As a self-employed entertainer, I live in a constant state of stress. Will anyone buy tickets to my show? Am I posting enough on TikTok? Will I make enough money this year? The only time I feel truly relaxed and carefree is when I find myself in a beautiful hotel room. In a hotel room, everything is taken care of. I can spread out in the middle of a king-sized bed and partake in my guiltiest pleasure: reality TV. I will happily watch Chopped, House Hunters, or Love It or List It, but I always say a prayer that TLC will have a marathon of my favourite show: Say Yes to the Dress.
The show is self-explanatory, and its formula hasn’t changed since its 2007 premiere. Brides are on a hunt for the perfect wedding dress, with their very opinionated friends and family, at Kleinfeld, an iconic New York bridal salon. The heart and soul of Kleinfeld are the fabulous and quirky bridal consultants, who have the best Long Island accents. The fun of the show is in feeling like you’re part of the consultation. My opinions are just as strong as those of any mother of the bride. I am gleefully mortified when a client walks in with a $30,000 budget. “Girl, you are insane,” I say to myself and the bride. “That’s a down payment on a house!” But I’m also excited because that big budget means I get to see the most garish, tacky, bedazzled Pnina Tornai gowns. Pnina is Kleinfeld’s hottest exclusive designer; her signature aesthetic is stripper meets Disney princess. Her dresses are, hilariously, the most coveted. Everyone wants a Pnina!
