VERA
In a
nutshell the show is about brides and their anxieties purchasing a wedding
dress. As the step-daughter was recently
engaged, the show is starting to hit close to home.
Anyway.
The main
characters on the show are the shop owners, the names I don’t know (see I don’t
pay that much attention) and the chief wedding dress experts, Randy (from the
NY show) and Monty (the Atlanta show).
Randy and Monty are both a little light in their shoes as you would
expect and this dress thing is clearly their dream job. Of the two, Randy is my favorite. Monty has a tiny mean streak and is a little
too snarky. Randy is genuinely nice and
really wants the brides to be happy.
My favorite
in this show, however, is a lesser character, Vera. Vera is the alterations person. She is amazing.
An elderly
lady who somewhat resembles Aunt Bee, Vera has an accent which I place as
slightly Russian and New York Jewish.
Why is she so amazing?
First of
all, she is really good at what she does.
One look at a bride and she knows just where to nip, tuck, let out, add
or subtract…she is never wrong.
Secondly,
she does all this with brides and bride parents who are as anxiety ridden as a
person could possibly be watching her every move. People who have invested from $2000 to $15000
on a dress that in their mind is going to make or break the wedding which in
turn will make or break their entire life.
These are people who have dreamed of their wedding from the time they
were three years old.
Is Vera
nervous? NEVER!
“It feels a little tight around the
bust.”
“Don’t be worry, I fix. Snip, snip here, pin up here, a little
pull…be perfect! Just wait, you like”
“I don’t like the length.”
This is
where Vera really wins me over.
“No problem.”
She grabs the sheers, “Look I take
it from here” Vera grabs an inch and a half of the hem of a $10000 dress
and “Snip, snip all the way around, I
sew, it is gone be beautiful!”
Vera has not
screwed up a dress yet. She has taken
brides convinced their wedding, which is only a week away, will be a disaster
and with scissors in hand and a confidence born of competence proceeds to save
the day.
The Brides
say YES to the dress, but they should BOW to Vera!
I've never watched it, but your "review" makes me want to. At the other end of the spectrum, I sometimes come across "My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding." I can't look away! I have to finish the episode. Those gals are serious about their wedding dresses! The fights are pretty intriguing, too.
ReplyDeleteHaven't watched the show much but never caught her on it when I did. She seems like quite a character! It reminds me of the lady when I was growing up who would do alterations and such in the neighborhood. I remember going to her house to probably have my First Communion dress hemmed in some way. I remember standing on her table so she could do the measurements etc. Interestingly, I remember my mom saying the lady didn't work on Saturdays and said something about her being Jewish but then of course at the time I had no idea at 7 years old what that all meant. This had nothing to do with your blog, but it did bring back that memory, so thanks for blogging about Vera.
ReplyDeletebetty
I agree, Vera is the Queen of the show! I can't get over the exorbitant costs though, 15,000 for a dress that will be worn only once and not even for a full day? my entire wedding (1971) was around $200, that includes home made dresses, food made by friends and family and the hiring of the reception hall. There were no histrionics and everyone had a lot of fun. Even the gatecrashers.
ReplyDeleteHaven't ever watched the show but maybe should. Vera sounds special and likable. I do think of you and smile a bit when I scroll past that show when searching the guide.
ReplyDeleteI have caught that show...she is incredible.
ReplyDeleteLooks like Vera should be the star of the show. Oh wait, to you she is the star of the show.
ReplyDeleteHave a fabulous day and weekend, Joe. 😎
My hat is off the Vera. I can't even sew on a button
ReplyDeleteThat show is just too unrelatable to me. I designed my own dress and had it custom made for $100.
ReplyDeleteAccording to Frat pal's wife, Vera is Greek.
ReplyDeleteI love crafts people.
ReplyDeleteR
She has done it for so long she has surpassed the expert level. The science says you have to put in about 10,000 hours of doing something to reach that stage. She sounds amazing.
ReplyDeleteI cannot relate to the show, either. My first wedding, I wore a blouse and maternity pants. For my second wedding, I went to a store and old the sales person that I was going to a wedding, I needed a dress. It was $89, I think. Did the trick.
ReplyDelete