Five Great Things

It is Friday, and in the spirit of a new movement called Feel Good Friday, I have decided to write about some positive, even wonderful things about my job!

I'd like to start by telling you that one of the best parts of my job is that TIME FLIES. I get to work, and am so completely absorbed by the tasks at hand that before I know it it's time for lunch, and no sooner do I get back from lunch and it's time to start closing up the store. I have had jobs where time seems to crawl... you watch the clock as you perform a mundane task, usually one you'll be repeating over and over throughout the course of your career. Perhaps time flies because I am a social person and enjoy the interaction with my brides, their parties, and my co-workers. Perhaps it is the atmosphere of being surrounded by so many beautiful dresses and accessories. Perhaps it is because my job is different every day - yes, sometimes I answer the same questions over and over, but for the most part my duties take me different directions. Sometimes I am challenged by fixing a gown with a stubborn stain that has arrived in the mail from the manufacturer and the wedding is just weeks away... sometimes the challenge is helping a bride find a gown she loves on a limited budget. Whatever the challenge is, it is totally engaging and each day is something to which I look forward!

My second thing I love about my work is when the mail arrives! Yes, much like a preschooler, I love when the mail arrives because I can scan through it for pictures and thank you notes from brides I have sold gowns to. I think that a bride who takes the time after such a busy period of their lives to sit down and write a note of thanks, particularly if they send a picture of them on their wedding day is a marvelous thing. The words of gratitude and praise are a gift to me, they lift me up and make my day. I don't know if my brides realize that although, yes, I'm a salesperson, I do care for them personally and I become attached in a small way. A thank you note is, for me, like a bittersweet closure on a relationship that is ending. I cherish these notes, and keep them all.

My third thing I love is 99.9% of my brides! A few honorable mentions: L.C., who has been married now for quite some time, but was one of the first brides I had who put her entire faith in me and let me basically pick her dress, accessories, wedding colors, everything. She was stunning on her wedding day, and has referred many brides to me since then. I am very proud of her look, and she is a gorgeous and nice nice nice girl as well. S.W., married for a while and her sister C.W., who is due to be married shortly. Every time they come to the store it's a party! I love it when it becomes a family affair! Never do I laugh as much as I do when the sisters come in! And to J.H., who can best be defined as sweet and the girl you hope your son will marry, and for all the good advice she gave me regarding an upcoming trip. She ordered a dress from me that she had seen in another store, but wanted to do business with someone she could trust. There are so many more, M.D. who is now a facebook friend, C.G. who has such a similar style to mine that she became my new hairdresser, and J.B., who underwent a miraculous weight loss during the course of our planning together. Too many more to mention...

My fourth favorite thing is simple... so many beautiful dresses! How can someone not be happy when they come to work every day and are surrounded by satin and taffeta, ruffles and bows, flowers and sashes, embroidery and beading? The little girl in me loves to be surrounded by all that decadence!

And, saved for last, my fifth favorite thing about my job: my colleagues. What a dedicated, intelligent, supportive, fun group of people! Not only do we have fun together at the store (and an occasional girls-nite-out excursion, like the time we all went to see 27 Dresses together and had everyone in the theater looking at us as we guffawed at the brides on the screen telling their bridesmaids, "and the best part is that you can totally wear that dress again!") but I can feel really good about the treatment every consultant gives her own brides. From management to support staff, I have the luxury of feeling really good about the company I represent. I can truly mean it when I tell a prospective bride that she should buy her dress from us because we will take care of her. So, here's a shout out to Darlene, Bijou, Anniston and the others I hold in the highest regard and am honored to call friends.