Following The Rules
Her instructions were clear: No formal wear and no colors outside the agreed color palette. But the man felt like he needed to make a statement. This was his wedding, too, after all.
Instead of following the rules, he got a different suit and attended his wedding. What happened next was enough to show him that his fiance wasn't playing.
Mike And Terry
Mike and Terry had dated for two years before they decided to tie the knot. Soulmates in every way possible, the two had built a beautiful life together.
People always said that the two fed off each other, given their similarities in what they loved and hated. But one day, a simple difference would come between them, stopping one of the biggest days in their lives.
A Chance Meeting
Mike met Terry at a friend's Halloween party a few months before they started going out. He was the quiet guy brooding in the corner, and she was the energetic miss dancing to music and talking to everyone.
Of course, she gravitated to him as he had to her. A wonderful friendship would grow from this chance encounter and, from that, a two-year-long courtship. Who would think it would all come crashing down at the altar?
A Difficult Wedding
Mike and Terry's wedding was a difficult one from the start. Mike had always been understanding, with Terry always compromising to make things work between them.
But as they started the wedding planning process, it soon became apparent that what they'd first perceived as a manageable process would test them to their limits. The end would be disastrous.
Her Demands
The first thing that Terry asked for was enough to make Mike shoot to his feet with his eyes wide open. "You don't want any kids at the wedding ceremony?" he repeated what she'd said.
She shook her head, explaining that she didn't only want kids at the ceremony but that the event wouldn't take place in a church. Knowing Mike had deep roots in religion, Terry waited for his reaction.
She's Serious
Mike paced around the living room for a few minutes before sitting down. He stood again, hands on his waist, and asked Terry if she was serious.
"I have nieces and nephews looking forward to this," he grated, still unsure if his fiance was genuinely considering a childless wedding. "And where do you presume we're going to get married if not a church?" he asked.
Barn Wedding
"The wedding will be in a barn at night," Terry began, handing Mike a few choice photos. She showed him what she was looking for, a barn wedding lit with rows of candles and wreathed in white roses.
"But I don't want the roses and candles," she said, and Mike's brows crooked. "I want tattered rags everywhere, dark colors, and red bulbs." But she'd only begun.
Red Paint
"I want wet red paint that will mimic blood," Terry said with a straight face. She handed Mike another set of photos, gesturing at what she was talking about.
"I want the guests to either dress in monster costumes or in colors that will adhere to this color palette right here." She pointed at an array of colors ranging from black, red, silver, grey, and dark purple. But she wasn't finished.
Are Those Zombies?
"This is going to be a Creature Feature wedding," she said. "I don't want my dad to walk me down the aisle, but a mob of zombies chasing me to you."
"I'm thinking we should do this around Halloween to save money and also to go with the whole monster theme." She smiled even though she could see how much the news had stumped Mike. Would he agree to any of this?
Creature Feature Rules
Mike knew how much Terry loved creature feature media. She had countless books, comics, games, movies, costumes, and dolls centered around monsters.
Although he wasn't opposed to most of her wedding wishes, he couldn't help but feel he was being left out of the planning process. He asked one question to show him his place in Terry's life.
Clearing The Air
"Who will we dress as?" Mike asked with his hands folded over his chest. The idea felt good, although he didn't like the part about his nieces and nephews not attending his wedding. The least he could do was hear Terry out.
"We can go as Dracula and Mina," Terry said. She explained that the ceremony's theme was too dark for any child to attend. “But on a lighter note, our costumes are already at the tailor's,” she shared. Mike's heart stopped.
Vlad The Impaler?
"Dracula?" he stammered, already picturing standing before his friends and family in full makeup and a weird red cape. As much as he loved his wife, he couldn't do that to himself.
"This is crazy," he whispered under his breath. That simple comment would start a long war between the two over their wedding details, ending in a chaotic exchange on their wedding day.
Final Touches
Terry arranged her dream barn wedding and invited all the friends and family comfortable enough to stand by her in her creature feature ceremony.
Dressed in a 19th-century bespoke dress, with makeup that made her resemble a vampire's beautiful bride, she raced down the aisle with zombies hot on her heels. But what she saw made her stop in her tracks.
A Changed Man
Mike was standing at the altar in a regular blue suit. His hair wasn't swept back like Dracula's, and he wasn't wearing any makeup. Terry's bouquet fell to the floor. "Get out," she stammered. "Leave!"
Mike walked away, disappearing in the barn's red lights. But he came in a flowing red cape and full makeup a minute later. His entrance was majestic, his face split by a breathtaking smile. But one thing was still the same.
Red Light
Mike had kept his blue suit, but his shirt's collar was stained red. He also had fangs and golden irises that made his eyes shine in the barn. Leaning in, he whispered into Terry's ear, "Hello, bride," in a Romanian accent. She shivered excitedly.
Mike and Terry exchanged their vows under the barn's red radiance. Before them stood creatures of all kinds, from vampires and werewolves to Frankenstein, witches, and zombies. How great would their marriage be if their wedding was wild and fantastic? Disclaimer: To protect the privacy of those depicted, some names, locations, and identifying characteristics have been changed and are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblances to actual events, places, or persons, living or dead, are entirely coincidental.