I’ve been a bridesmaid in two weddings. Both times it was a lot of fun, but there’s also a lot of work involved. When my best friend from college got married, she was determined not to be a Bridezilla, and step one was sending all the bridesmaids a selection of 50 possible dress cuts and letting us vote, “Survivor”-style, on which ones we would and wouldn’t wear. After two weeks or so, we had it down to two styles, one for the flat-chested girls and one for the curvy ones. I liked my dress so much that - believe it or not - I’ve actually worn it again. When it came time for the actual wedding, the bridesmaids pitched in a lot - running errands the day of the ceremony, making sure the rehearsal went well, and the like.
This article from The Canadian Press talks about wedding season and how being a bridesmaid is like being a better dressed personal assistant. I found this sentiment, while somewhat truthful, really chafing. I guess for me “assistant” equals “working,” and I don’t consider doing my part to make sure that my friend has a wonderful and memorable wedding day anything close to resembling work. I was an assistant because I needed to pay the bills, I was a bridesmaid because I love my friend and was honored to be included in her special day.
For those of you who have been bridesmaids (or groomsmen), would you consider that the same thing as being a temporary personal assistant?
Kate Moss was heartbroken when her longtime personal assistant Fiona left Kate’s employ to be a full-time mom. But it seems the supermodel has rebounded nicely, hiring a new PA named Sophie. According to the Metro, Kate attended Sophie’s wedding last week in Sophie’s native Manchester. Kate, who seems to be the endless source of speculation about whether she is a) pregnant and/or b) planning a wedding of her own to her boyfriend Jamie Hince, lead singer of band The Kills. Kate apparently caught the bouquet at Sophie’s wedding, which means the “is she getting married???” headlines aren’t abating anytime soon. Frankly, I think the more important question is “Will Sophie have to plan her boss’ wedding a la Mariah Carey’s assistant?” Won’t someone please think of the assistants?
A hearty mazel tov to Woody Harrelson and his longtime partner Laura Louie, who were married last weekend in Maui, Hawaii. The couple have been together for almost 20 years and have three daughters aged 15, 12, and 2. Celebrity friends including Owen Wilson, Willie Nelson, and Sean Penn attended the ceremony, and Alanis Morrissette performed at the reception. [Fun fact: Harrelson was briefly married to Nancy, the daughter of The Odd Couple playwright Neil Simon.]
So, how did the happy newlyweds meet? Well, Laura spent two years as Woody’s personal assistant before they hooked up. For their sake, I hope their union is a little more Dan and Susie Wheldon than James Gandolfini and Marcy Wudarski.
Since it’s June, weddings are a pretty popular topic of conversation. Either you’re in one, going to one, or having to hear about one. But should weddings remain an off-limits topic at work, like your sex life? One office where I worked had a girl whose entire purpose in life was to get married, so when she got engaged we all had to hear about it constantly. I’d be like, “Hey, so and so, can you move that meeting to 3:00?” and she’d be like “3:00 is fine, because it’s the exact time my dad is going to start walking me down the aisle!” In case you were wondering, I hated her.
That said, it is possible to talk about what’s up in your life–your wedding, your kids, your trip to Las Vegas, whatever–as long as you do so with discretion. Maybe you want to limit your personal-life talk to the coworkers you actually hang out with in real life. Or, if you’re just so happy you could burst, try to keep it to no more than five minutes per coworker unless they ask followup questions. Regardless, other people will give you cues, and then you should follow them accordingly.
To weigh in on either side of the debate, you can go here.