OWN’s newest show Don’t Tell the Bride tests the true strength of couples before they even have a chance to say “I do”. Almost like a dare, engaged couples agree to prepare for their wedding with a few conditions and to compensate they receive the money to buy a dream wedding…or at least the potential of one. You see the catch is…they receive $25,000 but the groom is in charge of ALL the wedding plans and only has 3 weeks to do it. Yes, everything! From gowns to flowers to and he isn’t allowed to get her input on anything.
The premier episode began with a couple of Dallas – Bryan and LT. After 3 years of dating, they finally decided it was time to get married. However Bryan has some serious issues…he has a hard time making any decision. The couple joked of how he has stood up and followed waiters away from the table in order to change his choice. I am thinking this may be harder for him to plan than he thinks!
Take a quick look at the first 5 minutes
LT shared with the producers her ideal wedding full of very specific fantasies. I am only hoping at some point she shared these ideas with Bryan. Being that he isn’t allowed to talk to his fiancée, Bryan headed off to bunk with his younger brother and best man, Austin, the only person he is allowed to get help from.
Hoping he won’t disappoint her, LT struggled with letting go as well as missing him. Bryan was settling in to planning mode. Over beer and sandwiches, the brainstorming began. Helicopters, fireworks, Batman lights, twinkies…actual ideas that came from their mouths. Seriously! Ironically, LT and her friends were at home joking around about the worst possible scenarios. Hopefully none of them come true.
As he looked at wedding dresses, he was all about it being sexy. With over-priced accessories, I am not sure she will be getting any perks. He then moved on to trying to secure a location. With little success, he found himself frustrated. In the meantime, LT dragged her mother and maid of honor to her ideal location. As she toured an elegant mansion, Bryan searched concrete rooms and outdoor parks. The “free” aspect seemed to appeal to him.
A week in and Bryan was no closer to his dream wedding. No gown, no venue, no flowers…he needed to pull it together. When asked what kind of dress he was looking for Bryan shared that all he knew was that it would be white and “GMC – gonna make her cry”. At the same time, the cameras follow LT to show us all her perfect wedding dress. Surprisingly he had narrowed down his search to two dresses….one of which was the same dress LT loved. As they talked price, Bryan joked that “I could buy a new girlfriend for $1,500” to which Austin added he could buy two. Still they walked away with nothing.
With only a week and a half left, Bryan still has no dress, no venue – nothing! With all the stress raining down on them, the boys decided it was time to hunker down and do a little golfing. In fact, they decided to make the most important decision (the dress) right there. I mean why not right? Business decisions are made all the time on the green BUT this was different. Bryan decided to leave the answers to the “Golf Gods”. They had already narrowed the dress down to two, so they designated areas on the green, like a carnival game, for each dress. Leaving the big decision to his brother, Bryan watched as the Gods made their decision. This guy has some SERIOUS commitment issues. Following the putt which luckily landed on LT’s favorite dress, the boys celebrate with a silly “we got a dress” dance. Then they remembered it was time to find a cake! Austin was ready to taste all day long. “A plate of cakes, it was like a plate of goodness in your mouth.” However, before they even cleaned their plates, the boys made the cake decision without hesitation.
Now with only a week left, it was time for Bryan to reveal the bridesmaid dresses. As the ladies perched in their seats waiting, a pink, powder-puff princess walked on the floor. Their mouths dropped. It literally looked like neon, pink Russ Troll standing on its head. Then Bryan broke the news – it wasn’t the dress! It was a smart move because anything after that was great. Unfortunately the dresses were black, the only thing LT didn’t want. Still, at least it was done!
Austin arrived at the house bearing gifts for LT. Soggy chicken wings and fries. Happy Bachelorette party! He did tell them that at 11PM a car would show up for them. While the girls complained about why men shouldn’t plan anything, Bryan was out spending close to $500 on his bachelor party (almost as much as the cake for the wedding) while the ladies waited for their limo. Once it arrived they all started to excited about where they were headed…until they pulled up to the BOWLING ALLEY. Exiting the car in tears, it was clear that her soon-to-be husband wasn’t very thoughtful and the whole world knew it. Out partying at the bars with his fiancée at cheap bowling alley – I am not sure they will make it down the aisle. Only days away, Bryan locked in the concrete room as his venue, decided on the flowers and hired a harpist. At least one of those choices will please her.
So when the big day finally arrived, he started it off just right – a $715 pair of shoes that were just perfect for LT. She was in such a good mood that she even loved the black bridesmaid dresses. The real test was next – the wedding dress. We already knew it was going to be a hit and she felt beautiful. As she entered the room, it was clear that she couldn’t have been happier. As the minister spoke, she whispered “Thank you. You did great”. Feeling a bit cocky, Bryan shared that felt he did better than she ever could have. For a man who can’t make a choice, in three weeks he pulled it off!
Another cute, feel-good adventure from OWN! Catch an all new episode next Saturday at 10/9c.