"Are you nervous?" Maria Montez asked her daughter as she helped her tie her wedding gown and pin her veil into her dark curls, which were styled in an elegant up-do.
"Kind of," admitted Gabriella. "I mean, I want to get married, but I think I would do better if it was just me, Troy, you, Dad, and Troy's parents. It makes me nervous to know that everyone will be staring at me for pretty much the whole service." Troy and Gabriella had only invited grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and some friends that weren't in the wedding party, but Gabriella still didn't like the idea of having the whole group's attention on her.
"Just focus on Troy," Maria advised, picking up another bobby pin.
"You almost ready, honey?" David inquired, stepping through the open doorway. "It's three o' clock now. Kelsi's just starting to play some of the pieces you picked out for her while everyone waits for the procession to start, and Troy's standing up at the front of the church with the pastor looking very anxious to get things going." Troy and Gabriella had decided to get married in a small, but beautiful church half an hour away from their homes.
"Are you almost done with the veil, Mom?" queried Gabriella.
"I just finished." Maria stepped back to look at Gabriella. "Beautiful." She wiped a tear from her eye. "I can't believe this day has come already! It feels like I just held you as a newborn the other day."
David laid a gentle hand on his wife's shoulder. "There will be time for this later, sweetheart. Right now, Gabriella has to get to the sanctuary." Although he seemed to be in a hurry, David really wasn't any more ready to let go of his only child than Maria was. In truth, he wanted to rush because he didn't want to cry...or at least have anyone see him cry.
"Where's the rest of the wedding party?" Gabriella wondered, her tone urgent. Troy's six-year-old cousin Bobby was to be the ring bearer while the flower girl was her eight-year-old cousin Eliana. The maid of honor was her best friend Taylor, the best man Troy's best friend Chad, and Sharpay and Zeke were to be a bridesmaid and groom's attendant. And then, of course, her father was going to walk her down the aisle to give her away to Troy.
"They're already there," David assured, walking over to Gabriella and carefully taking her arm. "Now let's go. Maria, you can go ahead and walk in. There's seats saved for us in the front row of the bride's side."
"Okay," came Maria's response. She then proceeded to step out of the room just a few seconds before her Gabriella and David so she could make it to her seat before the procession began.
This is it, thought Gabriella as she took her bouquet of pink roses from Sharpay, who had been holding them for her. It was then that the wedding march started to sound. She waited with sweaty palms for the rest of the bridal party to walk to the front of the church. Then, gripping her father's arm a little tighter, she stepped through the doors with him.
Troy's jaw almost literally dropped at the sight of his soon-to-be wife. She looked more beautiful in her white dress than he had even come close to picturing in his mind, and the smile that lit up her face just added to her beauty. The second she was within reach, he held out his hand for her to take.
Smiling, David released his daughter, quickly kissed her cheek, then went over to sit beside his wife.
Gabriella clasped Troy's hand and allowed her arm to brush against his.
The last notes of the music played.
"Welcome, everyone," the pastor started. "Today we are here to join two special people together in marriage: Troy Alexander Bolton and Gabriella Anne Maria Montez."
The audience applauded, and a few tears were seen in both Maria and Lucille's eyes.
"To start the ceremony, we'll hear some stories from the best man and maid of honor, so Chad Danforth, come on up and start." Chad and Taylor, along with the rest of the wedding party except Troy and Gabriella, had sat down after Gabriella was at Troy's side.
"Hey, guys! What's up?" Chad began as he settled himself up on the front platform. "So, I got my hair done professionally today. Like it?" He gestured toward his large afro.
Everyone laughed but Troy, who cast a warning glance at his friend.
"Okay, okay. Let's get onto my story. Alright. So I've known Troy since preschool. He's always been like a brother to me. Growing up, we both swore we would never get married or date because girls were gross. Well, actually it wasn't the whole time we were growing up. We kind of abandoned that way of thinking when we were twelve or thirteen. And anyway, he had a crush on Gabriella since eighth grade, and in sophomore year, he asked her out, which was when he discovered she had been just waiting her whole life for him to even just talk to her. Well, not her whole life. I guess I'm kind of exaggerating."
Laughter erupted through the room again.
"Alright. So, after Troy and Gabriella were official, Troy would spend a lot of his time with her. And then halfway through senior year, he told me he was thinking of proposing and I was all like, 'Are you freaking serious, bro? You're not even out of high school yet!' But he thought about it and he ended up doing it soon after graduation. And of course she said yes, so here we are now!" Chad threw his arms up in the air.
The audience clapped, cheered, and laughed.
"Okay. Thank you, Chad," said the pastor. "Now, let's welcome Taylor McKessie!"
Taking Chad's spot, Taylor took a deep breath and started with, "Gabriella and I have been best friends since third grade, so when she started acting different halfway through eighth grade, I knew something was going on. I asked her about it, and she ended up admitting that she had a little crush on Troy. I remember that we both squealed over it and I tried to connect with him to get him to ask her out, but nothing really happened until we were sophomores in high school. I remember the day he asked her out, she ran up to me at lunchtime and I knew just what had happened. I was so happy for her, and I thought that she and Troy made the cutest couple. And when she told me she was engaged, I was happy for her as well. I know that she'll have a very happy, long-lasting marriage with Troy, because clearly she's meant to be with him. I honestly have never seen a better couple." She smiled. "So Gabriella, I wish you and Troy all the best with your honeymoon, new house, kids, and whatever else comes your way." Taylor reached out to hug Gabriella.
Everyone applauded.
"Thank you, Taylor," the pastor acknowledged. Once Taylor was seated beside Chad, he went on with, "And now I would just like to read a few Bible verses that the bride and groom requested before we move on to vows." He took his Bible from the small table in the corner of the platform. "Our first reading is Proverbs 18:22. 'He who finds a wife finds what is good and receives favor from the Lord.'" He paused. "Our second verse is Proverbs 19:14. 'Houses and wealth are inherited from parents, but a prudent wife is from the Lord.'" More silence. "And our final verse is Proverbs 31: 10. 'A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies.'"
Troy and Gabriella exchanged a smile.
"Alright. Here we are at the main segment of this ceremony. Troy and Gabriella wrote their own vows, so Troy, you may go ahead whenever you're ready."
"I, Troy Bolton, promise to take Gabriella Montez as my wife; to love her with all my heart, to care for her, to provide for her, and to support her no matter what comes up in our marriage as long as God allows me to live on this earth."
"And do you mean those words?"
"I do." A wave of happiness washed over Troy.
Gabriella felt tears of joy stream down her cheeks as she said, "I, Gabriella Montez, promise to take Troy Bolton as my husband; to love him with all my heart, to care for him, to be submissive and supportive, and to stay with him no matter what happens during our marriage as long as God allows me to live on this earth."
"And do you mean those words?"
"I do." Gabriella carefully wiped her eyes.
"Does anyone object to this marriage?" inquired the pastor.
No one said a word.
"Well, then, Troy Alexander Bolton and Gabriella Anne Maria Montez," the pastor beckoned the ring bearer over, who eagerly walked up to Troy and Gabriella and held out the pillow that the rings were resting on.
Troy and Gabriella each picked up each other's rings.
"I now pronounce you husband and wife," continued the pastor. "You may kiss the bride."
Troy and Gabriella slipped the rings onto one another's fingers, then leaned in to share a sweet, passionate kiss.
When the newly married couple broke apart, the pastor said, "I now present to you Mr. and Mrs. Troy Bolton."
Cheers were heard throughout the room. However, no one's excitement was as great as Troy and Gabriella's. They were finally married.
"And we just have one more thing before I let you go," the pastor spoke when the noise died down. "Troy and Gabriella would each like to say a prayer, so if we could bow our heads and have a few moments of silence..."
Wrapping their arms around each other, Troy rested his cheek on top of Gabriella's head and began to pray. "God, thank You for giving me my beautiful angel Gabriella. Please help me to care for her and any future kids you bless us with, love her until the day I die, and always treat her with the respect she deserves. I pray that our marriage will be a lifelong experience of happiness, and that we'll use our being together to build our faith in You and pass it on to any babies you give to us. In Your name I say this prayer, Amen."
After a pause, Gabriella started to speak. "God, thank You for giving me Troy to be my husband. I'm so grateful for that. I can't even explain in words how grateful I am, so please help me to show him by keeping my vow to love and care for him as long as I live, and to be the best wife I can be. I pray that our marriage will strengthen with every day that goes by and that one day in the future, you'll bless us with children, and give us both the knowledge it takes to raise them. In Your name I say this prayer, Amen."
As Troy and Gabriella finished their prayers, imaginations of what their life would be like now that they were husband and wife filled their minds. However, neither one of them envisioned running a large family of ten kids twenty years into the future.
They were certainly in for a fun, crazy, and wonderful surprise.
I'm on spring break now! I should be updating everything at least once over my break. So, what do you think? They got married on Gabby's birthday just to let you know:) And one thing to tell you: Saturday Zac did a Q&A with his fans on Twitter. But sadly, he ignored everyone with a Zanessa/Troyella icon/username:'( So it was kind of a big disappointment for me since my name on there is troyellaizlove and my icon is the same one I have on here of Vanessa sitting on Zac's lap. But anyway, hope you liked the story! Please review:)
