I have attended bridal markets for 28 years.  I have never missed a Chicago market until March, and I have seldom missed a New York market.

Attending markets might be the most exciting part of the bridal business.  It not only entails seeing the newest trends and fabulous designs, but more importantly it involves creating and maintaining connections with designers and reps.  When you have been in business for 25 years these connections evolve into friendships.

How am I dealing with this…I am not certain.  Last fall I worked market in Chicago, so I was connected.  As of now I have missed the current markets.

Over the past few days, I have spent countless hours on line reviewing the new collections and seeing familiar faces.  The gowns for next season are amazing…maybe the best collections I have seen in years, and there are soooo many new and upcoming designers.  The excitement of reviewing lines I once carried and seeing the innovative creations continues.  Being a buyer is an art and a science and I always loved that part of my job.

As I think back over the years, I am finding that I fail to remember the struggle of getting around New York City, trashing my heels and the exhaustion at the end of the long days.  I tend to forget the immense pressure of making decisions on the selection of gowns and designers, the enormous expenditures and crossing my fingers that my decisions would translate into the desires of my new brides.

I guess as with with most things, we tend to miss what we loved and forget the hard work and stress that was involved.

So what did I do instead of sitting at the sideline of a runway, waiting for the shows to begin?

I stood at the sideline of a soccer field.  I watched the 5th grader make her first goal on the advanced team that she had tried out for last fall.  Before the game, I listened to her nervous fears as she related her uncertainty that she would perform well.   After the game, I stood in the distance as her coach congratulated her on a great game.   Later, I listened to her at dinner talking about how excited she is to be a part of a group of girls with similar talent that perform as a true team.

So…did I really miss out?   Does one sideline take the place of another?

It did.