Certain exes are definitely going to appear but if you let me know early enough, I can make your favourite ex appear (but I'm not guaranteeing when).

Julie

It was the day Rachel had been looking forward to – ever since Ross proposed. Well it was one of many days she was looking forward to, the wedding most of all, but along the way there were other fun things to do and one of those things was trying on wedding dresses.

The trouble of course, would be to choose one because she was sure to like lots of them. If only she could have more than one. She had heard that Japanese brides had three – at least she thought it was Japanese brides. She didn't know how she was going to narrow it down, they were all so lovely. Maybe she'd need another day of choosing wedding dresses.

It was so nice that Monica and Phoebe felt it was a fun thing to do too. They had each already had their big day but they were happy to relive the excitement and talk about fabrics and beading.

Rachel had had this before of course more than ten years ago but she had been having mixed thoughts during her wedding preparations and hadn't really enjoyed them at all. Anyway, she'd never pick a dress like the one she'd had before. When she looked back she could hardly imagine why she had. Of course her mother had had a lot of say in that choice but she did remember agreeing quite enthusiastically at the time. That Rachel had had so much to learnWell what do you think of this one?' Rachel said, stepping out of the fitting room for Monica and Phoebe to inspect.

I liked the one you had one before better,' Phoebe said.

I don't know,' Monica said, I like this one better.' They both studied the dress carefully, ordering Rachel to turn this way and that.

Try the one with the cut away sleeves and the pearls,' Phoebe said, I'm dying to see you in that one. That's so romantic, it would make you look like a princess.'

Princess Consuela?' Monica asked. Phoebe sighed dreamily.

Princess Rachela.'

There's no such name,' Monica said.

There could be. She could be called anything she wanted. It's her big day. Try it on Rachel,' Phoebe said, I want to see you in it now.'

Okay,' Rachel said. She looked at herself a few more times in the mirror just to be sure. It was so hard to decide. She'd come in with an idea of what she wanted and now she had no idea at all. Instead of narrowing her choices she had expanded them.

Hello,' a familiar voice said, It's Monica and Phoebe and Rachel isn't it?' Rachel had no trouble remembering.

Hi Julie.' Julie, one of her serious rivals. It had been so long since Julie had posed any kind of a problem for Rachel that she could be perfectly relaxed. She noticed that Julie too was in a wedding dress, one that draped itself around the curves of her body. Are you getting married too?'

Yes, on September 18,' Julie smiled.

September 18? That's when I'm getting married,' Rachel said in amazement. Wow, what a coincidence.'

So who are you marrying?'

Someone you know,' Rachel said.

You're marrying Ross.'

Yes,' smiled Rachel.

Well congratulations,' Julie said, I'm very happy for you both.'

And you?' Rachel asked.

I'm marry Matt Burke,' Julie said. None of Rachel, Monica or Phoebe knew who Matt Burke was so they all made murmured, that's nice noises. Julie did not explain who he was and instead asked, So where are you having your wedding?'

I'm having it at the Palace,' Rachel said, Awful name but it's supposed to be great.'

It comes with a catering service. It's the whole thing, wedding and reception in one package,' Monica said. She was the one who had chosen it.

That's really great. We're getting married in a church near my parents' place. How is your place for parking? I assume everyone's going to be driving there?'

It's got its own parking, it's good,' Rachel said.

Are you inviting many people?'

Just close family and friends,' Rachel said, almost apologetic that Julie, who wasn't so bad after all now that she came to think of it, wasn't invited – but then she had a date of her own.

Maybe about a hundred,' Phoebe volunteered. She couldn't stop looking at Julie. In that white dress with her hairstyle she looked like an ancient Egyptian. She imagined for a moment Julie in a lapis lazuli necklace and turquoise shaded eyes.

That's not bad, you don't want it too big,' Julie said. My mother wants mine to be big so now we're going to have to ask people for their invitations at the door to be sure we don't get gate crashers.' Monica felt a tiny niggle as Rachel said,

Oh we wouldn't do anything like that.' Why, thought Monica, was Julie's mother having such a big say? They were all past the age where they needed help from their parents for this kind of thing.

That dress you have on there does look good on you,' Julie said kindly.

Thanks, I'm not sure if I like this one better than the one two dresses ago,' Rachel said, returning to her dilemma.

Well show me,' Julie said. And to Monica and Phoebe's surprise, Julie became a part of the dress committee, almost, Monica thought, as if her own dress didn't matter.