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CONTEST ENDED – Thank you for submitting your stories!

#264: Save the Date

From romantic comedies like 27 Dresses to suspenseful thrillers like Lucy Foley’s The Guest List, it’s no secret that weddings are a compelling backdrop for storytelling. I’ve personally got weddings on the brain after attending a few this summer — and while they all went smoothly, I’m still intrigued by the narrative possibilities of dramatic, comedic, and just plain outlandish weddings!

This week’s prompts draw from those possibilities, though they’re worded in a way that doesn’t necessarily require you to write a “wedding story.” Whether your characters stroll down the aisle or avoid it altogether, now’s your chance to take them on a captivating journey… in sickness, in health, as long as they both shall live, or under any other circumstances you might invent for them.

This week's prompts

Center your story around two people who meet at a wedding.

Character – 72 stories

Write a story in the form of a speech (or multiple speeches).

Character – 24 stories

Start your story with people arriving at a special ceremony.

Character – 31 stories

Write a story from the POV of a plus-one.

Character – 48 stories

End your story with someone saying “I do.”

Character – 113 stories

Stories

“Under the Silver Moon” by Khadija S. Mohammad

Submitted to Contest #264

After the wedding banquet, the new queen's favoured servant – Kara, a woman of thirty-six wearing black satin and a string of pearls – approached her and whispered in her ear, “Your Majesty, a storyteller has requested to be allowed the honour of entertaining you with a tale.” The queen gave a gracious nod. As her servant disappeared to fetch the storyteller, she turned to her husband and told him that she had arranged some entertainment for them. The area was lit only by candles, and by the light of the silver moon that shone down on the fa...

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“At The Road's End” by Scott Taylor

Submitted to Contest #264

Since Aunt Haddie whispered the prophecy into my ear a year ago, its weight has consumed my every thought, leaving me haunted by its profoundness. A dark veil shrouds the world as the night falls, pulling me back to the ancient mansion. Inside, a mysterious ceremony awaits, cloaked in an aura of secrecy. While not exactly pleasant, the pungent stench of skunk was a relief compared to the noxious odors that filled the air on the ragged, ancient road. It was as though the air was pregnant with the lingering anguish of countless forgotten trage...

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“A Trip To The Country” by PJ Town

Submitted to Contest #264

(some violence to animals)The drive leading to the house must have been a mile long, at least. It was as straight as a die, affording an unashamed view of the estate’s grandeur. On both sides, immaculate lawns stretched away into the distance, punctuated here and there by mossy stone statues of indeterminate subjects – possibly animals. And there up ahead, at the vanishing point, the mansion itself, imposing even from a distance. Behind and in front of us, other limousines swept along in an impressive caravan, neither rushing nor dawdling, r...

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“An Order of Reflections” by Penelope Stansfield

Submitted to Contest #264

The silver Porsche tore along sun-soaked country lanes, passing farmhouses and fields, Eva couldn’t believe this turn of events. She shot a glance across at her companion as he guided the car, his profile set against the countryside as it flashed by, his dark blue suit, immaculate shirt and cuff-links, she felt as though she were in a film. Eva smoothed out her skirt and took a deep breath. That morning, She’d been at the local market shopping for supplies for the meal she was cooking for Jordan that evening. In her late tw...

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“The Dance of Deceit ” by Anna W

Submitted to Contest #264

Luca knew the groom’s youngest brother would be the easiest to target. He had spilled the details easily once he was wasted. He'd heard the raucous bachelor party, taken note of the expensive watches and they were on his radar. All he did was palm a fancy bottle of champagne from one table, and offer it to the bachelor party “on the house." A couple hours later, and a secret tip to the bartender to pour heavy handed, he had everything he needed.Two days later he was dining at a wedding in a lavish resort in Utah. His dry cleaned tuxedo helpe...

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“Serendipity” by Giselle Phillips

Submitted to Contest #264

Orin: “Hey” “Hello” her sultry voice floats in the air. I don’t take my eyes off of Nash as I setup on to the rooftop terrace. She sits, legs folded beneath her on an antique sofa perched a little too close to the edge for my taste. Her thick curls are coiled in a loose bun at the top of her head, tendrils sweep her shoulder where the strap of her tank top has slide down her arm. I take a second to catch my breath from the sight before speaking. “I... uh...We have been looking for you everywher...

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“Yes to the Dress” by Shellie Kinard

Submitted to Contest #264

Richard knew this was a bad idea the moment he walked through the entryway of Brides on Main. As the bell above him chimed to announce his arrival, the woman at the front desk gave him a quizzical look. Then, his sister Patricia walked in and her face cleared of confusion. Ah, there’s the bride. He followed her glance and noticed that Patricia was already beaming. She was enjoying this way too much. After taking a cursory look around at the gowns on display, she strode up to the desk to check in for their appointment. “Hello and welcom...

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“If Birds Could Sing” by Athena Vettorel

Submitted to Contest #264

An underworld wedding would seem a grim affair to the living at first glance. Trellises hung with oozing black roses, their petals shining and drooping stickily onto the red grass carpet below. The benches and chairs, lined like soldiers before the altar, bore twisting, rotten limbs and creaked every time a guest stood or sat: an ear-sore if not for the quartet that led the newly-wedded couple in their first dance across the bleeding plains of Hades. When Orpheus became a spy, she didn’t do it in pursuit of her lifelong dream to play a...

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“Plus-One Perspective ” by George Georgerfrost@gmail.com

Submitted to Contest #264

Plus-One Perspective I am here to offer you my plus one perspective. Even though I was five years old at this plus one event, I was unaccompanied. Let’s face it, plus one means very little to a five-year-old even if he’s running loose at his father’s wedding. Early in November 1961, my father George, Sr. married Carole Bent. It was my dad’s second marriage and Carole’s first. In a romantic getaway honeymoon, dad would take his new bride to South Bend, Indiana to see the Syracuse University Orangemen take ...

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“Do or Don't” by Christina Miller

Submitted to Contest #264

Princess Isorropia would rather stab herself in the heart than get married today. The white and gold dress makes her want to set the room on fire. Or at least set the low-cut, glimmering gown ablaze. But her wants and needs are the least of her concerns. Ogygia needed this alliance, needed for her to marry the crotchety old man known as King Talenic. Even if the thought makes her skin crawl. The thought of his grubby, sticky hands touching her is so repugnant, goosebumps raise along the back of her neck. It's not even his age, nearly fo...

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“He Who Trailed the Sun” by Ellie Murray

Submitted to Contest #264

The letter had come in a bout of confusion, the rider passing Tobias a weather worn envelope with furrowed brows. "Paid me seven jeweled necklaces for this to be delivered within the day," the rider explained gruffly. "Nearly cost my horse 'er life." He said no more, shifting his filthy boots back into the stirrups and riding off. Tobias could hear the faint jingle in his pockets as he faded into the distance.Once he was sure the rider had gone, Tobias ripped open the letter feverishly. A sun born grin spread across his lips, cheeks achi...

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“The Date” by Larry Parks

Submitted to Contest #264

Why did I let her talk me into attending this event? I don’t know these people. Sheila—beautiful, charismatic Sheila—was the girl I’d had a massive crush on for ages but never had the nerve to ask out. So when she invited me to this wedding, I jumped at the chance. But now, as I sat alone, surrounded by strangers, I regretted it. It felt like dating someone who spoke a different language, lost in conversations that flowed around me while I just sipped my drink, out of place and unseen.I was the ultimate plus-one, the guy she brought along so...

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“Riding Shotgun” by Rudy Greene

Submitted to Contest #264

I’ve spent my life riding shotgun for my more popular friends. I was their plus one and sometimes their court jester or fool. They’d take me along for support or comic relief. At times I felt like a buffer in potentially tense situations. Friends invited me to their family dinners when there was potentially combustible situations. You would think that I’d grow up to be a diplomat, politician or hostage negotiator. Instead, I became a character actor, a co-star, a Hollywood plus one. My marriage followed the same trend. I found it strange tha...

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“Who Put the Pain In Champagne” by Michael Jefferson

Submitted to Contest #264

“I never thought Gary would be the first to go.” “You make it sound like he’s being executed, Bobby,” Marc McKeever replies, pulling his car into the Country Club’s parking lot. “He is! The three of us are only twenty-four. We’ve got at least a decade of horn-dogging ahead of us.” Marc laughs, his dimples showing. Blonde-haired Marc is viewed as the sensible, clean-cut, and athletic member of the trio. Gary Groom is considered scruffy and blue-collar, and Bobby Booser enjoys playing the role of the group's joker. “Gary’s been looking for a ...

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“The Seating Plan” by Jed Cope

Submitted to Contest #264

At the grand old age of fifty five years old, I’m invited to a wedding. As a kid, weddings seemed to be a regular occurrence. I had a crowd of older cousins and marriage was an expectation sometime after they left school. Then, when I reached my cousins’ age, my friends got married. I think I was meant to follow suit, but the choices I made precluded that. One of those choices was my first ever serious girlfriend. I think at some point she was serious. I never spotted the point where she stopped being serious and turned her attentions to a s...

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$250

Prize money

288

Contest entries

105

Stories

Ended on 23:59 - Aug 23, 2024 EST

Won by Lonnie Russo 🏆

Title: Men on the Moon

Submissions must be between 1,000 - 3,000 words and will be approved and published on Reedsy Prompts within 7 days of the contest closing.

Read the full terms & conditions or check out the FAQ if you have any questions!

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