OK, so maybe I’m not exactly the target viewer of TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress. The reality show about the New York-based Kleinfeld Bridal salon just wrapped its fifth season, launched the spinoff Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta, and has most of my friends drooling with nuptial bliss.
Apparently, watching brides-to-be find their dream dresses while they tearfully clash with family members is entertaining stuff — the show regularly garners respectable ratings and seems to be in perpetual repeats on the cable network.
“Say Yes to the Dress has become a signature Friday night show for us,” says Nancy Daniels, the senior vice-president of production and development for TLC, in a statement.
“Just as viewers fell in love with the brides and staff at Kleinfeld, the everyday happenings at Bridals by Lori [on Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta] gives a southern twist to this already familiar and extremely popular format.”
I’m always amazed at the clients on the SYTTD shows. They (and I’m assuming many other women) are willing to shell out thousands of dollars for a one-time wear.
Me? I cruised my local mall three weeks before my wedding and bought a ’50s-inspired halter dress for a cool $150. I loved that dress. What’s more, my future hubby picked it out with me, wreaking havoc on traditional wedding protocol. Scandalous, I know.
Which brings me to the brides’ families who accompany the fair lasses to the bridal salons. I’m not a violent person, but part of me wants to slap some of them with their fresh-cut bouquets, wrap them up in yards of veil mesh and ship them abroad via the SS Grumpypants.
I caught one episode of SYTTD recently in which the bride fell in love with one embellished princess-cut gown, but her mother wouldn’t buy it for her because it was a hundred and some-odd dollars over-budget. Never mind that her daughter was on the brink of tears and had already tried on a closet full of dresses. Grrr.
Then there are the countless episodes that expose nitpicky, critical moms at their worst. With every raised eyebrow, backhanded compliment and concern about their daughters’ “figure flaws,” I seethe and vow to become a mom who’s more supportive than my favourite pair of extra-firming pantyhose.
And though the staff at Kleinfeld Bridal and Bridals by Lori seem perfectly nice and are just trying to match bride to dress, I can’t help but feel they’re partly influenced by visions of fat commissions dancing in their heads.
Sure, the sequined, frothy confections lining the dress racks are stunning, but maybe — just maybe — some of the brides could find an equally lovely gown for less. Or have one altered, made or borrowed for a fraction of the price.
The conflict, tears, over-the-top wedding hoopla — it all makes me slightly uncomfortable. Just like that pair of extra-firming pantyhose. But then again, that’s the stuff of reality TV. The stuff that keeps viewers tuning in and ranting at the screen.
It’s also the stuff that keeps us dreaming of our own perfect wedding dresses. And despite my reservations, watching the show is a love-hate relationship I’m willing to nurse every once in a while.
And whenever it gets extra teary, snarky or screamy, I’ll just smile and think of my $150 halter dress.
Thoughts? melissa.hank@bell.net or comment below.
Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta airs Fridays, 9:30 p.m. ET, TLC.
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A bona fide beauty and fashion geek, Melissa gets a thrill analyzing all things good, bad and oh-so-fugly on television. Although she salivates for vintage stylings and brands like Roberto Cavalli, she’s equally elated to score discount duds at Winners.
Melissa is a firm believer that style should be a mix of fun, individuality and a dash of absurdity. When she’s not watching Project Runway, America’s Next Top Model or What Not to Wear, she can be found trying to whip her tangle of curls into submission. If only the “afro meets bride of Frankenstein” look was appropriate for work.
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