Becoming a Freidette…
Hello folks, Gemma here.
Hasn’t this year just been a barrel of laughs?
Plans going out of the window left, right & centre or changing dramatically at the last minute. After an insane Christmas party last year, the year before having reindeer at the shop, its so sad to think that this year Freida Mo’s can’t do anything big at Christmas - well just not that big.
However its an act of love & care at the moment to follow the covid regulations - I am typing this from my couch.
Thinking back on all the crazy antics that we have got up to with our previous events it got me thinking about my first day at Freida Mo’s & I can promise you…it wasn’t standard.
We were hosting a wedding for a homeless couple who resided on near Lark Lane in a very well known car park.
Now shop manager & wedding planner are two very different roles. However, event management I have plenty of experience in, but your involvement normally starts at the beginning of the process. I arrived at the shop to find balloons being delivered and no way to gain entry, as I hadn’t been given my shop keys yet.
Inside was slightly chaotic due to the sheer volume of energy and excitement in the air. We quickly got to organising the downstairs to accommodate the predicted large numbers, I didn’t know where the light switches were mind - that sort of training would have to wait till my second day.
The suit for the groom was downstairs minus the groom.
In heels and a green dress (that would double up as my Christmas elf costume the following month, see picture!) I ran down Lark Lane (a sight that has been repeated in various costumes and fantastic outfits on multiple occasions since) to the barbers to collect the groom.
The wedding itself was beautiful and felt incredibly intimate. Sally did an incredible job, even if the crowd were gathered in the street due to the shop not being big enough! Lark Lane is a community hub and what a way to join and meet all the other business owners on the Lane! We had ice cream, coffee, tea, cake and sandwiches all provided by the local businesses.
This wedding was entirely funded by the generosity of the general public, multiple rings had been donated, dresses, food, time, musical expertise etc. Anything physical borrowed was returned.
I met so many generous, caring, loving people that day who were there to congratulate us for doing this wonderful event, but in reality it wouldn’t have happened if they hadn’t been - and continue to be - our wonderful supporters, friends, neighbours and community.
You can read about the wedding in our local newspaper, The Echo, here: https://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/tiny-lark-lane-shop-frieda-16995403