River City Six: Nicole Bourquin

Cornhusker Beverage & Bridal (www.cornhuskerbeverage.com) is a complete wedding and party center, serving the Omaha Metro community in its current location for almost 50 years. Nicole Bourquin is the Bridal Department Manager at Cornhusker Beverage & Bridal.

Tell us a little about your business.

Cornhusker Beverage & Bridal has been family owned and operated for five generations. It started out as a liquor store, and over the years, has evolved into much more than that. While we do have the best selection in town for beer, liquor and wine, we also specialize in beverage catering for events, particularly weddings, and have a department dedicated to wedding invitations too.

How did you get started in the business?

I came to work for the family business for in high school. My dad taught me and my siblings at a young age that if we wanted more money, the business needed to make more money. It inspired me to be creative and find ways to make the business more money, because that’s exactly what I wanted! I started by selling wedding invitations when I was 16. I would come in to work every day after school, and it was a really good experience at such a young age. I went on to college and studied music, but after graduation, I never pursued an occupation in that field as I never wanted to leave Cornhusker Beverage & Bridal because I loved my work so much!

What has been your most important achievement professionally?

I’m especially proud of the way the stationery department has grown during my time with the company. We began by providing order fulfillment; essentially, we were the middle man. I have always had a love for invitations and making things pretty. We decided to begin consulting with brides and creating our own designs based on their ideas and wants. Then in addition to invitations, we expanded to table numbers, programs, ceremony cards, etc. The growth of the department and what we’re now able to offer our clients has been my measure of success.

Tell us a little about your family.

I’m number 4 of 8 children and at the moment, I’m the only one who works here. As for the other 7, most of them have worked their way through the business and have moved on to occupations that inspire them. I have been married for 16 years to my husband who is a charge nurse at Nebraska Medicine in the Operating Room. We have four children; two girls (11 and 9) and two boys (6 and 3).

What is your favorite thing to do on a day off?

Spending time with family! I usually have Fridays off. During the summer my kids and I create ‘Super Fun Fridays’ with activities lined up from morning to night.

What is the most unique or interesting thing about you that most people probably don’t know?

I’m a tuba player!

If you had a theme song, what would it be?

Flight of the Bumblebee (Nikolai Rimski-Korsakow).

What local non-profit organization(s) are you passionate about or involved with, and are there any special reasons why?

We are strong supporters of our local Catholic schools, organizations and establishments. Our family has roots at St. Bernadette and Omaha Gross. We love to give back!

What is your favorite local restaurant?

Maria’s Mexican Restaurant. I don’t get there nearly enough but their tacos are amazing!

If you could have dinner with one famous person from the past or present, who would it be?

Ronald Regan.

If our readers would like to contact you, how should they do so?

Phone: (402) 331-5404; Website: www.cornhuskerbeverage.com.