Chapter 41

Serena was awake at 7am the following morning and Heather her best bud who is a hair stylist by trade sat her down and straightened her hair and then put the biggest curls in it to give it a relaxed smooth look that Jon loves so much.  Anne was there to calm her by confirming for her that everything has been taken care of and Jon was outside greeting everyone.  Tina grabbed Serena’s hand and started painting her nails in the french manicure she wanted.  Before this day everyone had been telling her that she could hire professional people to do this stuff because she was not exactly broke.

"I know I can but I'd rather spend these hours with you guys because after I say I do I'll have all kinds of things I have to do."

Heather laughed, "Yep like do your husband. You know our sweet innocent Serena, men like to get horizontal with their wives." Heather jokes.

"Um, sis I hate to burst your bubble but he didn't wait until I was his wife to get horizontal or vertical with me."

Everyone laughed and then she reminded me, "Yeah but tonight there's nothing between you. He's probably going to be three times more energetic because he can go all night bare naked."

"Oh Bubbles!" I say and she and I burst into uncontrollable laughter.  Of course we don't stop until Jon's mom walks in with coffee for all of us.

"Oh I love you Carol." I smile at her as she hands me over something that will calm me enough to let Tina finish my nails.  We laugh and giggle for the next two and a half hours in the middle of that Tim shows up and tells me he wants a picture of Jon and I before the ceremony. “We can’t he doesn’t want to see me before the wedding.”

“Well he’s not going to see you, he’ll be on one side of the door and you will be on the other, its a cute picture that you will love later.”

“Ok I trust you Tim.” We take that picture with Jon and I holding hands but on either side of the door. We are leaning on the door, cheek to cheek with only the door between us. Before long its time for me to walk to my future.  "Ok ladies lets do this, its time I marry the boy."

When the girls head to the front of the chapel I nod at the sound guy who starts the record, which is playing on a vinyl record player, Going To The Chapel Of Love by The Dixie Cups plays as I kind of sway down the aisle.  Half way down the aisle I stop and swallow hard and Jon walks to me in the aisle, "Gee I really love you, we should get married now." He smiled along with the music and I laced fingers with him, "Today's the day we'll say I do and we'll never be lonely anymore." I say with the lyrics as we walk down the rest of the aisle hand in hand.

Jon touches my locket charm on the bracelet on my wrist, knowing photos of both of my parents are safely inside so they are with us today. Before we go to the altar he takes two roses from my bouquet and places them on two empty seats at the front of the chapel and I take two and hand one to each of his parents.  We chose this as the way to join our families.  Coming back together we stop and look at everyone that is there to witness our marriage. Instantly I smile at the sign I can see out of the corner of my eye. "Today two people join their lives as one, join us in our celebration by picking a seat not a side."

I made sure it was worded that way as to remind everyone that we are here to celebrate life and love and hopefully remind people what a truly new beginning this is.

Jon takes my hand and smiles again walking the last few feet to the minister.

The minister doesn't do a long intro because we showed him the program that simply states the order of the day is music plays, we get married, everyone parties.  We of course told him why we were opting out of most of the tradition.  We love that the minister worked with us to come up with a ceremony that would not break my heart but instead allow us to enter into this commitment our way.

He does start off by telling everyone that he feels a little out of his comfort zone. "Normally I have a sermon I read and certain words I say but Jon and Serena have decided that this wedding has to be done in a non traditional way.  As most of you here know already, Serena's parents are with us

in spirit as both of them have already joined our father in Heaven.  Serena does not want the tradition today because tradition calls for things she can't possibly have.  So instead we worked out this wedding which allows what every one truly wants.  To see these two beautiful souls commit to each other and speak vows from their hearts. Serena would you like to begin?"

"Sure." I swallow and take Jon's hand.  "Jon, I promise to be the best wife I possibly can be. I promise to love you always. I promise to let you have wife-free time to go to football or hang out with the guys or whatever. I promise to pair a chick flick with a guy movie, but you have to try to stay awake during the chick flick. I promise to only set an alarm on weekends when it is absolutely necessary. I promise to tell you I love you and also admit when I need you. I promise to seek your opinions and trust your judgments.  I promise to honor you, cherish you and hold you in my heart and never give you a reason not to trust in me. I promise to be faithful to you, support you and be there for you in sickness and in health. I promise to love you for the rest of my life."

"Serena, I promise to be the best husband I possibly can be. I promise to love you always. I promise to let you have husband-free time to go to scrap booking or hang out with the girls or whatever. I promise to pair a guy movie with a chick flick, but you have to try to stay awake during the guy movie. I promise to only set an alarm on weekends when it is absolutely necessary. I promise to tell you I love you and also to show you I care and that you matter. I promise to ask your advice and consider your suggestions. I promise to hug you, kiss you, and keep you in my thoughts. I promise to honor you, cherish you and hold you in my heart. I promise to never do anything to make you not believe in me. I promise to be faithful to you, support you and be there for you in sickness and in health. I promise to love you for the rest of my life."

The minister then motions Stephanie and Jesse to stand and nods to me.  I turn to face them.  “Stephanie and Jesse, I want you to know that I dearly love your father. As you have so graciously shared this wonderful man with me, so will I share the love I feel for him with both of you. Together, we will learn so much more about each other. I promise you both to be fair and to be honest, to be available for you as I am for your dad, and in due time, to earn your love, respect and true friendship. I will not attempt to replace anyone, but only to ask you to make a place in your hearts that is for me alone. I will be step mother and friend, and I will cherish my life with both of you. On this day when I marry your dad, I commit to you, and I promise to love and support you as my own.”

The minister looks at the kids, “Stephanie and Jesse, do you promise to love your father and his new wife?"

They respond: “I do.”

“Stephanie and Jesse, Do you promise to support their marriage and your new family?"

They respond: “I do.”

"you may be seated."

Serena squeezed Jon’s hands as she turned to look at him.  She could see the pride and love in his eyes that she included the kids in the wedding.

"Serena if you believe that all you have said here today is something you will work at living up to all of the days of your life say I do."

"I do." Serena smiled at Jon.

"Jon if you believe that all you have said here today is something you will work at living up to all of the days of your life say I do."

"I do." Jon smiled back at her.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, this family has committed to one another, what God has joined together let no man put asunder. By the power invested in me by the great state of New York, I gladly pronounce you husband and wife, Jon you may kiss your bride."

Jon pulls me to him and takes me in his arms so lovingly for our first kiss.  Everyone claps and then the minister clears his throat to break us up. "Ok you two, I can't let you leave here without a special token. Heather and Aaron, do you have something for these two to exchange?"

The minister takes each ring and places them on the open bible.  

"The wedding ring is a symbol, that symbol is many times misinterpreted as a life sentence or a restriction of freedom instead of what it truly is.  Everyone in attendance that is married please join hands with your spouse.  Now look at your wedding ring and theirs and remember that those rings were given to your spouse at your wedding as a gift. Today Jon and Serena have chosen to let their gifts of a ring be the first gift they give one another as husband and wife.  Jon."

Jon took Serena's ring and kissed it before sliding it on her finger slowly, "I give you this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you. It symbolizes my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. The ring has no beginning and no ending, just like the love between us that will never end. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the vows which have made us husband and wife. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. I choose you to be my wife this day and every day for the rest of our lives. I am honored to call you my wife."

Serena smiled and took Jon's ring and kissed it before sliding it onto his finger. "I give you this ring as a symbol of my commitment to you. Let it be a reminder that I am always by your side and that I will always be a faithful partner to you. It symbolizes my promises to you and a reminder of my devotion to you. The ring has no beginning and no ending, just like the love between us that will never end. I place it on your finger as a visible sign of the vows which have made us husband and wife. As I place it on your finger, I commit my heart and soul to you. I ask you to wear this ring as a reminder of the vows we have spoken today, our wedding day. I choose you to be my husband this day and every day for the rest of our lives. I am honored to call you my husband."

"Ladies and Gentlemen I gladly present to you for the first time, Mr and Mrs Jon Bongiovi."