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The Wedding | Introduction

The Wedding (2003) is Nicholas Sparks's sequel to his bestselling novel The Notebook (1996). The Wedding is narrated by Wilson Lewis, the son-in-law of Noah and Allie Calhoun (the primary characters in The Notebook). Wilson's absentminded neglect of his relationship with his wife, Jane, comes to a head when he forgets their twenty-ninth anniversary. Her response brings Wilson to the realization that Jane may no longer be in love with him. With some encouragement and inspiration from Noah, Wilson decides to re-court Jane in the hopes of rekindling some of the magic from early in their relationship.

In his ninth novel, Sparks returns to the character of Noah Calhoun from The Notebook as Wilson's confidant and counselor in matters of the heart. When Jane and Wilson's oldest daughter, Anna, announces that she and longtime boyfriend, Keith, want to get married in one week—on Jane and Wilson's thirtieth anniversary—Wilson finds the perfect opportunity to display his year-long romantic efforts to win Jane back. While both Jane and Wilson support the immediacy of the wedding given Noah's unstable health, Jane is not pleased with Anna's request for a no-frills wedding. Jane wants Anna to have a formal ceremony and reception—the kind of wedding she never had. Wilson helps Anna and Jane reach a compromise, and he plays an integral part in pulling the wedding together. He draws on his memories of how he first courted Jane as a guide to planning a wedding-to-remember for his daughter, and in the process shows Jane the man he wants to become.

The Wedding Summary

Prologue

The prologue begins with Wilson asking the question, "Is it possible, I wonder, for a man to truly change? Or do character and habit form the immovable boundaries of our lives?" Wilson identifies the catalyst to his renewed efforts to energize his relationship with his wife: he forgot their twenty-ninth anniversary. He sees this incident as the culmination of the many years he has taken his marriage for granted. While he loves Jane just as much as when they first married, he also recognizes that Jane may not feel the same way. Wilson presents the reader his story, relating the events and emotions of the previous fourteen months, beginning with the missed anniversary.

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 explores the current state of Wilson and Jane's relationship. Wilson considers the personality differences of Jane, himself, and their three children, Anna, Joseph, and Leslie. He acknowledges that most of the child-rearing responsibilities have always fallen on Jane's shoulders and now that the children are grown, he feels that Jane knows them much better than he does. Anna, the oldest, works for her local newspaper and has dreams of becoming a fiction writer. Joseph is a social worker at a battered women's shelter. Leslie, the youngest and still in college, is studying biology and physiology with the hopes of becoming a veterinarian.

Shortly after the missed anniversary, Jane announces to Wilson that she wants to visit Joseph in New York for a couple of weeks, alone. Wilson realizes that his marriage is in a state of crisis, and he visits his father-in-law Noah Calhoun to chat and get some relationship advice. To Wilson, Noah is the authority on how to make a marriage work. The romance between Noah and his late wife, Allie, has taken on almost mythic proportions in the family consciousness. After talking with Noah, Wilson "knew what [he] had to do."

Chapter 2

Wilson resolves to court Jane as if they were first starting to date. However, he is not sure why she fell in love with him to begin with. He is not a very romantic guy; he's too practical. He recalls some of his attempts to re-court Jane in the months after the forgotten anniversary, such as cooking fancy meals for her and working off some extra weight. He then explains an important event that occurs just as the thirtieth anniversary nears. Anna bursts through the front door and announces that she and longtime boyfriend, Keith, want to get married in one week, on Jane and Wilson's thirtieth anniversary.

Chapter 3

Wilson thinks back on how he and Jane first met, the first time he told Jane he loved her, their first home, and how their relationship developed. Wilson mentions compromises that they both made early in their relationship: Jane settled for a simple civil ceremony instead of a wedding in a church followed by a big reception; Wilson moved to New Bern. Wilson sees the importance that Jane puts on Anna's wedding as a reflection of the regrets she has about their wedding.

Chapter 4

Wilson visits Noah at Creekside, the nursing home where he now resides. His wife, Allie, has passed away, and now Noah spends most of his time by the pond. Wilson finds Noah sitting on a bench feeding a particular swan, his copy of Walt Whitman's Leaves of Grass lying beside him. Noah loves Whitman's poems, and he has a strong attachment to this particular copy of Leaves of Grass; the book itself had comforted him during his military service and had even taken a bullet for him during World War II. Noah has a strong attachment toward the swan, but the narrative does not yet reveal the reason for this attachment, other than to say that it causes the doctors to think Noah is delusional. Noah recalls a special moment when he and Allie had first reunited after being apart for fourteen years; they took a canoe out onto a lake filled with swans. Noah explains how Allie was always fascinated by swans because of their lifelong devotion to their mates. Wilson has heard this and other stories of Noah and Allie's relationship many times before, told by both Jane and Noah. He understands their importance. When Wilson returns home, he reflects on the ways he has failed Jane in their marriage, with what he terms "innocent neglect."

Chapter 5

The wedding plans now underway allow Wilson an opportunity to express his love for Jane in a tangible way. During the week of planning, Wilson makes an elaborate dinner for Jane to help her relax. She comes home very excited that one of her favorite photographers happens to be available for Anna's wedding. When Jane expresses concern about the cost of the wedding, Wilson, a characteristically frugal man, assures her not to worry. She cannot believe her ears. As they are giggling and joking, Wilson thinks back to their first date. He had made reservations at an expensive... » Complete The Wedding Summary