#Wedding Lights | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

dksfml · 5 months ago

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picture perfect - lhs

pairing: ex!heeseung x midnight rain!reader genre: angst, exes meeting again in a different circumstance, heeseung is getting married, the one that got away word count: 2.5k summary: what's worse than interviewing your ex-fiancé for his wedding while tormented by the life you could have had? especially when you couldn't stop glancing on the ring on his finger.

My boy was a montage A slow-motion, love potion Jumping off things in the ocean I broke his heart 'cause he was nice

“When did you realize that she was the one? That it was love?”

The room was colder than you expected, or maybe it was the weight of the moment that made you shiver. Five years had passed since you left Heeseung behind, but here you were, standing across from him again. He stood in a pristine tuxedo, tailored to perfection, like the life he now led—polished, flawless, but distant. Heeseung, heir to a powerful conglomerate, and you, the broadcast journalist in a media uniform tasked with interviewing him for what was being called the "wedding of the century."

It had been an impossible love, one you knew couldn’t last. But that didn’t stop you from falling hard for him.

Back in college, it felt like the stars had aligned just for you two. You met by chance in a quiet library, studying late at night. You were flipping through notes, while he sat across from you, struggling to stay awake after hours of classes and business meetings for his family’s company. He caught your eye when he nearly fell asleep, knocking a stack of books to the floor.

“You alright there?” you had teased, a soft smile playing on your lips.

Heeseung rubbed his eyes and chuckled. “Yeah, just tired. Guess business majors don’t get to sleep, huh?”

That small interaction turned into late-night study sessions and shared meals at the local café, hiding from the world that seemed to have already decided your places. The more you learned about him, the more the quiet, gentle side of him drew you in—the side that wasn’t always front and center in the media’s image of him.

“Let’s keep this just between us,” Heeseung had said once, eyes soft as the two of you sat together in a dimly lit restaurant far off campus, tucked into a corner where no one would recognize him. “The world outside… it’s too complicated.”

You agreed, understanding the stakes. His family had expectations, and you were just an ordinary student. Yet, it didn’t stop the stolen glances in class or the secret hand-holding when no one was watching.

Those were some of the happiest moments of your life. No matter how fleeting, they felt like something real, something lasting.

And then there was that night—your last trip together before everything changed. The two of you had gone to a secluded beach, the sound of waves crashing against the shore the only witness to your love. Underneath a sky full of stars, Heeseung pulled out a ring, his hands trembling slightly as he looked at you, eyes wide with hope.

“I know it’s crazy… but marry me,” he whispered, his voice full of emotion. “I want you to be the person I come home to. The one who knows me when the rest of the world only sees… him.”

You had said yes without hesitation. How could you not? In that moment, it felt like everything was falling into place. You had both once pictured yourselves at opposite ends of the aisle—him in a crisp, white tuxedo, and you in the wedding dress of your dreams. It was this memory of him that still kept you awake at night.

But reality didn’t wait long to rear its ugly head. Graduation came, and with it, responsibilities neither of you could ignore. You got your dream job as a news presenter, but it meant constant travel. Heeseung, meanwhile, was tied to his family’s legacy, the weight of it pressing down on him, anchoring him to a life you couldn’t share.

"I can’t leave everything behind," he had told you one night, frustration evident in his voice. "This is who I am."

"I know," you replied quietly, staring down at the engagement ring on your finger, feeling its weight more than ever. "And I’m not asking you to. But I… I need to be someone too. I can’t just be… your shadow."

Heeseung had pleaded with you to stay, to make it work somehow, but deep down, you both knew it wasn’t possible. The worlds you came from were too far apart, the demands on you both too great.

When you took off the ring that night in his car, your hands trembling, the look in his eyes broke you. Heeseung had always been composed, even under pressure, but that night, he cried. You watched as his tears fell, and the ache in your chest felt unbearable.

"I’m sorry," you whispered, voice barely holding steady as you placed the ring in his palm. "I love you, but I can’t… I can’t do this."

Heeseung had tried to speak, but the words caught in his throat. All he could do was watch as you opened the car door and walked away.

Now, five years later, that past stood between you like an invisible wall.

The soft murmur of crew members adjusting lights and setting up cameras filled the studio, but all you could hear was the steady, rhythmic pounding of your heart. Heeseung sat in front of you, the gleam of his dark wedding tuxedo catching the artificial light. His hand rested on his knee, the gold band on his ring finger gleaming—a silent reminder of everything that had changed.

You cleared your throat, shuffling your notes, attempting to shake off the unease settling over you. This was supposed to be just another interview—routine, professional. But the tension in the air was palpable, an invisible thread tugging at memories you thought you’d buried.

"Mr. Lee?," you asked again, your voice steady, eyes fixed on the paper in front of you to avoid the intensity of his gaze. "A lot of people are curious about your relationship with Ms. Choi. When did you realize that she was the one? That it was love?"

Heeseung shifted slightly in his seat, his eyes flickering to yours before looking down at his hands. For a moment, he hesitated, and you found yourself unconsciously glancing at his left hand again—the wedding band glinting under the lights. The sight of it made your stomach twist.

"When did I know…" Heeseung trailed off, his voice quiet, reflective. He took a deep breath before answering, his eyes still focused on his hand. "I think love can be complicated. Sometimes, it’s not about a single moment, but a series of small ones. You come to realize what's expected of you, and you grow into it, bit by bit."

It was a carefully worded response—safe, diplomatic. He wasn’t answering the question. Not really. And that tugged at something deep inside you, pulling at threads you didn’t want to unravel.

You nodded, trying to move forward, but your thoughts were slipping. "But… when did it feel like more than just expectation? When did it feel like love?"

The words fell from your lips before you could stop them. Too personal. Too revealing. Heeseung’s eyes snapped to yours, surprised at the sudden shift, the edge in your voice. For a second, the air between you thickened, the unspoken past rising to the surface.

"When did it feel like love?" Heeseung repeated slowly, his eyes lingering on your face, as if searching for something. His voice softened. "There was a time I thought I knew… what love felt like."

You blinked, the space between his words loaded with meaning. There was an implicit sadness in the way he spoke, a crack in the façade he’d been holding up for so long.

You felt yourself sinking deeper into the moment, losing grip on the professional veneer you had worked so hard to maintain. Your gaze dropped to his left hand again, to the gold ring encircling his finger. It felt suffocating, knowing it symbolized a future you once imagined would be yours.

Your own fingers absentmindedly brushed against your ring finger, where once a promise had been worn but was now bare. Heeseung’s eyes followed the movement, his gaze lingering there for a moment longer than necessary. His lips parted, as if he wanted to say something, but he closed them again.

The camera’s blinking red light reminded you where you were. You cleared your throat, refocusing on the script, but your mind was still spiraling.

You hesitated before asking the next question, feeling the weight of it before the words even left your mouth. It wasn’t on the script—it wasn’t the kind of thing you were supposed to ask in an interview like this. But it was the question you had to ask, the one lingering at the back of your mind since you stepped into the room.

You swallowed, feeling your pulse in your throat. "Are you happy?"

The silence that followed was suffocating. Heeseung’s gaze lingered on you, and for the briefest moment, his polished composure cracked. His eyes softened, as if searching for something in yours.

He hesitated, his gaze dropping briefly to the ring on his finger again—gleaming and perfect, a stark contrast to your own bare hand. The ring you had taken off five years ago.

"I... I have everything I’m supposed to want," he began, voice quiet, almost too quiet for the room. His answer was measured, careful, like he was trying to convince himself as much as he was you. "I’ve built a life, a career... I’m where I’m supposed to be."

But then his eyes met yours again, and for a heartbeat, something vulnerable passed between you. "But happiness?" He let the question hang in the air, not answering it fully, but leaving the meaning clear. His gaze lingered a second longer, unspoken words filling the silence.

You bit your lip, trying to keep your emotions in check as the weight of what wasn’t said between you pressed down. His answer, or lack of one, told you everything.

You glanced down at your next question, but your voice betrayed you, trailing off as you asked, "Do you… ever think about the life you could have had? If things had been different?"

Heeseung’s gaze locked onto yours, his expression unreadable. The question hadn’t been on the script. You hadn’t even realized you’d said it until it was too late. A deafening silence filled the room, every crew member, every camera operator feeling the tension brewing between you both.

His jaw clenched slightly, and for a moment, it looked like he wasn’t going to answer. But then, his voice came, soft, barely above a whisper, yet laced with emotion. "Sometimes… I think about the life I could have had. The life I almost had."

The way he said it made your breath hitch. You weren’t sure if anyone else in the room could hear it, but to you, it felt like the only thing that mattered. His words hung in the air, filling the space between you with a weight too heavy to ignore.

You tried to regain control, but you were slipping further, your thoughts clouded by the memories you had worked so hard to forget. "Do you have any regrets about the past?” you asked, the question intended more for your own sake than for the magazine.

Heeseung's expression softened, and for the first time throughout the interview, his voice wavered. ‘Regret... it's complicated. There are times when you make choices because you believe they’re what’s best for everyone. Yet there are nights when you can’t help but think… what if?’"

His words hit you like a wave, washing over you with the force of all the unspoken feelings between you. What if. Two simple words, yet they carried the weight of everything you had left behind.

Your breath hitched, and you glanced down at your notes, trying to steer the interview back to safer ground. But the damage was done. You couldn’t hide from the truth anymore.

You felt your eyes well up, memories flooding back of the days when Heeseung had been your world. The secret rendezvous, the promises whispered under moonlit skies, the proposal on the beach—the life you almost had. You swallowed hard, pushing the memories down.

"Two weeks until the wedding," you said, your voice hollow, desperate to pull the conversation back to the present. "Are you… ready?"

Heeseung didn’t answer right away. Instead, he looked at you, really looked at you, as if seeing past the years, past the distance, and straight into the heart of the girl he had once loved. His lips parted, but the answer you expected didn’t come.

"Are you?" he asked quietly, the question hanging in the air like a lifeline.

Your breath caught in your throat. The room felt too small, the walls too close. You blinked, shaking your head slightly as if that could shake off the weight of the moment.

The tension between you was unbearable now. You could feel every unsaid word, every lingering regret, every what-if stretching between you, filling the space with a heaviness you could no longer ignore.

"Thank you for your time, Mr. Lee," you said, your voice tight, trying to wrap up the interview before you completely unraveled.

But as you stood to leave, Heeseung’s voice stopped you.

"Y/N…"

He adjusted his cufflinks, and the air between you grew heavier. Finally, he spoke, his voice low. “Do you ever think about… that time?”

You looked at him, surprised he had asked. The cameras aren’t rolling anymore. “All the time,” you admitted, the truth slipping out before you could stop it.

Heeseung nodded, his gaze dropping to the floor. “Yeah… me too.”

You paused, not daring to turn around, your heart in your throat.

"If I had another chance…" His voice was barely a whisper now, but it sliced through the room like a knife. "I would risk everything."

Your hand hovered on the door handle, but you couldn’t move. His words clung to you, wrapping themselves around your heart like a vice. You swallowed hard, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall.

But you didn’t turn back. You couldn’t.

Instead, you stepped out of the studio, the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on you, knowing that you’d leave this room just as you had left him five years ago—heartbroken and haunted by what could have been.

About an hour after the interview, you found yourself standing at the back of the studio, watching as Heeseung and his fiancée posed for their couple shots. He looked effortlessly handsome in his pristine black tuxedo, while she glimmered in a flowing gown, radiant and picture-perfect.

“Smile a little wider, Heeseung!” the photographer urged, and your heart ached as you watched him comply, his smile lighting up the scene in a way that had once been reserved for you.

You swallowed hard, the memories flooding back—late-night laughter, whispered secrets, and the way he’d promised you the world. A crew member nudged you, breaking your reverie. “They really are the perfect couple,” he said.

“Yeah,” you replied, your voice thick with unshed tears.

As you turned away, the sight of them—the life you had once envisioned—felt like a dagger to your heart. It was time to leave, to step back into your own reality, but a lingering question haunted you: What if things had been different?

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literaryvein-reblogs · 2 months ago

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Writing a Wedding Timeline

Wedding Day Timeline - (also known as a day-of event schedule) a detailed schedule of events for your wedding day.

Wedding Schedule

Here are some factors to consider when putting together your wedding day timeline:

Get familiar with how much time each activity takes. Use sample timelines (like the ones below) to learn how long each wedding day activity typically takes. This will help ensure that you allot enough time for each activity. Talk to your wedding photographer to nail down a shot list. They should be able to provide a time estimate for each photoshoot and how best to take advantage of natural lighting. Your caterer, likewise, can provide crucial input on scheduling.

Get a head start. Your wedding schedule can start several days before the wedding date if necessary. For example, some people throw events leading up to the wedding day itself, like a rehearsal dinner or family brunch. Include these events in your timeline to get a comprehensive view of your wedding weekend.

Account for travel time. If you’re planning a destination wedding, be sure to include relevant flight and shuttle estimations in your timeline. If you’re planning a local wedding, but plan on navigating to various sites throughout the day, include those travel times as well. For example, if your bridal party is getting ready at an off-site location thirty minutes from the ceremony location, include the thirty-minute drive in your timeline.

Be as specific as possible. Rather than glossing over events with catch-alls like “wedding ceremony,” “cocktail hour,” and “wedding reception,” break down events into specific moments. For example, the wedding reception could include the wedding party entrance, the newlyweds’ grand entrance, a welcome toast, first dances, cake cutting, bouquet toss, garter toss, and a grand exit—the specifics are up to you.

Practice and adjust. “Everybody asks me, ‘Do we have to do a wedding rehearsal?’” wedding planner Mindy Weiss says. “The answer always, forever is ‘yes.’” A rehearsal ensures everyone knows where they need to be when, allowing you to stick to your timeline.

Pre-Ceremony Timeline

Depending on the size of your wedding, there might be plenty to schedule before the ceremony start time. Here’s a sample timeline:

Couple and wedding party get ready at 8:00 a.m.: Depending on the size of your wedding party and the complexity of your looks, hair and makeup can take several hours. Talk to your hair stylist and makeup artist to get an idea of how much time to budget. Remember to take a break for lunch at around 11:00 a.m.

First look at 1:00 p.m.: “There’s so much decisions about the first look,” Mindy says. “What is the first look? That is the first time you are seeing your partner that day. Some of my clients . . . want to do the first look—no matter what—when you're walking down the aisle. There are other clients that would like to do the first look earlier, for many reasons. They may be getting married later, so there’s not enough light. They want to get their pictures done [sooner], so they can enjoy the cocktail hour. Whatever your preference is, it must be captured.”

Pre-ceremony photo shoot with wedding party at 1:30 p.m.: Once your wedding party fully dresses up but before guests start arriving is when you can take photos. You may also want family members included in this photoshoot. “Often, we have the children come with the family so that they don’t get too tired,” Mindy says.

Pre-ceremony refreshments at 1:45 p.m.: Having refreshments available before the ceremony is a nice way to welcome your guests. “Often, we do not feed the guests at this, but we do offer them a nice cold drink, lemonade, if it's snowing out, some hot apple cider,” Mindy says.

Wedding Ceremony Timeline

“[In] current times the [couple] has really been customizing their ceremony based on what they feel they should include,” Mindy says. “As far as the order, it’s different for each ceremony.” Here’s what your ceremony timeline might entail:

Ceremony starts at 2:00 p.m.: Religious wedding ceremonies can take much longer than one hour, but the average secular ceremony can conclude in as little as fifteen to thrity minutes. “If you’re getting married . . . at a house of worship there are very definite rules that we have to follow,” Mindy says. Whether or not your ceremony is religious, Mindy adds, “it’s great to involve your officiant in designing your own service.”

Officiant and witnesses oversee signing of the marriage license at 3:10 p.m.: Your marriage license makes your marriage official. “The person that you choose to officiate your wedding is a very important decision,” Mindy says. “Not only does this person repeat vows, repeat prayers, repeat stories about the two of you, but they become instrumental in actually bringing the two of you together.”

Family photos and cocktail hour at 4:00 p.m.: While you pose for family portraits and take photos with your bridal party, your guests could enjoy appetizers and a drink before the reception begins. “That’s typically an hour,” Mindy says. “Sometimes, we’ll have a wine-tasting bar, which is great if you’re having a soft bar, and there’ll be somebody behind there who can really introduce the wine.”

Wedding Reception Timeline

The wedding ceremony has ended and now it’s time to celebrate. Here’s a template of a wedding reception timeline:

Wedding reception begins at 5:00 p.m.: “They’ve eaten; they’ve had a drink. It’s time to go in for the reception,” Mindy says. “We give them about fifteen minutes to all get in, find their table, get settled.”

Grand entrance and couple’s first dance at 5:15 p.m.: “We grab the couple,” Mindy says. “They come to the dance floor. They do their first dance. Often we invite the family or parents to join, and then we invite the wedding party and then everybody up there. So we have a captive audience, and everyone’s dancing.”

Welcome toasts at 6:00 p.m.: After the first dance, “we invite the guests to sit down,” Mindy says. “Sometimes there is a person of worship there that may do a blessing before they serve the first course.”

Dinner starts at 6:30 p.m.: If there will be toasts during the meal service, communicate your timeline with your caterer. “You want to avoid people serving food during the speeches,” Mindy says. “Not only is that rude, but it’s noisy. So let’s try to avoid that.”

Wedding party toasts at 7:35 p.m.: “My favorite part,” Mindy says. “I would do the . . . main host speech right after dinner. Because it’s nice that they can invite up [one of the couple] to dance after their speech. It’s very heartwarming.”

Dancing at 7:45 p.m.: “After that, it’s dancing,” Mindy says.

Cake cutting at 8:30 p.m.: “It’s time to cut the cake,” Mindy adds. “That’s a great moment for the couple to speak, say your thank-yous, not only to the hosts . . . but also to the guests who have traveled and have joined you in your celebration.”

Open the dance floor at 9:00 p.m.: Some of the best memories spawn on the dance floor. Make sure the videographer sticks around so you can remember the night forever.

Grand exit at 10 p.m.: Assign someone to prepare the getaway car for your send-off. Distribute sparklers to your guests for the classic, grand finale photo. Some wedding venues have a cut-off time that you will have to schedule around.

After-party at 11:00 p.m.: “Most recently, we have gone into after-parties, late-night food,” Mindy says. “This consists of greasy, junky food to absorb all of the spirits that you have consumed in the last five hours. It’s very optional. It’s not budget-friendly. But if it’s important to you, it’s really a fun addition to your celebration.”

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