On Saturday morning, August 20, 2011, bridal gown expert Randy Fenoli of TLC’s “Say Yes to the Dress” arrived at Las Vegas’ Bridal Spectacular bridal show. When he took the stage at 10:00 a.m., the audience exploded into raucous applause, high-pitched screams, and loud cheers.
As early as an hour and a half before this moment, brides, grooms, and fans alike had streamed to Cashman Convention Center, waiting to gain the best seats in the house. Their dedication paid off. Here he was, Randy Fenoli, the man who has given so many brides hope, vision, and clarity for their weddings. He was in our midst, and he came prepared to educate, elevate, and empower Las Vegas locals.
“Thank you, guys, for coming so early this morning,” Randy said as he held a microphone just beyond his chin. “I am so happy to be here.”
Polished, professional, and personal, Randy then started his presentation with a story.
Thirty minutes earlier, I had stood across from this inspiring bridal spokesperson for a one-on-one interview on behalf of Bridal Spectacular’s Las Vegas Wedding Blog. Randy shared about his beginnings, his position at Kleinfeld Bridal, his style tips, and his encouragement to brides as they search to say yes to the dress.
Today, in part two of this interview, Randy expresses his insight on accessories, the groom’s role, and wedding customizations. For the backstory, please read “My Fifteen Minutes with Randy Fenoli: An Interview with the Star of ‘Say Yes to the Dress.’” Then dive into this interview’s continuation with Fashion Director Randy Fenoli.
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Allyson: “So … how would the bride go about finding the perfect accessories for that perfect gown?”
Randy: “Very simple. Accessories will either elevate or depreciate your look. So it’s always better to choose a great accessory and less is more. I’d rather have one great accessory that says, ‘Oh my god. That’s a gorgeous accessory,’ than a bunch of collected things … that are all matchy-matchy and look inexpensive. I would rather a girl spend $600 on a pair of shoes that she’s going to wear again and again and again for the next ten years than spend $30 on a pair she’s going to wear once and throw into the back of the closet. Where’s the value there?”
Allyson: “True.”
Randy: “I think that accessories are really important. I think that with everything—whether it be the dress, the hair, the veil, the accessories—everything that a bride does, it’s all about silhouette and proportion, and keeping those things in mind.” …
Allyson: “Going into something with that, the groom is not an accessory. He’s also part of the wedding. But I was wondering: We hear a lot of tips for the bride, but what about the groom?” …
Randy: “The groom is actually the number-one accessory.”
Allyson: “Ooh! There we go.”
Randy: “Yes, I think that something a lot of women forget is it’s his wedding too.”
Allyson: “Mhmm.”
Randy: “He’s going to be standing right beside her in every single photograph. So he needs to be dressed to the level of formality that she is. He needs to complement her look. So she really has to kind of guide him since he doesn’t know what she’s wearing generally.”
Allyson: “Yes.”
Randy: “She has to guide him into making sure that his outfit really complements hers. And once again, all the same rules apply with men. It’s all about silhouette, proportion, and the right accessories. Once again, if a guy has on a great suit and it’s tailored beautifully and he’s looking sharp, and he has a worn belt, that’s all you’re going to focus on is that worn belt. So I think it’s all about great accessories and keeping them good, simple, and clean.”
Allyson: “Polished.”
Randy: “Yeah, less is more.”
Allyson: “I like that that’s a standard consistent across the board, so brides and grooms can both take it in.”
Randy: “It’s really is. The rules really don’t change. I think that there are rules—of course, every rule is made to be broken—but I think there are rules that apply to both. I mean, it is their wedding. They are starting a new family unit. So this is their wedding. They’re telling their guests, ‘This is us. This is who we are. This is our style, this is our taste in food, this is our taste in clothing, these are the flowers we like, this is the music we like to party and dance to.’ So that’s really what this is about. It’s really telling the guests who this couple is. And that’s what makes a wedding so unique, special, and intimate.”
Allyson: “That’s true. Thank you very much. So going along those lines of being customized, of ‘This is our flower choice; this is our wedding,” what can a bride do to make sure that her dress does match her?” …
Randy: “It’s a process. First, she needs to think about their story. And when I say ‘their story,’ how did the couple meet? What are their likes and dislikes? What are their favorite restaurants? Where do they like to travel? Where do they like to shop? Where do they like to go on a Saturday night? All these things that they love and they have passion towards should be incorporated in this wedding. Because the more unique and personal the wedding is, the more special it is for the guests. So all those little things, that’s where they begin. So once you find out your story, then you have to determine, ‘Okay, what’s our budget? Where’s the location? What’s the weather going to be?’ You have to think about those three things. And then you have to start looking at your body, and say, ‘Okay, what’s going to look good on my body?’ Within those parameters, that will lead you to a dress or dresses that I think narrows it down to your choices. It’s a process. Once you do one thing, it leads to the next and the next and the next, and it leads you to the right dress.”
Allyson: “Okay. Thank you.”
Randy: “Yeah, you’re welcome.”
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To read the final chapter of Bridal Spectacular’s interview with bridal gown expert Randy Fenoli, please check back next week for “My Fifteen Minutes with Randy Fenoli, The Conclusion: Stories of Inspiration and Advice to Las Vegas Brides.”
Written by Allyson Siwajian © 2011
Photograph Credit: first image and second image by Orange Soda Photography © 2011, final image by Alex Mo Photography © 2011