, which gave it a light, delicate, tulle type of feel. Idina made it mostly white, as per tradition, but with some blue tones to suit my usual style. There was a lace ribbon to cinch my waist and a blue flower on my right shoulder, and Idina had even enhanced my makeup. Berry-colored lip gloss, a touch of purple eyeshadow, light brown eyebrow pencil, and shimmery pink blush. Everything was perfect.
So perfect, I almost lost track of time. There were two smalls knocks on the door of the craft room.
I started and looked frantically for a place to hide. Idina pushed me onto the sewing shelf, crammed behind a tin full of thread rolls. Olaf opened the door, but it was only Elphaba and Nessa that came inside. Elphie was playing the "church bells" ringtone on She's ipod.
"You guys hear that? Wedding bells," Elphie turned and immediately saw where I was. "Hey, Elsa. It's almost 10:30, so you'd better get into place. Everything is set up for you and Steve."
"Now let's see your dress!" Nessa squealed. Nessa herself was decorated for the occasion, wearing a pink and white flower crown borrowed from Bell and carrying the tiniest basket with the tiniest red rose petals I'd ever seen.
"Oh- I don't know if I should. It'll spoil the surprise."
"Who are we going to tell?" Elphie asked.
"I don't know," I giggled. "I'm nervous! Where's Anna? I want to show her, too."
"My ears are burning!" Anna cried, being ushered into the room by Olaf. "Let's see the dress!" Anna, too, was wearing something different: a pink cape with a ribbon tied below the neck.

I crawled out from my place on the shelf and fanned out the layers of my gown. I felt like a queen.
"It's beautiful!" Anna and Nessa gasped in unison.
"I know! Idina really outdid herself this time. It's not easy to make a wedding gown in one week. But I knew she could do it." Olaf added.
Elphaba nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes, gorgeous. Now let's go! Steve is waiting."
"What... how? It's not even 11:00 yet!"
"He's anxious."
I laughed lightly and allowed Anna to grasp my wrist and lead me upstairs. "Glad he's not the only one."
Elphaba changed her tune. Literally. The celebration bells ringtone had turned into a slow and sweet waltz. Mendelssohn's Wedding March. If I had a stomach, it would have flipped. We were really doing this. I was marrying Steve right now.
I was ready. I'd never felt more alive.
Coming up the stairs to the main floor was like walking up a steep hill to view the most colorful sunset ever seen by the naked eye. The living room was awash with color and smiling faces. Blue, red, white, and pink. Every doll of every kind had organized themselves into lines that parted in a clear pathway that led me to Steve. And Steve himself... well... Steve never looked better.
It was not only that his suit was polished. It was the happy shine in his eyes, the twitch of a grin on his lips. The way he looked at me when I caught his eye.

The rest of my wedding came to me in small, blissful blinks that are hard to describe. First, red rose petals drifting to the ground as my best friend danced down the aisle. A cast of my chosen bridesmaids went before me, arm-in-arm with Steve's chosen groomsmen. My other best friend, Anna, walked calmly alongside Olaf, the best man. I followed at the back of line, but I wasn't walking. I was absolutely floating.
She, who was sitting cross-legged on the floor, began the ceremony. I could hardly sit still, and the touch of Steve's hands cupping mine was the only thing that was keeping me calm. I wasn't even really listening to the vows. Somehow, we were both able to say "I do" when we were told to.
Kristoff brought the bracelets, which we had removed the night before just for today.
Then the kiss.
Magic.
We looked towards our crowd of friends. Most of them were cheering. Some of them I'm sure were tearing up- if dolls could only cry.
Steve and I walked together, hand-in-hand, back down the aisle to close the ceremony.
We dined on cake, miniature sandwiches, and tea around the dining room table. Steve and I had cut the cake, of course. She, Dorothy, Bob and Nessa had done a wonderful job, considering Dorothy was the only baker out of all of them.

After an hour or so of speeches and smelling all sorts of wonderful food, it was time for the moment Nessa had been waiting for. My throwing of the bouquet would end the wedding. We all lined up in the living room once more, the girls clambering over each other to get the closet to the spot behind me. I smiled and gripped the red rose in my hand for the last time.
"Everybody ready?"
"Yes!" Echoed a chorus of excited voices.
"Okay. I'm going to throw it in 3... 2... 1!" I jumped and thrust the bouquet over my shoulder, then turned quickly around to see who had caught it.
It had landed in the hand of someone with light, warm-toned skin and long, willowy fingers.
The light fell from Nessa's eyes. Anna had caught the bouquet. Of course she had. She was sixteen inches tall, and including me, we were the largest dolls She owned. I winced slightly, pitying Nessa, and I think Anna noticed. She suddenly came down with a coughing fit and keeled over, dropping the bouquet in the process. Nessa eagerly snatched it up without hesitation, and caught Vision's eye. He had definitely seen everything that had happened. His magenta skin had turned and even darker shade of pink in his cheeks.
I sighed and looked up at Anna. "Woah... are you okay?"
"Yeah, yeah... just had a tickle in my throat. That's all." Anna said, her eyes wandering as she found the perfect lie.
"Thank you." I mouthed.

"Elsa, look! It's snowing!" Napoleon cried.
"Are you serious?" I asked. Steve shrugged, and we followed everyone else to the window. It was more than just snowing. It had snowed, probably since the beginning of the morning, and none of us had even noticed. I supposed we were too busy with the wedding to do anything else.
"This is good," Steve said, rubbing my shoulder. "The sun sets today at 4:00. If we're lucky, She can take us out right before then."
I reached back and touched his hand. "You've really been researching this, haven't you?"
"I have," Steve replied. "This is important to me. Now come on. The other humans will be home soon. We should return to our places."
On the staircase, the larger dolls were taking the steps, while the smaller or more delicate ones were being carried in small trips up and down by She's arms.
"But I don't want it to end." I murmured.
"It won't. It never will. Now come on. We have to get ready for our honeymoon."
"Right," I grinned. "I don't think it would be a good idea for me to go outside dressed like this."
"Well, you are beautiful in that. But you'd be beautiful in a potato sack, if I'm honest."
I laughed, throwing my head backwards. "Goodness, no."
"Yeah, you're right. That wouldn't be very warm. Tell you what. I'll meet you at 3:30 in the parlor. We'll see if She is ready then."
"One can only hope." I agreed.

At 3:30 on the dot, Steve and I were ready as ever to head out on our honeymoon, and fortunately, so was She.
"Has it been snowing?" She asked, entering the parlor.
Steve shrugged.
"Let's look outside and see," She said, dividing the blinds and peering through. From the inside, the outside looked wonderful. Snow had covered everything, and still more was coming down. "Perfect." I heard She mutter, before heading over to the coat closet and opening the door.
"What are you doing?" The eldest female human asked from the kitchen.
She's eyes flicked nervously to the couch in the front room were Steve and I were hiding behind some pillows. It wasn't difficult for us to remain quiet and still, and a second later, She realized this and resumed dressing. "I'm going for a walk."
"A walk? In this weather?"
"Next week all the snow will melt. I want to enjoy the cold while it lasts." She told her mother, which wasn't exactly a lie.
"Alright. Well... be careful. It's getting dark. Take a flashlight."
"I will."
She carried us beneath her coat; the last traces of warmth in the frozen world of February. She's breath came out in clouds of steam that glowed when the beam of the flashlight shone through them. Every bush and tree was blanketed in soft white snow, and the steps She took next to the road were large and slow.

We had reached the clearing after a short time. "Okay, guys, this is it," She whispered. One by one, she removed Steve and I from her coat and set us into the brush of the forest, where no one else could see. "I'll be back after I've gone around the neighborhood. Give or take twenty minutes. Enjoy yourselves and don't get lost, okay?"
"We won't." Steve promised.
She smiled quietly and backed away, returning to the road and vanishing into the fog of the night.
I took Steve's hand. He hadn't told me to; all of our wills were exchanged in silence. Our fingers intertwined, and we stepped over the first branch together.

We had crossed into another world. This one smelled like dank wood and dry leaves, like darkness and adventure and mystery. It was an immediately relaxing scent for the both of us. I could visibly see Steve's shoulders drop with a heavy exhale. He turned to me and grinned.
"Not as much snow as we were expecting, is there?"
It was true. The snow hadn't been able to reach the ground due to the canopy of trees overhead. But if I'm honest, I hadn't really noticed until Steve mentioned it. I realized that it wasn't so important to me anymore. The deed had been done. We were finally wed. We were finally two dolls sharing a single heart, together.

"That can be easily fixed." I replied, and casually flicked on my switch. I looked to the surrounding trees for inspiration. I then touched the trunk of the tree next to me, and ice spread out from underneath my hand, turning the bark a subtle frosty white. With each sashay of my shirt, the ice formed and followed along our path. Natural peaks and valleys of the forest became snowbanks, and tiny flakes were shaken from bare branches, falling onto my braid and Steve's mask like glitter. The entrance to the woods, from the grass to the soil to the dried-up ravine, became blanketed in snow. It was the perfect texture, not to wet and not too dry, not to heavy and not too light.
"I'll never get tired of that." Steve said, with a shake of his head.
"Me neither," I replied. "Shall we go? She will be worried about us if we tell her we never got time to explore."
"True, true. But where shall we start?"
"At the beginning."
"A very good place to start," Steve teased. "Lead the way, snowflake."
"No," I said. "We'll do this together."

Looking forward to married life,

Queen Elsa "Rogers"