Everyone who goes through an experience will see it through different eyes. Our (Sadie, Korie, and the sister’s) trip to Kleinfelds in NYC is one of those experiences. I guess some people who go to Kleinfelds have never seen the TV show, Say Yes to the Dress, which is the bridal show about that store, so they have nothing to compare a visit to, but others (like me) have seen the show, which means our experience comes with a lot of preconceived ideas. For those of you who have never seen the show, here’s a brief description. 

It’s a reality show about women picking out their wedding dress.  That sounds really boring to every man I have ever talked to about it, but there’s really more going on. After all, it’s a reality show and we all know reality shows, while aren’t all real, a lot of drama is involved. We might have been fooled the first few years of Survivor, but now we’re all pretty savvy to reality TV, but we still watch it. Here’s what we all know about reality TV: 1. We know everyone is mic-ed and they know they are being filmed. 2. We know producers love for there to be a significant amount of drama to keep a viewing audience entertained. 

But, there’s more to this little show besides enough glitter to bling out all of Manhattan. This show is also about love and hope and promise and family and overcoming tough times and friends who support and dads who cherish their little girls and moms who have dreamed about this day and two people who are madly in love, plus beautiful, blinged-out dresses!  Yes, it does follow a formula. The featured bride will pick the third dress, after the first two fail to impress either her or her entourage. Also, there will be drama, as I mentioned before. Either the dress is more expensive than the bride can afford or the mother of the bride wants conservative while the bride wants sexy or the wedding is in two months so the dress she wants will NOT be on time–so much drama!! But, thousands of us have tuned in to the watch the drama unfold and then “ooh” and “aah” over the bride’s choice for her wedding day. 

Soooooo, when Sadie happened to be in NYC a few months ago and happened to go to Klienfelds, she happened to pick out a gorgeous dress. The problem was—I was not there!! What!!? “How can this be?” you say. “Doesn’t Sadie know you love Say Yes to the Dress?” Yes. Yes. She does know. And I agree, it was crazy that I was not a part of this big decision, but Korie and Sadie really were not there thinking they would find THE dress and they did, so I have chosen to forgive them. After all, it’s the right thing to do. Don’t you agree? Lol Well, the good news is the dress was in pink and Sadie, naturally, wanted white, so it wasn’t her dress after all and I would get to go with her to get HER dress, so problem solved! Our trip to NYC was to get fitted into her dress. 

Now the question is, Did Kleinfeld’s live up to our expectations? I have to say yes and no. The store itself is glamourous and everyone was kind and friendly. But, you could not walk past the foyer area without an appointment. My dreams of walking the floor browsing at dresses were dashed as a kind, young lady said, “Please stay in the front area.” Since I wasn’t there as Sadie picked out the dress (did I mention this yet?), I missed the show room floor experience. OKAY, on to the fitting room experience. Just like on TV, Sadie was escorted into a large fitting room by a sweet lady named Loreta. Loreta was everything we wanted her to be. She had a big personality and knew her wedding stuff. She helped us make decisions about alterations and hair pieces and jewelry. She didn’t hesitant to tell us her opinion, which might seem bossy, but in this situation, was helpful. She was patient and let us take tons of pictures, like we all do today. The dress is stunning. That’s all I will say at this point. Okay, I’ll add elegant and simply breathtaking. So Loreta tugged and pinned until the dress fit perfectly, then we left it there to be altered. 

On Thursday of the same week, we went back for the final fitting and it was the same. Loreta met us, escorted us back and Sadie put on her dress. This time we had all the bridesmaids with us which made it even more fun. We sat out on the bench you see on the show and waited for the curtain to open to reveal Sadie in her dress. The reveal was perfect! Jaws dropped and eyes widened as we saw the most perfect bride stand before us. There were several fitting rooms around us so we got to see this happen over and over that day with other brides-to-be, but none had as many people as we did. I can’t wait for all of y’all to see the dress!

After a while, Loreta pinned a little more until the dress really was perfect and sent it back for one more alteration. The next step is the dress will be sent to Louisiana. Done and done!

It really was completely magical and a world apart from when I picked out my dress in a little bridal shop in West Monroe, Louisiana. My sister and I had walked passed the store and the dress I wanted was in the window. I had seen it in a magazine and fell in love with it and there it was! I called my mom who live two hours away and she said go get it, so I did. And that was it. Even though my dress wasn’t in a New York, reality-show-famous store and my entourage consisted of one sister, my dress, with its Romeo and Juliet inspired cap and veil was perfect for 1971 and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Well…..maybe I wouldn’t have a high neck (basically a turtle neck) and long puffy sleeves, but…then again, maybe I would.