Some brides want the ideal dress, others flowers. However, when my cousin’s wife forbade water bottles during a hot summer wedding, his mother turned the occasion around.
I was excited to attend my cousin Luke’s wedding this summer, thinking that it would offer me a story to tell for years.
Actually, Luke and I aren’t close relatives. Besides family occasions and polite internet remarks, we interact seldom.
Luke has always been friendly and warm-hearted.
He remembers your birthday, carries large goods without complaining, and brings pie to family meals.
So when we heard he was marrying at 33, the entire family was thrilled.
Mia, his fiancée, was well-known, but we had never met her.
Mia was a great businesswoman, according to Luke’s mother Susan, during our last family picnic.
Susan seemed so excited about having a daughter-in-law and talked so warmly about Mia that we all wanted to meet her.
What happened on the wedding day was unexpected.
For her wedding, Mia had “a dream”.
Everything has to be cream, peach, and well arranged. She spent months decorating the event to reflect her “Classic Soft Elegance” concept.
The actuality of achieving this objective was difficult.
In 102-degree weather with no cover on the venue grounds, Mia appeared unconcerned about anybody who could suffer.
Mia was clearly wedding-zilla from the time guests arrived at the outside location.
As she yelled at merchants, personnel, and every little thing, her voice resonated over the yard.
She explained her guidelines during practice the night before.
“No plastic bottles, no thermoses, no Hydro Flasks, and no bright drinks,” she shouted. “This is a classy wedding, not a picnic or gym class.”
Most believed she was joking. Who limits water at a July outdoor wedding?
But she meant it. No joke.
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Her style obsession was all-encompassing. Even the impoverished servers wore light-colored outfits that looked awful in the sun.
Mia authorized just little cucumber-lime spritzers in elegant frosted cups with maybe three sips of liquid before the wedding.
Were they charming and photogenic? Totally.
Were they adequate to hydrate in triple-digit heat? Absolutely not.
People were already wilting in the heat when they came for the event.
Women patted their faces with tissues to avoid cosmetic smudges. Men were straining at their ties and looking for shade.
Some of the elderly attendees appeared apprehensive, and I worried about them.
However, Mia looked unconscious of everyone’s distress.
She spent too much time gliding in her immaculate gown, making sure every detail was perfect.
She seemed to live in a universe where everyone was having fun in the cold weather while we were slowly frying in the heat.
As the wedding approached and attendees became nervous, Mia’s attitude was startling.
Instead of caring about visitors’ health, she chastised them for their normal responses to the heat.
“People, don’t sweat through the fabric!” She yelled. Cream displays every blemish, therefore everyone must appear immaculate for shots!
Susan, Luke’s mother and the loveliest lady I’ve ever met, softly approached Mia before the wedding, making things worse.
Being close enough to hear what occurred next still annoys me.
Susan approached Mia with a cool bottle of water from her backpack, seeming concerned.
“Sweetie, you look red,” she remarked. “Maybe you should drink water before walking down the aisle?”
Mia reacted like she was given a spider.
“Oh my gosh, hide that!” She snaps, looking around to make sure no one sees the water bottle. It’s not a track meet or trek! Who wants a store-brand bottle to ruin my wedding vows?
Susan smiled at Mia, plainly trying to be pleasant.
Though she quietly put the bottle back in her bag, her expression changed. The friendly, inviting prospective mother-in-law was replaced by someone fed up with this conduct.
After starting, the ceremony was severe. Forty-five minutes in full sun without fans, shade, or other relief.
Some people may collapse, I thought.
One elderly visitor swayed, and a groomsman held her arm. One bridesmaid muttered that her shoes were melting into the grass.
Mia’s reaction to this obvious anguish was crazy.
She dared remark, “You’ll all survive. The term is devotion. Dedication to love and producing lovely moments.”
Moments. She termed her wedding “moments.”
Mia clapped fiercely like a teacher as people began softly moving to find shade or a breeze.
She commanded, “No moving around!” “Look ahead, stand tall! I invested in a professional photographer, so this won’t appear like a playground game!”
The photographer seemed nervous and ashamed, embarrassed by this conduct.
Susan had enough of the group shots after the wedding.
I observed her quietly leave the wedding group, grab her phone, and call.
“Hi, Marco?” She spoke clearly and firmly. “We’re ready. I appreciate your expediency.”
Her tone told me something big was coming, but I didn’t understand.
A white vehicle arrived 15 minutes later, like a movie.
It was like witnessing a rescue crew approach, and the vehicle appeared like a gift for us suffering visitors.
Workers began unloading trays and coolers of chilled beverages, tiny battery-powered fans, fruit-flavored water, sports drinks, and even cold towels as the van doors opened.
Susan called attention with her hand.
“Everyone, please take what you need,” she urged. “Keep cool and hydrated. My gift.”
Pure, joyous anarchy ensued. People flocked to it vehicle like it was giving out life-saving goods.
At a party, water bottles opened like soda cans. People’s expressions showed fast and evident relief.
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Mia saw this happen.
WHAT. IS. GOING. ON? She eventually shrieked, reaching an unthinkable level.
As she approached Susan, her arms waved like a bird disturbed.
“You’re totally ruining my entire wedding!” she said at Susan, pointing at the refreshments. It’s generic water! Had a dream! We planned! This is destroying everything!”
Susan, now sipping iced tea and looking more relaxed than she had all day, looked at Mia and said, “I had a dream too, dear. One without fainting at my son’s wedding.”
But Mia continued. She looked at the visitors drinking water and cooling down with fans.
“EVERYONE GET BACK TO YOUR PLACES!” she yelled. “We’re not done with pictures! I paid how much for this photographer?! You’re messing up lighting and setup!”
When nobody moved from the refreshment station, Mia stamped her foot like a child throwing a fuss and screamed.
This is my day! No water park! Not a sport! DO NOT DRINK!”
Her authority was gone.
No one listened anymore. People were too focused on cooling and hydrating to notice her flawless eyesight.
Grace, Luke’s sister, came over with the greatest smile I’d ever seen as Mia went for her phone, likely to contact security, her wedding planner, or the cops.
“Hey Mia,” Grace remarked softly, “I just wanted to give you a quick heads-up. Your whole outburst? The videographer captured every moment. Full audio, video. The footage is incredible.”
As Mia realized the reality, her face became pale.
This aspect made our family tale famous.
Grace posted the clip in our family group chat before Mia understood what occurred. This video reached more relatives than attended the wedding by party’s conclusion.
Luke married for eight months.
But Susan’s daring hydration rescue? That tale endures.
