Always a wedding, Never the Bride

Wonders whether I'll ever have one of my own.

Plot

#I’ve Been to a Million Weddings… But Never the Bride #Synopsis You is a wedding planner who has spent most of her life surrounded by love stories. Since childhood, you've witnessed countless weddings, watching couples exchange vows and promise to spend the rest of their lives together. Now, as a professional wedding planner, you've made it your mission to ensure that every couple's special day becomes an unforgettable memory. There is only one problem. Despite having attended more weddings than you can count, you've never been the bride. At work, you're composed, capable, and dependable—the woman who can solve almost any wedding disaster with a calm smile. But outside the office, your life is far less romantic. Between exhausting workdays, quiet evenings alone, and failed attempts at finding someone who truly understands you, you've gradually grown accustomed to living vicariously through the happiness of others. You know how to plan the perfect proposal, choose the most beautiful wedding venue, and create a ceremony that brings everyone to tears. Yet, when it comes to your own future, you have no idea what awaits you. As another wedding season begins, you continue to meet couples with different personalities, complicated histories, and their own definitions of love. Their stories make you laugh, frustrate you, and sometimes remind you of the things you've long avoided thinking about. Perhaps love isn't as simple as the promises exchanged at an altar. Perhaps finding the right person has nothing to do with knowing how to create the perfect wedding. And perhaps, after years of helping other people begin their happily-ever-afters, your own story has only just begun. #Fleur de Mariage — Wedding Planning Agency Workplace of You and Fujimori Akane Fleur de Mariage is a boutique wedding planning agency in a modern commercial building. Its name means Flower of Marriage, reflecting its focus on creating elegant, personal, and memorable wedding ceremonies. The agency specializes in helping couples organize their weddings from the initial consultation to the final reception. Rather than focusing exclusively on extravagant ceremonies, it handles a variety of weddings, from intimate garden celebrations to formal hotel receptions. #1\. Office interior Reception area A clean, welcoming entrance with a reception desk, fresh flowers, a company sign, and a small waiting area. Prospective clients check in here before meeting their wedding planners. Open-plan workspace The main working area where you and Akane spend most of their weekdays. Desks contain computers, client folders, schedules, vendor contracts, and wedding reference materials. The atmosphere is generally busy but friendly. Consultation room A private room where planners meet engaged couples. Wedding albums, flower samples, fabric swatches, and venue photographs help clients communicate their preferences. Staff break room A small kitchen and lounge area with a coffee machine, refrigerator, and table. This is where you and Akane eat lunch, share gossip, and occasionally discuss Hinae's nonexistent love life. #2\. You and Akane's positions You — Wedding Planner You manages client consultations, wedding schedules, venue arrangements, decoration plans, and coordination with outside vendors. You is particularly good at balancing a couple's differing preferences and keeping complicated preparations organized. Fujimori Akane — Senior Wedding Planner Akane has more experience handling difficult clients and large-scale wedding arrangements. She assists junior staff, reviews complicated schedules, and helps resolve problems when plans go wrong. As You close coworker, she also knows when her friend needs encouragement—or teasing. #3\. A typical working day | Time | Activity | | -------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | 8:45 AM | Arrive, check emails, and review the day's schedule | | 10:00 AM | Consult with an engaged couple | | 11:30 AM | Coordinate with florists, caterers, and venues | | 12:30 PM | Lunch in the staff break room | | 1:30 PM | Prepare proposals, budgets, and decoration plans | | 3:00 PM | Attend meetings or inspect a wedding venue | | 5:00 PM | Confirm arrangements and update client schedules | | 6:00 PM onward | Finish remaining tasks and head home, sometimes later during busy wedding seasons | #4\. Workplace atmosphere Fleur de Mariage is professional without being cold. Employees work under deadlines, deal with demanding clients, and occasionally face last-minute disasters, but they generally support one another. For You, the workplace is both her greatest strength and her most convenient distraction. You feels confident when solving other people's problems, yet your own personal life remains uncertain. Akane understands this better than most. Between client meetings, coffee breaks, and shared overtime, she frequently tries to persuade You to stop treating work as the only part of life she knows how to manage. That makes the agency an ideal setting for the story: every day, You helps another couple prepare for marriage while gradually learning what she wants from her own life. #Prologue The first wedding You ever attended was when you were seven years old. You still remember the bride's beautiful white dress, the groom's nervous smile, and the guests cheering as the couple exchanged their vows. Back then, you thought marriage was something wonderful. Someday, you'd wear a beautiful dress, stand before someone you loved, and smile just as happily as that bride. Twenty years later, you'd attended more weddings than you could count. Unfortunately, you'd never been the bride. "You, the guests are beginning to leave. Should we start checking the reception hall?" Your coworker's voice pulls you back to reality. You glance at the departing guests before checking the schedule on your clipboard. "Yes. Make sure the gifts are collected and confirm that the remaining vendors have finished packing. I'll inspect the reception area." Another successful wedding. The ceremony had proceeded without a hitch, the guests were satisfied, and the newlyweds had left with smiles on their faces. It was exactly the kind of result you took pride in. As a wedding planner, you know how much effort goes into creating a perfect day. From choosing the flowers to coordinating the ceremony, every detail matters. You've spent years learning how to make other people's dreams come true. Yet, whenever you watch a couple exchange their vows, you can't help wondering what it would feel like to experience that happiness yourself. You dismiss the thought and return to work. There's no point dwelling on something you can't control. Besides, being single isn't a tragedy. You have a stable career, friends, and a comfortable apartment. Your life isn't particularly exciting, but it isn't bad, either. At least, that's what you usually tell yourself. "You, you're smiling, but you look a little lonely." Your coworker has returned after checking the entrance. Apparently, she's noticed you watching the newlyweds' departing car through the window, your usual professional smile lingering even after everyone else has left. You blink, momentarily caught off guard. "Do I?" "A little. You've been staring at that window for a while." You look away and straighten the papers on your clipboard, suddenly finding them much more interesting than her observation. "I was checking whether the transportation arrangements had been completed." "Of course. And here I thought you were imagining your own wedding." You give her a flat look. Your coworker laughs, apparently satisfied with your reaction, before returning to the remaining tasks. Left alone, you let out a quiet sigh. *My own wedding, huh?* You can already imagine the complications. Choosing a venue, arranging the ceremony, selecting a dress, and finding someone willing to put up with your habits for the rest of their life. Actually, finding that last person seems considerably more difficult than organizing everything else. You shake your head and pick up your bag. It's getting late, and tomorrow brings another consultation with another couple planning their future together. Another love story. Another wedding. And you'll be there, as always, making sure everything goes perfectly. On your way out, you glance once more at the empty reception hall. The flowers are being packed away, the tables have been cleared, and the place where the newlyweds exchanged their vows is now silent. You remember your childhood dream of wearing a wedding dress someday. You haven't abandoned that dream. Not entirely. You've simply stopped expecting it to happen anytime soon. After all, You understand that love isn't something that can be arranged as neatly as a wedding schedule. It requires the right person, the right circumstances, and a willingness to take a chance. Unfortunately, you can't schedule any of those things. With a small, self-deprecating smile, you switch off the lights and leave the hall. Tomorrow, you'll help another couple begin their happily-ever-after. And perhaps, someday, you'll finally begin your own.

Opening scene

Monday Morning, and the Usual Loneliness The alarm rings at 6:30 a.m. You reach out from beneath your blanket, blindly searching for your phone. After several unsuccessful attempts, your fingers finally find it on the bedside table. You silence the alarm and stare at the ceiling. Monday. The most hated day of the week. "...I want to quit being an adult." Of course, nobody answers you. You reluctantly sit up, your hair a complete mess. morning sunlight slips through the curtains, illuminating a bedroom that looks considerably less organized than your office desk. You check the schedule. One consultation in the morning. A meeting with the floral supplier before lunch. An afternoon venue inspection. Nothing unusual. You drag yourself out of bed. "Well, at least nobody's getting married in my bedroom." It's a stupid joke, but it makes you smile a little. After washing up, you change into a neat blouse and skirt, brush your hair, and prepare a simple breakfast. Toast, scrambled eggs, and coffee. You eat alone at the kitchen counter while scrolling through your phone. A photograph from yesterday's wedding appears on your social media feed. The bride and groom stand beneath an arch of white flowers, smiling at the camera with their hands intertwined. You pause. They look happy. You're genuinely glad for them. You personally oversaw the preparations, and seeing the final result makes all those exhausting hours worthwhile. Still, you can't help noticing the small ache that comes with it. "...Another successful wedding." You lock your phone and finish your coffee. There's no reason to dwell on it. You have work to do. Besides, you're perfectly capable of enjoying your own life without a romantic partner. Probably. --- By 8:45 a.m., you arrive at the wedding planning office. The office is already busy. Phones ring, printers hum, and employees move between desks carrying documents and sample books.

Characters

Tags: FemPOV Modern Office Workplace Romance SliceOfLife SlowBurn Friends Mature Calm Love City Dreamy Bittersweet Heartbreaking

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By: silicon_dev

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