As the sun begins to set over the Atlantic Ocean, I step out onto the beach to take photos of my new wedding reception.
I’ve taken hundreds of photos, each one of the many different elements of the wedding.
But this time, the focus is on the music.
As I’m preparing for the reception, I find myself on the dance floor of a dance studio with a group of friends.
We’re talking about a song called “You’re A Friend Of Mine” by the band The Darkside.
It’s a song about a young man who falls in love with a girl, only to discover that she’s cheating on him.
It is, in fact, one of my favorite songs ever written.
The Dardside was formed in Toronto in 1996 by David, who also played bass for The Dancers.
The group’s sound is full of blues, country, and a few of their newer tracks, such as “One Step Closer” and “The Love That I Deserve.”
In my head, I imagine myself dancing with this young man and getting ready for a beautiful wedding, with my family in the background, in a very traditional way.
But as I step outside, I’m suddenly reminded that I am in the midst of the most expensive wedding ceremony in the world, and that my heart is racing.
My eyes widen in fear.
“Oh my God!”
I shout, but I know my heart has already left my body.
I’m standing there in front of the bride and groom, waiting for the moment of truth.
What am I doing?!
I ask myself, as I stand up to walk out onto my balcony, my hands on my hips, and I try to keep my cool.
As my body trembles and my mind starts racing, I realize that my wedding day has just been ruined.
My heart is breaking, my mind is racing, and the whole day is a nightmare.
What if someone knows about this?
I feel as though I’m in a nightmare, and all of the emotions that I feel during the rehearsal process are pouring out of my body at once.
It becomes overwhelming.
My life is ruined!
I cry out, trying to find some solace in my own voice.
I start crying uncontrollably.
“You’ve gotta be kidding me,” I tell myself.
My voice is so weak, my eyes are so blurry, and my head is spinning.
I can’t make it out.
I feel completely hopeless, as if I’m about to fall into a deep sleep.
My family is standing over me, their faces pale and worried.
I look at the bride, and then the groom.
I know that my emotions are overwhelming.
I have no idea what’s going on.
I am, in my mind, screaming, “No, no, no!”
“Oh, my God!
I’m so sorry!”
I cry.
My mind starts to churn, as though there is an enormous wave that is coming towards me.
I get a phone call, and suddenly, my entire world is in chaos.
The bride and her fiancé are on the phone, and they are both on the verge of tears.
I cry, too, but not for the same reason.
I don’t cry for the wrong reasons.
It seems that they are crying for the right reasons.
My whole world has gone completely dark.
The first thing I do is look at them and ask, “Who’s calling?”
I’m confused, because I’m not sure what to say.
My fiancé says, “I’m calling my mom, because my mom is in the bathroom and she is really mad at me.”
My mom tells me that my dad was at the wedding and was able to help me get ready.
She says that I need to get a haircut and to wear makeup.
I ask my mom what I can do to get her to listen to me.
“I need to have my hair cut,” she says.
“And makeup.”
“That’s so, so sad,” I say.
I immediately know that something is seriously wrong.
My mom and dad have a very close relationship, so I can only imagine what it must be like for them to see me crying.
“That sounds really bad,” I think to myself.
“What’s wrong with you?”
I ask.
“Your hair is messed up, your makeup is bad, your face is really messed up,” my mom says.
My dad then tells me, “You should get a new haircut.”
I’m crying uncontrollable.
I think of my mom and my father, and how much they’ve meant to me since my wedding night.
I turn and run out of the room, but as I do, I notice my mother is still standing over my face, holding my hand.
She is still holding my head in hers, but her tears are now streaming down her face.
I hear the song, and look at my dad, who is also on the other end of the phone.