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Nikki sat them down in a pair of velvet armchairs. She was always a little nervous at this first meeting. It was free of charge, but it was her chance to pitch her skills and to see if they were a good match. She was confident she was the best planner for miles around, but just as in a good marriage, there had to be chemistry.
And this was a tricky one, as their wedding wasn’t that far off, which put the pressure on.
‘We were going to just slip away and do it quietly,’ Phoebe explained. ‘But as the day got nearer we realised how important it was to have everyone we love with us. We know it’s short notice but we’ve been told that you can work miracles.’
‘I’ll do my best,’ said Nikki. ‘But I have to warn you the most popular venues are already taken. The important thing is you’ve got the registry office booked.’
‘It’s just going to be us at the ceremony,’ said Alec. ‘So we want a bit of a party afterwards. Very chilled. Very relaxed. We’re crazy busy right now so we just need someone to take control and arrange it all.’
Nikki looked at Phoebe. She was elfin, draped in floaty floral chiffon and a plethora of fine gold necklaces that probably weighed more than she did. Nikki had googled Phoebe via the website at the bottom of her email and knew she was a manifesting coach. Nikki was dubious about the concept, but that Phoebe was a success was in no doubt, if her two hundred thousand Instagram followers were anything to go by. She and Alec were holding hands, clearly besotted, but Phoebe looked anxious. Nikki sensed there was something she wanted to get off her chest. There was quite often baggage around a wedding. A family issue, or a friendship dilemma.
‘Are you OK?’ she asked. ‘Would you like some water?’
‘I’m fine,’ said Phoebe, then she took a deep breath. ‘The thing is … this is my second wedding. And I hated my first one so much, because I knew it wasn’t right.’ Tears sprang into her eyes. ‘I hated every minute of it, and I shouldn’t have gone ahead with it. But I wasn’t brave enough to call it off.’
‘Hey,’ said Alec, patting her shoulder. ‘It’s OK.’ He smiled at Nikki. ‘We just need to give you the background. So you understand why we’re doing it this way.’
‘Sure.’ Nikki nodded.
‘Charlie worked for my dad, and everyone loved him, and my parents really wanted me to marry him. I knew it was wrong, but I went ahead with it to please everyone.’
‘Oh dear. I’m so sorry,’ said Nikki.
‘Our marriage only lasted six months. Charlie walked out. And my parents were furious. With me.’
‘Babe, it’s OK. It’s all in the past.’ Alec squeezed her hand.
Phoebe put her hand on her chest, breathing deeply. ‘I just find the whole wedding thing a bit triggering now. And I love Alec with all my heart, and I want to make it special, but I don’t want to be reminded of the first one. So I want something completely different.’
‘OK.’ Nikki nodded. ‘Well, the good thing is this wedding is for you this time, right?’
‘Absolutely. One hundred per cent. And my parents have refused to come. They were hoping me and Charlie would get back together. They blame Alec for everything.’
Alec gave a little shrug. ‘I could see how miserable she was. I couldn’t just let her suffer.’
‘You rescued me.’ Phoebe’s eyes sparkled for a moment. ‘There was something about Alec. He made me feel safe. And he made me laugh. Charlie never, ever made me laugh.’
‘I don’t think you need to know all of this, though,’ Alec said, aware that perhaps they were tipping into oversharing. ‘This is about the wedding.’
The first appointment turned into a bit of a therapy session. Nikki often thought she could write a book about some of the complicated scenarios she’d been drawn into. It had taught her a lot about how to navigate family politics.
‘Don’t worry. It’s good for me to have a bit of background. Now we can start planning. The first thing we need to establish is how many guests.’
‘I think about fifty.’ Phoebe nodded. ‘We’re just doing close friends. None of those people you feel obliged to invite.’
‘Any ideas for the kind of feel you want to go for?’
‘We definitely want to keep it simple. My last one was so formal. A big hotel do, with receiving lines and table plans and endless speeches. So I want this one to be fun.’ Phoebe leaned forwards. She was much more relaxed now she’d unburdened herself. ‘But I have got an idea for a theme. Stars. Alec loves stars.’
‘Oh, that sounds beautiful.’ Nikki loved the idea.
‘I don’t want it to be all about me, though,’ said Alec, looking concerned.
‘It won’t be. It’s perfect. I love stars too. I just don’t know as much about them as you do.’
‘I am a bit obsessed,’ admitted Alec. ‘I asked for a telescope for my fourth birthday.’
Nikki smiled. ‘I can definitely work with that.’ Her mind was already conjuring up ideas. ‘I’ll have to see what’s available that weekend, so we might not have much choice.’
