What happens to educated, successful and obviously employable women when they get engaged? It would seem the immediate hunt for the perfect dress begins. This is not just any dress – it must be a drop-dead-stunning-ball-gown that also falls within their budget which sometimes is very unreasonable. I like to think that most of us have an eco-friendly outlook and I would hope that many would be striving to decrease their carbon footprint.  Why does there seem to be a disconnect when it comes to buying the perfect dress?

For this dress-buying task there is only one place in North America that seems to fit the bill – the wonderland of bridal couture, otherwise known as Kleinfeld Bridal. Kleinfeld is a name you may know from the TLC show Say Yes To The Dress.  It is a place that treats every bride like a princess (insert eye roll). The hunt for the wow-dress that these brides seem to be on, once was a private affair but thanks to TLC, they’re proving exploitable as well.  Remember, TLC are the same people that brought the plague of Jon and Kate Plus 8 to the world.

The show highlights the good, the sweet and the bridezilla.  What is shocking is not just the price tags of these gowns, as many brides seem to smash their budget for the perfect dress, but the lengths they will go to, to get the dress. Apparently many believe that Kleinfeld is the only store that will have the dress they need in order to be able to get married so brides come from far and wide. Brides will trek by boat, plane, train or automobile to bring their one-wear-only dress back home. They come in clicks, sororities, families and sometimes even with their fiancés. One bride flew all the way from London to buy a dress and then left without a dress, as she was not able to afford it. Another bride drove ten hours to get to Manhattan from Salem North Carolina to get to Kleinfeld, with her whole bridal party in tow.

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