by Lori Ryno

Cherish

Finally after two months in the theaters, my husband offered the option to see Bridesmaids the movie tonight. Really??? Through a text, I had to make sure that he understood that it is a “chick flick” and not to feel weird about it…well we both got a lot more from the movie than we anticipated.

I actually am in the wedding industry and represent the company, Splendor, where we rent shawls and umbrellas. So I entered into the theater with a “one eye open” approach thinking that it was out to bash the wedding industry…I was purely mistaken. It offered me the opportunity to open my eyes back to the role of a bridesmaid and the women that stepped in for me 24 years ago. After watching the movie, it’s very easy to ask brides – why do we choose certain women in our lives to stand tall beside us and to be in our weddings…

I must say before going into the theater – I thought it was a movie about a girls’ trip to Las Vegas somewhat on the cursor on Hangover – just to please the female audience. However I found that it is more about friends amongst women and why there is the tradition of bridesmaids throughout the decades.

So what does make up the special bridal party? Why do we choose the certain women in our lives to stand beside us as we say the most sacred vows to the man that we want to live with forever and have children and grow old with? Are they sisters or childhood friends? Roommates from college or those we trusted with our most valuable secrets as school girls? Why is it when we are the most upset, we go back to the place from our past that is the most comforting?

Either way – weddings are to share with the ones we love the most and not to stray from those who care about us the most. It’s so easy to get carried away as we have seen in many movies and wish that we had the female friends who would have stood beside us through thick and thin – the break ups, the disappointments, our confidants and the ones who had our backs whether we deserved it or not.

So – for all those diligent bridesmaids who are willing to purchase the satin dresses with the dyed-to-match shoes and carry the ribbon-wrapped bouquets, I salute you and bless you for standing beside the best friends whom we care about the most. For planning the showers that may never be perfect and assisting with lacing up the bridal gown on the wedding day. You are there because you care, adore, honor, and cherish the time that you have and will continue to stand beside your friend, sister, sister–in–law, college roommate, and best friend from grade school to support and let her know that you love her no matter what lays ahead her. You will always be there for her…that is what being a Bridesmaid is all about…cherish.

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Nicole's Clients Rented Our Lemonade Parasols (photo: Julie Kemerling)

We absolutely LOVE the parasols from Splendor!  We recently reserved them last minute {as in, the week of the wedding} due to an unusually hot forecast.  The bride and groom really wanted all of their guests to be completely comfortable, without sacrificing the “look” of the reception.  This is the one thing we really stress with our clients.  The comfort of your guests is absolutely top priority.  As the reception took place in an open area, a tent was really not the best option for several reasons; one because it just did not fit within the space for maximum effect; and most importantly, being under a tent can sometimes be hotter than just being outside in the open air.  Adding the tent was also going to be rather costly; and the parasols provided a less expensive option, even with shipping.   So we enlisted Nil from Splendor for parasols.  The couple had a vintage, fun design for their wedding…and the parasols perfectly fit within the theme.  I loved the parasols not only because they are super fun for photos and decor, but also because they work logistically speaking.  They easily cover two people, they protect from both rain and sun, and they are easy to display.  We found a vintage nail keg to display them and it worked beautifully!  Going with the vintage theme, we had lounges for the guests. To pull the parasols full circle, we placed vintage decorative parasols within each lounge as well {major cuteness!}.  Guests loved them, as did the bride and groom!  Well, well worth the money. No doubt about it!

Nil, we cannot thank you enough for getting the parasols to us {in the wedding colors, nonetheless}, on such short notice and with such great service.  They came perfectly on-time, as promised, and as always – such a pleasure to work with you!  Looking forward to many, many events in the future!

Nicole Riley
Verge Events (Asheville, NC) – owner
StudioWed – founder

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