It's been eight years since her husband committed suicide, and Iris and her son Lonnie "temporarily" move in with her mother Min. In dysfunctional mother-daughter fashion, Min and Iris have shared a lifetime of hostility but are successful in operating a bridal boutique out of their home. Thanks to Min's charm and sales acumen, Bluebird Bridals does a steady business and sends hundreds of brides down the aisle in Iris' magical dresses. The small Kansas town in which they live is peppered with colorful characters. There's Min's suave and debonair wedding photographer/friend Ramando Galvez, who focuses on her more than the brides. And Errol Podubney, whom Min and Iris masterfully convince to pay for the elaborate wedding of his very pregnant daughter Rhondalyn.
Iris has never recovered from her husband Ronnie's suicide, turning instead to vodka and Diet Sprite while harboring anger and resentment towards Min, whom she blames for all her troubles. Fifteen-year-old Lonnie, a bright but withdrawn boy, is deeply loved by both women. He treasures the possessions his father left behind and wonders if suicide isn't also his way out of his toxic environment. The only male influence in his life is Lud Van Eppy, the owner of the filling station where Lonnie works over summer break. It is Lud who heartbreakingly informs Min and Iris that Lonnie has attempted suicide. Iris and Min failed to detect the quiet desperation in Lonnie until it was almost too late. Now, forced to face the truth of this dreadful cycle, Iris breaks the pattern of agony and dysfunction that was the foundation of her entire life and leaves her mother's home. Lonnie is the key that allows her to take responsibility and reclaim her life.
