"Are you saying YES?"

I have watched more episodes of Say Yes to the Dress than I care to admit. Which is why being at Kleinfeld (the actual store where it is filmed) this Saturday, was so exciting and felt surreal. Disclaimer: I was not on the show.

We went to NYC for the weekend and it was another whirlwind of a trip. We wanted to visit Matt's brother, see our friends and take a peek at this wedding gown store that I've been hearing about and witnessing on television week after week. I wanted to take one more look, before taking the plunge (at dresses, not men!) next month with my grandma. Apparently, they carry the "largest selection of bridal gowns", so what better place?

I had to make an appointment in advance and they asked for my credit card information, as there is a $50 fee to hold your appointment (first time I've experienced that). This will only get charged if you fail to cancel at least 48 hours in advance. Of course, if you show up as planned, the appointment is free.

As Ashley and I walked up to the store, a limo pulled up and about ten perky women hopped out of Kleinfeld and jumped in. We knew we were in the right place. The actual store is just as grand and beautiful as you would have imagined. We were asked to take a seat as we waited for our consultant. My friend Lydia had been asking if I knew what consultant had been assigned to us. As avid watchers, we have developed some "favorites" over the years.

My name was called and two women were waiting for us: a consultant (we'll call her Bonnie) in her 50's and an intern in her 20's. I had no idea that one could intern there, how fun! I did not recognize our consultant from TV; she later shared that only about 6 or 7 of the 22+ consultants in the store agree to be on the show. She is not one of them, claiming she would be "too self conscious". Bonnie has been with Kleinfeld for over 12 years, had a thick New York accent and was a bit of a character. She also liked making good use of her intern, "pick this up, hands here, wrong belt, different bra, grab that, do this".

She asked if I had tried on gowns before, if I had a style in mind, price point and where we were getting married. To my complete and utter disappointment, she did not ask me why Matt was "perfect" for me or where we met, like they do on the show...

She also did not pull dresses for us. Instead, all 4 of us walked around the store, looking for anything that caught our eye and then she took us to the stock room. That was insane! Hundreds of dresses, all grouped by silhouette: A-lines, mermaid, ball gown, trumpet, etc. Bonnie asked us to go through them and it was quite a workout. Dresses are already heavy, but then add the fact that they are all in plastic bags and squished together to the equation. If I stopped at a dress that was above my price point, Bonnie would say "NO, keep moving, don't look". We chose about 7 and went back to the dressing room. There were brides, consultants, friends and family everywhere. It's hard for me to guess how many, because I was in the room most of the time and the store is not only big, but two stories (alterations downstairs) but definitely 100+!

There were signs everywhere that said no photography or sketches (like I'm going to bust out a pencil and pad?!) Also, a sign that said that by entering the store you consented to "you or your voice being on television due to the filming of the show". Sadly, they were not filming while we were there, we heard that they had been earlier that morning. Apparently, they film everyday except Sunday's. While on the topic of the show, I also learned that you need to apply in advance and the application is quite lengthy and detailed: attach a picture, how did your fiance propose, tell us something about yourself that we would not know by looking at you, what has been the most stressful part of planning your wedding, etc (here it is). Other than 5 minutes of fame, there does not seem to be any other incentives; no free dress, discount, monetary compensation, etc.

Bonnie was very particular in the way we went about doing things: keep bra on, put bridal (long) bra on over it, bra off, arms above your head, go through dress, stand tall, shake dress, hold bust up, get on the pedestal, re-adjust, hands on waist, intern hold sides, zip up, thoughts discussed, door opens, friend's opinion, one last look, take it off. By the end, I had it down! I wanted to try very different styles to make sure I was not overlooking anything: strapless, non-sweetheart, straps, even halter. In the end, there was a clear winner, designed by Jim Hjelm (not the one above) and we'll need to see if we can find it, or something similar, here in DC. 

Toward the end of the appointment, we went to the main "showroom" (where big groups accompanying the bride sit) and they put a veil on me, not quite "jacked up"(as they love to say on the show), but gettin' there. I could have probably taken a seat on one of the rooms plush sofas and people watched for a few more hours. It was fascinating and we saw 3 or 4 of the consultants from the show doin' their thing :)

Things learned: they have a flat fee of $695 for alterations and belts/sash's are quite pricey and can cost upwards of $800. Insane.

All in all, we had a really fun time and found a definite dress contender. What followed: we looked for Katie Holmes and daughter Suri, at the Whole Food next to where they live, because we saw a paparazzi waiting and looking extremely bored outside. No luck though. Next stop, Carrie from Sex and the City building stoop, Magnolia Bakery, walking/strolling/exploring/perusing (we were lucky enough to have the most beautiful weather, in the low 80's) and then dinner with Matt, Josh and Alejandro at Gallo Nero near Hell's Kitchen. 

Oh and if any of you are now itching to watch the show, you can find 5 seasons on Netflix Instant! 

Matt, me & Josh

Times Square chaos with Alejandro, Ashley, me & Matt

Lost smurf, Central Park, Dinner, FAO Schwartz!

P.S: The watercolor iPhone case was the winner. Favorite app so far: whatsapp!