Ailish’s wedding dress arrived a few weeks before the wedding. Having nowhere else to store it, she hung it up in my computer room.

I desperately did not want to see the dress before our wedding day. As a result, I spent the next few weeks being very careful to avoid looking in the corner of the computer room. I shielded my eyes when I entered, I stared fixedly at the screen whenever I was sitting down. I occasionally tripped over objects strewn on the floor as I exited, blind. It was all a bit silly.

Until our wedding day.

When Ailish walked in, I got my first look. All my hopes of making it through the ceremony with dry eyes ended immediately. I have never seen Ailish so beautiful as she was right then. The dress was absolutely perfect.

I’m pretty sure I told her that when she was up on stage with me. I’m also pretty sure that was our first kiss, to the amusement of the officiant as we had not yet started the ceremony. I didn’t care, I couldn’t wait to kiss Ailish, even if she wasn’t quite my wife yet.