Randy To The Rescue – Tonight!

I can think of no two things that have less in common than Randy Fenoli and a Semi Tractor /Trailer. Nothing about bridal gowns, nothing about a bridal makeover, nothing about brides at all reminds me of an 18 wheeler. Until now. Tonight is the premiere of a brand new reality show on TLC,  “Randy to the Rescue” and things are about to change. 

  “Say Yes to the Dress” opened the door for all of America to meet Randy Fenoli and it  parlayed his years of experience into his very own reality show featuring a semi tractor/trailer fully stocked with everything a bride could want to be beautiful on her wedding day including a consultation/ makeover with Mr. Fenoli .

 

There will probably not be any brides throwing things or having meltdowns, the premise of the show is to give three lucky brides the opportunity of a lifetime, to get advice and support from a seasoned wedding professional. The opportunity to look and feel as beautiful as possible, as every bride should.

 

The idea is genius, bringing the game to the fans instead of asking them to come to you. How many brides from Minneapolis are actually going to travel to New York to buy a gown? Probably very few. So, when the Mobile Makeover unit with Mr. Bridal Fashion pulled into their city to film, brides lined up in droves. All the while,  Randy  performs makeovers (in the truck?) and dispenses some valuable advice.

My favorite of  ‘Randy’s Rules’ :

You Should Always Purchase the Gown That Makes You Feel the Most Beautiful

“I personally feel that every woman is beautiful. And on your wedding day, you should FEEL beautiful. The perfect wedding gown will make you feel like you never have before. You should be able to look in the mirror with the confidence of the beautiful woman that you already are.  Don’t buy a dress because when you look in the mirror you say, “This dress is beautiful;” buy the dress that makes you look in the mirror and say, “I am beautiful.”

Tune in tonight,. Friday June 15 at 9 pm on TLC. I know I will be watching!!!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago

Reality Royalty – Kardashian Wedding Tomorrow!

I have stated repeatedly how much I adore weddings. I love them all! Casual, Destination, City Hall, Black Tie. So, it is no surprise that tomorrow I will be checking the news and most likely the E! Channel for details about the  Kardashian wedding extravaganza.

I have seen bits of all of the Kardashian reality shows. I have formed opinions about people I don’t know at all firsthand and my overall take is that of all the Kardashian women (and there are plenty), Kim is the most likely to appease her high-maintenance mom by doing  whatever it takes to turn this multi-million dollar wedding into a profit and not a loss. You’ve gotta love that!  Make no mistake, actually ‘keeping up’ with the Kardashian’s will be impossible after this.

The good news is that in an injured economy, this young bride has had the good fortune to be able to energize the wedding industry in America. Kate who? Kim Kardashian sees herself as America’s Princess and is not only having her cake, she will most likely be eating it on camera and getting paid to do so. Kudos Kim. The wedding industry will most likely see a surge in copycat products and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone hasn’t already approached her to endorse one of the products she has chosen for the big day.

More good news is that after seeing the wax likeness of Miss K that was unveiled yesterday in wedding attire, the gown on the display was not strapless. Not to say that KK does not look good in just about everything she wears, because she does. I am just looking forward to seeing a fresh new style emerge and hopefully a little less ‘sideboob’. Designers have been chipping away at the all strapless collections since Miss Middleton became the Duchess of Cambridge in her Sarah Burton gown last Spring and this could push them even further away from the cleavage chasm. Vera Wang, who epitomized the style for Brides in the 1990’s could once again define what an entire generation of brides will pay anything to have.

It is reported that Kim K has three gowns, each Vera Wang and each costing a whopping $25,000 but, has not decided which one she will wear. It is also not entirely unlikely that she will wear one for the ceremony and one for the reception which seems to be a popular trend. Personally, I would like to see her wear all three. Why not? This entire wedding is being filmed for a two hour special and I think she has every right to wear all three gowns. There is some speculation she will wear a bold color since all guests have strict instructions to wear black or white. Wearing white to a wedding is usually a no-no since you don’t want to take away from the bride. I think the speculation is correct and my  guess is she will wear a pink gown, not too pale but, not too bold. The color we used to call ‘Rum Pink’  in the 1980’s when pink bridal gowns first became a popular choice for creative fashionistas. Or perhaps a lighter shade of the same color known as ‘Blush Pink’.

The cake is a copy (exact?) of Will & Kate’s 10 layer confection made by Hansen’s Bakery topped with chocolate chip frosting. The Hansen family has been making cakes since  1520 and offers everything from Old World to High Tech. After visiting their website, I could almost taste the cakes. No offense to the royal couple, I hope (for the guest’s sake) this one is not a fruitcake.

Make no mistake; although this is a wedding and family event, it is also a highly profitable television franchise. There is not one thing that has not been handled expertly; the invitations, the  security, no cell phones or cameras or electronic devices allowed, including the 50+ person crew that will be filming. No tweeting, posting or leaking information unless it is accidentally (intentionally) leaked by a member of the family.  And also – no wire hangers!

The best part of the entire show (wedding) for me will be Bruce Jenner’s actions and reactions to all of this Pomp and the ensuing circumstances. If my prediction is correct there will be a lot of sticker shock for the former Olympian who was raised in a much more humble environment but also a great deal of pride as he walks her down the aisle and watches his entire family come together for a celebration of  love. And ultimatley, that is what it is all about!

-Penny Frulla for Bridal Expo Chicago