Disclaimer: I don't own a single darn thing in this story!
A/n: Well, here it is, the wedding! I mentioned at the end of the last chapter that this one might be longer. Well, it's longer all right! In fact, it's much longer than I had anticipated, and now I'm hoping it's not TOO long! I figured that since this chapter is the wedding, it would be all right for it to be longer. Plus, I didn't feel like I could succesfully break it up into two chapters, nor did I really want to. So I hope that you enjoy this rather epic chapter, and I hope I did at least an ok job with it! With that out of the way, I would like to extend a HUGE thanks to the two people who took the time to review the last chapter. It really means a lot to me! As always, I ask that you please keep those reviews coming, as they really inspire me and let me know that I am doing okay with this!
"Good morning, Starshine! The Earth says hello..." Ronnie rolled over and slapped impatiently at the alarm clock, trying to hit the snooze button. "Five more minutes!" she said sleepily. Then, suddenly, she was wide awake as she remembered what day it was. It was her and Willy's wedding day! "Forget the snooze button! I should have gotten up ten minutes ago!" Ronnie thought as she jumped out of bed and switched off the alarm.
"At least I don't have to worry about slipping into the factory without anybody seeing me!" she thought. Ronnie had officially moved into the factory the day before (she had left some of her furniture, such as her bed, at her apartment since she wouldn't need it anymore, but the rest, along with her other belongings, had been transported to the factory via one of the Wonka delivery trucks to avoid suspicion). Since she and Willy both had rather traditional views when it came to co-habiting (let alone sleeping together!) before marriage, however, she had slept in the Strawberry Bedroom.
But for once, she couldn't enjoy what had come to be one of her favorite rooms in the factory. She was too busy pacing frantically around it, mentally going through a list of all the things that needed to be done before the ceremony. Then she made the mistake of looking in the mirror. "Eeek!" she cried at the sight of her reflection. Before she had the chance to get even more frantic, there was a knock on her door. "Who is it?" she called (no way was she about to let just anybody into her room when she was in her pajamas and she looked as though she had just been part of one of Willy's failed candy experiments!).
"It's just me," her mother's soft, comforting voice said (naturally, Sylvia, too, had spent the night at the factory!). "Then come on in," Ronnie said. The door opened and Sylvia walked into her daughter's room. "Breakfast will be ready shortly" she said. "Mom, I couldn't possibly eat anything, considering that my stomach seems to have turned into a butterfly nursery at the moment," Ronnie said. "I know you're nervous, Ronnie, and that's natural. But you need to eat. I don't want you fainting in the middle of the ceremony!" Sylvia insisted. "Oh, great, something else for me to worry about!" Ronnie groaned.
"I didn't mean it that way, and I don't think you will. Just the same, though, you need some food in you," Sylvia said. Ronnie knew there was no arguing with her mother. "Okay, okay! You win! I'll eat something!" Ronnie said, still sounding nervous as all get-out. "Ronnie, relax. It's going to be okay," Sylvia assured her. "Mom, how can I possibly relax? I'm supposed to get married in just a few hours and we have so much time and so little to do!" Ronnie exclaimed. Then she realized her mistake. "Wait. Strike that last part, reverse it," she corrected herself. "Ronnie, we'll get everything done," Sylvia assured her.
"But after breakfast we need to get cleaned up, and then we need to do our hair and nails...and that's going to be quite a task considering I look like the bride of Frankenstein's monster! And wait...did you remember to bring the bouquets when you came yesterday? And then there's..." Ronnie fretted. Sylvia put her hand on her daughter's shoulder to stop her. "Veronica Charlotte Wells, you're going to give yourself a heart attack if you don't take it easy! I promise you we will get everything done that needs to be done before the wedding, and yes, I remembered the bouquets. You know I wouldn't forget something like that. And at this hour of the morning, nobody is going to look that great. It's called having just gotten out of bed. Now take some deep breaths!" Sylvia soothed her daughter.
Ronnie followed her mother's advice, and found that she did feel calmer after having taken the deep breaths. "Thanks, mom. I feel a bit better now," Ronnie said. "Then are you ready to go meet the Buckets and head to breakfast?" Sylvia asked (since the wedding was going to be held in the Chocolate Room and the Oompa Loompas needed to prepare it, the Buckets had gotten out of their way by using the "Hall of Tasty Bedrooms" as Willy called it, as a hotel of sorts the night before. In fact, it was more like a bed and breakfast, since the Oompa Loompas were going to be serving breakfast to them, as well as for Ronnie and Sylvia, in the "Syrupy Sweet Breakfast Nook".).
"Yes, I think so," Ronnie said. Sylvia opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. Instead of following her, Ronnie carefully peaked around the door and looked down both ends of the hallway. "Don't worry, Ronnie, Willy's eating breakfast in his living quarter's this morning, and the Oompa Loompas have given him strict instructions to stay out of this hallway today! They've told him that if he doesn't, he will be banned from the Inventing Room for a day!" Sylvia said, noticing what she was doing (Willy and Ronnie had decided that on this, the day of their wedding, they would not see each other until Ronnie walked down the aisle).
Ronnie couldn't help but laugh. "That definitely ought to keep him out of here!" she chuckled. Just as she stepped into the hallway, two more doors opened. The grandparents stumbled out of the Gumdrop Bedroom, and Mr. and Mrs. Bucket emerged from the Lollipop Bedroom. Mrs. Bucket immediately walked over to the door to the Wonka Bar Bedroom and knocked on it. "Charlie, up and at 'em! It's breakfast time!" she called. Then she turned to Ronnie, Sylvia, and the grandparents. "Good morning! Today is the big day!" she said with a grin.
Ronnie grinned back. "It sure is!" she said. She had been feeling much calmer ever since she had seen Mrs. Bucket come out of her and Mr. Bucket's bedroom. That was because Mrs. Bucket looked even worse than she did! Her brown curls stuck out every which-way, making her look not just a little bit like a mad scientist! Ronnie didn't realize she had been starring until Mrs. Bucket teased, "Don't we look glamorous?" "I'm sorry, Nora, I didn't mean to stare," Ronnie apologized, her cheeks turning pink. "It's all right, Ronnie. I know I'm quite a sight when I first get up!" Mrs. Bucket laughed.
"What are you talking about? The only "sight" you ever are is a sight for sore eyes!" Mr. Bucket insisted. "Awww, James!" Mrs. Bucket crooned. "Well it's true. You're beautiful!" Mr. Bucket insisted. Then he scooped his wife into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. At that moment, Charlie emerged from the Wonka Bar Bedroom. He quickly averted his gaze when he saw what his parents were doing.
"Just how to you expect me to be able to eat breakfast when you do that in front of me?" Charlie asked in disgust. His parents ignored him, lost in their own world. Charlie sighed. "I guess I'd better get used to it, since I'm sure I'm going to be seeing a lot more of that today," he said. Ronnie playfully tousled his hair. "If I have anything to say about it, you definitely will!" she said mischievously. "EWWWW!" Charlie responded. "Come on, let's go eat," Ronnie said.
The minute the group (including Mr. and Mrs. Bucket, who had finished their kissing session) arrived in the breakfast nook, Charlie forgot all about kissing. The table was set with a delicious spread of various breakfast items, including pancakes, waffles, and French toast. And it all smelled so good that Charlie thought he might just pass out! "The Oompa Loompas must have fixed every breakfast food in the factory!" Grandpa Joe remarked as they all sat down.
Ronnie didn't hear him, though. All of her attention was on her place at the table. While the Buckets and Sylvia had a choice of where to sit, Ronnie had been surprised to discover that her place had already been chosen for her. Next to her plate was an eatable strawberry enveloped marked "Starshine". And whereas the Buckets' and her mother's plates were empty and waiting for them to serve themselves, hers already had food on it.
There was a heart-shaped chocolate waffle with strawberry syrup drizzled over it and strawberries (from the Strawberry flavored, Chocolate Coated Fudge room) on top, a candy apple from the Chocolate Room, and a Whipplescrumptious Fudgemallow Delight bar. Next to the plate sat one of Willy's newest inventions: An eatable buttercup filled with a delicious honey and buttermilk tea.
Ronnie felt tears come to her eyes. All of the items on and by her plate were her favorite foods from the factory, except for the chocolate waffle, which was something she'd never had before. She knew immediately that Willy had made her breakfast himself. She carefully opened up the envelope and pulled out a card. It featured a drawing of a very familiar woman sitting by the Chocolate River, surrounded by her favorite candies and drinking a cup of buttermilk tea. A very familiar chocolatier was standing off to the side, looking at her lovingly.
Below the picture were the words, "Chocolate is sweet, buttercups are too..." Then she flipped the card open to reveal the message "...but nothing is sweeter than you!" Underneath that was written, "I can't believe that you are going to my wife in a few hours time, my starshine. I hope you enjoy your breakfast, especially the chocolate waffle that I created just for you". It was signed "Your sweet candy man" ("my sweet candy man" was something that Ronnie often called Willy).
Charlie, who happened to be sitting next to Ronnie, caught a glimpse of the card as Ronnie set it down. "'Your sweet candy man'? Must be one of those mushy love letters. Gross!" he exclaimed. "Charlie, you know better than to snoop like that!" Mrs. Bucket (who was sitting on the other side of Charlie) scolded him. "But I wasn't snooping, mom! I just happened to see it as Ronnie set it down!" Charlie protested. Ronnie slipped the card back into the envelope. "It's all right, Mrs. Bucket. I don't feel that he was snooping," she assured Charlie's mother. Then, her eyes twinkling, she turned to face Charlie. "And to answer your question, Charlie, I WILL say that the card is from Willy," she said.
"I knew it!" Charlie said. Then he began making kissing noises. "Charlie!" Mrs. Bucket warned her son. "If you think he's bad, Mrs. Bucket, you should hear the Oompa Loompas!" Ronnie giggled. Mrs. Bucket just shook her head and decided it was best to change the subject. "So, does everyone have their wedding outfits ready?" she asked. Everyone nodded. "I can't believe Willy is making us guys wear those big bow ties! I realize that neck ties aren't his style, but big bow ties? I'm going to look like a clown!" Charlie protested. "Charlie, you're not going to look like a clown. Our bow ties are bigger than average, but they aren't clown huge, either," Mr. Bucket reminded his son (although Mr. Bucket wasn't going to be in the wedding, he and the grandfathers were going to wear bow ties as well).
"At least all you have to worry about is your bow tie, Charlie. I have to get ready for the wedding AND I have to pack for the honeymoon. I know I should have done that yesterday, but I was a little preoccupied with the rehearsal and moving into the factory and all," Ronnie said. "You know, Willy sure is being mysterious when it comes to your honeymoon. I've asked him several times where you're going, and he always tells me either that it's top secret, or that I really need to stop mumbling," Charlie said. Ronnie smiled at him. She could already tell that she was going to like being around him more. "Charlie, it's not just you he's being mysterious with. He hasn't even told ME where we're going yet. He says it's a surprise. The only clue he's given me as to the location is the stuff he's told me to pack," she said.
"Well, I suppose we'd better start getting ready," Mrs. Bucket said before that particular conversation could go any further (she didn't want Ronnie to feel pestered by Charlie, and since everyone was pretty much done eating, she figured that as good an excuse as any to change the subject). Ronnie looked at her watch. "I'll say! It's ten after nine! The wedding is in less than four hours!" she exclaimed, sounding frantic (the wedding was to begin at one in the afternoon). "Deep breaths Ronnie, deep breaths," Sylvia told her daughter.
With that, the group headed back to the hallway. Mrs. Bucket reached out and hugged Ronnie. "I'll see you down in the Chocolate Room. And don't worry, everything will be fine," she told her. "Thanks, Mrs. Bucket," Ronnie said as she returned the hug. Then Mrs. Bucket disappeared into the Lollipop Bedroom. "Grandpa Joe and I will be along to help you get ready just as soon as we're done getting ready ourselves," Mr. Bucket told Charlie before he did the same.
"Okay, Ronnie, you know the plan. Once you've finished washing up, come into my room and we'll do hair and nails and stuff," Sylvia said. "Okay, mom," Ronnie said nervously as she headed into her room. She was just about to jump into the jacuzzi when she remembered that all of her clothes (except for her pajamas, her bath robe and her wedding dress, shoes, veil and accessories) were in Willy's room (since, after all, that would also be her room after the wedding!). So she quickly wrote a list of what she needed to pack for the honeymoon, called for an Oompa Loompa, gave her (the female Oompa Loompas had agreed to stand by that day in case Ronnie or any of the other women in the wedding needed anything) the list, and asked her to retrieve the items on it (there was no way she was going to risk going to Willy's room herself, since there was too much chance she might see him if she did!). Luckily, the little woman was more than happy to do so.
"Finally, I get to relax for a few minutes!" Ronnie exclaimed as she hopped into the jacuzzi. She didn't think she had ever bathed as thoroughly as she did that day. She scrubbed her body all over until her skin became pink, went through nearly half a bar of soap, and did two cycles of hair washing. Then she drained the jacuzzi, toweled herself off and grabbed her bath robe off the hanger on the door. After making sure the bathroom was cleaned up, she headed across the hall to Sylvia's room (which happened to be the Marshmallow Bedroom). As she did so, she was dismayed to find that the bath had not really relaxed her at all. In fact, she was more nervous than ever.
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Sylvia had just gotten out of the shower (about half of the bathrooms in the "Hall of Tasty Bedrooms" contained jacuzzis, while the other half contained large, walk-in showers. Sylvia's bathroom contained the latter.) and slipped into her robe when her daughter knocked on the door. "She couldn't have timed that better if she tried!" Sylvia thought as she opened the door to allow Ronnie to step inside. She had been intending to make some sort of joke about Ronnie's impeccable timing, but the minute she saw her daughter's face, any thoughts of joking around flew right out of her head. She could tell right away that Ronnie was not in the mood for jokes. "Ronnie, dear, are you all right?" Sylvia asked.
With those six simple words, something inside Ronnie was released, and the emotions she had been struggling to keep in check all morning came pouring out in loud, hard sobs. Sylvia closed the door softly behind her and then wrapped her arms around her daughter. She didn't say anything, but simply held Ronnie close as the younger woman collapsed into her embrace and cried into her shoulder. After several minutes, Ronnie finally managed to find her voice.
"I'm sorry, mom. I am happy about getting married, don't get me wrong, but I'm nervous, too. I mean, in just a short while, my life is going to be changed forever. It's a good change, of course, but I still feel nervous, too. I don't know, I'm just all mixed up!" she said. "Ronnie, you have nothing to apologize for. You have every right to be nervous. Not only that, but as I've told you before, it's perfectly normal for you to be feeling this way right now," Sylvia said soothingly.
"Is this how you felt when you were about to marry dad?" Ronnie asked. Sylvia smiled. "Yes, it was. My mother comforted me just the same as I am doing with you now. And do you know what she told me?" Sylvia told her daughter. "That it was completely normal for you to be nervous?" Ronnie guessed. "Well, yes, but she also told me that although I was nervous right then, all of this was going to be worth it in the end. And it was, because, for one thing, I have you in my life now because of marrying your father. Now I am telling you the same thing, it's going to be worth it in the end. I know you know that, just as my mother knew I knew that. But sometimes it helps to have a little reminder," Sylvia explained as she smiled lovingly at Ronnie.
Ronnie smiled back. "Thanks, mom. I know you're right," she said. "I'm always right," Sylvia teased. Ronnie chuckled. "Usually you are," she agreed. Sylvia chuckled, too. "Now then, should we start getting ready?" she asked. "Definitely," Ronnie replied. With that, Sylvia sat her daughter in a chair, grabbed the home manicure/pedicure kit, and started doing her nails. When that was done, she and Ronnie talked for a bit while Ronnie's nails dried. Then they switched places and Ronnie did Sylvia's nails.
Once Sylvia's nails were dry, the two women put on their dresses, stockings, and shoes. "Ready for me to fix your hair?" Sylvia asked when they were dressed. "What do you have in mind?" Ronnie inquired. "Don't worry, I think you're going to like it," Sylvia said, motioning for Ronnie to follow her into the bathroom. In the bathroom, Sylvia began drying Ronnie's hair with a blow dryer. When Ronnie's hair went from wet to mildly damp, Sylvia turned off the hair dryer and reached for the curling iron that was sitting on the counter. Working carefully, she curled soft waves into her daughter's hair. "I love it!" Ronnie said when her mom had finished.
Sylvia grinned. "I'm not done yet!" she said. She picked up some flowers that she had left sitting in a glass of water on the counter and began sticking them in Ronnie's hair, using bobby pins to hold them in place. "NOW I'm done," she said when she had finished. "You did great, mom!" Ronnie said, grinning at her reflection in the mirror. "I'm glad you like it. Now, let me get that 'something old' I promised you," Sylvia said. While Sylvia was out in the other room, Ronnie put on the earrings Mrs. Bucket had loaned her.
Just as she was finishing up, Sylvia returned, carrying a tiny box in her hands. She opened it up and pulled out a delicate, gold necklace. It was quite pretty, Ronnie thought, with a pendant consisting of two hearts fused together. "This isn't an antique by any means, but it should still qualify as something old, because it was exactly forty years ago today that I received this," Sylvia said, a look of fondness and memory in her eyes. "Who gave it to you?" Ronnie asked, although she already had a hunch. "Your father did, on the day we were married. He said it was a symbol of our love, and that it was a way for him to be close to me always," Sylvia explained, her expression now one of sadness as well as fondness.
"Are you sure you want to give that to me? After all, it's about all you have left of dad," she said. "I'm positive, Ronnie. Not only do I want to give it to you, but I know that your father would want me to give it to you, too. Now you will always have both of us close to you. And as for it being all I have left of him, that's not true. I have a piece of him that's even more special than that necklace...you," Sylvia said as she fastened the necklace around her daughter's neck. "Thank you, mom. I will treasure this always," Ronnie said softly. Then she remembered how her mother had said that it had been exactly 40 years ago that she and received the necklace, and then that Ronnie's father had given it to her on their wedding day. Her eyes went wide with the realization.
"Oh my gosh! Mom, if dad gave this to you on your wedding day, and he gave it you exactly forty years ago, then today is not just my wedding day. It's also what would have been your and dad's 40th wedding anniversary," she said. Sylvia looked at her daughter, her blue eyes teary. "Yes, indeed. I'm not really sure why I didn't tell you before. I guess I never felt like talking about it, and then I didn't want to make you feel sad on your wedding day," she said, so softly that Ronnie could barely hear her.
Ronnie realized now that her mom must be feeling even more emotional than she was. Although this day was obviously a happy one for her, Ronnie knew that it must also be hard for her as well, since the man she had married those forty years earlier was no longer at her side. Not only that, but Ronnie had also realized that since her dad had died while her mother was pregnant with her and she was now 36 years old, her parents had only been married for four years when he passed.
"Oh, mom! I didn't realize how difficult this day must be for you," Ronnie said, embracing her mother. "It is a little hard for me," Sylvia admitted. Then she quickly added, "But don't worry, I'll get through it, and I'm very happy for you." "I love you, mom," Ronnie said. "I love you, too, Ronnie," Sylvia responded. Then, after they had been silent for a few minutes, she said, "If your father were here with us today, I know that he would be beside himself with happiness, and that he would be very proud of you. But I also know that he wouldn't want us to be sad on what should be a happy day."
"I wish I could have known him," Ronnie murmured. "I wish you could have, too. He was so excited that our family was about to grow, and he couldn't wait to meet you," Sylvia said, her voice tinged with both tenderness and sadness. "Speaking of families growing, if Willy and I ever have a daughter, I promise you that I will one day pass this necklace on to her," Ronnie said as she lovingly fingered the necklace her mother had given her.
Sylvia couldn't help but smile. Was it just her imagination, she wondered, or had she detected a hint of broodiness in her daughter's voice? "Sylvia, for heaven's sake, let them get married first!" she scolded herself. Luckily, Ronnie didn't seem to have picked up on what her mother had been thinking. "I supposed we'd better get down to the Chocolate Room soon," she said. Sylvia glanced at the clock on the wall, which read a quarter to one. "Yeah, I should say so," she said, grinning at her daughter.
Within a matter of minutes, they had reached the Chocolate Room (which Ronnie was very grateful for, since she'd spent the entire elevator ride trying to make sure that if there were any mischievous Oompa Loompas looking up at them from the rooms below, they wouldn't get any glimpses of her underwear!). "Dresses and glass elevators don't mix very well, do they?" Sylvia teased her daughter. "No, they definitely don't!" Ronnie chuckled. Then they headed to the area they were to walk into the ceremony from (which had been framed with candy trees and bushes so that Willy couldn't see back there!). Mrs Bucket and Charlie were already there, along with the Oompa Loompa chief and his wife. "Are you ready?" Mrs. Bucket asked. "As I'll ever be," Ronnie replied.
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Willy, meanwhile, was standing at the altar that had been constructed for the occasion. Although he didn't want to admit it, even to himself, he was every bit as nervous as Ronnie had been earlier. He was so nervous, in fact, that he hadn't even noticed when Mr. Bucket and a few of the Oompa Loompas (who were serving as ushers) escorted the grandparents and the remainder of the Oompa Loompa tribe into the ceremony area. Instead, he had been focusing on checking with the Oompa Loompa minister to make sure everything was in order for the ceremony (the minister had assured him several times that it was). Now the minister was busy getting ready to begin the service and couldn't talk any more. So the chocolatier was fiddling with his bow tie instead (which, of course, featured his trademark W monogram!).
While Willy was busy examining his bow tie, one of the Oompa Loompa ushers headed up the aisle and signaled to the minister that the service could begin. The minister gestured back. Willy recognized the gestures as meaning, "Good, I think Mr. Wonka is about to pass out or something!" He couldn't bring himself to scold the minister, though...mostly because what he had spoken was the truth!
Right as the chocolatier was thinking he couldn't take it a second longer, the minister cleared his throat and announced, "Good afternoon. We gather here today to celebrate the marriage of Wilhelm Wonka to Veronica Wells." (the minister, of course, was one of the Oompa Loompas who had learned how to speak English!). After the entrance hymn and a few invocations, the pianist (another Oompa Loompa, of course) began playing the processional music. It was a song the Oompa Loompas had composed (based on how they felt Willy and Ronnie saw the world) especially for the occasion. They had titled it "Pure Imagination".
Willy watched as the Oompa Loompa chief and his wife began walking up the aisle. The chief was wearing a suit similar to what the human males in the wedding party were wearing, while his wife wore a dress similar in color to Mrs. Bucket's (she had originally wanted to wear the traditional tribal dress of the Oompa Loompa women, which was a grass skirt and a bikini-style top made out of cocoa bean pods. Willy and Ronnie had gently explained that an outfit like that wasn't exactly wedding appropriate! So she compromised with a cocoa bean-colored dress.). The chief's wife tossed petals from her cocoa bean pod basket, while her husband carefully carried the cocoa bean pod containing the rings.
When the chief and his wife had almost reached the altar, Mrs. Bucket and Charlie took their turn walking down the aisle. Willy smiled with pride as he looked at his heir. He looked so grown up in his suit and bow tie, Willy thought. Charlie returned the smile as he went to stand next to his mentor. For her part, Mrs. Bucket smiled out at the audience as she took her place next to the chief's wife (Willy couldn't help but think that her smile had probably been aimed at Mr. Bucket!).
Willy was feeling a little more relaxed now, thinking he had everything under control. But nothing could have prepared him for the sight that met his eyes next. There, practically floating down the aisle on her mother's arm, was his bride. Her long hair fell in soft waves over her shoulders, made even more beautiful by the flowers that were stuck in it. Willy realized that he had rarely seen Ronnie with her hair down (she normally wore it pulled back in a ponytail, a leftover of her days at Slugworth's, when pulled-back hair had been a must), and he hoped she would continue to wear it that way often. As if her hair weren't beautiful enough, her lavender dress made her look, Willy thought, simply breath-taking. "She looks like an angel!" he thought.
It was when Ronnie caught Willy's gaze and smiled at him that the chocolatier just about lost it. He felt a lump rise in his throat, and tears sprang to his eyes. "My starshine, my beautiful starshine!" he thought. As Ronnie took her place beside him, he saw that she, too, had tears in her eyes. Ronnie and Willy weren't the only ones, though. Right after Sylvia went and sat down, Willy saw her dig a tissue out of her sleeve and dab at her eyes with it. And to his surprise, even his father (who was sitting next to Sylvia) was looking a little emotional!
With the processional over, Grandpa Joe got up to read the scriptures (he had been so happy when Willy and Ronnie asked them that he had come close to crying himself!). After that was done, the minister preached a short sermon. This was followed by another hymn, and then the moment Willy and Ronnie had been waiting for finally came. They turned toward each other, and then Willy spoke his vows: "I, Wilhelm Walsh Wonka, take you, Veronica Charlotte Wells, to be my wedded wife. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And to you I pledge my faithfulness."
Then it was Ronnie's turn: "I, Veronica Charlotte Wells, take you, Wilhelm Walsh Wonka, to be my wedded husband. To have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness or in health, to love and to cherish 'till death do us part. And to you I pledge my faithfulness".
When Ronnie had finished, the minister turned to Charlie. "May I have the rings, please?" he asked. Charlie smiled and handed him the two aforementioned objects. Then the minister gave one of the rings to Willy. The chocolatier slipped it onto his bride's finger as he said: "Veronica, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you". The minister handed the remaining ring to Ronnie, and as she slipped it onto Willy's finger she said: "Wilhelm, I give you this ring as a symbol of my love and faithfulness to you". After this was done, the minister blessed the marriage, then turned to Willy and said, "You may kiss the bride". With that, Willy swept Ronnie into his arms and gave her the biggest, most passionate kiss he had ever given her. Once the (very long!) kiss was finished, the minister asked them to face the crowd and then said, "I am very pleased to present to you Mr. and Mrs. Wilhelm and Veronica Wonka!"
In response to this, the crowd cheered. After the minister thanked everyone for coming and gave instructions on how to proceed to the part of the Chocolate Room the reception was going to be held in, the recessional music began. For that, Willy and Ronnie had chosen Willy's "Welcome Song". Grinning so hard they thought their cheeks might break, the newlyweds headed down the aisle arm and arm. As the reached the end of the aisle, the last part of the song was played. To their surprise, the entire Oompa Loompa tribe suddenly jumped up and sang the last line of the song, but in a different way than it had originally been penned, "...Mr. and Mrs. Wonka, here they are!"
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Not too much later, everyone was gathered in what had, for the day, been dubbed "The Chocolate Reception Hall". The Oompa Loompas had gone all out transforming an area of the Chocolate Room into a reception hall. There were several long tables, one of which was covered with Willy's and Ronnie's favorite foods. The other tables were decorated with vases of candy flowers, and the entire room was filled with bunches of candy balloons. As if that weren't enough, a banner was stretched above the food table. It read: "Congratulations, Willy and Ronnie!"
After Willy, Ronnie, and their attendants had finished greeting the guests in the receiving line, everyone sat down at the tables and the Oompa Loompa chief (who, like the minister, knew how to speak English) led the group in a table prayer. Then they all got up again and got their food. The meal was a fairly quite one, as all the running around and preparing for the wedding that they had done earlier had made everyone extremely hungry! Because everyone was so focused on their food, the meal ended up being a quick one, too!
When everyone had finished eating, the chief got up once again and stood before the group (on a stool, naturally, so he could be seen!). "I know it is not usually customary for the Ring Bearer to give a toast, but since I am the chief of the tribe who works for the groom, I felt that I should," he began. He went on to talk about how happy he was for Willy and Ronnie, and how much the Oompa Loompa tribe was going to like having Ronnie around. He also spoke about how much the Oompa Loompa tribe appreciated Willy, and how honored they were to be part of his special day. He finished by saying, "On behalf of the entire Oompa Loompa tribe, I would like to present a gift to the newlyweds. But it is far to big for anyone to care. So I ask that everyone follow me down to the Chocolate River at this time."
Willy and Ronnie exchanged glances as they followed everyone to the river, wondering what this gift from the Oompa Loompa tribe was. "It's wonderful!" Ronnie exclaimed when they reached the riverbank and she saw the gift. It was a much smaller version of the pink candy boat. This one was purple, had only one set of oars and was clearly meant for just two people. Ronnie also couldn't help but notice that her and Willy's suitcases were sitting in it. Obviously the Oompa Loompas meant for them to use the boat as a way to sneak out of the Chocolate Room when they were ready to leave for their honeymoon."We thought you'd enjoy being able to go boating without us have to accompany you now that you're married," the chief said. "We definitely will enjoy it. Thank you," Willy told him.
The chief grinned mischievously at him. "We made it so that the oars can be operated with the push of a few buttons rather than manually. That way, you'll be free to really enjoy yourselves," he said. Willy knew exactly what the chief meant and had to fight to keep himself from blushing. "You're not thinking dirty thoughts in that little noggin of yours, are you?" he asked. The chief looked innocently at the Chocolatier. "Of course not, Mr. Wonka. Why ever would you think that?" he asked. Willy just shook his head as the group headed back to the Chocolate Reception room.
Once everyone was seated again, Mrs. Bucket got up and gave a toast. She talked about how wonderful it had been to watch Willy and Ronnie's relationship unfold and blossom, how happy she was to seem them now as husband and wife, and that she hoped they would be as happy together as she and Mr. Bucket were. Then Charlie got up and took his turn doing a toast. He spoke of how much his mentor meant to him, and how pleased it made him to see him so happy. He also mentioned how much he liked Ronnie. Then he admitted how he had been afraid at first that Willy and Ronnie's marriage would mean his relationship with Willy would change. He explained that he realized now that it wouldn't, and he was very happy to welcome Ronnie to the family (needless to say, Ronnie and Willy were both a bit teary-eyed by the time he was finished!).
Ronnie and Willy had figured that, once Charlie had sat down, the chief would announce it was time for the wedding cake to be cut. But that didn't happen. Instead, to their great surprise, Sylvia got up and walked to the front of the room. Then she cleared her throat and said, "I realize that, just as it's not customary for the Ring Bearer to give a toast, it's not customary for the mother of the bride to give a toast, either. However, I would like to say a few words to my daughter and to my new son-in-law."
She paused a moment, then continued, "Ronnie, you have no idea how special this day has been for me. It seems like just yesterday that the doctor was telling me that I had a beautiful baby girl, and now here it is your wedding day. And Willy, I am very proud to have you as my son-in-law. For years I did not know just what type of man I wanted for my daughter. But when I met you on Easter Sunday, I knew immediately that I was looking at him. I know that my daughter is going to be very happy with you, and you with her."
After another pause, she spoke to Ronnie once again, "My darling daughter, I don't think it's possible for a person to be feeling more pride than I am now. I love you with all my heart, and I want you to know that, even though he never met you, your father loved you with all his heart, too. He was hoping for a baby girl more than anything, and I know that if he were here today..." Sylvia stopped as a lump the size of Texas lodged in her throat, and tears fell onto her cheeks. "Great, just what I wanted, to cry in front of everyone!" she thought.
Just then, Ronnie got up and headed over to her mother. She hugged Sylvia, looked her straight in the eye and said, "Thank you, mom, thank you for everything." Sylvia returned the embrace, her eyes now resembling Niagara falls. "Thank you, too. I love you," she said. Ronnie stayed by her mom's side until her tears subsided (which, much to Sylvia's relief, didn't take more than a few minutes!). Then they returned to their seats and the chief got up yet again (with Ronnie signaling to the group that everything was all right and not to worry).
"If the bride ad groom are ready, we will now have the cake-cutting," he said. Willy and Ronnie signaled that they were, then headed to the food table. A group of Oompa Loompas wheeled out a smaller, square-shaped table covered with the most delicious-looking cake the newlyweds had ever seen. Laying next to it was a small card that read, "Created especially for Willy and Ronnie by Sylvia Wells of Scrumptious Creations by Sylvia". "Oh, mom! Thank you!" Ronnie exclaimed. Sylvia beamed. "Surprise!" she said.
"Ready?" Willy asked his bride, his purple eyes twinkling. "You bet!" Ronnie said with a grin. Together, the bride and groom picked up the cake-cutter and cut the cake. With the ceremonial deed done, Willy wasted no time. He picked up a fork, speared a piece of the wedding cake, and inserted it into his wife's waiting mouth. Grinning, Ronnie took the fork from her husband and returned the gesture.
WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Later, after everyone had eaten their share of cake, the Oompa Loompas removed the tables and cleared away the food. The chief, who was now dressed in DJ attire, went to the front of the room and asked into the microphone he was carrying, "Who's ready to dance?" "I am!" everyone else chorused. "In that case, it's time for the first dance!" the chief announced. "Okay, but I have to do one thing first," Ronnie said. Without waiting for the chief to respond, she tossed her bouquet over her shoulder. All of the Oompa Loompa women who were single jumped for it. One of them grabbed for it, but missed and end up batting at it instead. It flew straight over the Oompa Loompas' heads...and to everyone's great surprise, landed directly in Sylvia's arms!
Ronnie couldn't be sure, but she thought she saw her mom look shyly at Dr. Wonka. She didn't have much time to ponder that, though...because the song for the first dance had started playing, and she soon found herself swept into her husband's arms. Then his lips captured hers, and she instantly forgot about everything and everyone else.
A/n: I hope that you enjoyed reading about the wedding as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'd like to explain a few things that were in this chapter, and I also have a little announcement as to the completion of this story. But first the explanations! You've probably noticed that even though this story is based on the 2005 film, there are some things in this chapter that are from the 1971 film. Although the 2005 film is my favorite, I like the 1971 one a lot, too (with one of my favorite moments being when Willy sings "Pure Imagination"). And although the Willy Wonka in my story is based on the Willy Wonka from the 2005 film, I like the Willy Wonka from the 1971 film as well. I've always been one of the rare people who has never thought that one Willy was better than the other. I like them both (and for what it's worth, I think that both actors did an equally great job!)! So that's why there is some '71 movieverse stuff in this chapter!
With that out of the way, I also feel I should clear up any confusion (no pun intended!) about Sylvia and Dr. Wonka and what their relationship is. At this point in time, they are just friends. Good friends, but just friends. But could they eventually become something more? That's basically what I've been playing at in this story. So in plain English, they are just friends, but there might be potential for that friendship to turn into something more at some point.
Now, to my announcement about the completion of this story! As you know, I had planned for this to be the last chapter. However, at the time I had NOT planned for this chapter to turn out as long as it did! So this will be the last regular chapter, but there will be an epilogue. I promise it won't be the novel that this chapter was. In fact, I'm planning for it to be rather short, actually. Also, just to give fair warning, this story will finally live up to its rating a bit in the epilogue. It'll probably still be on the tame side for an M rated fic, but it won't be as innocent as most of the rest of this story, either! Also, I will be posting another announcement with the epilogue! :)