Say Yes to the Dress

Oh, this is my go-to brain candy floss. I love it and I adore Randy (although the Irish feller seems a tad odd) .... Is it me or is the colour on the UK version too "white" - I've tried adjusting the contrast on my telly but don't have the same problem with the Irish or US versions ....

My sons girlfriend has a friend on the UK version ....

I love how the US version the family usually come in dressed to kill in heels and beads, where the UK version they come in like something that's been killed in lycra and lurex.

I had a small wedding and paid £35 for my dress off the high street, but I adore a bit of tulle on others.

BTW, my bet is Ms Markle (if she rocks up and doesn't run for the hills) will be wearing a trumpet style dress with off the shoulder straps in champagne silk.

omg yes the full-name of the groom, and what they do. Honey, we don't care.

I also love the Bridesmaid specials where they naturally can't agree on ANYTHING.

Totally my guilty pleasure show - it's addictive! Like others, I am amazed at the insanity of some of the dresses, and the (over)reactions of their relatives and friends. You can always tell the early season episodes from the later ones, as the earlier stuff ran like what I imagine was a 'normal' dress appointment - you know, 3-4 dresses, a woman who vaguely understood what she wanted, and who'd brought her mother and a couple of best friends, for moral support.

The later series have insane women, who have the most unachievable demands possible, accompanied by 15 of their 'closest' friends and relatives, all mugging wildly for the cameras (and, yes, the voting paddle thing became de rigueur after a while!!!!)! The 'Bridesmaids' version also introduced me to the slightly bemusing concept that American brides make their bridesmaids pay for their own hideous frocks! Seriously can't understand that one - a woman asks her friends and relatives to be part of the wedding, and then makes them pay for the 'privilege'! And everyone falls out over the dress choice anyway! That's the version of the show with the most obnoxious bridezillas, but the original is insane.

I've also been suckered into the southern one (Atlanta), which seems to be populated with 21 year old girls aiming to please their fundamentalist christian daddies (who you just know have an extensive fire arms collection) whilst they're trying on the lowest cut dresses possible! That one's good for a laugh!

I actually became obsessed while in NY on holiday one year- it would seem to be one any time I went back to the hotel for a late afternoon change of clothing or to drop things off...I found myself sucked in!!

And yes, as a friend who has been a Bridesmaid in more Southern Weddings than she can count tells me (also from Atlanta) that's one thing that's not exaggerated for camera!

Also not exaggerated was the friend who went on their, bought the first dress she saw...then realised she was getting married in a hot country and had bought a dress with about 10 layers of netting in it...cue panic on the return visit.

Now while it was far from the first thought when my Dad died, some time later the thought occurred to me 'Well now I don't have to explain why he isn't walking me down the aisle' 

As to whether that's my staunchly held beliefs that no woman should be 'given away' or the fact that my Dad was a bit of a Tw*t is up for debate, but at 19 when he died I certainly wasn't thinking of my wedding any time soon after.