Just so you know, there are no plans to publish the wedding - but you're welcome to print the chapters out if you'd like to keep a copy. 

Thanks for making this wedding so fun and for all your nice comments in the past!  Happy reading!

The wedding starts tomorrow... Check in at my website any time after noon for the first chapter!

And a HUGE thanks to everybody who served as bridesmaids!  This was amazingly fun for me... I hope you all enjoyed it, too!

Planning this wedding has been incredibly fun for me, and I'm very excited to see how the final vote comes out.

Will you choose to unite Antanasia and Lucius with:

1. A kiss

2. A bite to the throat, or

3. A kiss AND a bite to the throat

??

(For a couple things you might want to consider, click here!)

Just like in previous weeks, please include a numeral (1, 2 or 3) in your comment, so it's easier for me to count the votes.  And please let me know why you voted as you did...  I love to read your ideas!

Voting is open until Saturday, Sept. 19, at noon.

Then, on Sunday, Sept. 20, the wedding will get underway!  I'll post the first wedding chapter on my website, bethfantaskey.com. 

(Hint:  It's going to involve a special reunion...)

Thanks for voting!

Your tastes ran from Bach to Etta James to Sinatra to Death Cab for Cutie... WOW! 

When it was time to make my choice, I took into consideration both the individual songs you suggested, and the "theme" of the comments overall.  And one of the things I took away was that a lot of you believe Jess and especially Lucius would prefer something timeless and classic that would reflect Lucius's background and the idea of an eternal love.  And when I read this comment by Lisa (Sept. 7), I knew exactly what I was looking for:  "something that... captures their essence as a couple... soft and tender at times, but also clashing and crescendoing at others."  That summed it up perfectly!

First, here are the songs that are runners-up, and which I think make a great playlist for the wedding - or the book, overall.

* Breathe Me - Sia

* Gravity of Love - Enigma (although the video was too creepy!)

* Your Guardian Angel - Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (lots of votes)

* She Is Love - Parachute (very sweet, also lots of votes - a song that made me think of Jess)

* Marry Me - Evanescence (it gives me chills!)

* Nothing Else Matters - Metallica (don't you love when he growls, "Trust I seek, and I find in you..."?)

* Iris - Goo Goo Dolls

* Dark Waltz - Hayley Westenra (more chills)

* Faraway - Apocalyptica

* Dance D'Amour - The 69 Eyes (a true "vampire love song" as Sophia (Sept. 7) noted - and it has almost a German metal edge, which reminded me of Lucius)

* String Quartet #4 - Bartok (Lucius would appreciate the Hungarian/Romanian roots!)

Ultimately, I chose Beethoven's Piano Sonata #14, also known as the "Moonlight Sonata."  As Michaela (Sept. 6) pointed out, "It's really breathtaking, has a gothic feel, you get lost in the way it flows."  And when I listened to it - hearing it again for the first time in years - I knew that it was absolutely perfect.  It's dark, it's light, it's haunting, romantic - and timeless. 

Three people suggested this piece, so I had to draw names. My daughter Julia picked Michaela's name from the bowl, so congrats!  Contact me so I can send you your book!

Thanks, as always, to everybody who suggested a song... I wish I could have picked even more!

And don't forget that starting tonight, you can vote on how Jess and Lucius should seal their union.  Then it will be time for the wedding to begin!

Here's how the voting came out:

* Dress 1 - Black - 77

* Dress 2 - Red - 68

* Dress 3 - White with a Black Twist - 290

I LOVED all of your comments, and I jotted down a lot of your thoughts to draw on when I write the chapters.  It was fun to see how you connected the different dresses to specific scenes in the book, or took into consideration how Lucius might feel to see Jess in each gown, as well as the symbolism of the colors.  Thanks so much for all your thoughtful insights, which will  really help me as I start to write!

I can't wait to see which songs you choose this week!

Here's how you voted:

Castle - 168

Cave - 91

Mountains - 111

Thanks to everybody who cast a vote and left comments!  I'm already starting to daydream about how I'll "decorate" for the ceremony.  (I might have some plans for the cave and mountains, too...)

Vote for the dress below!

To see the choices again, click here.

Vote:

1 - Dramatic black

2 - Regal red

3 - White with a dark twist

IMPORTANT:  Please include the numeral (1, 2 or 3) in your comment, to make it easier for me to tally the votes.  And if you'd like, tell me why you chose the dress that you did.  It's fun for me to read your opinions, and actually helps me as I begin to plan the new chapters.  After all, I want this wedding to be based on YOUR ideas. 

Voting on the dress will close Saturday, September 5, at noon.

Thanks for taking part!

For a complete description of the locations, click HERE.

IMPORTANT:  Please begin your entry with a NUMERAL (1,2 or 3) so it's easier for me to tally the results. 

Vote:

1 - Castle

2 - Cave

3 - Carpathian Mountains

Then feel free to explain why you made your choice.  I can't wait to read your ideas!

Voting on location will be open until Midnight, Saturday, Aug. 29 - when we'll start choosing Jess's dress!

Voting on the location will begin Sunday, August 23, and last for one week.  Please stop back then!

And if you haven't already done so, make sure to go to the blog entry "Catch the Bouquet" to register for the prize package! 

Anyway, I just happen to have a pack of 20 bookmarks with the Jessica's Guide cover art on them, sitting in my office taking up space, so I've decided to share them with you.  (Especially since several people have asked about how to get them.) 

It's not a contest or anything.  Just the first 20 people who leave a comment below asking for one will get one.  First come, first served! 

If you don't want to leave your mailing address on the blog, and you're one of the first 20, follow up with an e-mail to bethfantaskey@yahoo.com, so I know where to send it!

Hope you're all enjoying the last few weeks of summer!