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The chill of the Alaskan night kisses my cheeks as I descend the lantern-lit stairs one by one.
Looking up to the sky, I’m greeted with hundreds, no, thousands of stars. They twinkle as if cheering us on. What a great audience for our wedding.
I’m wrapped in a warm puffer jacket, thick gloves and a fake fur hat. It looks ridiculous with my wedding gown, but at least for the ride to the Spruce tree, making a fashion statement is the last thing on my mind.
When we get there, I’ll shed the jacket and gloves and put on the hat’s matching fake fur shawl and hand muffs. The light brown will compliment my soft pink dress beautifully and should keep me somewhat warm. Until then, nobody but Rhia will see me.
Then as if to prove me wrong, Rhi steps in front of me and snaps a picture before sidling up next to me to take a selfie.
“You sure you want to risk the wrath of your fiancé?” she asks when I step onto the driver part of the dog sled, picking up the reins.
I told her when we were getting ready that I wanted to mush the sled. I saw how much fun Rhia had this morning, and in the hours since, it’s lodged in my head that I want to make my grand entrance like that.
“This is our wedding day. He won’t be mad.” Here is to hoping.
Rhia grins up at me as she sits down and covers herself with a blanket. “Go you! I would have done the same.”
Once she’s settled, I release the break and whistle.
“Hike up,” I call out. It’s the command these huskies have been trained with to get going.
Rhia pulls the blanket higher on herself as we speed up.
“Geez, this cold is biting,” she calls over her shoulder.
She’s not wrong. Under normal circumstances, I would have coated my face in a layer of Vaseline to shield myself from the bitter chill, but I don’t want to shine like a glazed bacon in my wedding pictures. So I suffer… somewhat gladly.
The moonlight breaks through the trees and bathes the landscape in an ethereal glow. Sparkling diamonds of light shimmer from the snow, creating an enchanting dance of reflections. The moonbeams silhouette the ancient trees as the dogs pull the sled through this magical winter nightscape.
Our route is marked with spaced out lanterns that happily flicker in their glass enclosures.
“How many of these did you buy?” I shout so Rhia can hear me.
“Hundreds,” she replies. I can tell by her tone she’s more than happy with her achievements.
“Except for the torches by the altar, we only used battery operated candles. I didn’t want to risk the wind blowing them out, or them falling over in a gust and starting a fire.”
“You think of everything.”
She taps the side of her head, throwing me a beaming smile over her shoulder.
“You look good as a musher. Like a moon goddess riding her chariot,” she yells over the excited huffing of the dogs. “Your happy, excited face is worth Tiero’s anger.”
“Ah well, he better get used to it. I’ll never be the meek and obedient wife.”
“Amen to that!” Rhia cheers.
The closer we get to our destination, the more lanterns mark the way and soon the first fairy lights sparkle in the trees.
Then they begin hanging over branches, creating archways to drive under.
I step on the brakes to slow our speed, wanting to savor the magic Tiero, Lex and Rhia have created.
“Wow,” I murmur. I’ve entered an enchanted fairyland.
The anticipation in my heart is electric. My awe and excitement grow with each second.
I guide the sled around a corner, and there it is, the open clearing where our winter wedding will unfold.
