Free Three Girls And A Wedding by Rachel Schurig Page A

help myself.
    “You’d also have to rent tables,
chairs, linen, flatware, glasses, lights…” I trailed off, noting that Ginny was
looking uncomfortably at the ground.
    “You’re right, Jen, sorry,” she
said softly. “I should have listened to you in the first place when you told me
this was a bad idea.”
    I felt slightly guilty. None of
this was Ginny’s fault. If she had a vision of getting married in a dusty old
field, I should have just been supportive of that. I mean, obviously I should
have tried to talk her out of it, but I didn’t need to make her feel
embarrassed either.
    “No, I’m sorry, Ginny,” I said.
“I’m being a jerk. I’m just hot and tired.”
    “You know what I think would be
great?” Annie asked. “If we could have this conversation back in the car. You
know, where there is air conditioning.”
    Once we were settled back in my
Jeep, I decided we needed to re-group.
    “Okay, we need to switch tactics,”
I announced. “I know you guys wanted to get married outdoors and not have to
pay for a site, but I think, logistically, that’s just too much work. By the
time you bring everything in that you need, you’ll have spent more money than
if you would have just booked a place that actually, you know, does weddings.”
    “So what are you thinking?” Josh
asked.
    “We can find a place that still
incorporates the outdoors, but that also has facilities. I know a couple parks
that have clubhouses with kitchens and ballrooms—so you can get married
outside but have an indoor space for the party. There are also some restaurants
that have outdoor spaces.”
    “Sounds good to me,” Josh said.
“Take us wherever. The show is now in your hands.”
    I sighed with relief, taking out my
iPhone and performing a quick Google search. Within minutes I had set up
appointments at a park-like venue close to Ginny’s bookstore, and two
restaurants downtown.
    When I got off the phone, I noticed
Annie was looking at me with raised eyebrows.
    “What now, Ann?”
    “You’re kind of scary when you’re
determined,” she said, shaking her head.

 
    ***

 
    By the end of the day we had
visited all three sites, and I was sure Ginny and Josh would choose one of
them. They had liked the venue at the park, but they would have had to bring in
food. I had a feeling they would end up choosing the second restaurant in
downtown Detroit. It had a funky vibe to it, with local art hanging on all the
walls and a very cute walled garden, just about big enough to have the
ceremony. Best of all, they did food onsite, so we wouldn’t have to worry about
hiring caterers.
    Plus, it was available the last
weekend in October, the anniversary of when Ginny and Josh had reunited. That
put the wedding awfully close to the Barker wedding, which was on the
twenty-fourth, but I figured I’d have a full week free to do all the big
stuff—rehearsal dinner, decorating the venue, checking the last-minute
details. I could make it work.
    Despite the fact that I was
exhausted, I was feeling pretty excited about the wedding. Having the venue and
the dress made it seem much more real to me. I could picture them getting
married now, picture it down to the last tiny detail—the flowers, the
centerpieces, the cake.
    So even though it had been a long
week, and even though I had to wake up early to have brunch with Kiki the next
day, I brought my laptop out to the living room the second we got home so I
could do some research. Before long, I was lost in a world of flowers, ribbon,
lace, and veils.
    “Hey, Jen,” Ginny said, joining me
on the couch. “Thanks for today. I really appreciate it.”
    “I had fun,” I smiled.
    Just then, my computer pinged,
distracting me. I had an email from Kiki.
    “Josh just found a really good deal
on a honeymoon package.” Dimly, I could hear Ginny still talking as I scanned
the message, something about the photographer for the engagement party.
    “Jamaica, can you believe it? The
only problem