Hello Everyone! This story is in it's development stages, so it is likely to change drastically as I go on. However, I wanted to post it on here to see how it does, and maybe give myself some motivation to work on it consistently. Anyways, hope you guys enjoy! More chapters to come soon!

You're Invited!

June 20th – Mary Ann and Louis

July 10th – Kimberly and Sam

July 24th - Terra and Jeremy

August 18th - Devin and Jack

Chapter One

Four weddings. Somehow I have gotten myself wrapped up in four weddings this summer, and to be perfectly honest, I have no idea how that happened. Granted, in half of them, I play a different role so it's not like I'm going to have to do the same job four times over, but still. Four hysterical brides, four outrageously expensive cakes, four boring ceremonies, and worst of all, four receptions to suffer through. It's not the most exciting way to spend my summer. But when you love someone – or four someone's – you do what you have to to make them happy.

"Dawn, what do you think of this one?" I glance up from my cell phone (this is the tenth dress she has tried on and I am losing hope) to find my cousin, Mary Ann, modeling a modest lace gown with sleeves and a trumpet figure. It isn't really my style, but it is really pretty and it fits Mary Ann's sweet face and shiny red curls perfectly. I glance over at Aunt Marie, Mary Ann's mom, and found her eyes filling with tears, a radiant smile on her face.

"I really like it," I say, giving her an encouraging smile. Mary Ann and I are extremely close, almost closer than my actual sister and I are. She is two years older than I, but we grew up together so I know exactly how she thinks, how nervous she is right now, and how unsure she is about this whole process.

She gives me a timid smile and turns back to the mirror. Pushing her black framed glasses up her nose, she cocks her head to the side and scrutinizers herself.

"It fits your frame perfectly, and it is so you, your personality just shines through," I say. Aunt Marie nods along with me, the tears brimming over and spilling down her cheeks. "You look beautiful," I add.

Linda, the owner of the shop, stands nearby, and as we sit admiring the dress, she comes over and puts a hand on Mary Ann's arm. "So is this your dress?"

Mary Ann looks at me in the mirror and I smile at her again and give a small nod. There is no doubt in my mind that this is her dress, and now it is a matter of getting her to realize this too. She hesitates for a moment longer, smoothing the bodice with her hand and wrapping her hair this way and that. Then she nods, "this is my dress."

Aunt Marie and I both squeal and clap our hands together and we jump up to hug her, never taking our eyes off the beautiful girl in the mirror.

"Louis is going to love it so much!" I say, which brings a smile to Mary Ann's face, as she thinks of the only thing that she is completely sure of in this whole wedding process: her fiancé Louis Fitzpatrick. Louis is just as shy as Mary Ann, and sometimes I wonder how the two of them got together in the first place. Neither of them are the type to approach the other. Fortunately for them, they got paired together for a project in their Psychology class. Three nights of grueling essay writing and report building, and there was no going back. They were engaged six months later.

Mary Ann's phone rings in her purse, which is sitting next to me, just as she is disappearing into the dressing room.

"Hey, Dawn, will you get that?" she calls back. Figuring it is Louis, I don't bother checking the caller ID before holding it up to my ear.

"Hello?"

"Mary Ann Peters?" Okay, this is definitely not Louis. Louis has a pretty high pitched voice for a 21 year old guy, and this guy's voice is extremely deep. I hold the phone away from my face, squinting at it, wondering if this is actually Mary Ann's phone.

"No, this is her cousin. Who is this?"

"This is Shawn from Rose's Catering, can you please have Mrs. Peters call me back when she has a chance? There is a small problem with her order."

"You want me to tell a bride a week before her wedding that there is a problem with her extremely elaborate and thought out dinner menu. You are insane."

"Excuse me, ma'am, but may I speak to Mrs. Peters?"

"No. This is her maid of honor, Dawn. You may speak to me about any problems."

He gives an exasperated sigh. "The halibut is unavailable for the event, I am very sorry. Is there anything else that we can get you?"

I suck in a breath and glance quickly at the door of the dressing room. Mary Ann is extremely shy, yes, but she is also anxious and a worrier, and anything little thing can set her off. Halibut is her absolute favorite food and if she figures out that she can't have it on her big day, she will freak. And it is the maid of honors job – no, it is her duty to make sure the bride does not freak. She may be afraid to stand up for what she wants, but I'm not.

"Mrs?"

"You can get me halibut," I hiss into the phone.

"That is impossible, Mrs. Our supplier had a run in with a tanker truck, it's a whole mess. There are no fish available."

I can hear Mary Ann finishing up in the dressing room, so I quickly jump up and walk out of the store.

"Have you ever dealt with a hysterical bride? You work for a catering service so I'm sure you have. And since you probably have, you know that it is not a fun experience. This bride is likely to break down in a panic if I – no, if you have to tell her that she can't have her favorite food on her day. Now I happen to know what she is paying for the monster of an event and if you would like to keep this huge payday, YOU WILL FIGURE OUT HOW TO GET HER HALIBUT!" My voice rises drastically and by the end I am practically yelling into the phone.

Shawn sighs again. "Yes, ma'am. Let me make some calls, I will call you back."

"Thank you, please call my phone." I give him the number and then he apologizes, which I say I will accept after he got halibut.

After I hang up, I can't help but worry that I was a little too harsh on Shawn. I know that it isn't his fault that their suppliers are having problems, and that you're not supposed to kill the messenger. It's just that, Mary Ann is my best friend and I want to make sure her wedding day is perfect. There is so much pressure on the maid of honor, and I know how to get things done, so that's what I'm going to do. I echo Shawn's sigh. Weddings bring out the worst in everyone, it seems.

As I think about this, I go back into the store where Mary Ann and her mom are paying for the dress at the register. Mary Ann waited until the very last minute to find her dress – her anxiety stopped her from wanting to go any sooner – so she was forced to go to a store that held several sizes of dresses. There are less options but also no need for fittings.

"Who was it?" Mary Ann asks when I get back to her.

"Wrong number." I hand her back the phone and go over to check out the garters that the store had on display. "Hey, Mary Ann, did you already get one of these?"

Her eyes go wide when she seems what I am holding and she automatically starts to blush. Another difference between Mary Ann and I is that she is very traditional and conservative and I am not. She and Louis are saving their first time for their wedding day, and I…did not. Garters make her blush, garters make me smile.

"I'm getting you one," I say, grabbing the prettiest one that will match her dress and go to the register, ignoring Mary Ann's protests.

"I don't think I really need one, Louis isn't really into that kind of stuff…"

I give her an exasperated look. "Louis is a guy; of course he's into that kind of stuff." She glares at me, her face a bright red as I force the bag into her hands.

"I hate you," Mary Ann mutters.

"Oh you know you love me." I throw my arm around her shoulders and we leave the store.

Please let me know what you think!