Before I was ever engaged, my dad was obsessed with the show “Say Yes To the Dress” on TLC. He loved watching the interactions between the families and how the consultants tried to make everyone happy. My mom joked that when I got engaged, there was no way that I would get out of having to bring Dad dress shopping.
Last October I got engaged, in Disney World no less. Not too long after that, my dad won a trip to New York City through a contest. That same day that he won the contest, I made my appointment at Kleinfeld upon my father’s insistence.
A couple months later, my parents and I walked over to Kleinfeld. It was very chilly and we got there early just to make sure we weren’t late. As you walk in, there is a sign on the door stating that they film every day and that by walking on the premises, you are allowing them to film you. I had applied to be on the show, but never heard back, so that was exciting to know that they are always filming.
As I walked in, the lobby was filled with women and their “posses”. In a pre-appointment email, there were instructions that only 5 people could go to an appointment, including the bride. I swear everyone had a group of 5 or more, and there wasn’t a male in sight. So we sat down and waited for my turn. Film crew were walking through the lobby as they were wrapping up filming for the day. You could tell who the TV bride was and her posse was as they each got whisked away to the interview room to discuss the appointment. The more I thought about it, the more glad I was that I wasn’t going to be on the show. No need for the extra pressure.
As we sat waiting, my dad moved his chair so he could look into the main salon. His eyes lit up as he saw consultants from the TV show. He would whack me on my side every time he saw someone he knew;
“Look, it’s Keisha!”
“I know Dad, I can see her”
“Look! Look! It’s Randy!!”
“I KNOW Dad, I can see him too”.
Eventually I told him to please not be that guy and to contain his excitement just a tad. My mom joked that he was just excited to see all his “friends. Eventually a lady walked over to me dressed in black. Her name was Rita and she was my consultant. Her heavy Italian accent made it difficult to understand but she said she had worked there for around 16 years, and to trust her. So I did.
We got whisked away to her dressing room. Each consultant has their own assigned dressing room with their name over the doorway. We talked a little bit about the wedding and I showed her some pictures of dresses I liked. She knew right away that only a dress from Eve of Milady would do. So she disappeared.
A couple minutes later she came back with 4 dresses, all by Eve of Milady. Two of them were from pictures I had shown her. Once I saw them up close, I knew they were too busy for my taste and didn’t even want to try them on. But another dress she had brought out was gorgeous in the bag. I had to try that on one first.
As soon as I put it on I knew I was done. Now it was just a matter of convincing my parents. She opened the door and in walked Mom and Dad. Dad knew from my beaming smile that this was the one. Mom wasn’t so easily convinced. She starting nit picking about details. Rita convinced her that this dress wasn’t my size so it would fit better in my proper size. She still wasn’t convinced.
Mom needed to see it in the big room. So they brought me out to the big room and put me on a pedestal. I was glowing. Dad was glowing. Mom still wasn’t convinced. She needed my hair to be up. So Rita and an assistant scurried off to find an elastic to put up my hair. They found one and then put a veil on me. I started to cry, and so did my Dad. By this stage, Mom’s opinion is a mute point. I knew that not only had I found my dress, but I had found my veil as well.
So after the tissues and tears, I said yes to my dress. We scurried back into the dressing room so they could take my measurements and do the paperwork. Rita gave me her card and said I could call her anytime. Literally. Once I got home and told people my story, some people were mad at me that I only tried on one dress. I said it was because the staff at Kleinfeld, or in my case Rita, know how to do their jobs. Now I just have to wait until my alterations appointment to go back to that magical place known as Kleinfeld. And I’m sure my Dad will be there as well to see his “friends” again.
