A Time for Hope (Lexi, #3)(48)
“Ok, but we need to involve Taylah too. She has all kinds of connections and can source almost anything. Plus, I’m pretty sure my body will be floating down the Hudson if I don’t get her on board.” Taylah would be an amazing asset. With her flair and acute attention to detail, it would be the most beautiful wedding ever. Oh and I wasn’t kidding about my body floating down the Hudson River, she would not forgive being shut out a second time.
Sydney pulled out her Blackberry and furiously started taking notes.
“Ok Lexi Reed slash Stone, let’s get you hitched, New York style.”
Chapter 11 - Strategies and Ceremonies
Planning a wedding in a week was NOT easy. I wanted to go back in time and smack my arrogant, delusional self who proclaimed proudly that it was no big deal. The reason our first wedding had been no big deal was because we didn’t have a wedding, we had gotten married and those two things were remarkably different. A wedding requires a venue, decorations, catering, entertainment, flowers, party favours and most importantly (according to Taylah) a theme.
“Even I can’t get you an opening at the Plaza in a week Lexi, what the hell were you thinking? All the decent venues are booked months, if not years in advance.” Taylah stared at me in disbelief while I recounted my brilliant idea to turn Alex’s birthday celebration into a surprise wedding.
With Alex busy rehearsing with the band, (James was driving the boys hard in order to fine tune the set list) it had left me free to sit me cross-legged on the floor of Taylah’s apartment with an open bottle of pinot grigio. In a covert strategy meeting that would rival the tension in any war room, we brainstormed ideas on how to make “Stone Wedding the re-play” a viable reality.
“I don’t want to get married at the Plaza, Tay. The Plaza is too formal and I don’t want our wedding to feel pretentious and stuffy. I want it be fun and relaxed. Everywhere can’t be booked, surely somewhere is available?” I opened my laptop as I mindlessly typed “wedding venues NYC” into the Google search bar.
“The Plaza is too formal? Of course it’s formal, it’s a wedding, it’s supposed to be formal! What were you hoping for? A keg party on the beach?” Talyah scoffed in disgust. “No, you did the casual thing once before with your Vegas-style drive by in Miami. If you are going to the effort of a do-over, then it’s time you man up and have a proper grown-up wedding. I’m talking the whole shebang, flowers, cake, the lot.”
“Taylah, I do not want this to turn into a circus. That’s why we originally had the Vegas-style drive by in Miami. I’m getting hives just thinking about it.” I tried not to hyperventilate as I mentally pictured myself in a monstrous white tulle dress with puffy sleeves and a full-length cathedral train. Oh god, if Taylah suggested releasing white doves or butterflies I was going to throw up.
I felt my pulse race as Taylah pulled out yet another copy of Martha Stewart’s Weddings. “No, please. No more bridal magazines,” I pushed the thick glossy pages away in disgust. Taylah was right, what the hell was I thinking?
“Yo Bridezilla! Rein it in. You look like you are about to pass out.” Taylah patted me on my back as I tried to regulate my breathing. “Breathe in and breathe out. That’s it.”
“There has to be another way, a compromise.” My chest heaved as I sucked in big breaths of air. “Something that doesn’t have to be overly formal but is still classy and tasteful. Something I can live with.”
“Alright, so let’s try and find a compromise. Where would you like to get married?” Taylah tossed aside the magazines, finally resigned that we weren’t going to be finding the solution in the over priced publications littering the floor.
“What about an outdoor wedding?” I suggested, thinking of how nice it would be not being held within the confines of a room.
“Lexi, it’s September. Fall is dicey in New York.” Taylah reasoned, her brow furrowed with concern.
“We could get a big-ass white tent. Then we wouldn’t have to worry about the weather.” New York had nothing on Melbourne weather. I was used to mother nature being a schizophrenic crack whore. At least in New York you got some kind of consistency. Back in Melbourne, you could have a scorching hot day followed by an ice storm in the evening. You could get four seasons in one day and it had all the predictability of the stock spread on Wall Street.
“I thought you were trying to avoid the circus.” Taylah scoffed as she took a sip of her wine, unimpressed with my suggestion.
“Ha-Ha. We could make it classy. Fill it with flowers and candles. It will beautiful.” I refused to admit defeat. My white-tented fantasy was by far the most comfortable scenario we’d come up with thus far.
“So where would we pitch this flower filled, big-ass tent? The roof might be a bit conspicuous.” Once again Taylah rained on my parade. I wondered if we could forgo the tent entirely if she forwent the negativity.
“Damn, I didn’t get that far into the thought process.” I had no idea where I could pitch a tent, especially one that size. I guess that brought us back to square one and no closer to a solution.
“Why don’t we ask Hannah and James? Their sprawling property is more than big enough to host your Carni-wedding.” Taylah volunteered as she likened my future nuptials to the weird and wonderful American sub-culture that was small town Carnivals.