This episode is an ode to a classic Say Yes To The Dress trope: the Tragic Backstory™. Nothing adds emotional heft to a 22-minute episode about bridal gowns like a family weeping about their beloved mother/father/sister/cousin – and we have a whole episode of just that.
Alla’s mother died of breast cancer when she was a freshman in college, and Alla has come to Kleinfeld’s with her aunt Gigi, her cousin Ilona, and an unnamed friend. Fulfilling a promise to Alla’s mom, Gigi is buying the dress. Alla is looking for something ivory and lace, with straps.
Keasha immediately picks up on Gigi’s strong opinions, and pulls Randy into the fitting.
This is just an aside, but doesn’t it seem like Randy has been in a lot more episodes lately? Has he been testing well?
Anyways, Lazaro is here for a trunk show, so Keasha’s first pick is a Lazaro gown that everyone loves – but Ilona thinks the lace should come off and Gigi thinks it should stay exactly the same.
Dress #2 just gets a “that’s cute” from Gigi, so it’s immediately out. Alla goes back to Dress #1 and everyone falls in love again – with a few notes.
There’s a big back and forth over whether she’s keeping the lace or not – even Lazaro gets involved at a certain point – but Gigi’s word is law, and Alla buys the dress, lace and all.
Next, we have Ellen, and consultant Camille.
Ellen’s father recently passed away, and she’s buying her dress with money that he left for her. She’s here with her mom, her sister, and her bridesmaid. Ellen is planning a “semi-big” wedding in Norfolk, Virginia and she is a massive fan of Pnina Tornai. Camille is concerned that Ellen’s budget won’t allow for a Pnina, but Ellen says she has a little bit of wiggle room and they agree to try.
Ellen and every single member of her family start to cry immediately. This is The Dress™. Mara – one of the store owners – even agrees to knock the price down from $6600 to $5500 so it’s closer to Ellen’s budget.
This next bride is a first-ballot nominee into the Mother/Daughter Hall of Fame. Holy god.
Liz lives in Los Angeles, and she’s flown across the country to go dress shopping with her estranged mother and two of her friends. This is the first time Liz and her mother have ever gone shopping together, and Liz is already wary about the fact that her mother has zero sense of what she’s like as an adult.
Liz, who is paired with Sarah, is looking for a strapless, fitted dress with a little embellishment. Unfortunately, Liz’s mom immediately starts shopping for dresses with Randy, with zero regard for her taste or budget.
When Sarah brings the dress back for Liz, she says that her mom doesn’t even know her well enough to know that budget is a concern.
Below, Dress #1 is Liz’s pick and Dress #2 is her mother’s.
Liz’s mother is convinced that she won’t buy Dress #2 because of the budget. She tells Liz’s friends that there is a clause in her divorce agreement that states Liz’s father will give her whatever she wants for the wedding. Liz gently rebuts that she already spoke to her father and nothing like this exists.
This entire relationship is so, so so strange. Liz’s mother doesn’t seem to have any grounding in reality, or with her relationship with her daughter. The longer this goes on, the more you see why Liz and her mother are nearly estranged. Her delusions about her divorce settlement are… upsetting.
Liz puts Dress #1 back on, hoping that her mother will see how much she loves it.
It does not work.
Liz leaves without a dress, and eventually buys a dress in LA… without her mom.
Finally, we have our alterations bride.
Timoria bought a floor sample for her wedding, with torn tulle, and she is extremely worried that Vera and her team of seamstresses won’t be able to make it work.
Never doubt Vera, Timoria!! She’s thrilled with the magic that they work on the dress, saying that “the fitters are trained like Navy SEALs.”
Final Score:
- Nightmare mother: +4 points
- Designer Cameo: +5 points
- Bride has a “bridal moment”: +5 for Alla, +5 for Ellen
- Bride wants to be a princess: +3 points
- Manager Intervention: +5 points
- Bride goes over budget: +7 points
Total: 34/100
Bye beautiful! Until next time!
