I know this might not appeal to some people, so I'm sorry that I wrote it this way. I'm a practicing Catholic, so that's how I have written Bella's and Maxon's wedding. I think there will be at least two more chapters for the wedding ceremony (one more in Maxon's and 2-3 in Bella's), but then I will be writing about the wedding reception and such.

I'm sorry that I'm posting late. It was homecoming week this weekend, so on Friday I was at the football game, and yesterday (Saturday) I was at the HOCO dance.

Thanks for reading!

-CL

I'm waiting in the church with Ledger and Woodwork. "Do you think she got cold feet?" I ask, nervous.

"Your-Maxon, I promise you it's going to be fine," Woodwork assures me. I'm glad he corrected the title. I told Ledger and Woodwork they can call me Maxon. "You know she wouldn't do that to you."

Just then Silvia walks in. "Alright, get in positions. The ceremony starts in a few minutes. The bride and her entourage are heading this way."

I smile and walk to the back of the church. She didn't get cold feet. Just then the priest, Fr. Christopher, comes to my side.

Father bows and rises. "Your Majesty, we are almost ready to begin the ceremony. The bride and her entourage are on their way. Can you have your best man come back here to enter with you?"

"Of course," I say, walking over to Ledger. "Ledger, since you are my best man, you need to process with me."

"Of course, Maxon." He walks with me to the back of the church. "So why are doing this in a church again?"

"Bella is Catholic, so she wanted to have a Catholic wedding in a Catholic church." Bella came to me with this idea when I first proposed. She knows that religion doesn't really exist anymore, but there are a few places where it does exist, and Carolina is one of them. I'm not personally Catholic, but I'm interested in how this is going to play out. Bella said it would be a full Mass, which I'd never been to. She told me that she would help me throughout it, though.

"Ah, I see," Ledger says.

Just then Silvia pops her head in. "The bride and her entourage are here. Are we ready to start the ceremony?"

"Yes, I believe so," I say as Father Christopher walks up behind me in a white and blue vestment. "I'm sorry to ask this, but I am new to this. What are you wearing?"

"Ah, yes. I'm wearing multiple vestments. I wear them when I celebrate Mass. I'm wearing white and blue because today's feast day is Our Lady of Lourdes. The colors change from day to day, which matters on the feast day."

"Ah, ok. I'm going to have to get used to this aren't I?" I say with a grin.

"I guess so, Your Majesty."

I'm about to ask another question, but then Silvia comes over to us. "Let's go."

I take a deep breath and walk to the back of the Church, ready to start. Ledger follows me. "Are you ready, Ledger?" I ask, trying to make it seem like I'm not nervous.

"Yes. Are you?"

"I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

Father walks up to us, with the servers and ministers. "The servers will lead, followed by the ministers, and I will follow. Then you and Ledger will walk to the altar and take your spots. Then Marlee and Woodwork will walk in, followed by the bride and her father."

I cringe when he says "her father". Bella didn't want her father to walk her down the aisle, but there was no one else who could do it. I just hope that it will go as planned. "Ok."

An organ strikes a chord, signaling that's it time to start. The servers start walking, the ministers follow them, and then Father starts walking. I take a deep breath. "Ready, Ledger?" I ask him, and he nods in response. We start walking side-by-side, and we hear the door open. I get to my spot and turn around. Marlee and Woodwork are walking down the aisle, followed by America. Damn, they are pretty. But then Bella steps out with her father. My jaw physically drops. Bella looks otherworldly with her wedding outfit complete. Ledger has to gently tap my shoulder to get a hold of myself.

I snap my jaw shut and meet Bella's eyes, even though they are underneath her gauzy veil. She smiles in response. She comes to a halt next to me, us looking at Fr. Christopher.

"In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit," Father says. Bella makes the sign of the cross accordingly. Father greets us and then the organ starts. The congregation starts singing "Glory to God in the Highest…" Bella sings with them and I tune in on her voice. It's sweet, yet it has a little bit of edge to it. Too soon, the singing stops. "Let us pray," Father says, which spurs into action the server who brings the book to Father. Father finishes the prayer and then we are seated.

People from the congregation come up to read the First and Second Readings. The responsorial psalm is sung by America between the two readings. We stand and sing "Alleluia" and Fr. Christopher walks over to the podium, which Bella told me is called the amble, and reads the Gospel. I listen in and soon Father says, "The Gospel of the Lord."

The congregation responds, "Praise to You, Lord Jesus Christ." We sit down and Father has his homily, which is him explaining the readings and connecting them to the modern world. He also talks about marriage.

Father finishes and says, "Please stand." We all stand. Father walks so he's in front of us. "Dearly beloved, you have come together into the house of the Church so that in the presence of the Church's minister and the community your intention to enter into Marriage may be strengthened by the Lord with a sacred seal, and your love is enriched with his blessing you, so that you may have the strength to be faithful to each other forever and assume all the responsibilities of married life. And so, in the presence of the Church, I ask you to state your intentions."