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Abby had come yesterday and taken photos of the barn, the farmhouse, and Berta surrounded with containers of flowers. The images were going to be part of the advertising campaign for the property, but I asked if I could have the photographs for the main house and Petals too.
Jake and I discussed what to do about my parents, and we decided distance was the best option. If they wanted to support us, then we’d allow them back into our lives, but that wasn’t likely. When Mom visited Petals a month after the party where she confronted Jake, I spoke before she could, telling her that my life and business decisions were not up for discussion. I set clear boundaries, and she’d left in a huff. We hadn’t spoken since, but my life was happier for it.
Jake only mentioned his mom in disgust when he’d noticed she’d cashed his check. We hadn’t heard from her since then either.
Harrison arrived on the farm first, unloading the chairs and tables for the wedding and reception. The women from Happily Ever Afters arrived soon after with coffee and bagels. Gia even hired an additional wedding planner, Ireland, to assist with the influx of weddings we were booking.
When Harrison finished setting up the chairs for the ceremony, I hung floral arrangements on the chairs next to the aisle. Harrison’s daughter, Wren, worked with Everly to place rocks on the edge of the aisle. Zoe wanted a natural look for her aisle, but we also had a white runner for brides who preferred it.
I’d kept an eye on the way Everly and Harrison interacted. She’d said they’d been friends since grade school. It didn’t seem like he was with Wren’s mother because he mentioned picking her up this morning from her mother’s house. There were times when Everly looked at Harrison, and I wondered if there was something else going on. But I might have been overthinking it. Now that I was happy with Jake, I wanted the same for everyone in my life.
I’d decorated the archway last night with the white and purple flowers Zoe requested. Once the chairs were done, I double-checked the archway to make sure nothing had come loose overnight. I usually liked to prepare as much as I could the day before, but outside weddings were more problematic and dependent on the weather. Thankfully, we hadn’t gotten any rain or wind last night.
Satisfied the wedding ceremony area was complete, I made my way to the barn. We’d finished preparations the night before, and walking inside, I was still awed by the transformation. Zoe wanted the photographs of my grandparents to remain. She’d said their love story gave them good luck.
There were white and purple flowers wrapped around branches I’d hung from the rafters to give it a woodland feel. It was so much more than a rustic farm wedding. It was beautiful, and I was positive Zoe’s guests would be pleased with the results.
Two crystal chandeliers were hung to give light to the space, a dance floor was near the stage, and the round tables were scattered through the rest of the rooms. With the twinkling lights and flowers, it was like being transported into another world.
Sophie stood by the cake table, looking for any imperfections caused by the transport. Gia checked the placement of the napkins and silverware. She was meticulous about details. I followed her to check the arrangements at the tables.
“Did you place a Post-it under a chair on each table so the guests know who wins the arrangement?” Everly asked Wren.
Wren, who looked to be about eight, was dressed in a white dress with eyelet detail, her hair intricately braided on top, with loose curls on the bottom I suspected were natural.
“Remember, there can only be one winner at the table,” Everly reminded her.
“Yeah, we don’t want anyone fighting over the flowers,” Gia said with a smile.
“There’s only one,” Wren promised, but there was a twinkle in her eye. I had a feeling she was incorrigible. I imagined Harrison had a tough time disciplining her if she got into trouble.
Ireland stopped in the doorway. “The bride is here with her attendants.”
Zoe had picked Savannah and Remi along with a few teacher friends she worked with to be in her bridal party.
Gia and Ireland left to show them the area on the first floor of the farmhouse where they could get ready. There wasn’t space for the groomsmen, so it wasn’t ideal. I wanted to get the summerhouse ready for that purpose, but I’d need a few more wedding deposits before I could pull that off.
The sky was clear with only a few clouds, but we had options if it rained. We worked closely with Harrison, and he offered to provide tents and heaters if necessary.
In talking to brides, we offered the barn and tent for the receptions and the outdoor area and even the back porch for small ceremonies. Every time I thought about my wedding, I imagined it on the back porch, where the memories of my grandparents were the strongest.
Jake was on the guest list and sat in the rows of chairs with Ryan. Max stood in front of the archway and next to his best man, Ethan, waiting nervously for his bride to appear.
Gia walked over to me. “Is everyone seated?”
“It looks like it,” I said, constantly scanning the area for any issues or concerns.
Gia sucked in a breath. “What ishedoing here?”
“Who?” I asked, my stomach dropping at the idea there might be a problem.
“Silas Sharpe,” she hissed.
I scanned the rows for Gia’s archnemesis, and owner of our biggest competitor, Chesapeake Resort. He owned the venue and offered a one-stop shop for brides. He provided the venue, the food, the cake, and the wedding planner. I wasn’t sure if the flowers were provided in-house or not. I finally found him sitting tall in the row with Max’s friends. “He must be a friend of Max’s.”
“How did I not know he was on the guest list?” Gia asked, her voice still low.
“Remember, you put Ireland and Harper in charge of the seating chart so you could focus on the farm.” It made sense because we were so engrossed in getting the farm ready. She’d hired a second wedding planner for this purpose, and Harper was amazing at organizing things.
