The One Leading Up to the Wedding (Finally)
Previously on Friends, Ross proposed to Rachel…three weeks later they are starting to plan the wedding.
Rachel was excited to plan a fairytale wedding. She wanted the engraved invitations, long chiffon and silk ivory dress, four-tiered wedding cake, and to be escorted down the isle of a historic New York cathedral on the arm of her father. The problem was Ross wanted to be involved in the wedding planning as well. His idea of a fairytale wedding was a sea-side ceremony with only close family and friends, both wearing blue faded jeans, soft cotton t-shirts, and their feet bare in the spongy sand. In order to keep Ross occupied and out of her dream wedding planning, Rachel assigns Ross the task of photography.
"Ross honey, will you please help me with the most important part of the wedding?"
"What would that be Rach?"
"Well, if we spend all this time and energy trying to get everything just perfect, if we don't have a professional photographer to document our wedding day we will have no good memories of our special day."
"Do you mean you want me to take the pictures of our magnificent day?"
"Yes Ross you have such artistic taste and I trust your judgment."
"Rachel, I shouldn't have that responsibility when I'm the one whose getting married, I'll tell Chandler to do it."
"Ross! You are not letting Chandler Bing take care of our wedding pictures. Did you see what he did at his own wedding? He lost all of the cameras and went back to a different wedding with Joey to take pictures. Have you seen their wedding album? Its pictures of people's backs and flowers that weren't even at their wedding, there's even a picture of him kissing a different bride. Do you want our album to be like that?"
"No Rachel, but I'm pretty sure Chandler learned his lesson after the night Monica found out."
"That doesn't mean he can't do it again. I want you to be in charge of the cameras so we get pictures of everyone and not of just Joey and Chandler taking pictures of them selves."
"Ok Rachel if that's what will make you happy, I'll do it."
"Thank you, I really do love you."
Meanwhile, Monica, Chandler, Phoebe, and Joey are all at Monica and Chandler's apartment devising their plans on how to get Rachel and Ross to choose them for their maid-of-honor and best man. Ross and Rachel walk into the apartment holding hands to see what their friends are up to. The apartment erupted in noise as the four friends rushed to greet Ross and Rachel. Monica grabbed Rachel's hands and held them firmly.
"Rachel I would be thrilled to be your maid-of-honor, I've already been making sketches of the crème de la crème wedding cake."
Phoebe sidles up next to Rachel with her long blonde hair in braids and is wearing a patterned gypsy dress.
"Rachel, I'm going to give you and Ross massages before your wedding. I would also love to perform a song during the ceremony."
"You're not going to sing Smelly Cat are you?" Joey looks to Rachel and says
"How you doin?" He then volunteers to give the toast at the rehearsal dinner.
Chandler stands there looking down as Ross and Rachel look expectantly at him. He says "I've got nothing. Maybe I can help you with the budget?"
Ross and Rachel let everyone off the hook by telling everyone they would all be a part of the wedding ceremony.
"You don't need to try so hard to be nice Monica; you are going to be my maid of honor."
Monica replied, "I'm always nice, aren't I?" Your maid of honor . . . o goody (Monica claps her hands like a little girl).
And Phoebe, we would like you to be our entertainment after the dinner and after everyone leaves you can "hum" Smelly Cat.
"Oh gosh, said Phoebe that sounds cool! Besides I'm really not into rubbing my hands on people I know, I prefer strangers."
Ross looked at Joey and their eyes connected lovingly. Ross said, "Joey I would like you to be my best man, but on one condition."
"I'll do whatever you want Ross," said Joey in a hurry.
"Ok, you need to promise, absolutely promise you will not hit on the female minister who is marrying us."
"Is she hot?" replied Joey, "Because if she is I might need to think about this." After a brief pause and a tug on his chin Joey accepted the challenge and agreed to Ross's terms.
Finally, Chandler's turn came and Rachel turned to Ross and said, "Do you want to tell him or should I?"
"I will", said Ross, "Chandler, we were hoping you would be our witness." "Your witness? What does a witness do?"
"Well, the witness signs the legal marriage document that binds us together for life. The marriage is not official without the marriage license."
"Can I keep the pen as a keepsake?" replied Chandler in a boyish manner.
Stay tuned. In the next episode Rachel and Monica go wedding dress shopping