In the bridal business we spend an awful lot of time focused on love. Its the reason were all here. We have jobs, I have a job, because people are in love. Its a pretty cool reason to have a job, and its especially nice because most of the time that love is happy.
Most of the time we get to focus on happy couples who get to stand up in front of the people they love and proclaim it loud and clear.
Sometimes the love is the sad kind. Sometimes we have to take time in our appointments to acknowledge a person whose presence is keenly felt by their absence.
Sometimes love is very hard.
This is one of those times, and if youve been through our store and passed our front desk, then you may know why.
Earlier this week we lost our Front Desk Manager, Brian Young. All of the words in that sentence are wrong. First, to call him simply a Front Desk Manager does not begin to describe his role here. He was the light of this whole operation. He greeted every bride and every family with a magnetic smile and a heavy dose of Southern, Arkansas charm. He helped out in every aspect of the store, and he was the definition of a team player.
He could breeze through difficult situations and befriend anyone. He could put stressed out brides at ease with a flash of his smile and a legitimate wink of his eye. He loved to laugh, and he had a real skill for making all of us laugh.
Like any true Southerner, Brian loved to cook, and we were all the happy beneficiaries of that. I can personally say that I have never and will never taste better mac and cheese as long as I live.
He was interested in everyone, and I dont just mean the staff here. Countless times I would catch him deep in conversation with a group at the front desk and later ask, Brian, do you know them? No, he could just strike up a conversation that easily.
When he came to work here nearly five years ago there was quite a ripple of gossip that ran through the salon. A man! A man was coming to work here. He came here by way of his husband, notable local event planner Drew Vanlandingham, and I remember thinking that maybe Betsy was doing Drew, her longtime friend, a favor.
Of course, it was the opposite. Brian was an instant gift to the salon. His energy was as infectious as his smile. Just a few days into his employment here we were all wondering how we possibly carried on before without him. Now we are left wondering how we will carry on after him.
He was kind and caring and generous. He loved entertaining and his family and his wonderful husband. Please keep them all in your thoughts during this difficult time.
We lost a dynamic person and personality and we are feeling quite lost ourselves.
But love is hard, and we loved Brian.
{Lindsey & Us All}