IR Ever After - Part 1

Swedish weddings are a little weird, but overall it’s not too bad. Ingrid’s mother did everything, and you have to respect how cool your mom is being about that. The ceremony is on an afternoon at basically what seems to you like a giant country manor. It’s not Ingrid’s family’s house or anything, just a venue. It’s beautiful, and Ingrid’s mother has gone way over the top with every part of it. You’d heard that a Swedish wedding would be minimalist, but you didn’t quite understand what they meant by that. That’s why you invited everyone with big bridesmaid plans only to find that you only get one. So it’s Kayla who stands beside you during the ceremony, which is done in English and Swedish.

One bit that you like is that you and Ingrid get to walk down the aisle together; it takes some of the awkwardness out of it.

You and Ingrid both wear white, but the deal was that your mom got to have input on your dress. Ingrid’s mother still seems to be pissed about that. You can… sort of see why. You’re overdressed. Ingrid’s dress is literally cotton. It’s beautiful, of course, but it’s simple. It looks like something a fancy lady would wear to walk around the countryside in a historical movie or something. But it’s not over the top like a serious American wedding dress. Like the one you’re wearing, for example. Yours isn’t the craziest, but it’s pretty serious with full-length lace sleeves.

Even if her mom is upset, Ingrid seems to love it.

You have to figure out all this stuff about three different rings and all the other Swedish stuff later; for now, you need to get married. Lara, Aki, Sun, and the others you invited look great in the blue bridesmaid dresses that you picked out, but now it’s all weird because they’re just part of the audience instead of being bridesmaids. Meanwhile, everyone that Ingrid invited: Riona, Adella, and Beth look super cute because they’re all wearing their own thing. Especially Beth in her weird little equestrian outfit. It is adorable.

On top of that and all the Swedish being spoken that you don’t understand, there is the small matter of what certainly did not happen last weekend that may never be spoken of. You are not nearly over it, and Lara’s cool façade is so exaggerated that it’s clear that she is not either. When you think about that, you feel less guilty about embarrassing her with the bridesmaid dresses. Your bachelorette weekend was certainly unforgettable, but it’s not what you would’ve chosen and it’s all because of Lara’s pride, stubbornness, and impulsivity. Not that you should be throwing stones about those things.

Ingrid hasn’t really said anything about her bachelorette weekend, interestingly. Maybe that’s just a custom; maybe they don’t talk about it.