Shane X Female Reader - Stardew Valley

Chapter 51: Girls' Day

"This is so exciting!" Marnie repeated for the millionth time as the bus passed through the Calico Desert. "Do you know what kind of dress you want?"

You replied, also for the millionth time, "Not really. I haven't had much time to look yet."

"IT SHOULD BE PURPLE!" Jas chimed in from between you two. "AND HAVE LOTS OF SPARKLES AND LACE AND BOWS AND PRETTY THINGS!"

"Now, now." Marnie calmed her imaginative niece. "We have to make sure we let (Y/N) get what she wants. You can choose a dress like that when you get married."

You needed an outfit to get married in, obviously, so you were going wedding gown shopping today in Zuzu City. The assistant had advised bringing "some friends" to your scheduled appointment to help you pick out a dress, so you opted to bring Marnie and Jas. You weren't close enough with anyone else in Pelican Town, so the two of them would do. Additionally, Marnie had keen insight into Shane's preferences that you knew would be valuable in deciding on your dress.

The pair were overjoyed to be included, so here you all were, promptly awaiting your arrival in Zuzu City as the bus chugged along the highway. You knew it would still be a little bit until the wedding, but you wanted to tie up any loose ends this winter while you had a nice break from such intense farming. It was the perfect time to do all the preparations for the event, which honestly didn't amount to much.

You and Shane were both content with the standard Pelican Town marriage ceremony. It took place in the town's main square, usually attended by all the townsfolk and officiated by Mayor Lewis. It was Mayor Lewis and some volunteers' responsibilities to get the alter, chairs, and flowers arranged, so that would be taken care of for you. Gus had also offered to buy the town a round of beers on the house, so all in all considered, it seemed like too good of a deal to pass up. All that was left was to get a dress.

Shane was in charge of his own tuxedo, and he had requested for you get Jas and Marnie nicer dresses to attend the ceremony in and help make them feel included. You thought the gesture was lovely, so the three of you were eagerly anticipating the collection of new dresses you would be bringing home today.

Sooner than later, the bus pulled into the stop at Zuzu City and the three of you hurried off and into the nearby bridal boutique. "Hello, you must be (Y/N)!" The woman behind the desk greeted your group cheerfully as you entered. "Who are these beautiful ladies you brought with you today?"

"Uh, they are my fiancé's family. This is Marnie, and this is his niece, Jas." You replied, trying your best to avoid diving into Shane's interesting family dynamic.

The reception assistant smiled and started walking into the store. "It's very nice to meet you all. Please, follow me this way."

The three of you did as instructed as you were led into rows and rows of large white dresses in every shape and fabric you could imagine. "Woah..." You heard muttered behind you, though you couldn't tell if it was Marnie or Jas.

The receptionist turned around and gestured to an elegant seating area. "Ladies, if you could have a seat here, I'll take our bride off to get fitted in some gowns!"

Bride. The word took you by surprise, regardless of its obvious accuracy. You were a bride, Shane's bride, to be exact, but you hadn't been referred to by that title before today. It would take a bit of getting used to, but you definitely liked it.

The room the assistant led you towards was complete with every type of wedding dress a person could imagine. You instantly regretted not looking at dresses online before you arrived when the consultant asked, "What style of dress do you have in mind today?"

"Umm..." You didn't know what to say. "Bridal, I guess?"

The consultant tried her best to contain the small chuckle that escaped her lips. "Well, uh, that's a good place to start." She joked. "I think we can find something in that category." She walked over to one of the many racks of gowns and plucked one seemingly randomly. "I think this would look nice on you, especially if you don't have a particular dress or style in mind."

She led you to a dressing room and helped you change into it, which was apparently a multi-person job. You turned to look in the mirror and heard yourself gasp as you took in the image before you. The dress was stunning and fit your body surprisingly well. It definitely wasn't what you had imagined, with a neckline that plunged down to your stomach in a deep v and sparkly rhinestones everywhere. "Wow."

"It's a mermaid fit, obviously very sparkly and we can add sleeves to it for a fall or winter wedding." The consultant explained.

The longer you looked at it, the more you were struck by everything that you didn't like about the dress. Your original surprise was definitely from seeing yourself in a wedding gown, not from the dress itself. While you liked it, it felt a little tacky and didn't seem like something that would fit the general vibe of a Pelican Town wedding very well.

"Would you like to show them?"

You nodded. "Yeah, I'm sure they're dying to see something." You joked. Even though the dress wasn't exactly what you liked, you thought Jas and Marnie would have really good input for you.

Walking out to the two girls gartered the exact reactions you had expected. "Ah! Oh, (Y/N)!" Marnie gasped with glee. "It's stunning!"

"You look so pretty, (Y/N)!" Jas concurred.

You twirled around, earning more "oohs" and "ahhs" from your supportive entourage. "I think it might be a little too much. The design is quite busy and I'm worried it's too fancy for Pelican Town."

You looked up to Marnie for some sage advice, and she gladly provided it. "Well, the most important thing is what you like. Pelican Town doesn't dictate this wedding, you and Shane do. However, if you think this isn't the dress, this isn't the dress. You can always come back to it later, but we can try something more toned down next." She glanced around to catch the attention of the consultant. "Miss? Can we try on the next dress? I think she's looking for something a little more subdued than this."

You were so glad to have Marnie here for this. She genuinely wanted the best for you, plus she was a little bit more decisive and wasn't afraid to make sure you got what you wanted. You followed the consultant back towards the room and continued to try on dress after dress.

By the fourth dress, you were starting to have a clearer vision of what you wanted the dress to look like. "Simple, with a v-neck and an a-line fit." You informed your consultant as she began looking for the fifth dress.

She returned to the dressing room after a few moments with the exact dress you had described. It was a beautiful and sleek white fabric, a-line with slightly loose sleeves and button details. You couldn't wait to see it on and in a mirror.

It looked better than you could have imagined. It perfectly framed your body and led the eyes toward your face, which shone with a bright glow. It wasn't too showy but elegant enough to feel bridal. "Can we show them?" You asked.

"Of course! This is your appointment, after all." The assistant grinned. She bustled up the fairly short train of the dress and followed you out to where Marnie and Jas were still sitting.

"(Y/N)!" Marnie gasped when you came into view. "Don't let me persuade you, but I think this could very easily be the one. It suits you perfectly! You're stunning!"

"You think?" You asked excitedly. "To be honest, I love it!"

Jas interjected her agreeance. "You have to buy it! Uncle Shane will love it so much!"

"It's important that (Y/N) loves it just as much as Shane, Jas." Marnie reminded her great niece. "But it looks like she loves it just as much as us."

"I do." You said, trying to suppress the tears that were beginning to swell. "This is my wedding dress."

The three women in the room with you cheered as you finally let yourself succumb to the excitement and hopefulness of wedding planning. You knew that there was still a lot to do, but the end result would be more than worth the work.

✏️ A/N: Hey all! I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next chapter, Chapter 52: Festivals & Flurries, will be released on Sunday, December 31, 2022. Thank you so much for reading!