It would be an honor!

It only seems fitting that my first blog be about the dedication needed to serve today's bridal clients. Weddings have evolved to be quite the event of a lifetime. For some time, I have wondered how the wedding mania escalated so quickly in our society and I keep coming up with the same theory...for I believe that just like myself, many of us witnessed the extravagant and beautiful royal wedding of Princess Diana and only hoped that we would be lucky enough to be part of such an event...to be witness to such grandeur...for at that time, it was the ultimate fairy tale played out in real life.

For me, my first wedding experience came when I was asked to be a flower girl for my cousin's wedding. It was quite the thrill to have such an honor and that probably set the wheels in motion for my passion of weddings! Every little flower girl can look in that mirror and clearly see a future bride!

Shortly after I became involved in the wedding business, a friend of mine lost her husband. When I would see Sophie, I would ask how her little girl was handling this terrible loss. Sophie told me that her daughter kept asking the same question over and over. I was curious, what would a third grader keep asking? To my surprise, the question was, "Mother, who will walk me down the aisle?" It was this comment that really struck at the core of my heart - I had long forgotten about third grade and forgotten how young the seeds of hopes and dreams are planted within us.

Life's lessons do make us better people, for now, when a bridal client comes my way, I know how important this day will be for them. When they ask if I will handle the details for their wedding, my only response is, "It would be an honor!" I know the heavy weight of responsibility that will come in the following months, but I also know the ecstacy and joys that I will have being there to see the dream become a reality...to see a princess marrying her prince!

Carolyn Hefner provides expert event coordination services. Since 1991 her company, The China Closet, has specialized in the design and execution of one-of-a-kind weddings and family celebrations.