Chapter 29: Wedding Day

It's my wedding day and life changes now. That was Meredith's first thought the next morning when she woke up. She is wide awake and it's only eight. She gets up and notices that Lexie and Molly are still sleeping. She grabs her cell phone and sneaks out onto the balcony to call Derek.

"Good morning," he answers after only two rings.

"Hi," she sighs happily into the phone and giggles again. "We're getting married today."

"We are," he answers with a chuckle of his own. "I missed you last night."

"I know, I missed you, too. These wedding superstitions are kind of lame."

"So, come have coffee with me."

"And say what - exactly - to my sisters when they wake up and I'm not here? The first thing they'll do is come bang on our door and read me the riot act."

"I thought you said the superstitions are lame," he teases.

"They are, but the wrath of well-intentioned sisters is all too real. As much as I want to come have our morning coffee on the lanai - I am not in the mood to deal with angry sisters."

Derek laughs and then says, "I love you Meredith Grey."

"Soon-to-be-Shepherd," she answers with another giggle. "I love you too, Derek."

"Mer," he says, with a slight tinge of awe in his voice, "are you really changing your name?"

"Yes," she answers. "I know it sounds a bit old-fashioned, but I want people to know we're married. And I feel like it shows respect for our marriage for me to take your name. Does that sound stupid? Especially for a surgeon?"

"No, it doesn't sound stupid at all. Thank you. I know it's just a name, but I feel strangely humbled by your decision."

"You're welcome."

"Meredith?" comes Molly's voice from inside the room.

"I have to go. Molly's awake," she says to Derek.

"Bye," he laughs, "Have fun."

"Okay, bye."


"Lexie, please go get Derek." Meredith asked anxiously.

"What?" Lexie and Molly ask together.

"I asked you to please go get Derek. This doesn't feel right to me."

"Oh Mer," Molly says gently, "it's completely normal to feel jittery right before the ceremony."

"I don't feel jittery at all," Meredith says. "I'm completely calm and happy about marrying Derek."

"I'm confused. You just said this doesn't feel right," Lexie states.

"Lex, how do you suppose Derek feels right now? Waiting out there for me to walk in but he can't see me? Do you think it's right that everyone else knows how I look in this dress, but he doesn't?" Meredith has tears pooling in her eyes as she speaks to her sisters.

"We're sorry," Molly states. "We didn't think about that."

"It's okay," she says. "You don't have too but I do. He's mine. I have to - want to - think about how he feels. I went along with staying away from Derek last night but now we're about to get married. I went along with the superstitious part. Now, the ceremony has to happen in a way Derek, and I are both comfortable with. So please, bring him to me and then let the minister know we'll be coming in together in a few minutes."

Molly and Lexie hug Meredith and leave the little room. Molly tells the other eight guests that all is well while Lexie takes Derek to Meredith and then leaves them alone.

"Mer," Derek says as she wraps her arms around him. "What's going on?"

"It just didn't feel right Derek," she says as she takes his hands in hers and brings them up to her hair. "You should see me before everyone else."

Derek gives a sound of surprise as his throat tightens in emotional response. "Thank you," he whispers as he runs his hands through her lose and wavy hair, down her bare neck and collarbone, over the spaghetti straps of her dress.

"I love you," he says, feeling the way her dress dips and gathers but covers an appropriate amount of her breasts with fabric and beads.

"I love you too," she whispers in response as tiny little goose bumps of emotion cover her skin. "I promise that I always will."

"I know," he says, trailing his hands over all of the soft, exposed skin of her back. "I promise to always cherish every inch of you."

"I promise to always make sure you see the world."

"I already do," he answers, dropping to his knees and wrapping his arms around her waist. "I see everything clearly and vividly again with you in my life."

Meredith has tears falling down her cheeks as Derek trails his hands down the rest of her dress and to her legs. He traces down her calves and chuckles at her bare feet.

"We're having a beach wedding," she giggles. "You should go bare foot, too."

"Okay," he laughs and removes his socks and shoes. "Did you paint your toenails, too?"

"Of course," she giggles. "They're a bright coral color called 'Maui Sunset.'"

This causes Derek to erupt in laughter as he gets back up and offers Meredith his arm to go get married. "You're beautiful," he tells her before they leave the room.

"Thank you," she answers, believing it deeply since he's the one telling her.


Though it is not traditional, Derek took Meredith's arm in the crook of his elbow and guided her down the aisle as he listened to the verbal cues, she was giving him. Once Derek and Meredith reached the end of the aisle, the ceremony began.

Gabriel, the officiate said,

"Dearly beloved, we meet here today to witness a sacred ceremony: the union of Meredith and Derek. With great reverence, we come together to celebrate the love and devotion shared by these two children of God that stand before us. We are especially blessed to be joined today by family and friends. The Bride and Groom are honored you could be here to participate in this important occasion. As the Bible reminds us in Corinthians, "If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. Over the course of their relationship, Meredith and Derek have developed a strong bond based on shared values and mutual respect. With a solid foundation from which to grow, they have made the decision to take the oath of marriage and spend the rest of their lives together. Let us revel in the joy and love on display here today. May we treasure these memories as Meredith and Derek, Under the eyes of God, get set to begin their new life together."

The ceremony continued with family blessing, the wedding, and consecration. Finally, it was time to move onto the vows.

The officiate said, "Meredith and Derek, I invite you to express your sacred vows to one another. Please face each other as you declare these vows before God and in the presence of your family and friends. Meredith, you may start; Derek will follow."

"Derek, I love you. You are my best friend. Today I give myself to you in marriage. I promise to encourage and inspire you, to laugh with you, and to comfort you in times of sorrow and struggle. I promise to love you in good times and in bad, when life seems easy and when it seems hard, when our love is simple, and when it is an effort. I promise to cherish you and to always hold you in the highest regard. These things I give to you today, and all the days of our life." Meredith says with tears in her eyes.

"I, Derek, pledge my undying love to you, Meredith, as I invite you to share my life. I promise to be kind, unselfish, respectful, and trustworthy so that together, our dreams of a beautiful future can come true. To this end I call upon all present to witness that I take you to be my wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live."

The officiate continues… "Meredith, do you take Derek to be your husband, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live."

"I do." Meredith says happily.

The officiate continues… Derek, although you've already said it, do you take Meredith to be your wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer or for poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as you both shall live."

"I do." Derek said happily.

The officiate faced the guests and yells happily, "It is my great pleasure to introduce to you, Mr. and Mrs. Derek Christopher William Shephard! Derek, you may now kiss your bride.


I added the section about the wedding ceremony, please let me know you think?

- Cheyenne