When people ask me for one of the highlights of my camp experience, I tell them the story of my wedding. It has everything a good story needs! Love, humor, emoji and most importantly, cake :D

 It all began when someone posted a picture of Bertie with a flower behind his ear in our class group chat. I responded back with the emoji with hearts for eyes. This wasn’t meant to mean anything more than giggles. 

Well, the class took it seriously. The responses began to come more directed to me than at the initial photo. “TRUE LOVE,” “Brandi and Bertie <3,” and “together forever!” messages began to flood in. I sent the emoji as a cute sarcastic response, but they believed I had feelings for him. 

I explained and argued many times that we are just friends. Bertie and I have a strong friendship and as co-volunteers, we spent at least eight hours a day together for five days a week and didn’t tire of each other’s presence. Though the camp has ended, we still try to talk frequently and hopefully he’ll be able to visit Florida.

Anyway, this began at the start of the second week and continued throughout the rest of camp. As mentioned in a previous post, Bertie left the camp a day early. He had travelled with his roommate who accidentally bought the tickets for the wrong day. The class had told me that they planned a surprise farewell party for him. It would take place on the soccer field after the final singing competition. Great!

I get a text from one of the Chinese volunteers, Yiran, from my class asking me to “wear a summer shirt under my camp shirt.” I’m a bit perplexed by this and ask my lead teacher, Ashley, what was going on. She gave me a funny look and said, “Maybe it’s your wedding night.” Clearly this was the truth.

After the competition, I followed Yiran to his dorm. Our friend Teng had joined us, too. We sped on our bikes from the auditorium. In his room, I see a pile of white fabric on the desk as well as a large round box on the floor. It was at least an arm’s length (ok, well my arm) in diameter. I had no idea what was in the box.

We then ran from the dorm to the building by the soccer field. The white pile of fabric was a wedding dress Yiran had sewn for me. It’s a strapless dress with a fabric belt, and it also had a veil made from a rounded hanger and scrap fabric pieces tied around the metal.

Teng, Yiran and I crossed the street where we joined the rest of the class on the field to wait for the groom and Ashley to arrive. She was going to be officiating.  Laura, one of my favorite students (you’re not supposed to have favorite students but shh), handed me a bouquet of flowers from the campus store. They were real!

Finally, Ashley showed up and Bertie a few minutes later. I was about to get camp married! When Ashley had let it slip that the class planned a wedding for us, I was so nervous they wouldn’t understand that it wasn’t a legally binding ceremony. She reassured me that it wouldn’t be an issue and she would handle it.

She began the service in typical wedding style and gathered our attention. Bertie and I said, “I do” in holy *camp* matrimony. Chang, our other Chinese volunteer, handed us silver rings (mine says magician on it in Chinese) and Bertie and I hugged in celebration. Our attention turned back to the round box that held a beautiful cake. The students had chipped in 20 RMB for the event.

We took tons of photos and I was extremely touched by the actions of my class. This was selfless and fun, and I was near tears in how they wanted to do this for us.  I have my wedding dress hanging in my closet, and every time I look at it, I can’t help but smile.

Me and Baboon (my other favorite, shh)

I told you it was a huge box!

Diesel holding the bouquet.

What’s a wedding without a group photo?!

Yiran and Chang, the masterminds of the plan.

The goofball groom :P