I cannot tell you how many people compare me to Carrie Bradshaw. And when they do, I always smile and thank God they did not say Stanford. I love fashion, I love to write, I have a column and I have always been looking for Mr. Big. It seems like the entire world is in love with 4 women named Carrie, Miranda, Samantha and Charlotte…4 friends who met in their 20’s, struggled with dating and relationships in their 30’s and found true love in their 40’s. So if I am Carrie, let me tell you about my Charlotte…
Jody and I have been friends for a long time and although life has thrown us both our share of drama, we have always been able to depend on each other. We watched as others fell in love and got married, spent New Year’s Eve together and shared the day to day adventures of life. However, we would never let each other feel bad about being single and both of us made the pact to wait for true love…not “make do” love…but heart pumping, tingle in the toes, “What color are we painting the nursery?” love. And this year Jody got to go first!
Normally, a wedding Saturday is all about me. However, this time it got to be all about her. We both love red, we hate plain cake, and neither of us likes to be jostled. This translated into pomegranate red flowers, a rich chocolate confection and the Horah without chairs. Despite the fact that red is my signature color, I graciously allowed her to use it knowing that it would be flattering for me as well. Roger and Susan Berent are like second parents to me and we had so much fun working together to create a most magical day. One of the things I love about Jody is that she knows exactly what she wants…she gets that from her father. Roger went “Wedding Planner” on me more than once and I just kept telling him that all would be perfect…love you Rog! It was probably 2 months out that I realized that as Honor Attendant (A Male Bridesmaid), I had to relinquish control and solely be the supportive friend for the day. I know you are not going to believe this…I can be a bit of a control freak. Suddenly the thought of not being able to leave her side and adjust the linens, peek at the ballroom, tell Chef that the guest count went up by 150 people…and then laugh hysterically…was frightening. Could I just be part of the wedding party?
Jody has always looked like an exotic Spanish beauty. She picked out a dress that was red carpet worthy which had no fussy goo. She wore no veil but had a custom designed hair accessory strategically place in her upsweep. Add a few diamonds the size of marbles and we had a look. I was honored to walk down the aisle and stand at the front of the room and I am sure that I captivated several people with my garnet red accessories and dashing good looks. From the custom created frozen raw bar to the towering chocolate cake drenched in black magic roses, the evening was a culinary masterpiece. We danced the night away with Galaxy Red and as I watched my dearest friend drive way and begin her life as a married woman, I shed a few tears.
Friends are the family that you get to pick yourself and I did a great job.
Rob Schaefer
