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‘Say Yes to the Dress’ Vet Randy Fenoli Grades TV Wedding Dresses: Erica Kane, Carrie Bradshaw & More (VIDEO)
Say Yes to the Dress star Randy Fenoli has made it his life’s mission to make brides feel beautiful on their wedding day. The fashion designer helps hopeful brides find the perfect wedding dress to say “I do” in at the altar.
Over the years, so many TV brides have graced our screens. From iconic soap nuptials to long-awaited primetime unions, TV weddings are always a cause for celebration. Swooon had Fenoli look back at some notable TV wedding dresses and reveal his true opinions on the gowns.
First up was General Hospital‘s Laura Webber (Genie Francis), who notably married Luke Spencer (Anthony Geary) in a 1981 wedding that was seen by over 30 million people. “I think it’s really beautiful,” Fenoli said. “But for me, she’s got way too much veil and way too much hair, way too much sleeve, and way too much stuff going on. I prefer that the dress enhances the bride’s beauty and not overpower. I think the ’80s were just a little too much of everything. It was about excess in the ’80s.”
Bob D’Amico / ABC / Everett Collection
Staying in soap territory, we had to have Fenoli grade one of Erica Kane’s (Susan Lucci) wedding dresses. Erica was married a whopping 11 times, and we had the Say Yes to the Dress star analyze the gown Erica wore to her 1993 wedding to Dimitri Marick (Michael Nader).
“Besides the bouquet being too big, I think this is lovely on her, even though she’s very petite,” Fenoli noted. “I’ve met Susan, and her waist is like 17 inches, and she’s a tiny little thing, but I think the high neck and the long sleeves kind of gives a Grace Kelly kind of feel. It’s fitted beautifully on her.”
Now, Carrie Bradshaw (Sarah Jessica Parker) didn’t technically get married in the Sex and the City series, but she did almost wed Mr. Big (Chris Noth) in the 2008 movie. We had to include her because Carrie is one of the most stylish TV characters of all time. “It’s very trendy, over the top, but that’s who she was,” Fenoli told Swooon about Carrie’s Vivienne Westwood gown. “So I think it really fit her personality. I love it. I think the stems are too long on the bouquet. I tell brides this because you want to hold the bouquet out, not up and down.”
As for the iconic bird headpiece, Fenoli gave his seal of approval. “Again, she was all about fashion and shoes and being over the top and being fashion forward,” he said. “I think a wedding dress needs to reflect who you are and speak to who you are.”
One of Fenoli’s favorite TV wedding dresses that he judged was Bones Brennan’s (Emily Deschanel) gown. He loved the attention at the top of the dress and her neckline. “I‘m a really tough critic, but I think this is probably one of my favorite looks yet,” he said.
Fenoli, a self-professed Grace Kelly fan, was equally excited about Emma Swan’s (Jennifer Morrison) wedding dress in Once Upon a Time. “This is Grace Kelly. So how could I ever say anything bad about Grace Kelly?” he gushed. “It’s beautiful. It’s classic. She looks like a princess.” (And she was one!)
However, not every TV wedding dress got an A+ from Fenoli. The designer notably prefers white or off-white wedding dresses, so Cristina Yang’s (Sandra Oh) red wedding dress from Grey’s Anatomy wasn’t his favorite. “I think this could have been a guest at the wedding,” he explained. “I tell brides, if you wear white or off-white or whatever, then you’re going to be sure to stand out at your wedding because somebody else could have shown up in this color.”
Tyler Golden / NBC / Everett Collection
He was also “not a fan” of Molly Carter’s (Yvonne Orji) gown from her Insecure wedding. Why? “I’m looking completely at the dress. I’m looking at all these swirls and all this, and I almost missed the bride,” he said.
Unfortunately, Parks and Recreation‘s Leslie Knope (Amy Poehler) didn’t get Fenoli’s vote for best TV wedding dress. “I am not a fan. Not a fan. It looks like a newspaper,” he said, referring to Leslie’s newspaper skirt. “I’m going to give this a no,” he added.
Scroll up to see Fenoli grade more TV wedding looks from The Flash, Friends, A Different World, The Fosters, and more. Which famous wedding dress is your favorite? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
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