"Oh, Elena, you look absolutely gorgeous!" Caroline squealed excitedly, and Elena smiled back at her. As she looked at her reflection in the mirror, she couldn't help but feel a flurry of anxious nerves and excitement. Her white strapless gown hugged her curves until it flared out just above her knees. Her veil rested gently on her head, and flowed out behind her. She couldn't believe that this day had finally arrived: soon, she would no longer be Miss Elena Gilbert, but Mrs. Salvatore. "Oh! Hold still for one second!" Caroline said, reaching over to fix a stray hair. She tucked it underneath Elena's veil and smiled in satisfaction.
"Car, it's fine." Elena insisted. Caroline had been obsessing over her hair for at least 45 minutes, making sure a single strand wasn't out of place.
"What?" Caroline asked. "As maid of honor, it's my job to make sure everything is perfect. Your hair included." Elena laughed to herself; ever since she and Damon had announced their engagement, Caroline had taken it upon herself to plan the entire wedding.
"You've done more than that." Elena said. "This is going to be amazing." Caroline hugged her best friend tightly.
"You really do look beautiful." A man said from the doorway. Elena turned to face him.
"Thank you, Stefan." She smiled again as Stefan crossed the room to give her a hug and kiss on the cheek.
"Well, I better get going…" he sighed. "I just wanted to see you before the ceremony began, and it's about to start." Elena's heart skipped a beat.
"Already?" she asked, looking at the clock. It was 12:50- ten minutes until the wedding was set to begin. Caroline squeezed her hand and followed Stefan out of the room. After a few moments, Jeremy walked in.
"Oh, wow." He said, taken aback by how beautiful his sister looked. He paused for a moment, taking the sight in. "You're getting married…" he thought aloud. He had to allow the thought to sink in; he was about to give his older sister, his only family, away to be married. It was just about as crazy for him as it was for her.
"Hard to believe, huh?" Elena asked. Jeremy nodded.
"You ready?" he asked. Elena took a deep breath.
"Yeah." She smiled, and took Jeremy's arm. As they made their way towards the garden where the ceremony was being held, all of Elena's nerves reached their peak; she could barely breathe. It was a good kind of nervous, though, and she walked forward.
Finally, they reached the garden, and she could hear the music playing as bridesmaids and groomsmen proceeded down the aisle. Soon, it would be her turn to make her grand entrance. She strained to get a good look at the altar, but there were too many people in the way. Suddenly, the music changed, and everyone stood up.
"Showtime." Elena said, taking a step forward, and then another one. She could see straight down the aisle now. Rows upon rows of eyes were trained on her, but she only cared about one pair of them. At the other end of the aisle, standing right beside the altar, was the only person who mattered. His blue eyes met her chocolate brown ones and they both smiled. As she walked down the aisle, arm in arm, she focused only on him. The one who would be there for her for the rest of her life, the one who would always protect her, the one who would always love her. Damon. When she finally reached him and took his hand, nothing else mattered.
"Where are we going, Damon?" Elena asked as she followed Damon away from the party.
"You'llsee." Damonpromisedasheledheroutside,totheoutskirtsoftheproperty.Suddenly,hestopped.
"Okay, so now what?" Elena asked. There was absolutely nothing around them. Damon took her hands in his.
"I love you, Elena." He began. "I have since the moment I met you. We've gotten through a lot these past three years, and I want to spend my eternity with you." Damon let go of one of Elena's hands, and reached into his pocket. Slowly, he got down on one knee, and held up a small, black velvet box. A diamond engagement ring sparkled inside. Elena's jaw dropped, and she nearly stopped breathing. This was really happening. "So, Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?" Elena could barely breathe, much less speak.
"Yes." She managed to choke out, nodding. Damon stood up, slid the ring onto her finger, and kissed her.