Vows in the Dark

The night before the wedding, the venue fell quiet as guests left into the warm breeze and bird song after a long day of rehearsals. Eva lingered behind in Celina’s suite, finishing some last-minute preparations. The dress hung from the open wardrobe, half-covered in glistening diamantes that caught the light like the disco ball in the main hall. The veil lay draped across the soft white sheets. On the vanity were silver jewellery, shoes, an emergency kit, and the gold ring passed down from Celina’s late aunt, adorned with a glittering centre and three nestled rubies.

Her cousin’s creaky footsteps broke the countryside’s silence as she headed towards the suite. “Eva, are you ready? It’s getting late, we should go home and get some rest. We have an early start tomorrow.”

“Yeah, just give me a minute.” She scanned the suite one last time before heading downstairs.

-

The morning sun gleamed across the highway as Eva drove with the top down in her light blue convertible. Celina rested her loosely clasped hands on her lap with her eyes closed, allowing the breeze to play with her wavy, chocolate-brown hair. For forty minutes, they’d belted out throwback and laughed at lyrics they couldn’t unhear, anything to mask the heaviness forming in their throats.

Eva nudged Celina with a grin as the venue’s large stature came into view. “There it is! You ready?”

“Ready as I’ll ever be.”

The guests cheered from the paving slabs as they pulled into the driveway. "Here comes the bride!"

Celina took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. Her sister pranced towards her with something hidden behind her back.

“For you, to calm the nerves,” She handed her a small bouquet of red tulips wrapped with white satin.

“They’re beautiful—thank you!”

Her fiancé, Jaden, appeared a few feet away, holding a bouquet of red roses of his own. He let Celina have a moment with her sister before tapping her shoulder. She turned around and sprinted into his arms. His chest felt like a warm cushion against her head.

Eva pulled her phone from her bag. “Ethan, where are you? Preparations will begin shortly.”

“We’ve been held up in traffic down the road. We’ll be there in five.”

“Okay… I’ll wait by my car.”

The waiter mingled with the guests, offering them drinks from a round platter. “Champagne?”

“Don’t mind if I do,” Eva grabbed a drink and leant against the bonnet.

Ethan slouched in the passenger seat. “You sure this’ll work?”

Joe grinned. “Of course, man. It’s just a social experiment, or in other words, a murder mystery-style prank. Nobody’s gonna know. The notification will slowly start rolling out during the ceremony.”

“Isn’t that an odd time to let phones buzz, though?”

He winked as he chewed some gum. “A little chaos makes it memorable,”

“You made that app? Will you be able to lock the doors from your phone?”

“Yep. It’s taken me months to make this for tonight. I asked everyone to download it. It has the map, schedule, RSVP… everything. I’ve even got a few mates disguised as plants to handle the power supply and Bluetooth. They work at the venue. The perks of connections come in handy.”

“You’re going to be so busted when they eventually find out.”

“If,” Joe corrected with a smirk.

“About time you showed up.” Eva walked towards them, casually sipping on her champagne.

Joe slid his hands in his pockets. “It’s not our fault we got held up.”

“You guys could’ve left earlier.”

A man appeared at the top of the staircase. “Ladies, gentlemen, and others, thank you for being here today. Let the last-minute preparations begin!”

Eva snipped off the bottom of the stems and placed them in vases in front of the mirror, where Celina sat on her chair in a white spa gown. “It smells like strawberries in here, my favourite.”

“That’ll be the strawberry-scented hairspray,” One of the stylists clarified as she worked her way around Celina, putting her hair into an updo.

“You look nervous, Celina. Would you like a drink or something?”

“Are there spare mimosas in the catering lounge?”

“There should be. I’ll grab one for you if there’s one available. Does anyone else want a mimosa? …No? Okay, a mimosa for one.”

Eva grooved along to the music playing from the lounge downstairs while she grabbed a glass from the drink rack before returning upstairs.

“Thank you. That’s refreshing. It's exactly what I needed.”

“I might have to go down and get one myself shortly,” The stylist laughed, adjusting a crystallised butterfly pin.

“You didn’t answer when I asked if anyone wanted one,” she chuckled. “I can get you one if you like.”

“No, no, it’s okay. I can wait. Anything to avoid accidental spills. Thank you for the offer, though.”

The photographer gathered the bridal party outside on the staircase landing for the group photos. The dark tones of the dresses, bows, and ties contrasted beautifully against the earthy shades of the venue building. “Let’s get those pre-ceremony shots while the light's still perfect. On the count of 3, say ‘cheese’! 1, 2—”

A white limo pulled onto the driveway, and another bride stepped out. Behind her was a trail of guests in sage green attire.

“Excuse me, this is our venue.”

The photographer looked over her shoulder. “Oh great… Uh… It’s booked for the Picket wedding today. Sorry!”

The clipboard guest shook his head. “No, there’s the Kint wedding at 5 pm. ”

“Oh, look at them being all organised,” Eva whispered into Ethan’s ear. There was a short silence before Celina’s father muttered, “Maybe there’s an error in the system. I’ll contact the venue manager.” Sweat was already seeping through his suit.

“Hello, it’s Tony Smith, the father of the soon-to-be Celina Picket. I think there’s a fault in your admin system. Our ceremony is at 5 pm, but there seems to be one for the Kint family booked for the same time. They’ve just turned up as we’re having our photos taken.”

“Let me check your booking… The Kint wedding is to be held at 5 pm on the 5th July.”

“Thank you very much, ma’am. Have a good day.”

“So, what’s the answer?” the clipboard guest asked with a cocky attitude.

“The Kint wedding is on the 5th July. You came on the wrong day.”

“But that’s not the date we wrote down.”

A guest for the Kint wedding pulled up the confirmation on his phone. “Well if you don’t believe him, that’s on you guys because that he's right, it’s for the 5th July, not the 7th May. I must’ve either changed the date format at the airport after I arrived from my vacation, or I was too drunk…”

“OH MY GOD, KEVIN!” One of the other guests shouted. “How did you mess up the wedding date so badly?”

“The date was just numbers. I got 05.07 and 07.05 mixed up… I’m embarrassed now… let’s go home.” He scurried back into the limo, shielding his eyes with his hand.

“Alright, back in positions, please! On the count of 3, say ‘cheese’. 1, 2, 3!”

“Cheese!!!!”

As the sun slowly settled, everyone transferred to the garden. White, silky bows were sealed to the back of each seat. Strips of fairy lights hung above on wooden poles. Eva stood next to the other bridesmaids, holding a small bouquet. Celina and Jaden walked down the aisle, interlacing their hands with a beaming smile.

Among the third row, one of Jaden’s old college friends fumbled for his phone buzzing in his pocket, barely glancing at the text message:

Venue Alert: Urgent system update is required. Click here to confirm.

He rolled his eyes and slipped the phone back into his pocket, but it buzzed again, and again. The couple had already begun exchanging their vows, and he didn’t want to be rude. He switched it off, completely ignoring the matter.

“No matter what life throws at us, I vow to love you with all that I am, to stand by you in every moment of joy and challenge, and to grow alongside you as we build our future together.” Celina’s voice trembled as tears began to form.

Another buzz caught the wedding celebrant off guard. Two guests looked down at their phones. One frowned. The other whispered something to the guest next to them.

“Phones off, please. Thank you.”

“But—!” Someone chimed in.

“No ifs, no buts.” The celebrant continued.

Jaden and Celina shared a nervous, giddy smile as they held each other’s hands.

“I now pronounce you husband and wife.”

Applause erupted, party poppers exploded, and the couple immediately hugged, but someone at the back kept their phone on; they held it up to take a picture of the newlyweds. After uploading it to the photo album in the venue app, it became an edited version with a bride holding chains in the background. He looked up confused. There wasn't such a sight.

When the ceremony, everyone flocked to their allocated seats in the grand hall. It was filled with gold, white, and red ribbons cascading from the ceiling to the floor like a silky waterfall, and clusters of shiny, metallic balloons were bunched at each corner.

Jaden stood up from the head table with a glass of champagne. “Here’s to everyone who made this special day possible and to friends and family who’ve joined us in spirit. Cheers!”

“Cheers!” Everyone said in unison, clinking their glasses together before the DJ switched to something more upbeat, just as the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it!" Eva opened the door to a bridesmaid with a custom cake that had seen better days. The fondant flowers were half-melting, the bride and groom figurines had fallen, and the top half looked like it was about to topple over.

“Sorry, it’s not looking its best. It was left in the sun for a little while at the wrong venue.”

“It’s fine, It’s fine, it’s not the first thing that’s gone wrong already…”

She scratched her head. “Well, I hope the rest of the wedding goes well. I should take my leave before my daughter starts wondering where I am. She doesn’t like it when I leave for too long.”

“Oh, bless her. I hope you have a safe journey back!”

Celina covered her mouth. “What happened to the cake?”

“It got delivered to the wrong venue…”

Jaden chuckled. “At this rate, this will be a world record for the unluckiest wedding.” He held onto one side of the base while Eva held the other. They placed it next to the gold-rimmed plates that were neatly arranged on the table. With one hand over the other, Celina and Jaden slowly cut the first slice. It wasn’t long before they smeared melting fondant across each other’s cheeks, causing a moment of laughter and camera flashes.

The party continued into the evening until the music cut, the lights shut down, and the venue burst into darkness.

Eva leant on the DJ booth. “How long is this blackout supposed to last?”

“As long as it takes, I suppose.”

The projector began to show photos of the couple until a flicker of red appeared with a message. ‘GET OUT,’ but it went too quickly for anyone to notice until phones started to buzz again. This time it was faster, one by one.

Venue Alert: We hope you’re enjoying the night. Security protocol will start in one minute, but this will not affect the event. Thank you for booking with us.

“Well, you’re a bit late.” Eva sipped on her third drink of the night.

“I don’t remember signing up for venue message alerts.”

“Did anyone?” Her eyes narrowed. “Is this… part of the show?”

Celina wrapped her hands around Jaden. “Should we—?”

“You stay here, I’ll check outside.”

“But—”

“I don’t want you to get hurt.” He tugged at the front door handle, but the latches didn’t budge. From what he could see out of the windows, no one was there, but who knows what could be lurking at the sides of the building. We’re screwed… He looked back at Celina and shook his head. “The door’s locked…”

“What about the back door?”

The back door handle didn’t open either.

“So this isn’t a prank? The message stated that it won’t affect the event.”

“It didn’t mention the venue, though.” Jaden picked up the microphones on the head table. “Does anyone know the security code to unlock the doors?”

“No.” One guest answered.

“Me neither.” Another muttered.

The speaker began to crackle mid-song like the sound of a dial-up modem buried underwater. Lights flickered from red to black, to white, to red, then black. One by one, the conversations dipped into silence and confusion.

The DJ fumbled with the equipment’s wires. “Hmm, it’s all connected properly.”

“I’m going to the bathroom,” Rachel murmured.

“Me too.”

“Me three.”

“Me four.”

All five bridesmaids, besides Eva, huddled together like ducklings, trying to find their way to the bathroom in the dark.

Rachel stared at the mirror, fixing her lipstick. “Is there anyone here?” The others looked around with minimal movement. Pipper prodded the door in the next stall before flushing the toilet, making the door creak loudly.

“AH!” Mazie screamed, stumbling back and bumping into Charlotte, who caught her.

“It’s okay, you’re fine.”

Pipper was unfazed as she white-lied her way through the situation. “It’s probably just the breeze from the open window up there.”

“Wait, we could try to escape through there, can’t we?” Lyla suggested.

“Don’t be silly, it’s way too thin.”

“It was just a thought…”

Pipper laughed. “You guys are such scaredycats.”

“Hey!” Mazie playfully slapped her back.

The lights turned on for a brief moment, and the doors unlocked without a sound.

“So, this can’t be a power cut…” Tony wondered, taking a break at a table.

Celina perched next to him. “Maybe they’re already trying to fix it.”

“With someone screaming? Did they get electrocuted?”

“WHOEVER YOU ARE, SHOW YOURSELF. THIS ISN’T FUNNY.” A guest demanded, and the lights went out again.

“Hello?” Tony tried to call the manager again, but the service was unstable, as expected from the countryside.

Venue Alert: Countdown initiated. 00:09:59

Lyla frowned at her phone. “What does this mean? Why is it counting down?”

Jaden took the microphone from the table. “Everyone, for your own safety, get underneath the tables.”

Eva joined the rest of the bridesmaids as they sat cross-legged in a circle with Lyla’s phone in the middle.

“We can get through this together.”

Ethan glanced at the phone surrounded by the bridesmaids before glancing at the text message on his own phone.

Joe: Hey man, I’m outside, you wanna grab a drink for an hour or two? We’ll come back towards the end.

They’ll be fine. He sent a text to those who helped pull the prank to stop it completely and deleted the app before stepping into the night, letting the door close silently behind him.

Venue Alert: 00:00:00

Charlotte looked Lyla in the eyes. “Nothing?”

A few seconds later, there was a scream from outside.

“Stay underneath the tables!” Jaden had kept the microphone with him under the table.

Celina clung onto him like a sloth. “You’re not going to check again, are you? What if there’s someone after us?”

“Everything will be okay. I promise.”

Jaden stepped outside, only to be met with fresh air and a few groomsmen walking back and forth, clearing up the mess left behind. “Jaden, do you have a cold pack?”

He glanced at the dead bee on the paving slab. “I’m guessing you got stung by a bee.”

“Uh huh.”

“That’s unfortunate. I don’t have one on hand, but you could try wrapping an ice cube from the beverage tub in the lounge with fabric.”

“Thanks, mate!”

Celina was standing in the doorway with an outstretched arm, inviting Jaden to a dance after he closed the door.

“You’re partying without me?”

“I’d never party without you.” She giggled.

The tables were pushed to the edges of the hall, creating space for the couple to dance.

“To end the evening, this song is requested by Tony Smith.”

Celina draped her arms over Jaden’s shoulders as they swayed to the slow melody.

“So, what happened while I was outside?”

“The app vanished from our phones, but we don’t know how. There hasn’t been any trouble since.”

“How dramatic… Well, this wedding may not have gone to plan, but at least I still get to experience the chaos of life with the one person who’s more beautiful than any ceremony.” He spun her around and pulled her into his chest with a smile. The world blurred as their foreheads bumped. Warmth bloomed in Celina’s chest, the kind that felt like this moment was worth waiting for. Her fingers threaded through the fluffy hair at the nape of his neck. His gaze trailed to her lips before he leaned in with hesitation, lightly brushing his lips against hers. They shared a giggle. His warm hands cupped her soft jaw and leant in again, this time with certainty, like they were the last ones on Earth.

“I love you,” She murmured.

“I love you more,”

The DJ interrupted. “For the next song, please grab a partner.”

Eva clipped up her hair and grabbed another refill off the drink rack.

“Uh… where’s Ethan?”