“Say Yes to the Dress” is undeniably simple. Brides need dresses. A bridal shop is there to help.
TLC has mined this concept for seven years with the original version set at Kleinfeld Bridal in New York City.
Four years ago, the network found Bridals by Lori in Atlanta for a Southern-flavored spinoff version, “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta.”
Wedding lovers have embraced level-headed owner Lori Allen and colorful bridal consultant Monte Durham. This Friday, the show returns for its seventh season. (TLC tapes about two cycles per year, 18 episodes per season.)
That’s the most seasons of any TV show shooting in Atlanta to date, ahead of the CW’s “The Vampire Diaries” and Bravo’s “Real Housewives of Atlanta,” early shows that debuted after Georgia passed strong tax credit incentives in 2008.
Allen said taping does involve longer hours for her than when she’s just running her shop. But she enjoys it. “I miss the crew when we’re not shooting,” she said. “It’s not a great hassle. We laugh all the time. It’s become second nature. Even when we’re not filming, we pretend we are! We have customers yell out, ‘Say yes to the dress!’ and jump up and down.”
She said exposure from the show has naturally generated more business, for which she is grateful. The trade-off? Gawkers and fans who come in just to have their pictures taken. While this potentially takes time away from actual customers, Allen said she realizes it’s part of her job now. “I am never rude to them,” she said. “They could be a customer down the road. And it creates excitement.”
Allen said the show works because she and Durham clearly know what they’re doing. She has been in the bridal business for 35 years and still loves coming into work every day. “I know it’s cliche,” she said, “but there’s a rush when you can help a bride find the gown of their dreams.”
In 2012, she suffered from breast cancer, which TLC chronicled in a well-received special. “I just went for my 18-month checkup with my oncologist,” Allen said. “So far, so good. I’m blessed there, too.” She said it’s taken a solid year for her to get back to 100 percent strength.
While her store has drawn people from outside Georgia even prior to the show, she now gets international customers on a regular basis. “Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta” airs in more than 100 countries, she said. One time while in Cancun, she popped on the TV and saw herself dubbed in Spanish — “with a Southern drawl,” she added, with a laugh.
Durham said the type of celebrity he and Allen have is a positive one because they typically capture a happy point in a woman’s life. And he accepts the fact folks will come up to him every day and parrot his catchphrase: “Come on! Jack me up, Monte!”
TV preview
"Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta," 9 p.m. Fridays, starting June 6, TLC
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