You might just think this is a show about going out and getting a dress, but there are actually a lot of wacky secrets that go on behind-the-scenes on Say Yes To The Dress .
1. There are rules to this show, and they are stringent.
You may (falsely) believe that people just go on this show and it’s all la-de-da, pick a dress and leave, but there are a lot of rules when it comes to being on the set of SYTTD.
For starters, one bride said that there are rules about what you bring, and even what you’re wearing!
For example, no one was allowed to wear pink because it would clash with the background.
2. Alexandra Godino sued the show
There was a very complicated series of events, but long story short Godino didn’t want her episode to premiere before her wedding because she wanted her dress to be a surprise.
Needless to say, TLC aired her episode before her wedding.
3. The narrator goes in blind
As in, the narrator doesn’t actually see the dresses that he’s narrating about. Weird, I know, but it’s something about the sequence of how things are produced.
Hollywood is so weird.
4. They have faced fraud
Alright, so get this, a woman named Emily comes on the show and buys a $6,500 gown.
After all is said and done, it’s discovered that the guy who paid for it (the husband) paid with ill-gotten gains.
As in, money he got through fraudulent means.
5. Not all the dresses are shown
Obviously, a lot of the stuff you see on the show has to be cut for time. If they didn’t, you’d see like 9 hours of raw footage!
They just pick and choose the best dresses in the show or the best moments.
6. Oh yes, they were sued twice
This time, it was by a woman named Randi who sued them because after some alterations were done to the dress she bought on the show, it was ill-fitting and honestly, a huge mess.
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Randi claimed that not only were the top and bottom parts of the gown the wrong size, but that it wasn’t even the right fabric!
As a result, Randi had to wear a dress off-the-rack on her big day — instead of her $12,000 custom gown.
7. Drama is fabricated
Well, this is a reality show after all, and people aren’t just going to watch for the pretty dresses.
No, the producers create a bunch of drama so that the episodes are more interesting.
A former bridesmaid on the show, Courtney Wright, confirmed as much in an interview with 417.
“You can tell that they want to stir up some drama . If someone says something that could potentially cause a disagreement, the director asks you questions about it.”
8. The Kleinfeld shop isn’t what it looks like on TV
You know what they say, the camera adds ten-inch– er, I mean poun– er, I mean 10 square meters .
What I’m trying to say (with much difficulty) is that the real-life Kleinfeld store is actually much smaller than it looks. With a combination of clever camerawork and sneaky angles they make it look bigger.
9. If you’re in the store, you might be on the show
Not in the way you’re hoping for, though .
You won’t be the center of attention, but you might just get to be in the background. It’s like a participation prize!
10. The actual store is a little nuts
When people aren’t filming in the store , there are a lot of other brides that want to check out the now world-famous Kleinfeld store.
Which means the place is a zoo.
There are reports of brides competing for mirror space, dresses, and even places to walk around!
You’ll be shoulder to shoulder with other brides if you choose to visit Kleinfeld, so be careful!
11. They’ll probably mention a Pnia dress in most episodes
Not only because it’s one of the best selling dresses on the show, not because the designer sometimes shows up, but because they also tend to be some of the most expensive.
12. Where they keep their inventory
Considering the shop isn’t as big as it is seen on TV, where do you think they keep their vast inventory?
Well, the answer might surprise you: they are in the ceiling.
13. Make sure to budget the required time into your schedule.
The way that one bride describes it, the entire taping process can become quite the ordeal. It took upwards of five hours just for her to be able to try on five dresses!
14. You don’t have to be a bride to enjoy the store.
The show attracts a wide array of viewers. While many show up to shop, others are just there to soak in the atmosphere and pick up a souvenir .
Kleinfeld’s also sells Say Yes to the Dress merch!
15. You can’t just go in and grab any dress off the shelf.
Yes, it’s a bridal store. But don’t forget that Kleinfeld ‘s is also a TV studio as well! Many of the dresses that you see are accounted for.
If you wanted to browse, you actually need to have a consultant with you at all times.
16. Brides have to put in a lot of one-on-one time with the camera.
“I didn’t expect all of the questions. I thought it was just like, “Alright, go.” I didn’t expect all the redirection of the questions. Also, when I watched it, I couldn’t get over how much they cut out and edited it.”
17. Not everyone in the bridal party gets to be a part of the experience.
The show asks the bride to write out the names and descriptions of each bridesmaid: their likes and dislikes as well as who they do or don’t get along with.
They then choose up to three from the list.
18. It’s not what you say, it’s how you say it.
“When they started filming, they would ask us things, like ‘What kind of dress are you looking for?’ Then we’d all put our two cents worth in, and they’d stop us and say, ‘Say what you said again, but say it like this.'”