Rules that 'Say Yes to the Dress' brides must follow
Chances are, you've watched at least one episode of Say Yes to the Dress. The TLC show became a sensation after debuting in 2007 and has helped hundreds of brides find their dream wedding dress — most of the time with a side of drama. But you might be surprised to find out brides on SYTTD have to follow a lot of rules. Find out what a future Mrs. has to agree to behind-the-scenes to land a spot on the coveted bridal show.
First, they have to apply online.
Brides who dream of appearing on the TLC show must submit an online application with personal questions about their wedding, dress style, and soon-to-be hubby. But process is incredibly selective, as the show gets over a thousand applications per season.
They have to be there for the right reasons.
The show is only interested in brides who truly intend to get married — they don't want people just seeking their 15 minutes of fame on a reality show. That's why producers heavily vet each potential applicant.
They must disclose if they've applied for any other reality shows.
At least, within the last 12 months. "We have to make sure this is really a bride who is really getting married with a real story and not just somebody who wants to be on TV," Randy Fenoli told Good Housekeeping.
All brides are welcome.
In 2017, Gabrielle Gibson became the first transgender bride to be featured on the original version of Say Yes to the Dress. Of the experience, she told People, "I just wanted to have an experience, and to show that we as trans people can love, and be loved, in a normal setting, and do things that are not out of the norm."
They have to shoot at Kleinfeld Bridal.
All brides who agree to be on the show have to travel to New York City to film in the famous Kleinfeld Bridal. Fine, twist our arms.
There are opportunities to be on the show in others states.
The original show is filmed in Manhattan, but TLC has launched a number of spin-offs, including Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta and Say Yes to the Dress America (which films across the country).
They have to film on a weekday.
Kleinfeld Bridal has a very busy reservation book. To accommodate the store, and allow more consultants to help the SYTTD bride, the show tapes during the week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays.
They don't have to be unknown, everyday people.
From The Cheetah Girls' Sabrina Bryan to Broadway star Sutton Foster, the show has helped quite a few famous brides find their perfect dress.
They must give an interview before the fitting.
Before a bride can even look at the racks of dresses at Kleinfeld, producers interview her about the dynamics in her family, what kind of dress she wants, her fiancé, and basically anything that could present drama during the fitting.
They have to give an interview after finding the dress, too.
Found the dress? You're not done yet. Once you've said yes, you still have to stick around and chat with producers in a final interview.
They have to film for up to 10 hours.
A traditional wedding dress appointment takes an hour or two, but brides on the show should prepare to film for an eight- to 10-hour day. This gives production enough time to capture interviews, the fitting, and more.
They can't bring food or beverages into the store.
As guests walk into Kleinfeld, they're reminded with a sign that no food or beverages are allowed in the store. With $10,000 dresses laying around, it kind of makes sense, right?
Their guests have to be approved by producers.
When the bride applies for the show, she has to include who she'd bring with her to the fitting — and go into detail about their personalities and relationship to her. From there, the producers choose who makes the cut.
They aren't paid for their appearance.
Even though brides and their families are appearing on the reality show, they receive no form of compensation on the TLC show.
They have to pay for their dress.
Sorry, dresses aren't free or even discounted. If you find the one, you better be ready to drop some serious cash, because the average cost of a dress at Kleinfeld is $4,500.
They have to be transparent about their budget.
The show divides price ranges into five tiers. In order to film an appointment efficiently, the bride must work within her tier, so that she doesn't waste production's time and end up finding a dress outside of her price range that she can't afford.
They should have an idea of what kind of dress they want.
The producers aren't looking for someone who's wishy-washy, which is why the application plainly asks brides to describe the kind of dress they have in mind. This helps the consultants pull options before they arrive. It's also recommended that brides visit other bridal boutiques beforehand, so that they can make a final decision at their Kleinfeld appointment.
It doesn't hurt to go non-traditional.
Production is always excited when someone wants a unique bridal gown. From sheer cutouts to black gowns, it's a guaranteed way to mix things up on the show.
They can say yes to accessories, too.
There are a lot of components that go into a bridal look and lucky for SYTTD brides, Kleinfeld has it all. From tiaras and embellished sashes to fur shrugs and crystal hair pieces, the consultants can help shape your entire bridal look.
Not filming the show? You may still be asked to sign a release.
Because Kleinfeld Bridal is a public business, there are often customers in the background who didn't know filming would be happening during their appointment. All customers who enter the store on filming days need to sign a crowd-notice release.
They have to try on a lot of dresses.
Brides typically try on anywhere from 6 to 16 dresses during their fitting. Production later edits out dresses that don't fit into the storyline.
They must agree to cameras in their dressing room.
After all, the dressing room is home to a lot of drama that needs to be captured. For this reason a female producer is usually in the dressing room with the bride to make sure they get all the shots.
They don't get to talk to Randy Fenoli before filming.
He's adamant about not conversing with the brides beforehand. Why? So his reaction is authentic. "I truly believe the audience can tell when it's being faked, and I think that's one of the successes of our show ... it's real. You're seeing my reaction or the consultant's [genuine] reaction," Randy told Good Housekeeping.
They may have to reshoot scenes.
According to a former SYTTD bride, the producers and director would frequently ask her to repeat sentences and dialogue.
They're sometimes allowed to go into the stockroom.
There have been a few occasions on SYTTD where a frustrated bride decides to find her own dress and ventures downstairs into the massive Kleinfeld stockroom. Brides are technically allowed to do this, but it usually irritates the consultants.
They have a lot of inventory to pick from.
The TLC show will often flash to the overwhelmingly large and cluttered stockroom downstairs — and there are two more just like it in the store.
They don't get to pick their consultant.
If the bride is an avid fan of the show, they may have a consultant they want to work with — like Diane or Camille. However, brides don't have a choice in who they are paired with. It's totally up to producers.
They must act natural.
Looking at the camera or putting on a show are two things brides are explicitly told not to do when filming.
They will probably try in a Pnina Tornai gown.
Viewers and brides alike are perplexed at the frequency in which consultants select Pnina Tornai gowns. "I had one request: No Pnina Tornai," bride Amanda Lauren told Ravishly. "So, naturally the first dress she showed me was Pnina Tornai." The Israeli designer just so happens to be one of the store's main vendors.
They can get their dress fitted in-house.
Even though you're only on the show for one day, you're still buying a dress through Kleinfeld Bridal and get all of the store's amenities — like their team of custom tailors and seamstresses.
They should expect some drama from their guests.
Producers are known for encouraging members of the bride's party to say exactly what they think.
They have no say over their episode's air date...
In 2016, a SYTTD bride sought an injunction to keep her episode from airing before her May wedding, which she claimed was promised to her through oral contract. Unfortunately, she lost.
...even if their wedding gets cancelled.
TLC has captured more than 700 brides and odds are not all of them ended up making it down the aisle. Unfortunately, even if there's no wedding, the episode will still air.
They may not be able to get a refund.
If, for any reason, the bride wants to return her wedding dress, she might not be able to. Former SYTTD bride, Randi Siegel-Friedman, sued Kleinfeld when they refused to refund her after her dress was made in the wrong fabric and size.
They should prepare to be heavily edited.
For some brides, the biggest surprise of being on the show is how much is edited out. After all, up to 10 hours of footage turns into a 30 minute episode that focuses on two brides. At the end of the day, each bride only gets about 12 minutes of screen time.
They will be asked if they want to "say yes to the dress."
The title of the show has become a wildly popular one-liner for brides, but saying "yes to the dress" was done at Kleinfeld way before TLC showed up.
They're allowed to say "no."
There's obviously an immense pressure to leave Kleinfeld Bridal with a dress — and having a camera crew in tow adds extra pressure — but brides are allowed to say "no" and look f0r a dress elsewhere.
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