I Thee Wed by SydneyAlice

Official Description:

Wedding planner Bella Swan is hired to plan the wedding of the year. What happens when she breaks the cardinal rule of wedding planning and falls for the groom? How can Edward keep a promise without breaking the heart of the woman he truly loves?

Word Count: 75,347

I should probably start this by saying that I love weddings… Initially, this was the reason why I was so drawn to Sydney Alice’s story “I Thee Wed” even before reading the very first chapter. She has managed to beautifully combine two of my greatest passions and has given us a wonderful story.

If you know anything about Sydney Alice, you’ll be convinced that she’s one of the writers out there with a gift to create stories so moving and heart-warming that you never want to let them go. “I Thee Wed” is the epitome of this talent, with its romance, humor and “Awww”-worthy moments.

It’s easy to think of this story as a fluffy, feel-good read but there’s more – and although not entirely painful, the drama makes it real. Life teaches Edward and Bella that there’s nothing easy about fighting for your true love and having your Forever. It’s not a question of how strong their love is, because this is clear from the very beginning of the story. Start with an innocent meeting, add a lovely date, a shared interest in great music…don’t forget the instant undeniable attraction and the butterflies in the stomach – here you have it, a blossoming love, a promise for something magical. Sydney Alice gives us all this and we’re already in love with the story. And then?

Then it gets even better! Real life kicks in and oh boy, does it kick hard! But as much as it hurts to see Bella and Edward in pain, it is also a challenge. If they can overcome the hurt, accept their mistakes and feel even more intensely about each other, then it was worth it. For once, it’s not an exaggeration to say it’s a matter of life and death. It seems like only someone else’s death can give them the freedom to love and really live. It’s tragic, it’s a question of dignity, duty, honor and responsibility and for a short (but agonizing) while it seems that there’s no way out.

This is where Sydney Alice’s magic steps in. You, poor reader, are sitting there, scheming in your head, trying to come up with ways to give everyone their HEA… While you’re biting your nails and hoping for the best, the characters evolve and so does the story. The constant humor, the great dialogue, the sweet love balance the sadness and soon the sun rises again for everyone

“I Thee Wed” takes us on a beautiful journey and everything about it makes the story perfect – the weddings, the music, the promises, the attraction, the guilt, the sadness, the freedom… until the Happily Ever After.

If I didn’t know better, I would have guessed that the most powerful line from this story comes from a movie or song. But no – it’s all Sydney Alice and her skill. This quote is so perfect, so wonderful, so full of longing and need, love and devotion, desire to be the One and All for your beloved… If nothing else makes you read this story, I hope that this will. Trust me, writing doesn’t often get any better than this.

“I don’t want to be a choice your heart has to make. I want to be your heart’s only option.”

I love so many of SydneyAlice’s stories, and I Thee Wed is one of the sweetest. The story begins with overworked wedding planner Bella picking up her nephew, Henry, from music practice. There, she meets the new music teacher and is instantly smitten:

[dcs_p]Just then, my eyes fell onto Henry’s guitar group, and sitting in the middle was a tall, handsome man with bronze, tousled hair and explosive green eyes. He was holding his own guitar and showing the kids how to form a chord on the fret board. My mouth went dry and my heart started to pound as I watched his interaction with the kids. He was soft-spoken and patient, and when the kids strummed their guitars in perfect unison, his face morphed into the most beautiful smile I had ever seen on a man. Suddenly, he lifted his head and his eyes found mine, and I gasped softly as the intensity of his stare washed over me.

[dcs_p]Wow.

Henry invites Edward along for dinner and sparks are flying between Edward and Bella. They are instantly smitten and see each other as much as possible over the next couple of days. Imagine Bella’s surprise a few chapters later when she meets the groom of one of her newest weddings:

[dcs_p]“I’m the wedding planner,” I smiled. Was he the groom? It was terrible that I couldn’t recall Angela’s fiancé’s name. But again, this part of the planning process was Alice’s department. I rarely dealt with the groom until the actual wedding day.

[dcs_p]“You’re…umm…” His eyes continued flickering toward the dressing room. “…you’re the wedding planner?”[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“I am,” I nodded. “Are you the groom?”[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“The groom is still changing,” Laurent smiled dreamily at me, and I smirked.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]The groom must be handsome. Laurent is far too starry-eyed.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Aren’t you going to introduce me to your friend?” The other man grinned at me, and Marcus exhaled a deep breath.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Brown Eyes, this is Tyler,” he muttered nervously.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Bella,” I smiled, extending my hand.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Bella’s a hottie,” Tyler grinned at me, and I resisted the urge to roll my eyes. “What the fuck is taking him so long back there?”[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“If you guys are ready, Laurent will be happy to take your measurements while we wait for the groom,” I said. Marcus looked as if he wanted to protest, but Lucy already had her hands on his shoulders and turning him toward the man with the measuring tape. Laurent was just getting ready to measure his chest when a flash of bronze hair caught my eye in the mirror.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“I can’t get this fucking tie straight,” Edward moaned as he made his way toward the mirrors. Marcus uttered a curse, prompting Edward to finally lift his head in our direction. He stopped in his tracks when his blazing green eyes met mine.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Edward?” I whispered.[/dcs_p]

[dcs_p]“Isn’t the groom delicious?” Laurent whispered to me.[/dcs_p]

You might think this fic is cliche and is going to be just like the movie The Wedding Planner, but it isn’t either of those things. There’s more than meets the eye with Edward and his situation, and things aren’t what they seem, at all. Except for a tiny bit of angst, I’d say this fic is pretty fluffy and definitely romantic.

One of the things that I love most about this story is Bella’s relationship with Alice. She’s exuberant, but she’s a fiercely loyal friend. I also really love what Sydney Alice does with Emmett and Rosalie, as well. I Thee Wed is a sweet story, with likable characters, and hot situations. I hope you’ll check it out!

[dcs_p][/dcs_p]