That night, Veronica lay awake, her mind racing with ideas on how to make her parents understand the vision she and Archie had for their wedding. Suddenly, an idea struck her like lightning.
"Archie," she said, nudging him awake. "I've got it. We'll make a PowerPoint presentation."
Archie rubbed his eyes, confused. "A PowerPoint presentation? For our wedding?"
"Yes," Veronica said, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "We'll show them exactly what we have in mind, from the venue to the food to the guest list. I'll get Emily to go to the venue and take some pictures. We'll make it impossible for them to say no."
Archie, still half-asleep but willing to support Veronica's plan, nodded. "Alright, if you think it'll work."
Veronica kissed him on the cheek. "I'll get started on it right away. You should get some sleep."
While Veronica busied herself with intensive research and began crafting the presentation, Archie decided to Facetime Betty's mom, Alice Cooper. Alice had always been a strong, supportive presence in his life, and he hoped she would offer some valuable advice.
"Alice," Archie began once she picked up, "Veronica and I had a meeting with her parents about the wedding, and it didn't go well. They want a traditional Catholic wedding in Riverdale, but we've already planned everything for Paris. They're completely against our ideas."
Alice sighed sympathetically. "I'm sorry to hear that, Archie. You and Veronica deserve to have the wedding you want. Honestly, I'm on your side. I think Hiram and Hermione are being unreasonable."
Archie felt a wave of relief wash over him. "Thank you, Alice. That means a lot."
Alice continued, "I've talked to my side of the family, and they're all against Hiram and Hermione's ideas too. The Lodges have always been stuck in their ways, but you two should celebrate your love the way you want. Traditions are important, but so is making new ones."
Archie smiled, feeling more hopeful. "Thanks for understanding. I needed to hear that."
As their conversation continued, Alice explained the dynamics at play, giving Archie more insight into why Hiram and Hermione were so insistent. But Archie quickly interrupted when he saw Veronica still hard at work on her laptop.
"Alice, I've got to go. Thank you so much for your support."
Archie rushed over to Veronica, who was now deep into creating a detailed PowerPoint presentation. "Veronica, I talked to Alice. She's on our side and so is her whole family. They're against Hiram and Hermione's traditional wedding ideas."
Veronica looked up, relieved. "That's great to hear. Thanks for doing that, Archie. It means a lot."
She then added, "I've sent the wedding invitations to everyone on our list. We've got Betty, Jughead, Cheryl, Toni, Kevin, Reggie, Moose, Evelyn, Emily, Mindy, Camille, Gabriel, Jessica, Bryce, Charlie, John B., Sarah, Pope, JJ, Olivia, and Nancy. But I had to cut off 200 people because we can only have 350 guests in total."
Archie nodded, understanding the logistical challenge. "That makes sense. It's a good list."
Veronica smiled. "I just hope they all can make it. And I hope this presentation will convince my parents."
The next few days were a blur of activity. Veronica worked tirelessly on the PowerPoint, incorporating beautiful photos of the Paris venue that Emily sent over, detailed plans for the BBQ menu, and thoughtful explanations of why they wanted their wedding to be a unique, personal celebration rather than a traditional, religious ceremony.