The Hug

So I started my day off today like most of my days, meeting with a bride and her mother. One of my favorite brides actually. They were late by about ten minutes. We are on bride time, not my time. This is at least our fifth meeting and I swear we talk about the same thing every time we meet, nothing is ever decided it is just merely that I am the only one in the world they can schedule time with to sit around and talk about the wedding. We were deciding on a runner color. Purple, eggplant, violet, lavender, it has to be the exact color of the bridesmaid dresses or the world will literally stop turning. Not even Crayola has this many names for the same color. And it's my job to know the difference. My second meeting of the day it was sapphire, royal, indigo, all shades of a primary blue color. If we can't settle on a name for the color, settling on a runner won't be any easier. And how do I tell you I think you centerpieces are the ugliest thing I have ever seen at a wedding and your glassware will never rent again. Oh well, your day not mine. Please describe to me every detail of your ceremony site. I care if the shade comes in from the east or the wind picks up at exactly 3 p.m. daily. So I leave one job to head to the other and I'm on the phone with a photographer who is refusing to negotiate to a reasonable price for a wedding I'm planning. Since when did snapping photos for 4 hours become worthy of $400 + an hour. I don't make anywhere close to that I have to work way harder. Plus when the photographer messes up the candid shot of the first dance, it will some how be my fault. And if I'm bringing the bride, dealing with all the negotiations, and the job is literally handed to you, what is the big deal if you knock a few bucks off. Then I'm so worked up in negotiation that I am suddenly lost the countryside of hicksville, making me 20 minutes late for my next appointment. And my boss is there waiting and counting the minutes that I'm late. Of course, the one day I'm late and they are perfectly on time. Of all the appointments that never show up or do 40 minutes late, not this bride. Her and her mother and perfectly perky and on time, they just came from an appointment with the florist. The mom tells me that there is never enough time in the day to talk about the wedding and I can't help but agree. There's never enough time for me to talk about weddings in a day. Everywhere I go, the hairstylist, Safeway, Starbucks, Target. Everyone is getting married and everyone wants to talk about. But not everyone wants to listen. Only the chosen few get to. So mom and daughter eat lunch. I talk and explain the contract in terms my dog could understand and somehow no one gets it. I finally get her to sign the copy, buy them lunch, make my break for the exit and get trapped in a hug with mom. Then daughter feels the need to join. And I'm in the middle of the restaurant, in front of collegues and other patrons involved in a group hug. No way is this happening I think. Since when does signing a contract and paying a $500 deposit make me want to hug it out. Never. All in a day.