A modern fictional story inspired by the "Parable of the Ten Virgins" in Matthew 25.
It was the wedding of the year.
Everything had been planned down to the smallest detail at an upscale hotel with a sprawling vineyard dressed for the occasion. Soft lights were draped through the trees, the DJ was ready for the reception, and of course, there was a strict "no phones during the ceremony" rule. Because everyone knows somebody will forget to silence theirs until precisely the wrong moment.
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They are having way to much fun... -- Image created by ChatGPT Imaging.
For Emily, the day had been years in the making. Some of the women standing beside her had known her since school; others had joined the circle later, but by now they all knew each other well enough to make the bridal suite feel more like a reunion than wedding preparation. The bridesmaids had been buzzing all day, snapping selfies, posting behind-the-scenes reels, and tagging the location before the bride even walked down the aisle.
Ariana had known Emily for years and had always been the one who could keep her grounded. Susan was the newest addition to the circle and almost always the life of the party. Joan had grown up with Emily. She enjoyed Susan's crazier moments but usually knew when to join Ariana in bringing things back to earth.
Together with the rest of the bridal party, the three of them had helped plan a day built for celebration.
And yes, this was going to be a "party of a party" wedding.
By early evening, the pace had finally begun to settle. Hair was done, dresses were on, and the frantic energy of the afternoon had softened into music, laughter, and the first real chance to breathe. The bridal party gathered for the private dinner the couple had planned before the ceremony, still talking over one another and replaying the best moments of the day.
Emily and her soon-to-be husband had planned a special reveal for right after dinner.
Then word came that the bridegroom had been delayed.
He called ahead and told everyone to go on with dinner without him. Relax, enjoy themselves, and he would get there as soon as he could.
Dinner stretched on with laughter, old jokes, and stories everyone had heard before but still enjoyed telling. Eventually, the caterers began clearing the tables, and the bridal party drifted off in different directions.
Ariana and a few of the other bridesmaids headed back to their rooms to relax. Before settling in, Ariana connected her phone to the battery pack she had brought along. The room was quiet, the day had been long, and before she knew it, she had fallen asleep.
Susan had other plans. She announced that she and anyone still awake were heading downstairs to the hotel bar, where a local band had started playing the kind of music that made sitting still almost impossible.
Joan went with them. She was having just as much fun on the dance floor as everyone else was, even without the drinks, but eventually the long day caught up with her. She said she needed to rest up a bit, returned to her room, plugged her phone into her battery pack, and stretched out for a while.
Susan and the others kept going.
The music stayed loud. The drinks kept coming. Phones came out for pictures, messages, and one more video.
By late evening, several batteries were getting dangerously low.
Then phones throughout the hotel began to chime.
"He's on his way and will be here soon. Meet us in the Gala Room ASAP."
In the quiet room, Ariana's phone beeped loudly and startled her awake.
She sat up fast and looked at the screen.
"Yes!"
A quick check in the mirror confirmed she was still presentable. She unplugged her phone, grabbed what she needed, and hurried toward Joan's room.
Just before she reached the door, Joan opened it and stepped into the hallway.
They exchanged a quick high five.
Then they headed off together to gather the rest of the group.
They knocked on several doors, but many of the rooms were empty.
Ariana, Joan, and the others headed downstairs.
They found Susan and her entourage still dancing, drinks in hand, laughing between songs. By now, they were taking selfies with any handsome man who happened to wander close enough.
Ariana stopped and looked at Joan.
"They're still doing this?"
Joan rested a hand on her shoulder. "It's Susan. Were you really expecting anything different?"
They looked at each other and laughed.
Susan finally spotted them and hurried over.
"Hey! You guys ready for the big moment?"
They nodded.
Susan glanced down at her phone, and her expression changed.
"Uh-oh. Anyone have a charger? My phone's almost dead."
It turned out a few of the others had not thought much about charging their phones before heading downstairs to party.
Ariana looked at the others. One by one, they shook their heads.
"We only brought battery packs," she said. "And we drained them while charging our phones."
Joan suggested they start asking around.
The whole dancing group scattered through the hotel looking for help. They started in the lobby, where a couple of them managed to borrow chargers. Others continued into the coffee shop seating area and found people willing to help.
Susan was not so lucky.
She kept searching, even checking the bathrooms in desperation.
After walking out of the last one, she noticed a woman sitting in the hallway working on a laptop.
Susan hurried over.
"Excuse me. Could I please borrow a phone charger? My phone is almost dead, and the wedding is less than an hour away. A small bump is all I need."
The woman looked up and pointed to the chair beside her.
"Sit here. I have one in my laptop bag. You can give it a quick charge."
"Thank you! Thank you!"
Susan sat down and stared at the phone.
"Come on. Come on. Start charging. I'm in a hurry."
A few minutes later, her partying buddies found her.
"Are you ready? It's getting late."
"Just a few minutes longer. I should have enough charge."
Those few minutes seemed like hours to the group.
Finally, Susan jumped up.
"Good enough. Thank you for helping me."
She gathered the others, and they hurried back to the Gala Room.
It was empty.
Balloons and confetti covered parts of the floor, and the big screen at the front of the room still showed a photograph of a large, beautiful home.
Across the image were the words:
"Our New Home"
Susan stared at the screen.
"We missed it."
Joan and Ariana were nowhere in sight. Neither was anyone else from the wedding party.
An older man pushing a broom across the room glanced over at them.
"Yep. You missed it."
He nodded toward the doors.
"They moved on to the vineyard. If you hurry, you might still make it."
The women gathered up their bridesmaid dresses and started running toward the vineyard.
Well, as fast as anyone can run in high heels.
By the time they reached the entrance, the gate was closed.
There was a very handsome man standing in front of the gate. He was a hotel staff member in a perfectly pressed, dark suit and raised one hand as they approached.
"Sorry, ladies. I've been given strict instructions. Once the procession starts, no one enters."
You could see the anger well up in Susan's face as she stared at him.
"We're the bridesmaids! You can't be serious!"
"I'm sorry. The instructions were very clear."
Beyond the gate, they could see movement through the vineyard.
Then Emily and her husband-to-be appeared in the distance, riding in on horseback. Emily's wedding gown caught the evening light, and the groom looked every bit as polished as the setting around them.
Cheers rolled across the vineyard.
Phones lifted everywhere.
Susan's expression fell.
"They're even letting everyone take pictures."
For the first time all evening, nobody had anything to say.
The women moved over to a nearby garden bench and sat together outside the gate.
From beyond the gate, the ceremony continued.
It was hard to hear, but just as Emily said, "I do," a phone rang somewhere in the vineyard.
Susan jumped up, looked toward the crowd, then laughed as she sat back down.
"I'm pretty sure that's Emily's mom trying to silence her phone."
Later, fireworks began lighting the sky above the vineyard.
They watched in silence. The tears were hard to hold back.
There is an old saying, "Always be prepared."
Believe it or not, even heaven doesn't hand out chargers.
Inspired by Matthew 25:1-13
Synopsis:
There is usually plenty of time—until suddenly there isn't. The ten bridesmaids in Jesus' account all expect the bridegroom, but only some have prepared for the delay before his arrival. Susan and her friends face their own version of that moment when dancing, drained batteries, borrowed chargers, and a closed gate separate being invited from actually being ready.
Tap to read the actual bible passage:
The Parable of the Ten Virgins
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