Wedding Bell Bliss

Luke stood in the middle of the room wearing his tuxedo pants with his shirt hanging open over his undershirt, struggling to thread the cuff links Rory gave him for Christmas through the openings on his right cuff with his left hand. Jackson sat on the bed waiting, while Jess was in the bathroom going through what amounted to a thirty minute grooming ritual. Richard knocked on the door and entered when Jackson answered, "Come in, we're decent."

Luke smirked as he continued to fumble with his cuffs and said, "That didn't sound good."

Richard smiled and took the cufflink from Luke's nervous fingers and easily secured it. "There you go," he said cheerfully. "How's it going in here?" he asked, clapping his hands together.

"It would be going faster if I could get into the bathroom," Luke said loudly.

"Wanna stare at your smooth as a baby's bottom pretty face?" Jess called back.

"Yes, damn it," Luke grumbled. "No one's gonna be looking at you," he called through the door.

Jess swung the door open and stepped into the room, fully dressed. "Way to pump up a guy's ego, Uncle Luke," he said with a grin.

"Get out of my way, Nephew Jess," Luke grumbled as he stood in front of the mirror and tried to affix the studs to his shirt.

Richard appraised Jackson and Jess as they stood ready to go and said, "Gentlemen, the ladies don't stand a chance." He watched Luke for a moment and said, "It's easier if you put them in before you put it on."

"Now he tells me," Luke muttered. "The cuffs are already done, so I'll just have to tough it out," he said gruffly.

Richard smiled and said, "Take it easy, you have plenty of time." He looked over at Jess and Jackson, and motioned toward the door.

"Uh, I'm going to go peek into the kitchen in case Sookie hasn't had a chance to," Jackson stammered as he quickly left the room.

Jess stood behind Luke and said, "I'm gonna hang out downstairs so I don't get what little grey matter you have left all over me when your head explodes," he said with a smirk and a gentle pat on Luke's shoulder.

"Nice, I'll remember that," Luke growled.

When Jess left the room, Richard called, "Come here."

"I'll get 'em," Luke said as he poked the bottom stud through.

"Luke, please come here," Richard said patiently.

When Luke walked into the room, Richard handed him a box and said, "Don't open it yet." He smiled and said, "After our talk today, I remembered how much I missed having my father with me on my wedding day."

Trying not to get overly emotional again, Luke looked at him and asked, "You're not gonna give me 'the talk' are you? I think you might be about twenty years too late," he joked.

Richard chuckled. "I asked a friend of mine to stop by the house to pick these up for me," he said tapping the box. "They're no family heirloom or anything like that, but they're a nice set," Richard said with a shrug. He gestured for Luke to open the box. When Luke saw the set of onyx tuxedo studs and cuff links, he looked at Richard questioningly. The older man smiled and said, "Much better than those cheap things they give you with the rental."

"Uh, wow, thanks Richard," Luke said as he lifted one from the box. "This is very nice of you, but I, um, don't wear tuxedos very often," he said awkwardly.

Richard laughed and said gently, "Then you'll save them for my Grandson's wedding day."

Luke studied Lorelai's father as he swallowed thickly and said, "Thank you," in a gruff voice.

"Do you need me to help?" Richard asked.

Luke chuckled and said, "I think I should be able to dress myself."

"Good, well, I'll just keep you company," he said as he settled into a chair. He looked up and asked, "Unless, you'd rather be alone?"

"No, no, you're fine," Luke said as he took out the rental studs and started putting Richard's in and buttoned his shirt. When he finished, he turned and asked, "Did I get 'em all?"

"Yes," Richard answered as he pulled his trusty flask out of his tuxedo pocket. "That calls for a celebration," he said with a wide smile.

Luke held up his hand and said, "Oh no, thank you. I'm good."

Richard chuckled and said, "You don't get a drink, son, you get a sip. I, however, get a drink." He retrieved two glasses from the side table and poured a splash for Luke, and a slug for himself. He handed Luke the glass with the dribble of whisky in the bottom and said, "Sip it," as he sat back down.

Luke did as he was told, and found that he welcomed the warmth coursing down his throat. He smiled and said, "Thanks." He went back to dressing, attaching his cummerbund and threading the tie around his collar. He attempted to keep his voice casual as he asked, "Have you seen the girls yet?"

Richard said, "Only Emily." He chuckled and said, "I was told to come over here and keep you company while they finished getting ready, but not to go too far, because we are taking pictures soon."

"I see," Luke said as he shrugged into his jacket and fastened the buttons. He tugged at the bottom and asked, "Well, will I do?"

Just then, Rory tapped on the door and called, "Grandpa? You ready?"

"Coming," Richard called as he stood and downed the rest of his drink. He held out his hand to Luke and said, "You'll do very well, son."

Luke shook Richard's hand and said, "Thank you, Richard, for everything."

"Not at all," Richard said with a smile. He cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry that your father isn't here, but if he were, I'm sure he'd tell you the same thing. You're a good man, Luke, and you will make an excellent husband and father."

"Thank you," Luke said quietly. He smiled and cleared his own throat before saying, "You'd better go. They're waiting for you. I'll be downstairs."

Richard poked his head into the hall and said, "All clear. See you down there." He watched Luke go down the steps before he hurried two doors down to room number 18 and tapped at the door. "It's me," he called.

When Richard stepped into the room, he found it a complete shambles. Hair and makeup products were scattered over every surface. He looked at Rory and Sookie in their deep red dresses and smiled. "You both look lovely," he said sincerely.

"Thanks Grandpa," Rory said, kissing his cheek.

"Thank you," Sookie said as she dimpled up.

"And, what am I, chopped liver?" Emily demanded as she walked out of the bathroom area.

Richard's face creased into a grin as he kissed her cheek and said, "You, my dear, are radiant."

"Thank you," Emily simpered. "Are you ready for this?" she asked.

"Ready as I'll ever be," he said, straightening his tie.

Lorelai stepped into the doorway and said, "Hi Dad."

Richard's jaw dropped when he saw her. Tears sprung to his eyes, and for a moment he saw a little girl with dark curls and a ruffled pink party dress. He stood mute for a moment as he blinked back the tears and whispered, "Oh, Lorelai," in an awed voice.

"Thank you, Daddy," she whispered as she flushed with pleasure.

He stepped quickly over to her and said, "Stunning. You are simply stunning. You give your mother a run for her money, but I will admit, I'm a little biased," he said with a smile. He tentatively reached out and almost touched the tiara atop her dark curls, but caught himself. He shared a warm look with Emily as he took Lorelai's hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. "Where are we taking the pictures?" he asked.

"Room 31," Rory answered. "The Honeymoon Suite," she said teasingly as they began to leave.

Richard led Lorelai to the door and paused to check the hallway before escorting her out of the room. The photographer was set up, and quickly put them through their paces. When they finished, Richard left with him, to go downstairs while he shot photos of the groomsmen. A moment later, Mia tapped at the door and called, "Champagne, anyone?"

"Come in!" Lorelai called back.

"Help!" she called back as she waited for someone to answer the door.

Rory hopped up to open it and stood back as Mia swept in with a tray holding a bottle of champagne and five flutes. "Oh, ladies, you look beautiful," she said to Rory, Sookie and Emily as she placed the tray on a table and turned toward Lorelai. "But you, look at you!" she said as she held a trembling hand to her mouth.

"Isn't she lovely," Emily asked gently.

"Isn't she beau-ti-ful," Rory sang out in a warble, trying to ease the emotions filling the room.

"Yes, you are both," Mia told her as she shot Rory an affectionate glance. "A toast!" she cried as she picked up the already opened bottle and poured the wine into five flutes. When they all held glasses, Mia asked, "Maid of Honor?"

Rory shook her head. "I'm doing the reception toast. The Matron of Honor can handle this one," she said as she looked at Sookie.

Sookie smiled and shrugged slightly as she said, "To love!"

"To love," they echoed before the sipped at the wine.

"Yum," Lorelai said, but then she set her glass aside.

Emily looked at her and asked, "Nervous stomach?"

Lorelai nodded and said, "Butterflies."

They chatted among themselves as Lorelai anxiously paced the room. Finally, Mia looked over and said, "You should see your fiancée."

"Is he scared?" Lorelai asked.

Mia laughed and said, "Scared? No." She shook her head and said, "Antsy, determined, ready to get this show on the road, yes." When Lorelai turned to gaze out the window, Mia fanned her hand in front of her face, rolled her eyes and whispered, "Gorgeous," to the girls, making them giggle.

"What was that?" Lorelai asked, turning back to them with a smile.

"I was telling them how nice Luke looked in his tuxedo," Mia said with an innocent smile.

Lorelai grinned and said, "I'll bet he looks hot."

"You'd be a winner," Mia said with a laugh. She glanced over at the clock and said, "Only fifteen minutes, I should get back down there." She stood and walked over to take Lorelai's hands in hers. "I'm so happy for you both," she whispered, choked up.

"Thank you for everything," Lorelai said sincerely.

Mia waved her away and said, "I'll see you all down there," as she dashed from the room.

A minute later, Emily polished off her champagne and stood up, reluctant to leave. "I'd better get down there, too," she said.

Lorelai walked over to her mother and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Mom," she said softly.

Emily pressed her lips together and then said, "You are a beautiful bride, Lorelai."

Lorelai looked at her mother tenderly and said, "I love you, Mom."

Emily pressed her hand to her lips to hold back her tears. She blinked rapidly and whispered, "I love you too, Lorelai." Emily blinked rapidly. "I have to go before I ruin my make up," she said quickly, flashing a watery smile before she fled from the room.

Lorelai took a deep breath before turning back to Sookie and Rory. She smiled tremulously and joked, "I suppose you're wondering why I called you here." She milled restlessly around the room, stopping in front of the mirror to adjust the fur stole she wore around her shoulders as they waited in nervous silence.

A few minutes later, Richard stepped back into the room and asked, "Are we ready?"

Lorelai asked, "Dad, Sook, can I have a minute with Rory, please?"

"Sure, honey," Sookie said hugging her friend quickly. "I'll see you down there."

When they closed the door behind them, Lorelai turned to Rory and said, "Well kid, here goes nothing."

Rory smiled and kissed her mother. "Here comes everything," she retorted with a grin.

Lorelai hugged Rory close to her and whispered, "You were my first love."

Rory squeezed her back and said, "You're mine too." She pulled back and asked, "You ready?"

"Yep," Lorelai answered with a huge smile.

"Well then, let's go bag me a step-daddy," Rory said, hooking her arm through her mother's and leading her to the door.

Lorelai laughed and said, "You know that's the only reason I'm doing this, right?"

Rory laughed as she opened the door. "Then get in there and seal the deal, Missy," she commanded. She kissed Lorelai's cheek and then dashed away, leaving Lorelai alone with Richard in the hallway.

Lorelai turned to her father with a worried expression and asked, "Is he really okay?"

"He's excited, ecstatic," Richard replied confidently. "He's also waiting not so patiently for you. Shall we?" he asked as he offered her his arm.

Lorelai winked at him broadly and said, "Let's shall," as she placed her hand on his arm.

As they walked down the stairs, Lorelai could hear the strains music from the quartet Emily had hired, and admired the greenery strung with tiny white lights draping the stairway and lobby. The doors to the parlor and the dining room beyond were closed as Rory and Sookie watched her descend slowly on Richard's arm.

When they reached the bottom, they lined up to the side of the entryway and Rory handed Lorelai the bouquet of red roses. "Here we go," Lorelai muttered under her breath as the music changed to Pachabel's Canon in D, and Mia opened the doors. Sookie and Rory stepped into the parlor and walked slowly toward the chuppah at the end of the dining room. Once they had reached the front, Mia nodded, and Richard led Lorelai to the entryway.

Lorelai gasped softly when she caught a glimpse of the room in full décor. There were potted evergreens cut into six foot spirals and twinkling with lights lining the edges of the room. The chairs were draped in white, with crimson swags tied in a bow at the back. A carpet of snow white rose petals pooled along the chairs marked her aisle, which was lit with white taper candles in tall silver candelabras. The chuppah was twined with evergreen roping, and snow white roses with deep red satin ribbons woven through it. "Oh Dad," she sighed happily.

Richard patted her hand and said, "Your mother wanted you to have your winter wonderland."

The wedding march began, and the guests stood and turned to watch Lorelai make her entrance. As Richard led her through the parlor and to the rear of the dining room, Lorelai tried in vain to catch a glimpse of Luke. Finally, when they reached the foot of the aisle, he paused for a moment, allowing Lorelai to drink it in.

She looked toward the chuppah and found Luke staring at her with a stunned expression. Her soft smile blossomed, and spread to light her eyes when she saw him. Their eyes locked, and the same smile spread over Luke's face as his shoulders relaxed and he stood straight and proud, watching her come to him. As Richard and Lorelai neared, Luke was unable to stop himself as he stepped forward to meet them, his dark blue gazed fixed on her radiant face.

The music stopped, the guests took their seats, and Reverend Skinner spoke. "Dear friends, what a joyous day this is," he said unable to contain the grin he was wearing. "Today, we celebrate the joining of two lives. Today, we bear witness to a great love. How lucky we are to be a part of it," he said gently. "Who gives this woman to be wed?" he asked.

Richard voice rang out clearly in the room as he answered, "Her daughter, her mother and I do." He leaned over to kiss Lorelai's cheek, and then he turned to Luke and shook his hand before placing Lorelai's hand on Luke's arm and backing away to join Emily. While Lorelai and Luke stepped under the chuppah to face the Reverend, Richard took his seat and reached blindly for Emily's hand. He glanced over to see that she was already crying softly into her handkerchief, and squeezed her hand gently as he focused his attention on the ceremony.

Reverend Skinner smiled at his two friends and said to the assembled guests, "This is a day we have all been waiting on for quite some time," drawing chuckles from the crowd. He smiled with a twinkle in his eye, gestured to his good friend, Rabbi Barans, and said, "When I told David about this beautiful chuppah that Luke had carved out of love for Lorelai, he challenged me to an arm wrestling match to see who should be blessed enough to perform this ceremony." He smiled as he winked at Lorelai and told the guests, "He's not wearing his sling out of vanity."

When the laughter died away, he took a breath and spoke clearly as he said, "Beloved friends and family, we are gathered today to join this man and this woman in the sacred bonds of matrimony. Lorelai, Luke would you please join hands?" he asked.

As Lorelai turned to hand her bouquet to Rory, she saw the tears shimmering in her daughter's eyes, and automatically pulled a goofy face to make her laugh. As Rory reached for the bouquet, Lorelai saw Luke's wedding band crooked tightly on Rory's thumb and her heart jumped with excitement. Her daughter winked and whispered, "Do as you're told." She turned back to Luke with laughter dancing in her eyes, and placed her hands in his.

Lorelai gazed up at Luke adoringly as the Reverend continued. "Luke, do you take Lorelai to be your lawful wedded wife, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish her from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto her for as long as you both shall live?" he asked solemnly.

"I do," Luke answered clearly, earning a broad smile from his bride.

Luke grinned back at her as the Reverend asked, "Lorelai, do you take Luke to be your lawful wedded husband, to live in the holy estate of matrimony? Will you love, honor, comfort, and cherish him from this day forward, forsaking all others, keeping only unto him for as long as you both shall live?"

"I do," she answered enthusiastically.

Reverend Skinner said, "Luke, please repeat after me," as he led Luke through the vows.

Luke drew a deep breath and repeated his vows confidently, having long since memorized every word. "I, Lucas Danes, take you, Lorelai Gilmore, to be my wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, 'til death do us part."

Reverend Skinner turned to Lorelai and said, "And, Lorelai, please repeat after me."

Lorelai's eyes shimmered as she said, "I, Lorelai Gilmore, take you, Lucas Danes, to be my husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love, honor, and cherish, 'til death do us part."

Reverend Skinner smiled at Rory and Jess and asked, "Do you have the rings?" He took the rings and held them up for all to see. "Heavenly Father," he prayed. "We ask you to bless these rings as a symbol of your children's love and devotion to You and to one another." He smiled as he handed the smaller ring to Luke and said, "Please repeat after me," as he led Luke through the ring ceremony.

As he slid the band onto Lorelai's finger, Luke said, "Lorelai, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you."

As Reverend Skinner handed Luke's ring to Lorelai, she winked and whispered, "I've got this one," causing him to chuckle. She turned to Luke and slid the ring onto his finger saying, "Luke, I give you this ring as a symbol of my vow, and with all that I am and all that I have, I honor you."

As Luke and Lorelai beamed at one another Reverend Skinner proclaimed, "In the eyes of our Lord, and by the power vested in me by the State of Connecticut, I now pronounce you husband and wife." He leaned forward, flashed them a huge smile and said happily, "Luke, you may now, finally, kiss your bride."

Luke's hand grazed Lorelai's cheek as he pulled her to him, his fingers splayed gently on her jaw as he kissed her slow and tenderly. When they broke apart, pressed his forehead to hers and whispered, "I'll do better later."

"That was perfect," she said with a smile, lost in their little world.

They jerked apart, blushing when the Reverend cleared his throat meaningfully. Rory stepped forward to give Lorelai her bouquet, as they turned to face their families and friends. "Ladies and Gentlemen," Reverend Skinner called to the guests, "it is my great pleasure to introduce to you Mr. and Mrs. Luke Danes."

Luke and Lorelai stood beaming for the camera flashes as the quartet began to play the recessional. Lorelai took Luke's arm and walked quickly back down the aisle smiling and greeting friends as they went. Once they reached the parlor, a grinning Mia ushered them through the doors to the lobby and said, "Take a moment, I'll get you when it's time for pictures," as she closed the doors behind them.

Once they stood in alone in the lobby, Lorelai looked up at Luke and said, "Hello, my husband."

"Hello, my wife," he answered softly. "You look," he said shaking his head. "There are no words," he whispered.

Lorelai reached up to stroke his smooth cheek and said, "You are beautiful. I know that you hate the word, but when I saw you standing there waiting for me, that's all I could think. I have never seen anything more beautiful in my life."

Luke smiled and turned his head to kiss her palm. "Look in a mirror," he said gruffly.

"You'd better kiss me," she said softly.

"I'm afraid to touch you," he whispered.

"Get over it," she demanded as she pressed up against him.

Luke reached to gently stroke one of her curls and said, "Yes, ma'am. Getting over it, ma'am," as he bent his head and kissed her passionately.

"Oh, I missed you so much," she whispered in his ear as he held her tightly. "Thank you for the snow."

Luke chuckled and said, "Glad you liked it." He squeezed her tighter and said, "I missed you too."

Lorelai pulled back to look at him and stroked his hair gently as she asked, "What happened to you today?"

Luke shook his head and said, "I'll tell you all about it later."

Lorelai smiled and said, "You'd better tell me now, 'cause if I get you up to that room later, your chance at an annulment will go flying out the window."

"There will be no annulment," he said firmly. "It was not about you or marrying you. I just got a little worked up, and worried that something would go wrong. I think you know how that goes," he teased gently.

"Oh yeah," she said with a grin.

"Your Dad talked me down. He got me out of the apartment. Got me out of my head," he said ruefully.

"I'm sorry you had such a hard day," she told him.

Luke smiled and said, "I'm much better now, Mrs. Danes." He laughed and said, "Actually, I was better by the time he came to get me, but it was good to spend the day with him." He playfully rubbed his cheek against hers and said, "Your Dad had me shaved." Lorelai waggled her eyebrows at him naughtily and giggled, causing Luke to shake his head and say, "Dirty girl!"

She lifted his hand to her lips and said, "You love it."

"I do," he admitted.

"That's a good line for you," she quipped.

"I'll use it often," he promised with a smile.

Lorelai kissed his wedding ring and asked, "Does it feel weird?"

"What, the ring?" he asked.

"Yeah," she answered.

He shook his head and said, "Feels right," as they both gazed at his ring.

Lorelai cocked her head to the side as she looked at his hand and asked, "Did you get a manicure?"

Luke flushed a deep red and said, "No! I just had this girl, you know, clean up my nails and stuff for the pictures."

Lorelai grinned and asked, "Did she soak them in little bowls before she trimmed them up and fixed your cuticles?"

"Yes," he admitted.

"Did she work on your calluses and rub lotion into them?" she asked.

"Yes," he said softly.

"Oh. My. God!" she said as she convulsed with laughter. "You got a manicure!"

"It was not a manicure," he insisted.

"How was it not a manicure?" she asked, holding his hand tightly as he tried to pull it away.

"There was no buffing, no polishing," he said indignantly.

"I married a metrosexual," she said with a grin.

"Lorelai," he growled.

"Luke," she crooned back at him.

"That annulment is looking better and better," he muttered.

"I adore your soft, smooth face and your pretty, pretty hands," she said as she pressed kisses to his knuckles.

"I just wanted to look nice for you," he said quietly.

"You look gorgeous," she said sincerely. She smiled and added, "Good enough to eat," as she acted like she was going to take a bite out of his neck.

"Hey, hey!" he said shying away. "Your mother will kill us if you mess me up before they take the pictures," he told her.

"That's right, she will," Emily said from the doorway. "Now stop acting like children and get in here so we can get these pictures over with," she said as she spun on her heel.

"Busted," Lorelai whispered with a grin.

Backing toward the parlor, Luke grinned back as he pulled on her hand and said, "Come, wife."

"Yes, Neanderthal-Man-with-Manicure," she said trotting after him.

They took what seemed like thirty two thousand pictures in every conceivable configuration of couples, family and wedding party. After the ceremony, the staff had thrown open the French doors behind the chuppah and ushered the guests into the marquee. They were now busy clearing the dining room for a dance floor and bustling around to set up the area for Lane to dee jay, a bar and placing small bistro tables and chairs around the edge of the room. As the seemingly endless photo session continued, they could hear sporadic bursts of laughter from the party, and it was making Lorelai antsy. "Can we go yet?" she whined softly as she was arranged for yet another shot.

"Stop whining, it makes it take longer," Luke hissed.

"Hey, make sure you get a good shot of Luke's hands," she called to the photographer with an evil grin.

"Just a few more," Emily assured them for the fortieth time.

"My cheeks hurt," Luke grumbled as they changed poses again.

"Mine too," Lorelai said with a pout.

Emily spied Mia supervising the work in the dining room and called, "Mia! We need you."

"Yes?" Mia asked as she walked into the parlor.

"It's time take your pictures," Emily said, propelling Mia toward Luke and Lorelai.

After those photos were taken, Emily snapped her fingers and called to Luke's sister, "Liz, Liz, we need a picture of you and Luke together."

As they posed, Lorelai gazed out at the moonlight shining on her snow and sighed. When she heard the photographer say that they had taken all he needed for now, she turned back to Luke with an excited smile and called, "Wait!" She hurried over to the photographer. "Can we take a few out there?" she asked gesturing to the lawn.

"What?" Luke asked annoyed at the thought of more posing.

"It's twenty eight degrees out, you'll freeze," Emily said dismissively.

Lorelai turned to Luke and said, "Please, Luke, please. I want a wedding picture of us in our wedding snow," she begged as she tugged on his hand.

Luke frowned and gnawed his cheek doubtfully as Emily said, "You'll ruin your gown, dragging it through the snow and slush."

Luke gave in when he saw Lorelai's face fall. He looked around helplessly trying to figure out a way to make it happen. Rory jumped up and said, "Hang on!" as she dashed from the room. She reappeared a minute later holding a white bed sheet. She grinned at her mother and said, "We can spread this out on the lawn. If you lift your dress up while you cross the drive, we'll put this right on the edge, then you can step on it and move to the back of the sheet. It's white, so it will look like snow!" she explained her plan excitedly. She looked at the photographer and asked, "Would that work?"

He nodded and said, "It probably wouldn't be in the shot anyway. Light's good. Clear sky, full moon," he said with a nod.

Lorelai clapped her hands and said, "Our daughter is a genius!"

Luke smiled at the inclusion and said, "Yes, she is." He looked over and Jess, Jackson and TJ all stood up to help. Luke turned back to Lorelai and said, "You stay here until its all set up, okay?"

Lorelai bounced excitedly and said, "Hurry! Thank you! Thank you!" as the men went to find their coats.

Sookie said, "Well, I don't know about anyone else, but I need a drink."

"I'm with you," Liz said as they wandered in the direction of the bar.

Emily shook her head slowly and murmured, "Heaven and Earth."

"What does that mean?" Lorelai asked as she sank down on a couch between Emily and Trix.

"What she means, dear," Trix answered for Emily, "is that that man would move Heaven and Earth just to make you happy. Am I right, Emily?" she asked imperiously.

"Yes, Mom, you are," Emily confirmed.

"He would," Lorelai murmured. "But, you see, he gave me this snow as a wedding present," she tried to explain.

Seeing their confusion, Rory chimed in and said, "It's true. He told me this morning that he ordered it just for her."

"Of course," Emily said with a smile curving her lips.

Lorelai smiled at them and said, "You don't have to wait. You guys go on in and enjoy the party, we'll be there soon."

Richard walked over and offered his hand to his mother, and helped her to her feet. "Come on Trix, I'll get you a cocktail," he said as he sent Emily a sly wink.

Emily gave a tired sigh as she sank back into the cushions. Rory took Trix's spot on the couch and the three Gilmore women smiled at each other softly, alone in the room. They didn't hear the soft click and whir coming from the dining room. "Everything was perfect, Mom," Lorelai said softly, patting Emily's hand.

"It was lovely, wasn't it?" Emily asked, pleased.

"The lights, the candles," Lorelai said with a smile. "A winter wonderland."

"Wait until you see the inside of the tent," Emily said smugly.

"Mom, you did too much," Lorelai said with a smile.

"You're my only daughter," Emily said with a shrug.

Luke appeared in the doorway, and Lorelai had to laugh when she saw his fatigue jacket buttoned over his tuxedo. "Nice look, Spanky," she complimented.

He held up his overcoat and said, "Mrs. Danes?"

"Coming," she said as she launched herself from the couch.

"We'll watch from here," Emily called after her, turning toward the window.

Jess, Jackson and T.J. came in shivering and shaking their heads as she slipped her arms into Luke's coat and held it closed over her gown. Luke batted her hands away and buttoned the coat saying, "You'll have to lift your skirt up as you walk."

"Good thinkin' Mister," she said happily.

Luke looked at her sternly and said, "You have to keep it on until we're ready to shoot, okay."

"Okay, let's go," she said tugging at his arm.

As they walked through the door, Luke stopped and said, "Crap, we'll need someone to hold our coats."

Jess sighed and said, "Wave when you're ready."

Lorelai grinned over her shoulder and said, "You're the best Best Man ever!"

They went outside, Luke holding Lorelai's arm firmly as she lifted her skirt and stepped carefully across the drive and onto the sheet. When they were in position, the photographer told them what poses he wanted, and Luke waved to the window to summon Jess. Lorelai shed Luke's coat and adjusted her stole. "Look okay?" she asked.

Luke looked back at her after handing Jess his coat and felt a rush of warmth through his entire body. He stared at her standing in the moonlight, surrounded by snow, wearing her tiara and gown, wrapped in her fur stole and said, "You look like a snow princess."

Lorelai nodded. "Exactly what I was going for," she said with a cheeky grin.

They quickly posed for a few shots, and the photographer seemed satisfied. He scurried back into the warm inn as Luke looked down at his bride and whispered, "I love you, Crazy Lady."

"Back atcha, Burger Boy," Lorelai replied at she wound her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a passionate kiss.

On the porch, Jess groaned and turned away, still holding their coats. In the window, Emily and Rory sighed at the sight. And, near the bushes surrounding the porch, a shutter clicked and whirred.

"Got it," Kirk whispered, shaking a triumphant fist.