Holy Matrimony.............

Back in 1986, when Macy's opened their new store in this area's brand new shopping center, I was one of the first employees.

My first job was Bridal Consultant. An impressive title. I had my own desk in the China department, and a printer. This was in the infant days of computers.

I loved my job. I got to dress up spiffy, sit behind a desk, and basically help new brides pick out their china, crystal and silver, linens, towels and other doo-dahs.

In those days I wrote everything down manually on a form. Would walk the bride through the different departments of the store. China, Domestics, Housewares, Electronics....

Once the forms were filled out, I would send it to the Atlanta office, where some yahoo would enter it into the "system"
The "system" was a huge joke. Since I wasn't able to correct, add or delete anything myself, I was constantly on the phone with the yahoo, who was never very cooperative.

All I could do was print out a registry for the shoppers, or the bride.

Can you say: frustrated???

Have you ever had to deal with the mother of the bride, not being able to order her precious child's china?
Didn't matter the "system" was explained ad nauseum when the girl registered.
Certain china patterns are 'special order' and would take 4-6 weeks to order.

Now, down here in Redneckville, most folks didn't understand the finer points of this registering stuff. Some gals didn't know the difference between sterling silver or stainless steel.
And it really threw the relatives for a loop when they were told the gift they wanted to give had to be special ordered, and all they would get was a little (albeit tasteful) gift card to give the couple.
But these dear folks were not even the most difficult to deal with.

A few years later I worked as a bridal consultant, as well as the department manager at the big flagship store in Atlanta's Lenox Mall. A completely different type of clientele. Very RICH clientele. Very IMPORTANT clientele, very very CRANKY and ENTITLED clientele.
Where we dealt with mothers of the brides PLUS mother in laws, and they needed to sit on cushy chairs, and wanted tea or coffee, and ordered exquisite English or French china patterns that would take YEARS to order.

This was not the store for me, with my: 'oh geesh people, get a grip' attitude.

Once a mother of the bride ordered 45 place settings of a Wedgwood 'casual' dinnerware PLUS serving pieces.

For the rehearsal dinner!

This was for a prominent family in Rome.

I managed to get this stuff ordered through my buyer, who had to jump through a few hoops herself. When it was finally delivered to the warehouse, it was two days before the event.
I drove downtown, packed the 45 blasted boxes into my Honda and delivered it to my customer in Rome.

The maids (yes, there were three) were waiting at the gate to unload the car and told me everything was going straight into the kitchen to be washed.

Whew, I was glad they didn't order me to help them with that too!

The next day the mother in law came by the store, all in a huff. Apparently one of the cups was broken (One out of 45, not bad!) I didn't want to deal with her, so I gave her my display sample.
( a huge no-no)

Whew again!

*lol*

And that was just ONE story. I can write a book about that job.

It was a great job though, I loved it.

If it had only been as simple as it is today though.

Bugs' friend who followed her here from California is getting married next month. She is a very sweet girl, love her to death. She manages a pizza parlor, and is engaged to a very sweet boy.

Her shower is this Saturday.

She is registered at Target!

ATTA GIRL!!!

It was great to sit behind the computer at home in my jammies and browse around her wish list. I printed the 25 pages, (my God, girl, how much do you NEED?) and hop on over to the store. I pick out my gifts and they ring it up, scanning the bar code on the list, so it gets taken off the list.

Brilliant!

And when you print out the list at the store, it will even tell you which isle the stuff is located at.

Perfect!

I don't know how the bridal registry works in the big stores nowadays, I just don't shop there anymore.
I hope they improved their systems...

I hope the entitled snot nose brides don't return everything they received, even stuff that didn't come from that store, for cash, like they did in my days.
Something that was completely unfair to the sale associates, who had to eat that loss. Unidentified bridal returns would come out of everyone's commission.

At least Target has the right idea. You can return everything that was bought there. Because the system they have works.

Bugs, Boo and I had fun this morning, picking out a few things. Neither one of us having much money, we were still able to get a few "nice" things. Stuff she will and can use.

Now why the hell they registered for a 7 person Eddie Bauer TENT, I don't know.

Cheap honeymoon perhaps?

SGMKJ!