You would not believe the amount of technical difficulties I had trying to write this episode. My TV was refusing to play the episode, my computer was refusing to screenshot, my photo editing software kept crashing… is this episode haunted?
Perhaps.
We have a historic first here on Say Yes To The Dress, with same-sex couple Joy and Beth here for a joint appointment. This episode was released in 2009 – two years before gay marriage was legalized in the US. Under no circumstances do we have to hand it to TLC… but…
Joy proposed to Beth on a beach a few weeks ago, and they’re here for MATCHING PANTSUITS. These lesbians are legendary. Consultant Debbie is paired with Joy, and Sarah with Beth.
Sarah immediately goes to get Randy for help, since she knows that there is exactly one (1) bridal pantsuit in the entire store.
They go get the pantsuit for Beth, but unfortunately it doesn’t fit well enough for her to try it on. Sarah is losing hope – she doesn’t want to disappoint Beth – when Randy has a flash of inspiration.
It just so happens that designer Amy Michelson is here for a trunk show, and she specializes in separates!
Amy draws a sketch for Beth of beautiful palazzo pants and a loose, sparkly jacket and matching blouse, and Beth says yes to the sketch.
Meanwhile, in Joy’s fitting room, Debbie is gently coaxing her bride into trying on a gown. Joy doesn’t think that she will feel comfortable in a dress, but she trusts Debbie and she’s willing to try (as long as she gets a jacket.)
Beth’s jaw DROPS when she sees her fiancée!! It’s so sweet!! Joy even likes the gown despite what she expected, and she says yes to the dress!!
I am dying to see their outfits again. God, I hope they come back for their fittings.
Next up, we’ve got a SYTTD classic with a brutally opinionated mother-of-the-bride.
Julie is having an outdoor wedding and she’s looking for a simple, a-line dress. She’s brought her sister Jessica and her mom Jeannette. Jeannette is “well-off,” according to Julie, but extremely frugal. More importantly, she’s paying for the wedding. The vibes? They’re bad.
Julie almost didn’t bring her mother because she didn’t want to spend the entire appointment arguing about the budget. Good news, Julie! She gets some shots in at your body too!
I’m just going to quote Julie’s mom, verbatim:
- Dress #1: “it flattens your breasts, and it doesn’t have any pizzazz.”
- Dress #2: “it makes you look chunkier, like you’re in the gym pushing weights, and those sleeves make you look like a linebacker.”
- Dress #3: “it’s very plain.”
Jesus Christ.
Julie really, really loves Dress #3. You can’t really tell from the photo, but it’s a stripped silk faille and it’s a lovely detail up close. It also aged a lot better than other gowns on this show.
Back in the dressing room, Julie is venting to Dianne about how cheap her mother is. Unfortunately, Jeanette is listening on the other side of the door.
That’s Julie’s sister, Jessica, behind her. That photo really says a thousand words.
Dianne realizes that Jeanette’s strong opinions and iron-grasp on the budget is completely derailing the appointment and goes to get Joan.
Joan can immediately see that “she was just very much controlling the appointment. With one person taking control that’s not the bride, it will always create chaos. It takes the focus away from what the bride wants.”
Julie leaves without a dress.
Finally, we have Anna. She’s here with a large family.
Anna is the youngest child and only daughter, with four older brothers. She’s getting married on Turks & Caicos, and Keasha is going to help her find something “beachy.”
Anna is my queen because she showed up prepared; with a full-on binder full of photos that she has printed out and/or cut from magazines. We love an organized queen!
She’s looking for a simple chiffon sheath and is opposed to lace.
This is a growing trend with the young brides!! They’re anti-lace! I guess they think it looks like a tablecloth? Lace is gorgeous and I’ll fight the detractors.
Keasha clearly agrees with me because she immediately puts Anna in lace.
Anna loves Dress #1, much to her surprise!! She can’t stop looking at it in the mirror and twirling. I TOLD YOU LACE CAN BE CUTE!!!
We barely see Dresses #2 & 3 because they are not at all what she expected. Anna says yes to Dress #1 while crying. Also, we find out that dress was FOUR THOUSAND DOLLARS, which is FOUR TIMES HER BUDGET.
And we get to see her again for her final fitting!
This dress is so cute. It could be worn in 2022 and no one would bat an eye. We absolutely love to see it.
Final Score:
- Entourage of 5+ people: +3 points
- Entourage hates all the dresses: +3 points
- Designer Cameo: +5 points
- Bride has a “bridal moment”: +5 for Anna, +5 for Beth, +5 for Joy
- Bride has a custom look made: +4 points
- Manager Intervention: +5 points
- Bride goes $1,000+ over budget: +7 points
- Bride’s budget is over $10,000: +10 points
- Mom body shames her daughter: +5 points but STOP DOING THIS
Total: 52/100
Bye beautiful!!
