Once they were engaged, things seemed to move rather smoothly for the boys. Blaine started graduate school. He was thankful that he only had to do one year since he had received his Bachelor's degree in social work as well. While he was there, he learned about various techniques that he could use in therapy and got a sense of what population he would like to work with once he was able to start working with his own clients.
Kurt had outlined an idea for a book series during his time in school and presented it to a publishing company shortly after he graduated. They instantly snatched it up and, right around the time Blaine was graduating with his Master's degree, Kurt was publishing his first young adult novel. It was a story about a set of twins that magically fell into a fairytale book their grandmother had given them.
Through all of the chaos of Blaine going through and completing graduate school and Kurt finalizing his first novel, somehow, the boys found time to plan their wedding. They both agreed that they wanted to get married in Ohio, and they wanted the ceremony to be small, with only those closest to them attending. When they were searching, they found Kingwood Center Gardens and instantly fell in love with the charm and beauty of the place. Kurt had never really pictured himself getting married outdoors, but when he saw this place, he knew that it was the place he and Blaine would pledge their lives to each other.
"Do you want me to help with anything?" Blaine asked Kurt one Saturday. Neither of them had any obligations other than to work on wedding details, a rarity for them both to find themselves completely free at the same time.
"I'm having a hard time deciding on invitations," Kurt replied.
"Let me see what I can find," Blaine offered and pulled up a new tab on his laptop. After only a few minutes of looking, he found the perfect ones and showed them to Kurt.
"Thank goodness for Etsy," Kurt said. "Those are perfect!"
Blaine had found custom Disney invitations where you could pick which characters you wanted to be printed on the front. They were, of course, advertised with male and female counterparts, but it looked like you could pick any two you wanted. Blaine chose Prince Eric, and Kurt chose Prince Phillip. From there, the details of the wedding seemed to flow easily, centering around everything Disney. Each reception table, of which there wouldn't be too many, would each be themed with a different Disney movie, including props.
They wanted their wedding to be simple yet unique, just like them. It had always bothered them when people went so far overboard with their weddings, like they were trying to sell how happy they were by displaying how much they'd spent. That just wasn't Kurt and Blaine. Their love would be the focus, not the decorations or the fanfare around them.
Next, they needed to pick their wedding party. Both boys knew that Brittany and Santana would stand up with them. The two girls had been a steady, welcome presence for as long as they'd been in each other's lives. The other two in their party would be Jeff and Nick. While they were growing up, those two had been a support to each boy when they felt like they had nobody else. All four were honored to be asked and accepted right away.
The next several months were a whirlwind of planning, school, and writing. Blaine was loving his classes and internship experience, and Kurt was in the editing phase of his story when they got the final details settled.
"This is going to be so unique," Blaine commented.
"Just like us," Kurt replied.
Blaine graduated with honors in May and had already taken his licensing exam. So, he was ready to jump right into the workforce when he had his permanent license. Kurt's book was finished, and there was a book tour set for the first week of October. The boys were glad that they had planned for the wedding to be in August. They knew that that time of year wouldn't be too stiflingly hot, but that it wouldn't be too cold either. And, since they had decided to get married outdoors, they wanted to make sure they'd be comfortable.
The boys continued to rent the house they had lived in for the past five years for one more year, and after that, they'd decided to look into buying something. They both loved Boston and wanted to put down roots there and eventually start a family.
A couple of weeks after graduation, Blaine was offered a job as a therapist at the South Boston Community Mental Health Center. He was excited to get started helping people, even though he knew he still had a lot to learn. Blaine had also signed up for classes to get his play therapy certification. During his internship, he realized that working with kids was where his passion was, and this was what had been recommended to him if this was the route he was choosing to pursue.
The book tour was shaping up to be quite extensive for Kurt as well. He would do stops in seven cities across the United States, starting in Boston and ending in Los Angeles. Kurt had loved the entire writing and publishing process and had found the most amazing publicist and artist. He was excited to see the public's reaction to his story and hoped that it was well-received. He had so many more ideas he wanted to share with the world and had already started working on the sequel.
But first, the boys needed to get married. When Blaine was hired, they were aware that he would be taking two weeks off for his wedding and honeymoon. His only obligation was to make sure that his clients had the number of other providers within the agency in case they had an emergency while he was gone.
The wedding weekend was finally upon them. Both boys had done a lot of corresponding via phone and email and teleconference, making sure that the details they wanted to be included would be. They would have a simple, catered meal of roasted chicken or baked fish, mashed potatoes and gravy, green beans with bacon, and rolls. Their cake was simple as well. It would follow the Disney theme they'd agreed on and would be three tiers tall. The cake topper would be the Disney castle, the middle would be a tuxedo, and the bottom layer would read, "and they lived happily ever after." They had found several other cakes that were beautiful, but they worked best for heterosexual couples.
All of the individuals in the wedding party arrived at the gardens the afternoon before the wedding for the rehearsal. Since neither boy was particularly religious, their dads had agreed to double officiate. This came about over Christmas break when they were all together for their annual gift exchange. Kurt had been commenting that this was one of the details that was still giving them troubles. Most of the people that were open to officiating wanted to meet with them several times before the wedding to make sure they were well suited to get married. Even though they were soulmates, and since these people didn't know them, they just wanted to make sure.
Burt and Carter both spoke at the same time. "I'll do it."
Kurt and Blaine looked at them with wide eyes, not believing what they'd just heard.
"Are you serious?" Blaine asked, the first one to regain his senses.
"Absolutely!" Carter answered.
"Are you kidding me?" Burt added. "This would be an amazing honor for both of us."
"What do you think, my love?" Blaine asked Kurt.
"I think it sounds perfect," Kurt said, tears forming in his eyes.
Burt and Carter had gotten together several times since then to prepare the best possible ceremony for their very non-traditional and non-religious kids. The rehearsal went by with only a couple of laughable mess-ups. When Carter asked who gave Kurt and Blaine away to be wed to each other, Claire answered, "Her father and I do." She caught her mistake and laughed, "Nerves. Sorry. His father and I do." Since their fathers were officiating, both parents would walk each boy down the aisle and then the dads would take their place in front.
The wedding party all stayed at a hotel nearby in two suites. Blaine, Santana, and Nick in one suite; Kurt, Brittany, and Jeff in another. Each set of parents had their own room, too. All of them stayed up talking, and the boys were finalizing their vows. They finally all went to sleep around 1:00, knowing that they didn't want bags under their eyes for pictures.
When they awoke the next morning, both rooms ordered room service and lounged for an hour before getting ready for the ceremony. Kurt and Blaine planned to see each other before the ceremony and take some pictures so that the lighting wouldn't be too dark after the ceremony and they could just eat, dance, and be with each other, not worrying about having to take tons of pictures while everyone waited for them.
Kurt dressed in his navy tux, white button-down, and cream bowtie. They had opted for a cream-colored rose for their boutonniere, which would match the girls' bouquets. In his room, Blaine got dressed in his beige tux, white button-down, and the same cream-colored bowtie Kurt had. Their groomsmen, who would also double as ushers, had a pale gray tux, and the girls wore sterling grey Vera Wang halter dresses.
When it was finally time to go to the garden and take pictures, each boy got into their own waiting limo, their parents joining them for the ride. Blaine got there first and went to stand by one of the fountains where he was instructed to wait for Kurt to come to him.
"You're breathtaking, my love," Kurt said as he approached Blaine.
Blaine turned around and took in the sight of his soon-to-be husband. "Wow," he whispered. "You're stunning!"
"Thank you," Kurt replied with a blush. "Can I kiss you? Please?"
Blaine didn't answer. Instead, he stepped forward, put his hands on Kurt's cheeks, and kissed him with all of the love he could. The photographer was capturing every second. When their kiss broke, they rested their foreheads together and just breathed in sync with each other.
"I'm so ready to marry you, Blaine," Kurt whispered.
Both boys opened their eyes and parted their foreheads so they could look at each other properly.
"I am, too," Blaine said and pecked Kurt on the lips. This time, they heard the shutter close on the camera and both looked toward the photographer. That candid shot ended up being one of their favorites.
They did several posed pictures with just the two of them and then several with their wedding party and families. When it was announced that the guests were arriving, both grooms and all four girls went into the mansion on the property to stay out of sight until the music started playing to let them know that it was time to be seated. In the meantime, Jeff and Nick would be seating guests, along with Burt and Carter who decided to go help the boys out.
It was finally time for the ceremony to begin and "Tale as Old as Time" started playing. Jeff and Nick escorted the grandparents in, and Cooper escorted his wife in behind them. The music changed, then, to a familiar tune to several in attendance: "Lullaby" by Bond. After a few seconds of the music playing, Nick and Jeff walked down the aisle, arm in arm, and then parted at the end to their respective sides. Several seconds later, Brittany and Santana followed. They knew that when the music changed keys, the boys would both be led in by their parents from different sides of the aisle, and they would meet at the front. Santana announced that the guests should stand, and there was more than one person attending that had tears beginning to leak from their eyes. The music was perfect for these two, and the love that they exuded was felt by every single person in attendance.
Once they got to the front, Burt and Carter kissed their respective sons on the cheek and stood in front of the group gathered to witness their sons' marriage. The music ended, and Burt spoke first.
"We have come together today at the invitation of Kurt and Blaine to share in the joy of their wedding, the ultimate soulbond. This outward celebration we shall see and hear is an expression of the inner love and devotion they have in their hearts."
Carter continued, "Blaine Devon Anderson, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together in the sacred covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live? If so, please answer, 'I will.'"
"I will," Blaine said happily.
"Kurt Elizabeth Hummel, will you have this man to be your husband, to live together in the sacred covenant of marriage? Will you love him, comfort him, honor and keep him in sickness and in health and, forsaking all others, be faithful to him so long as you both shall live? If so, please answer, 'I will,'" Burt recited.
"I will," Kurt replied. He was already getting teary-eyed, and he knew that by the end of the ceremony, he'd be crying the happiest of tears.
"Will all of you witnessing these promises do all in your power to uphold these two persons in their marriage? If so, please answer, 'We will,'" Carter addressed the attendees who responded appropriately.
"Who gives these men to be married to each other?" Burt asked with a smile on his face, knowing only those who attended the rehearsal would understand his smirk.
"His father and I do," Elizabeth answered first.
"His father and I do," Claire answered next, smiling widely.
The mothers kissed their sons on the cheek and then sat down in their respective seats. Blaine's friend, David, got up and read an excerpt from The Velveteen Rabbit next. It was a story that always resonated with the boys, both feeling that they weren't real until they were finally sure that they were each other's soulmates.
"'What is REAL?' asked the Rabbit one day, when they were lying side by side near the nursery fender, before Nana came to tidy the room. 'Does it mean having things that buzz inside you and a stick-out handle?'
'Real isn't how you are made,' said the Skin Horse. 'It's a thing that happens to you. When a child loves you for a long, long time, not just to play with, but Really loves you, then you become Real.'
'Does it hurt?' asked the Rabbit.
'Sometimes,' said the Skin Horse, for he was always truthful. 'When you are Real you don't mind being hurt.'
'Does it happen all at once, like being wound up,' he asked, 'or bit by bit?'
'It doesn't happen all at once,' said the Skin Horse. 'You become. It takes a long time. That's why it doesn't happen often to people who break easily, or have sharp edges, or who have to be carefully kept. Generally, by the time you are Real, most of your hair has been loved off, and your eyes drop out and you get all loose in the joints and very shabby. But these things don't matter at all, because once you are Real you can't be ugly, except to people who don't understand.'"
"You have come to be joined as husbands. Please join hands and, to each other, express the vows you have each written," Carter said to the boys.
"When I look into your eyes, I know how lucky I am to have you as a soulmate," Blaine began. "Even before we knew for sure, you were always who I pictured when I imagined this day. I can't wait to start the rest of my life with you, which will be so much better than we have ever imagined. I can't wait to start a family with you, to grow old with you, and to make a lifetime of memories with you. You are the love of my life! And, I feel so blessed to know that I will spend the rest of my life being loved, adored, and cherished by you."
Blaine was passed a handkerchief by Santana, and he dabbed Kurt's eyes first, then his own. Kurt took a steadying breath and then recited his vows. "My love for you is like a flame, but a flame dies. My love for you is like a river, but a river can go dry. Perhaps it is like a mountain, strong and stable, but the mountain is cold and unchanging. No, my love for you is none of these things alone or together. It is much, much more. I love you with everything that I am and everything that I am not. And, as my love for you permeates all things, I vow to love you in this way, even into my final breaths."
The boys were too focused on each other to hear the many sniffles from the attendees. Many of them would come up to the boys and tell them they had never heard more beautiful and true words spoken before. Mercedes came up to the front next to do her reading; well, more like sing her reading.
"There was a time when I would have believed them
If they told me that you could not come true
Just love's illusion
But then you found me
And everything changed
And I believe in something again
My whole heart
Will be yours forever
This is a beautiful start
To a lifelong love letter
Tell the world that we finally got it all right
I choose you
I will become yours and you will become mine
I choose you
I choose you"
Burt spoke after Mercedes took her seat again. "Though small in size, these rings are very large in significance. Made of precious metal, they remind us that love is neither cheap nor common; indeed, love may cost us dearly. Made in a circle, their design tells us that love must never come to an end; we must keep it continuous."
Carter continued, "As you wear these rings, whether together or apart for a moment, may they be constant reminders of these glad promises you are making today." He then instructed the boys to repeat after him and place the ring on each other's finger. The men opted to exchange new rings for their wedding and get their engagement rings resized to wear on their other hand. Their wedding rings were white gold with a band of black diamonds around the center. Engraved on the inside were the words, "I choose you." They were elegant and simple, but still them. "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."
Since the ceremony was outdoors and they were unsure of how windy it would be, the boys opted not to do a unity candle. Instead, they had found an idea that fit them perfectly and had commissioned their friend, Noah, to make it. The unity puzzle was made up of six individual pieces. Each piece had a name on it, their parents names each on a piece on the outer ring, and Kurt and Blaine having their names on their own pieces in the middle.
"The two outside pieces have been separated to represent your lives to this moment. They are two distinct entities, each capable of standing separately on their own, both beautiful in their own right. To create a complete picture, though, there must be the merging of these two pieces into one whole," Burt recited.
"From this time onward, may your thoughts be for each other rather than for your individual selves; may your plans be mutual, your joys and sorrows shared," Carter stated and then took a step back to indicate that the couple should move forward and the singers should begin their song.
While they put the puzzle together, their bridal party sang "Come What May."
"Never knew I could feel like this
Like I've never seen the sky before
Want to vanish inside your kiss
Every day I love you more and more
Listen to my heart, can you hear it sing?
Telling me to give you everything
Seasons may change, winter to spring
But I love you until the end of time"
There was a vase of single roses on the table with the puzzle on it. Each boy took one rose and walked to their mothers. They came to Blaine's mother first. Blaine gave her the rose and then hugged her, followed by a long hug from Kurt. Then, they went to Elizabeth and repeated the same routine. After their hugs with their mothers were finished, they took the last rose and both went to Mrs. Jones and hugged her. This wasn't something that anyone else knew was going to happen.
"Thank you for giving us a place to meet and feel safe," Kurt whispered.
"It was Fate that brought us together, but you helped us to know what a true bond could be like," Blaine whispered into her ear. "Thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for giving us that space."
She kissed each of their cheeks and nodded at them, unable to form any words at the moment.
The boys made their way back up to the front to hug their fathers before holding hands and listening to the remainder of the song.
"Oh, come what may, come what may
I will love you, Oh I will love you
Suddenly the world seems such a perfect place
Come what may
I will love you
Until my dying day"
"Now that Kurt and Blaine have given themselves to each other by solemn vows, before us and before Fate as witness, and have shown their affection and trust by the giving and receiving of rings and by joining hands, I pronounce that they are husbands. What Fate has joined together, let no man even attempt to separate," Carter said proudly.
"You may now kiss each other," Burt announced, and the boys cupped each other's cheeks, sharing their first kiss as husbands.
Before their kiss broke, the beginnings of "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder began. Kurt and Blaine smiled at each other, and Carter announced, "The Anderson-Hummels, ladies and gentlemen." Applause rang from the guests, and the boys danced back down the aisle.
The rest of the night was a whirlwind of activity, laughter, and music. Kurt and Blaine enjoyed their first dance as husbands to "A Whole New World," looking lovingly into each other's eyes and reminiscing about their lives thus far, so thankful that they had met each other all those years ago.
Everyone enjoyed the reception and dinner immensely and danced with the grooms as often as they could get them apart from each other. They'd hired DJ Artie "All Cool" Abrams, hearing that he was the best in the area. Kurt and Blaine left the reception around 11:00 that evening, knowing that they had an early flight to catch in the morning and not wanting to be too tired for the first day of their honeymoon. Plus, they really, REALLY wanted to make love. And make love they did…a few times over.
The newlyweds spent the next week at Disney World, staying at a condo not far from Orlando. They weighed the options of staying at a resort or a little further away and decided that, financially, it made more sense to go to more parks than to stay at the resort. The first thing they did was get "Just Married" buttons and matching Mickey groom ears. Several characters throughout the week stopped and congratulated them, making sure that they took a photograph with the grooms.
While they loved Disney, the boys were ready to get back to Boston and start their lives together, knowing that they had a whole new world of things to explore and live through with each other. As they were getting ready to fly home, Blaine started singing.
"I can show you the world
Shining, shimmering, splendid
Tell me, princess, now when did you last let your heart decide?
I can open your eyes
Take you wonder by wonder
Over, sideways and under on a magic carpet ride"
The boys were both thinking similar things about their future. A house. Kids. Vacations. Visiting new cities together. Helping countless people in different ways.
"A whole new world
A new fantastic point of view
No one to tell us, "no" or where to go
Or say we're only dreaming
A whole new world
A dazzling place I never knew
But when I'm way up here, it's crystal clear
That now I'm in a whole new world with you"
"Are you ready to get back to this whole new world we're entering?" Blaine asked when they'd finished the song and ended up dancing with each other in the middle of the driveway as they were loading their rental car. They heard faint applause coming from the next condo over and smiled in thanks to the family watching them.
"You bet your cute ass I am, Mr. Anderson-Hummel," Kurt answered and kissed Blaine hard on the lips.
A/N: The songs used are "I Choose You" by Sara Barrelias, "Come What May" from Moulin Rouge, and "A Whole New World" from Aladdin. The excerpt is from The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams.