Chapter 2 - The Wedding Pressure
1409 Words
By eight the next morning, Ever After Events was already in chaos.
Winnie stood in the middle of the office with three folders in her hands while her phone rang for the fourth time.
“Put the florist on hold,” she told Maya. “The venue manager is calling.”
Maya grabbed the second phone.
“I've got it.”
Winnie answered the other line.
“Hello, this is Winnie Carter.”
“Miss Carter, we need the final guest estimate today.”
“I'm working on it.”
“And the seating plan?”
“By tomorrow.”
“And your decorator?”
Winnie glanced at Maya.
“Confirmed.”
She ended the call and immediately opened another folder.
“What's next?”
Maya checked her notebook.
“The caterer wants the menu finalized. The photographer needs the schedule. The venue wants the deposit confirmation.”
Winnie stared at her.
“Already?”
“They said they need everything early because of the size of the wedding.”
Winnie exhaled and pulled out her chair.
“Fine. Let's do it.”
She barely sat down before another call came in.
Then another.
Then another.
By midmorning, her desk was covered with contracts, invoices, floor plans, and handwritten notes.
The wedding was only weeks away.
Maya placed another file on her desk.
“Winnie.”
She looked up.
“What now?”
Maya hesitated.
“The bride's mother wants a meeting.”
Winnie frowned.
“Today?”
“She's already on her way.”
Winnie slowly closed the folder in front of her.
“Then we'd better be ready.”
She stood.
And before she could take a step, her phone rang again.
The meeting room was barely ready when the bride's mother arrived.
Winnie had just finished arranging the sample designs when the door opened.
“Good morning, Mrs. Harrison.”
“Good morning.”
The woman walked in with a serious expression and placed a folder on the table.
“I've been reviewing the proposal.”
Winnie took her seat.
“Is there a problem?”
“Not exactly.”
Mrs. Harrison opened the folder.
“I want to make a few changes.”
Winnie leaned forward.
“Of course.”
“The guest list has increased.”
“By how many?”
“Almost eighty.”
Winnie paused.
That was a significant change.
“We'll need to adjust the catering, seating arrangement, tables, and possibly the venue setup.”
“I expected you to handle that.”
“I will.”
“And I want the reception to look more impressive than what we discussed.”
Winnie nodded slowly.
“Do you have anything specific in mind?”
“I'll send you some pictures.”
She pushed her phone across the table.
Winnie looked through them.
The designs were far more elaborate than the original proposal.
“This will require additional vendors.”
“I assumed so.”
“And additional costs.”
Mrs. Harrison looked at her.
“I thought your quotation covered the wedding.”
Winnie remained calm.
“It covers the original plan. These changes would be separate expenses.”
A brief silence followed.
Then Mrs. Harrison closed her folder.
“I don't want to hear about problems, Winnie. I hired you because I believe you can handle this.”
Winnie swallowed.
“I understand.”
“Good.”
Mrs. Harrison stood.
“I'll expect the revised plan tomorrow.”
After she left, Winnie remained seated.
Maya walked in a moment later.
“Well?”
Winnie slowly turned the phone toward her.
Maya looked at the pictures.
Her eyes widened.
“She wants all this?”
Winnie nodded.
“And eighty more guests.”
Maya stared at her.
“That's going to cost a lot.”
Winnie looked back at the designs.
“I know.”
She picked up her pen.
“Let's start again.”
By late afternoon, Winnie's office looked like a storm had passed through it.
Fabric samples covered one table. Seating charts were spread across another. Her laptop displayed three different versions of the reception layout.
Winnie leaned closer to the screen.
“No. The stage needs to be moved.”
Maya looked up from her notes.
“Again?”
“Yes. If we add the extra tables, the current arrangement won't work.”
Maya quickly made the adjustment.
“What about the entrance?”
“Keep it clear. The bride's arrival has to feel grand.”
Her phone rang.
Winnie answered.
“Hello?”
It was the caterer.
“We've received the updated guest count.”
“Okay.”
“We'll need confirmation by tomorrow morning if we're adding the extra eighty guests.”
Winnie glanced at the clock.
“Send me the revised quotation tonight.”
“We will.”
She ended the call.
Maya looked at her.
“You haven't eaten.”
“I'll eat later.”
“You said that this morning.”
Winnie gave her a tired look.
“And somehow I'm still alive.”
Maya laughed.
Then the printer suddenly stopped.
Winnie stared at it.
“Please don't.”
Maya opened the printer tray.
“It's jammed.”
Winnie closed her eyes for a second.
“Of course it is.”
They both laughed, but the moment didn't last.
Winnie's phone buzzed again.
This time, it was a message from the venue.
We need the updated floor plan before 9 a.m. tomorrow.
Winnie read it twice.
Tomorrow.
There was still the seating plan.
The catering changes.
The new decoration concept.
And the vendor confirmations.
She pushed her chair back.
“Maya.”
“Yeah?”
“We're staying late.”
Maya sighed.
“I knew you were going to say that.”
Winnie opened a fresh document on her laptop.
“Let's finish the floor plan first.”
Outside the office windows, the city lights slowly came on.
Inside, Winnie kept working.
She didn't notice how quickly the hours were disappearing.
It was almost nine when Winnie finally sent the revised floor plan to the venue.
She leaned back in her chair and rubbed her eyes.
“One thing done.”
Maya looked at the remaining files.
“Three more things to go.”
Winnie groaned.
“Don't remind me.”
Before they could continue, the office door opened.
One of the junior assistants stepped inside with a nervous expression.
“Winnie?”
She looked up.
“Yes?”
“The bride's mother called.”
Winnie straightened.
“What did she say?”
“She wants the decoration meeting moved to tomorrow morning.”
“Tomorrow?”
The assistant nodded.
“She said she wants to see the actual samples before approving anything.”
Winnie glanced at Maya.
The decorator had already been booked, but the samples weren't ready yet.
“I'll handle it.”
The assistant nodded and left.
Maya turned toward her.
“That's another meeting.”
“I know.”
“And the caterer still hasn't sent the revised quotation.”
“I know.”
“And you haven't eaten.”
Winnie gave her a look.
“Maya.”
“Okay. I'm quiet.”
The next morning, Winnie arrived at the decorator's showroom before the doors officially opened.
She had barely slept.
The revised wedding plans were already saved on her laptop, and she had spent most of the night checking every detail.
The receptionist led her inside.
“Mr Daniel is expecting you”.
“Thank you.”
Mr. Daniels approached with a smile.
“Miss Carter.”
“Good morning.”
“I've gone through the revised requirements.”
Winnie's smile faded slightly.
“And?”
He handed her a folder.
“There will be additional costs.”
She opened it.
Her eyes moved down the page.
The new figure made her stomach tighten.
“That much?”
“The guest count increased, and your client's new design requests require more materials and staff.”
Winnie closed the folder.
“Can we work with the original amount?”
Mr. Daniels shook his head.
“Not if you want this standard.”
Winnie looked around the showroom.
She already knew the answer.
Mr. Daniels nodded.
“Then w
e'll need the payment confirmation before we begin.”
Winnie took the folder.
“I'll send it.”
She walked out of the showroom, already reaching for her phone.
There was only one problem.
She didn't have enough money.
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