‘Say Yes to the Dress' heads to the South

The original “Say Yes to the Dress” -- which reveals the behind-the-scenes drama at Kleinfeld, a high-end bridal salon in New York -- brings in an average of 1.2 million viewers every week. TLC hopes to expand the franchise to other markets, but its first stop is Bridals by Lori, a 30-year-old, high-end bridal salon in Sandy Springs.

President and owner Lori Allen said she was a fan of the show and had watched it “a million times over.” She was happy to allow a film crew to follow her staff around almost every day from January to June.

“This show has almost a cultlike following,” she said. “So the minute we say we’re filming this, everybody that they’ve ever known wants to come in and watch the bride try on.”

The entourages would get so large that Allen said it seemed brides were bringing the entire wedding guest list. And as “Say Yes” fans know, it’s the supporting players -- all the people who offer opinions on the bride’s dress choices -- who really bring the drama.

Allen said that’s even truer in the South. “We very much care here what the grandmother says, what the mother says. The women family members in the South are extremely strong-willed, extremely opinionated and hold a tremendous influence on what the bride is going to purchase here.”

Smith, who will be featured in the July 30 premiere episode, brought her grandmother, mother and three older sisters to her appointment.

“My grandma is super-opinionated,” said Smith. "She might not say anything, but if you look at her face ... .” And while Smith preferred a sexier style, her grandmother encouraged her to go more conservative. “She wanted me in a long-sleeve, turtleneck kind of dress!” she said.

When a dress debate like that ensues, Monte Durham, the fashion director on the show, often intervenes. Durham said he’s honest but not brutal.

“We have a Southern mother on board and Southern friends. I think our goal is to have the bride’s back, so to speak, and make sure that her voice is being heard and her needs are being met,” he said. “It is the bride’s choice. It is the bride’s day. It is her dress. We’re constantly repeating that.”

Haley Lyman, a bride from Columbus, heard plenty of strong Southern opinions from family members during her dress-buying appointment, which was filmed for the premiere episode.

Lyman suspects that it was the description of her “crazy family” in her online application that caused producers to choose her. “We probably bring a lot of character to the show. I’m a character,” she said with a distinct Georgia twang. Lyman is trying to keep quiet about her television debut around Columbus because, as she said, “Lord knows, everyone would have a premiere party.”

Allen said brides would often forget the cameras were rolling.

“I think we got some really good authentic clients out of there, things that really happen in the day-to-day life of Bridals by Lori,” she said. “What was so important to me was that we actually portrayed ourselves because we do have so much fun here. I absolutely love what I do.”

So far, TLC has ordered 12 episodes for the first season. If the network asks for another season, Allen said she will definitely say yes to more “Say Yes.”

And if sometimes she happens to get an aspiring reality TV star, rather than a serious dress-buying bride, Allen would still treat her just like any other client. After all, she said, “She could be our future customer. We’re in the South; we’ve got manners here.”

‘Say Yes to the Dress: Atlanta'

Premieres at 9:30 p.m. July 30 on TLC.

(The show will air at 9 p.m. starting Aug. 6.)

Dress shopping tips

In her 30 years as president and owner of Bridals by Lori, Lori Allen has watched countless brides try on wedding dresses. Here are her tips to help brides (and her staff) have a pleasant shopping experience: