|
The very word itself is at once celebratory—visions of exploding fireworks on 4th of July come to mind—and melancholy—our men and women stepping into harm’s way all around our world protecting a value we Americans hold so high . . . how we pray they all come home soon.
Ever a rebel, I’m so grateful for my freedoms, especially those my clients afford me (and so many other professionals these days) to dig deep to hear their stories, and then free them to celebrations they could never have imagined.
And in the land of love, I’m so grateful we’ve freed ourselves from traditions that no longer work—garter tosses, parental control, tapered candles and wrist corsages. We’re freeing ourselves right now, still, from round tables of ten guests with white poly cotton scallop edged linens—go brides go! And more and more, with each individual celebration, we continue to free ourselves from the tenets of marriage celebrations long since past—those traditions that just make no sense to us individually any longer.
So I’ve decided—freedom must ring once more in the valley of nuptial nirvana. Hold your train and pull back your veil, brides!
What comes to mind when you hear these words— ”maid”? “matron”? “attendants”? EXACTLY!! Uncomfortable, unflattering dresses lined up in rows of the same color. Hairstyles— woven, wrapped and pulled up to high heaven. Pumps (and who uses that word any more?) all dyed to match a single-colored gown. And a farmer’s market worth of nosegays, all neatly matching with the right ribbon. Now really. Really!! Do we still have to still do this to our friends?! I talk to best girlfriends of brides all the time—preferably when the bride’s out of the room so I can get the truth—and the one thing I hear again and again is how little they’re looking forward to being a “bridesmaid”.
Bridesmaids stress about the money they’ll spend on a dress they’ll never—that’s right never—don’t care how you kid yourself, its never getting worn again!! They obsess about how they’ll stand like ducks in a row. They wonder why they have to pose for all those pictures with people they don’t know, have never met, and likely will never see again after this wedding. Really. Would you want to be called a “bridesmaid"...?
At risk of declaring mutiny in the wedding world (and alienating one entirely huge segment of the wedding industry whomake all those befuddling accoutrements for legions of girls doomed to walk the rose petaled plank en masse), I am going to walk the gallows of pink silk taffeta toward the noose myself— and beg of you—let freedom ring for the doomed bridesmaid!
A quick detour down History Lane answers our questions quite quickly. The title ‘bridesmaid ‘ first came into play when a single girl became engaged to a single man followed by and that was followed by announcing to their village that they would marry. Dutifully, the bride-to-be would agree to parade a select few “maids” on her wedding stage for the single guys to ogle and ponder future nuptials with, in turn, potentially saving each of them from a life of pining away on a porch someplace, staring at a butter churner.
I can’t think of anything more insulting, whose time has long since passed. I don’t care how “pretty” the dress is. Come on.
Racing through the boulevarded motorcourts and the suburban streets to private country club gardens, on my white steed holding my candled carriage lantern, I shout to you—maid!? matron!? attendants!? What can we do for you? How can we free you to be the women you’ve always wanted to be?
Single, dating, married, separated, divorced, committed with no ceremony desired; skinny, voluptuous, curvaceous, angular; petite, towering, broad; brunette, blond, red-headed—its time to free your girlfriends and sisters, bride-to-be! Free them to be the women they are today. In a perfect world, devoid of butter churners, I see an army of women, proud in their individual style statements.
Gorgeous in their own choice of gown, makeup and hairstyle. Rejoicing in their moment in the sun, confirming their love and affection for their brides. With fabulous handbags instead of fussy nosegays, they pull out satin kerchiefs in bold stripes, sassy stars, and fields of wheat and grain, and raising them high from the first rows of your wedding ceremony where all the most important people to you in your life are seated, they shout “Let Freedom Ring”!
Or, we can go milk some cows!
Scott Corridan is one of the West’s most sought-after event producers. A national expert on wedding design and the owner of Corridan & Co. |
