#elopment

A/N:  Props to @fericita-s​ for continuing to provide excellent guidance about not just which Bible verses are the most suited for scenes in this story, but exactly how Nina would pervert them with her sense of humor. And also, many thanks to @jomiddlemarch​ for letting me borrow Gjela State (Go Squirrels!) from her story when there is nothing left to take away.  This overall story is rated M.

                  *          *          *          *          *

           Matthias found it impossible to sleep deeply with the light and noise coming through the window.  Nina might not have been able to afford a room with a view, but if he pressed his cheek against the cool pane of glass, he could just make out a city street that seemed busy despite the fact it was the middle of the night.  Not that he could tell.  It was snowing again, but it seemed like sacks of glitter were being dumped between the buildings.  He had never seen anything quite like it.  But he doubted that what seemed wonderous to him was any kind of novelty to her, so he let her sleep.  And when he saw her shiver and her hand reach out to the empty spot on the bed that he had so recently occupied, he tore himself away from the window and slipped beside her once more.

           The room might be simple, but the sheets felt luxuriant.  Nina sighed in her sleep as she snuggled against him.  He closed his eyes and rested his hand against the small of her back.  He wondered if they would have time to print out the picture they had taken on the ferry so he could have it framed.  He yawned and pulled the quilt under his chin, finally dozing off and waking again to the faint wail of sirens and a cacophony of angry drivers slamming their horns.  Nina was snoring lightly, so he tucked her under the blankets and showered.  He made his way alone onto the street, into the bitter winds and the gray slush of the sidewalks.

My fiance and I have been engaged for quite some time now, I'd say two years?

She proposed to me, at all times, in the middle of an argument. No ring, or planning. She said that the thought of this argument being what would end the relationship opened her eyes to what was important and that she didnt want to lose me. I said yes, and we've become much closer and done a lot of work to improve ourselves and the relationship.

Everytime we tried to plan a wedding it fell through; and we never even had a big guest list. Our guest list was always very small, only about 35-50 guests. But the build up of meals, drinks, decor, the dress, it would always pile up beyond belief! And then the family drama would start. Both my side of the family and Sam's, my fiance, is insane and a lot of them aren't very nice people. It was just exhausting to deal with and I really asked myself "Why am I getting ready to spend all this money on mostly people I cant stand? My marriage is supposed to be about us." And the more I looked at wedding YouTube channels, the videos were almost always all about the guests and what they thought.

So, I decided to say screw it. I'll elope!

So I started doing my research. I thought I was going to have to settle for a court house wedding. I was going to throw on a dress I already owned and not bother with anything else. But then I discovered I didnt have to do that.

Soon I discovered a company called SimplyEloped (not sponsored lol) and a youtuber who loved elopments and found out you could have a "luxury" or "destination" elopement.

Since eloping is so much cheaper and, with no or very few guests, so much more free, you could do it anywhere! In the mountains, on beaches, in an amusement park, almost anywhere you can think of!

So now, with the help of Simply Eloped, I am planning an elopment down in New Orleans at Audubon Park in the fall with 6 of our closest family and friends! My theme is "haunted romance", and I thought a place as haunted as the Big Easy would be perfect.

My plan is that we'll wake up early and spend the morning together, get a nice breakfast, take a swamp ride, go to an art museum.

Then at 11 30am I plan on going back to our room and getting ready. I'm going to be wearing a dress (I took more on the "bride role" and her the "groom role") and a veil so I'm going to need time. I plan on doing a self spa; face masks, sugar scrubs, everything to make me "zen". I plan on starting my make up at 1 30 and leaving by 4; as my ceremony starts at 5pm, underneath a large oak tree covered in Spanish Moss.

She'll wait at the altar for me, I'll walk down the "aisle" to some lovely ambient music, we'll read our vows and commit the handfasting ritual, as we're pagan, and be married.

We'll have an hour or so to do portraits with our photographer, and after that we plan on going down to the French Quarter and walking down Bourbon street to celebrate! We'll drink and eat the whole night and have our first dance to Dont Fear the Reaper, a soft romantic cover of it.

Then we'll spend a week in New Orleans and start out our marriage with an adventure.

And that's the story of how we came to elope!

“15-Year-Old Husband In Montreal Court,” Kingston Daily Standard. September 5, 1919. Page 01. --- Is Charged by His 19-Year-Old Wife With Non-Support --- Montreal, Sept. 5. - There was a touch of romance in the police court when a fifteen-year-old husband appeared on a charge of non-support laid by his nineteen-year-old wife, and the case was dismissed. Judge Lanctot, who presided, thinking that the accused was a fit subject for the juvenile court.

According to what was stated before the court by counsel of both sides, as no evidence was heard, it appears that in April last, Rene Jutras, fifteen year-old, met the woman while emerging from a moving picture house, and invited her to witness another performance with him. The invitation was accepted, the couple became infatuated with each other, and after a few days of courtship, Rene Jutras and the girl, Lina Gatien, eloped. They took a train to Quebec, where, after a stay of two weeks they were married by a priest of St. Roch’s parish. The honeymoon was short and the young couple soon had to return to Montreal.

On their arrival there, the young husband was summoned before the juvenile court, on a charge laid by his mother. He appeared before Judge Choquet, who, on being given the evidence that a regular marriage had taken place, advised the mother to put up with it.