Waiting for the bride | Just One

Waiting for the bride. It’s a strange moment for any groom. The moment the vicar asks you to stand at the front of the aisle as they are about to announce the arrival of the bride. Up to this point, you’ve spent most of the day with the last of the preparations for the wedding.

You’ve given the ushers their instructions and watch them completely forget them as quickly as you told them. You’ve hugged and said hello to every guest and every guest has asked you “are you nervous?” You’ve tried to put on your buttonhole and failed so you asked an usher to help and they’ve failed. You’ve eventually seen sense and asked your Mum to do it because however old you are, right at that moment, you are still her little boy.

The vicar goes through the notices for the service, no phones, no photos and lots of singing none of which you register or even hear. Your best man pats you on the back and usually says something helpful like “let’s hope she turns up” but you don’t hear that either. Instead you have a little look up to the heavens and take a deep breath before you hear the ancient wooden church door creak open and the vicar say “please stand …”. At that point, you feel very small. You turn and look …and what you see makes you know that everything is going to be all right. Better than all right. And you’re king of the world.