Beth giggles, her eyes sparkling. “Yeah, I can tell!”
After we settle on the chocolate cake with strawberry filling and classic buttercream frosting, Nate offers to take Tina and Beth home while Elle and I head over to meet our wedding planner.
When we walk into the coffee shop, Jen's already sitting in one of the booths, sipping on a hot cup of espresso. She waves us over, and after we grab our drinks, she pulls out a pad with our wedding checklist paperclipped to the front. She glances over it briefly, tapping her pen against the table.
"Alright," she says, looking up at us. "Let's go through the details one more time. Date’s set, invitations are readyto go out. Is the venue locked for both the ceremony and reception?"
Elle smiles and nods. "Yes, everything’s good there. We’re sticking with the outdoor, simple vibe we talked about."
"Okay," Jen says, ticking off the item on her list. "The food is all set too. A few appetizers, meat and vegetarian options for the main course?"
I give a quick nod. "Yes. My brother's restaurant will be catering the event."
Jen raises an eyebrow. "Really? That’s a nice touch."
Elle smiles, clearly pleased. "It feels personal, you know? Plus, we know the food’s going to be amazing."
I lean back a bit. "No one knows how to cook a steak like Thomas."
"Good choice," Jen says, making a note. "And drinks—are we all set with that too?"
Elle chimes in. "Yes, we’ll have a selection of wines and a few signature cocktails. Nothing too crazy."
Jen checks her tablet. "Music—DJ's confirmed, and we’ve got your list of songs all ready to go."
I look at Elle, smiling. "I hope I don't step on your toes, babe. I'm a terrible dancer."
Elle laughs. "You’re going to do great."
Jen taps the next item on the list. "Bridesmaids, groomsmen, outfits all sorted?"
Elle smiles and squeezes my arm. "Cal looks so handsome in his tuxedo."
I chuckle. "How is it that the bride can see the groom in his tux, but the groom is not allowed to see his bride in her wedding dress?"
"It's bad luck!" Elle says, shaking her head. "I'm not taking any chances."
"Trust me, you want to wait," Jen says, marking off the box. "Nothing compares to the look on the groom's face when he sees the bride for the first time."
I glance over at Elle and wink at her.
Jen looks up at us, grinning. "You two are so adorable together. The way you two look at each other reminds me of the reason why I chose this line of work. It never gets old."
Elle squeezes my hand, and I give her a smile, feeling a sense of accomplishment as everything comes together.
Jen checks off another item. "You’ve got your best man, two groomsmen, a maid of honor, and two bridesmaids. I've double-checked the outfits for the entire wedding party, except for one thing..." She looks up at Elle with a soft smile. "The wedding gown."
"I've narrowed it down to two," Elle admits, glancing at Jen. "They both fit me like a glove, so I'm just trying to decide between the two. I sent you pictures. What do you think?"
Jen takes a sip of her coffee and pulls out her phone, scrolling through the photos Elle sent. "Alright, let’s see what you’ve got." She stops on the first picture. "The first one is stunning. It’s that classic, timeless look—lace, intricate beading along the waistline, and a long train. Verywedding day. You’d turn heads walking down the aisle in this."
Elle smiles, but there’s a hint of uncertainty in her eyes. "I love how it looks, but it feels... a little too much for me. It’s beautiful, but I don't want to feel like I'm wearing a costume."
Jen nods thoughtfully, flipping to the second picture. "I see what you mean. Now this one is completely different, but equally stunning. It’s much more your style—simple, elegant. The satin fabric has this soft, almost understated shine, and the cut is sleek with a subtle V-neck. No frills, but it has that effortless elegance that screams Elle."
I reach for Elle's hand and lift it to my lips. "I can’t wait to see you walking down the aisle."
Elle exhales, clearly torn. "I never imagined it would be this hard."
