Finnick and Annie's wedding was held in District 13, uniting Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta.
Propaganda[]
The wedding had more purpose than just uniting Finnick Odair and Annie Cresta. Plutarch Heavensbee wanted to make another propo, but instead of it being filled with fights and campaign, its purpose was to entertain and enlighten. Knowing that "everybody loves a wedding", he decided that Finnick and Annie's wedding was perfect for a new propo. This also sent a message to the Capitol that District 13's population was safe and happy.[1]
Preparations[]
At first, when the wedding was decided, there was a lot of disagreement about how it should be celebrated. Plutarch and President Coin didn't have the same idea of what a wedding was, so there were many discussions about how big the budget should be and how many guests should be invited. In District 13, a wedding was two people signing a piece of paper and being assigned a new compartment, whereas Plutarch, being from the Capitol, thought a wedding should be hundreds of people dressed in finery for a three-day celebration. It took a lot of negotiations, but after a while, they reached an agreement.[1]
When it was announced that children were wanted to sing District 4's traditional wedding song, practically every child in District 13 came forward to take up the task. There was also no shortage of volunteers to make decorations, and people chatted excitedly about the event while they ate in the dining hall.[1]
Annie's dress[]
Katniss Everdeen volunteered to take Annie to her house in District 12 to try on dresses. The wedding dresses Cinna designed for Katniss had long since been sent back to the Capitol, but the downstairs closet still held evening wear created for her and Peeta Mellark's Victory Tour. It was during this trip to District 12 where Katniss first got to know Annie. The bride ended up picking a green silk dress, which Katniss had worn when she visited District 5. Katniss's prep team also altered one of Peeta's suits for Finnick to wear.[1]
Ceremony[]
The ceremony was held in the dining hall; Finnick and Annie were the only ones in special attire, as everyone else wore their standard-issue District 13 uniforms. The decorations were made from autumn foliage, and the music was provided by District 13's newly formed children's choir, along with a lone fiddler who survived the bombing of District 12. The ceremony was conducted by Dalton, since the District 4 ceremony Finnick and Annie wanted was similar to the one used in Dalton's native District 10.[1]
Other traditions exclusive to District 4 were incorporated. For example, a net woven from long grass covered the couple during their vows, then Annie and Finnick touched each other's lips with salt water, and the children sang District 4's ancient traditional wedding song, likening marriage to a sea voyage. Finally, the couple sealed their union with a kiss.[1]
The party[]
After the ceremony, a toast was made with apple cider. The fiddler then played songs from District 12 while Greasy Sae and Gale Hawthorne began to dance, and many other refugees joined them for a line dance. At first Katniss stood off to the side, clapping along to the rhythm, but after Johanna Mason asked "Are you going to miss the chance to let Snow see you dancing?", Katniss sought out a dance with her younger sister, Primrose Everdeen. Katniss brushed off Prim's concern about her bruised ribs, and they made good partners because winter evenings had given them a lot of practice. The people of District 12 eagerly taught the steps to their District 13 hosts.[1]
After the dancing, four people wheeled a huge wedding cake out from a side room. It was beautiful, blue-green like the sea with white-tipped waves made from icing. There were fish, sea flowers, sailboats, and seals all swam across its surface. Katniss instantly knew that the decoration was done by Peeta's hands. Haymitch Abernathy revealed to Katniss that frosting the cake was therapeutic for Peeta, who was still fighting an uphill battle to recover from his hijacking.[1]
Aftermath[]
Finnick was greatly transformed by the wedding. While Annie was imprisoned in the Capitol, he had been a "broken young man", but the wedding allowed Finnick's "self-effacing humor and an easygoing nature" to be displayed for the first time. Annie was also lost in a "daze of happiness" after the wedding. She was more often mentally present, and the few times when she did "slip away", Finnick could easily call her back just by talking to her.[2]
After Peeta got to decorate the cake, he felt slightly better. He remembered about the bread that he tossed Katniss, back in District 12. He was able to hold a conversation with Haymitch, asking to speak with Katniss, and he even had a conversation with her without breaking down.[2]
The wedding was also appreciated by the citizens of District 13, because they didn't usually have holidays or parties.[1]
Trivia[]
- Katniss mentions that "being happy for Finnick and Annie" is one of the few things she doesn't have to pretend.[1]
- At first, Katniss thought that by wedding, Plutarch meant that Katniss had to marry Peeta, which disgusted her.[1]
- The fiddler at the wedding escaped the bombing of 12 with his instrument. Knowing the importance of music to the Covey in The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, this may have been Clerk Carmine Clade or a descendant.