Meet the Twirl Girls

Meet the Twirl Girls: Emily Rhoads

Today you all are getting such a treat! It's been a couple months since we've done a "Meet the Twirl Girls" post but we are excited to start the series up again and introduce you to one of precious bridal consultants, Emily! Em is truly one of the kindest people we know and every bride that experiences an appointment with her is never disappointed. She is patient, knowledgeable and oh so loving! We love our sweet Em & we know you will too!

What’s there to know about this Twirl Girl?

Hello loves! I’m Emily or Em as most of my friends call me. I’m the youngest of three and my sister and brother are the coolest people I know. I was born in Hotlanta then about a year later we packed up and headed north to Huntington, West Virginia where the Rhoads’ kids grew up and once the older two where off to college we moved to Lexington. I graduated from Lexington Christian Academy in 2013 and then joined the Big Blue Nation majoring in dietetics. Lexington has ahold of my heart and I couldn’t bear the thought of leaving for college.

Before working at Twirl, I was an assistant horseback riding instructor and spent every afternoon grooming horses and herding children around the farm. My daily uniform was an old pair of jeans and some dirty riding boots. It was the perfect job while I was showing and competing American Saddlebreds and as a bonus I got to see my show horse every day. But the farm work wasn’t over when lessons were finished for the day, I’d come home to our little farm in between Lexington and Versailles where my sweet girl lived in the pasture right outside my window. I still ride for UK Saddleseat Equestrian Team because you can take the girl away from the farm but you can’t take the farm out of the girl.

I’ve been a Twirl Girl since November 2013 and I’ve loved every second of it! When I first started as an intern, I had so much to learn and had no idea how much goes into finding the perfect dress. But after a year or so I can honestly say I know more about wedding and bridesmaid dresses than I even thought was possible and I’m still learning new things every day as a consultant!

What is your favorite dress at Twirl & why do you love it so much?

I love bits and pieces of every dress in the store. It seems like every week I have a new favorite and gorgeous dresses are constantly coming in that put up a good  fight to be my favorite but my one true love came last summer and I feel head over heels for it instantly! The Justin Alexander lace ball gown is everything I want in a dress, simple and elegant, not too much fuss and just a little bit of sweetness. I’ve always been a lace girl and the lace on this dress is so pretty and soft. And that comberbun waist (oh goodness!) is so flattering and highlights all the right places.

When you're not working at Twirl, what do you enjoy doing?

When I’m not at Twirl or in class, you can probably find me at one of the local coffee shops with a hot cup of coffee and either a good friend or a good book. I’m a lucky girl who has three families: my real family, my Twirl family and my Christian Student Fellowship family. Most of my friends jokingly call me mom and that’s probably because I make “family” dinners for them all the time and homemade cupcakes for their birthdays. I find so much joy in cooking and love to use my friends as guinne pigs for new recipes. One of my most prized possessions is my Kitchen Aid stand mixer, its one of the most beautiful things I’ve laid my eyes on (I might be a little obsessed).

There are few things I love more than being in the great outdoors. When I get the chance I try to get my nature fix any way I can, whether it be spending a day deep in the woods hiking, out on the lake, hanging out in my hammock reading or just a night under the stars with a bonfire and friends. In the next few years my goal is to hike the ENTIRE Appalachian Trail (all 2,500 miles of it).

My heart also longs to travel to some of the forgotten places of the world and share Christ’s love with everybody who lives there. This coming summer, I’m heading to Costa Rica for a week or so and I couldn’t be more excited to get out of my comfort zone a little bit and love on some people. I hope to go on more trips like this and invest even more time in those places and relationships that will be built there.

Favorite bridal moment as a Twirl Girl?

Being a Twirl Girl for over a year now has left me with so many wonderful and exciting bridal moments to be able to pick just one. But there is something truly magical about a bride finding her dream dress. With some brides there are happy tears, others giddy laugher or just exuberant smiles and then there those where all of those three are rolled into one. It never gets old or any less exciting to be a part of such a special occasion.

If you could get married anywhere in the world where would it be & why?

I’ve been dreaming of my dream wedding since I was a little girl (but what girl hasn’t?) and yes my tastes have changed quite a bit since I was ten and glow in the dark stars were somehow going to make an appearance. Thankfully as I’ve gotten older glow in the dark stars have lost their appeal and with a little help from Pinterest it seems like my dream wedding could actually take shape. I would love to have an outdoor wedding and reception. I’d love to have it in a place that is a little untamed and natural. To light up the night, I’d use lots of string lights and candles. And some rustic, natural touches in my decorations and cake. I love the beauty of nature and wouldn’t want to leave that out on one of the most special days of my life.

____________

Isn't she the sweetest?! We hope you love her just as much as we do & feel extra comfortable around here now if you ever come to Twirl & see her sweet face!

XOXO

Meet the Twirl Girls: Liz Cox

Happy Wednesday, friends! Can you believe it's already November?! We are in a little disbelief how quickly this month snuck up on us but we are loving the fall weather & the beautiful weddings that are taking place!
With it being a new month, that means that it's time to introduce another Twirl Girl! This month you're getting to meet our social media manager & one of our bridal consultants, Liz Cox. So feel free to take a breather from this gloomy, rainy afternoon & get to know Liz!
What’s there to know about this Twirl Girl?: 
Hi y’all! I’m Elizabeth but all my friends call me Liz. I’m a big fan of nicknames and if you’re around me long enough you’re sure to gain your own. I’m a born & bred Lexingtonian. I graduated from Henry Clay in 2010 and the University of Kentucky in May 2014 with a degree in Family Sciences. I love this city. The longer I’m here the more I’m convinced I may never leave. There’s nothing that gets my heart pumping quite like driving out on our old country roads and being surrounded by the horse farms that line the black wooden fences.
Other things that make my heart flutter are beautiful sunrises & sunsets, trees in the fall, a completed to-do list, driving with my windows down & music blaring, a warm cup of coffee coupled with a cozy blanket & my bible, standing on the top of a mountain, wine nights & good conversation with people I love, bonfires, my church, and love stories that reflect an genuine, bigger-than-yourself kind of love.
I’ve been a Twirl Girl since the beginning of August and truly wouldn’t want to be anywhere else during this season of my life. I’m the social media manager, a bridal consultant, and Caraline’s assistant while Ty’s been on maternity leave. I’ve learned more in the last three months than I ever could’ve imagined. I’m a people-person and so this job just makes me come alive! Getting to be a part of girls’ wedding dress experience is so precious to me. There is nothing quite as sweet as a bride’s face lighting up when she knows she’s found “the one.” I feel like one lucky girl to be at Twirl and a part of the magic that happens here!
Question #1: What is your favorite dress at Twirl & why do you love it so much?: 
One of my very favorite dresses in the store is a Blush by Hayley Paige gown that has the most beautiful ruffled train. I love the raw silk fabric combined with a classic, simple silhouette. I’d say my style in general is simple but always with a little something to it like a pop of color or a fun print. Translating that into a wedding gown, this dress fits perfectly! It’s bridal, it’s sophisticated, it’s classic, but it’s also got a little bit of a party in the back and that’s what I’m all about! Most of all, I feel beautiful in this dress just as every girl should on their wedding day.
Question #2: When you’re not working at Twirl, what do you enjoy doing?
Outside of working at Twirl, I am photographer {Elizabeth Meriwether Photography} & the co-founder of bridal blog called Two Belles & a Bride. I keep myself busy with beautiful people & documenting their sweet stories and I absolutely love it! When I’m not working at all, you can find me spending time with my friends and family. Whether that’s taking spontaneous road trips, outdoor adventures, movie nights at home, or just sipping on coffee together enjoying good conversation, we’re together and we’re happy and that’s what matters.
Question #3: Favorite bridal moment as a Twirl Girl?
My favorite bridal moment was when I had a bride fall in love with a totally unexpected dress. She had tried on several she had pinned on Pinterest and just wasn’t feeling any of them. Eventually we put her in a dress we had randomly grabbed and weren’t super optimistic about but once it was on, her face lit up. I walked her out into the big room and her future sister-in-law immediately got tears in her eyes. The sweetest moment for me, was when my bride FaceTimed her parents and her dad said, “Oh yes. That’s it. That’s the one.” We all lost it, yep, even me. There wasn’t a single person in her family that didn’t love the dress and it was everything she had dreamed of without even realizing it. I’m a sucker for sweet dads and the unexpected winners so that appointment will always be one I keep near & dear to my heart.
Question #4: If you could get married anywhere in the world where would it be & why?:
In my dream world, I would get married in the mountains. I love the idea of an outdoor wedding and for me the mountains are where I feel closest to the Lord. My heart for my wedding is that it would draw people closer to Jesus. What better atmosphere to encounter the presence of the Lord than in the midst of his creation?!
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness, who publishes salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.” Isaiah 52:7
Question #5: What are words that most inspire you? 
“But love, sooner or later, forces us out of time. It does not accept that limit. Of all that we feel and do, all the virtues and all the sins, love alone crowds us at last over the edge of the world. For love is always more than a little strange here. It is not explainable or even justifiable. It is itself the justifier. We do not make it. If it did not happen to us, we could not imagine it. It includes the world and time as a pregnant woman includes her child whose wrongs she will suffer and forgive. It is in the world but is not altogether of it. It is of eternity. It takes us there when it most holds us here.” Wendell Berry
________________
Hopefully you'll feel like you know another friendly face when you come into Twirl now! Have a wonderful rest of your day!!
XOXO,
The Twirl Girls