Annelle Dupuy, a reserved beauty school graduate, is hired by Truvy Jones to work in her home-based beauty salon in northwestern Louisiana. At the same time, in another part of the neighborhood, M'Lynn Eatenton, and her daughter, Shelby, are preparing for Shelby's wedding, which is taking place later that day. They arrive, along with Clairee Belcher, the cheerful widow of the former mayor, to have their hair done. Suddenly, Shelby, who has Diabetes mellitus type 1, falls into a hypoglycemia state, but recovers quickly with the help of her mother's quick thinking. Later that afternoon, short-tempered, grouchy, and sarcastic Louisa "Ouiser" Boudreaux arrives in the salon and questions Annelle about where she has moved from, forcing Annelle to reveal that her husband has recently left her while fleeing the police, taking all their money and their car. Moved by Annelle's emotional confession, Shelby invites her to the wedding, where Annelle meets Sammy DeSoto, who is tending bar.