I do...

Really love wedding reality TV. I know it sounds crazy, but a lot of these shows reinforce WHY I write romance. The love, the bonds, the companionship. And, let’s be honest, the crazy. Here’s a  quick run-down of some of the shows I’ve seen or heard about. For the record, I have NEVER watched an entire episode of Bridalplasty <shudder>

Four Weddings (TLC) 

Premise: Four brides who are strangers and live in the same vicinity meet and attend each other’s weddings. Then, they score each wedding in four categories: Dress, Venue, Food and Overall Experience. The winner receives a great honeymoon. To ensure the brides don’t skew the scores so they win, they also have to rank the other weddings 1 to 3. It’s a pretty nifty set-up. I love the camera confessionals from the brides. Most of the time, they are not bitchy or catty, but genuinely caring and enjoying themselves at each event. I look forward to more of this series!  

Kleinfeld, help me find the
perfect dress!

Say Yes to the Dress (TLC)

Premise: Dress consults at the bridal salon of Kleinfeld Bridal in Manhattan match brides with their dream dresses. When I first saw it, I thought it would be boring and full of self-important women showing off tons of divattude. Instead, it focuses on the “feeling” a woman gets when she finds THE PERFECT DRESS. The one she looks awesome in and, more importantly, the one which embodies all the love and hope she feels for her groom. Sounds over the top? Trust me, it’s worth watching.

Bridalplasty (E!) 

Premise: Brides-to-be compete in challenges to earn plastic surgery for their dream wedding. Really? Spew. Even before this show aired, I was annoyed with it. Bad enough we live in a society that constantly dictates that any woman over a size 0 is fat, but to go after what should be the happiest day of a woman’s life and insinuate that she will only look good if she has a little lipo here and a fat transplant there? Ricockulous. I have tried twice to watch this show. Not only do I find the women unlikable and unsympathetic, I find their whining and crying fits over NOT getting that week’s surgery to be sad and pathetic. I’ll pass.

Amazing Wedding Cakes (WeTV) 

Premise: Four bakeries coast-to-coast create awesome wedding cakes. Really the title says it all. This show has great bakers who are personable and always go the extra mile to ensure their couples receive the cake of their dreams. My favorite episode so far has been when one designer said “Yeah, we can make a bobblehead groomscake.” They had NO idea how to do it, didn’t know if it would work and fretted the entire show. Needless to say, that cake was Amazing.

My Fair Wedding with David Tutera (WeTV) 

Premise: A bride knows what she wants for her wedding — the dress, the flowers, even the icing on the cake! But with only three weeks before the big day, wedding planner David Tutera shows up and changes everything. Eh, I’m still out on this one. It’s a little too over-the-top for me. And Tutera alternates between annoying and charming. Often the annoying gets to me first and I’ll flip away from the show. Never a good thing. But if there’s nothing else on, it’s a good little diversion.

Rich Bride, Poor Bride (WeTV) 

Premise: What does it take to pull off the "perfect" wedding while still managing to stay within your budget? Each episode of Rich Bride Poor Bride follows a couple and their wedding planner to see what happens when costs collide with expectations. This is a fun show, especially for brides-to-be. Talk about your budgeting nightmares.  Lots of interesting couples who are willing to work for their dream wedding, even if they don’t have the money to spend. Creativity and hard work help to make their dreams come true. The perfect beginning to a life compromise!

Who the BLEEP Did I Marry? (ID)

Premise:  Stories of men and women who thought they were happily married until the day they uncovered a shocking secret about their spouse that would leave them asking Who the (BLEEP) Did I Marry? This one is intriguing as hell and truly shows the darker side of marriage. If you just catch the previews, you’ll be wondering how the victim spouse could NOT know they were being played, but their stories are usually hidden in every day situations. Episodes this year have ranged from the DC Sniper to a Cuban defector who married an American  woman solely to spy on the US. Sounds far-fetched, but I am always dragged in by their plights.

I thee wed ... no matter the cost or time constraints!

Perfect Proposal (TLC) Defunct

Premise: TLC would receive emails from guys and sometimes girls, seeking help with their marriage proposals in creative ways. This show is no longer on the air, but I really loved it. It was the original wedding reality show for me and the one that set the bar high. The cameras followed the would-be groom as he went about his tasks to propose to his girl and she would never be the wiser. Locations, props and number of people in on the question popping varied. To me, it was all about true love, doing that special thing that forever cemented your relationship and vulnerability. Thankfully, none of the women ever said no.

That’s just a handful of the shows out there. Do you watch them? Have any favorites?

Happy Reading,
 Jennifer August