Above a brightly coloured lobby filled with hipsters and fashionistas, the door to a pristinely white suite sat wedged wide open. A wave of heat, a cloud of noise and a haze of hairspray drifted out of the door and along the corridor. Curious passers-by did little to conceal their attempts to spy on the proceedings within. Slippered feet padded excitedly up and down the hallway to a symphony of doors opening and closing as voices called out to one another throughout the hotel chambers.
Perched on a silver throne in the midst of the madness sat a princess facing her own reflection. With a glass of champagne clasped between her hot pink manicure, she relaxed back into the cushioned seat with primly crossed legs extending from beneath her monochrome silk robe. Her dark hair bounced about her shoulders in soft waves whilst behind her a doting coiffeur in a bright pink jumper primped her tresses and set them just so.
A soundtrack of modern beats and funky pop music accompanied the sound of hairdryers and excited voices. A tribe of professionals buzzed around the room, busily getting their work done as Kim watched them through the oversized mirror.
In one corner, Mariam had set up her legions of brushes and make-up products on the windowsill; Polly shimmied in and out of appropriate light to capture tiny moments for posterity whilst the cameramen circled the big white bed in the centre of the room to get a full 360-degree panorama of the scale of preparations.
Every available surface in the suite was packed full of paraphernalia for the day ahead. One windowsill hosted a box of matching pale pink posies with a separate spot for the larger bouquet of fluffy white hydrangea, ivory avalanche roses and lisianthus, and white jasmine. On the neighbouring ledge, a single sparkling black shoe sat abandoned next to an orchid after being set up for a detail shot.
On a long dress rail tucked away in a recess round the corner, a lone ivory dress hung patiently on a black velvet coat hanger. The crystal cleavage embellishments on the ruched bodice and frothy full skirt of frills on the strapless gown hinted teasingly that this was to be no low-key affair.
A parade of blondes flittered through the room, circulating between the make-up chair, the hairdresser’s pins and the directions of the increasingly glamorous bride. The mother of the bride, Penny, transformed from the casual relaxation of a towelling dressing gown to the glorious splendour of a silhouette-hugging blush pink outfit. Topping off the look, she drew admiring gasps with a bespoke hat sat at 45 degrees to her head.
Through it all, Kim remained the picture of calm serenity in her short kimono. As Sam helpfully fielded phone calls and directed groomsmen to distribute the correct buttonholes to the right people, Kim quietly tidied up around the bedroom, checking with Polly that she had snapped various details before putting them away and finally sitting in Mariam’s make-up chair for one last touch up.
Champagne cooled in a bucket next to the freestanding sink, visible through muslin curtains that partitioned up the suite. As encroaching rain-ridden clouds began to threaten the sun bouncing off the severe white 1960s buildings outside, a platter of perfectly square cut sandwiches arrived.
“This is the only wedding I’ve worked on,” announced one of Kim’s carefully sourced suppliers, “Where the bride has scheduled enough time for a break so everyone can get some sustenance!”
The blitz of wedding preparation continued with open bags of professional kit and a mass of tangled wires. Beige and black umbrellas cuddled up to the pillows on the bed as clusters of make-up and tissues were laid out to be re-homed in handbags. Sam’s checklist of items for her own frilly black clutch reached Mary Poppins proportions as she found space for scissors, cotton and safety pins as well.
Bridesmaids reappeared in breathtakingly classic floor-length black gowns, sweeping through the room with self-conscious grace and elegance. Each dress told a different story, being made specifically for the person wearing it.
Whilst together they presented a united front, each bridesmaid had a different neckline or a strapless bodice or a backless element to make their gown unique to them. A collection of dazzling earrings and ruffled clutch bags completed the ensemble as they all gathered around the central bed to await the transformation of the bride.
Before slipping out of her little robe, Kim produced a series of gift bags and presented them with calm appreciation to her ladies in waiting. The room fell silent as the bridesmaids tucked into the black and white Anya Hindmarch bags, overcome by gentle tears and bubbles of laughter as they read their individually handwritten cards. The girls broke open their presents in unison to reveal miniature hot pink vanity purses packed full of make-up essentials.
“Only Kim could have thought to get gift bags that matched her colour theme,” joked Helen as the group of women all hugged and kissed with great affection.
The sound of Take That’s ‘Happy Now’ filled the room with timely appropriateness as the girls packed away their presents and Kim and Sam disappeared around the corner to begin the process of dressing the bride. There was never any question that Sam would supply her sister’s dress, even if it meant taking on a new designer or spending hours on alterations to modify the chosen gown to Kim’s specifications.
With the help of her experienced sister, Kim slipped easily enough into the layers of ivory material, frothy enough to be a cloud plucked from the overcast sky. With nimble fingers, Sam soon had Kim corseted and secured into the dress and, on the bride’s command that breathing equated to cheating, tightened it a fraction more. Penny watched her daughters with tender affection as they continued to banter their way through the transformation.
Moving in front of the full-length mirror, Kim watched herself being dressed as Sam circled her waist with a long black velvet sash. Sam’s face slipped into fierce concentration as she worked the material into the correct position before fixing it in place with a large glittering jewel. The combination of sparkling detail along the neckline along with the contrasting sash managed to accentuate Kim’s figure, whittling down her waist and celebrating her assets.
Running her hands over the delectable material encasing her body, Kim crouched down slightly in order to allow Sev to affix her tiara and veil. As the Frenchman hovered precariously over her on a chair, the final preparations to turn Kim into a bride were at last complete. Smiles broke out on the faces of all those in the room as suddenly before them appeared a most beautiful bride.
Continue to Part Two…
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