final capstone

Influence of Reality TV 1

RUNNING HEAD: Influence of Reality TV

The Impact of Reality TV Wedding Shows on the Bridal Industry

Brittany Fernandes

Mount Ida College

May 9, 2014

http://www.google.com/url?sa=i&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&frm=1&source=images&cd=&cad=rja&uact=8&docid=oGMiPKxexNTr1M&tbnid=5zW0txHjBU9GLM:&ved=0CAUQjRw&url=http://www.raihan-wed.com/wedding-dress/designers-wedding-dress-sketches-for-angelina-jolie/&ei=Ln1ZU9idLZKbyATo5IHYDg&bvm=bv.65397613,d.aWw&psig=AFQjCNEDPiCRXF_0Vd-fg9TZhUXVQahnZQ&ust=1398459678321152

RUNNING HEAD: Influence of reality TV 2

Abstract

This is a study to examine how reality TV wedding shows influence the bridal industry

and how brides are influenced by the wedding programs. It was conducted using both qualitative

and quantitative methods. Participants were Mount Ida College students, consisting of eighty two

usable surveys that were collected, with only females surveyed. The research focused on what

brides expect their wedding and bridal dress shopping experiences to resemble from watching

reality TV wedding shows. This research confirms that reality TV wedding shows have a major

impact on the bridal industry.


Introduction

Weddings have been escalating in cost in recent years. The latest statistics show

that the average wedding budget, excluding honeymoon is $28,427 (Miles, 2013). This total

comes mostly from the combined cost of the venue, photographer, wedding/event planner,

reception, band, florist/décor, ceremony site, engagement ring, and the wedding dress (Miles,

2013).

Reality television has been shown to have a high impact on many people’s opinions on

how to live their lives, images of what to wear, where to shop, and how to act because they are

watching someone’s so-called real life. A new phenomenon that has become popular in recent

years is reality TV wedding shows such as “Say Yes to the Dress,” “Four Weddings,”

“Something Borrowed, Something Blue,” and “I Found the Gown.” All of these television

programs are from the same network, The Learning Channel (TLC). Wedding shows like these

can potentially impact brides and shape their idea and image of the perfect white wedding.

Reality wedding shows influence brides by branding and showing images of brand management

that persuade their audiences not just of the theme of their wedding but the brands as well

(Winch & Webster, 2012). The wedding media bombards the bride with marketing messages

that put social pressure on women that demands them to have the perfect wedding with the same

exact theme and brands that are promoted to them through reality television (Winch & Webster,

2012). Bridal desires have often been impacted through popular culture (Sgroi, 2006); presently,

reality TV impacts today’s popular culture as it influences brides on what is expected of their

wedding day. This research is to determine whether/ and how reality TV shows influence women

on what designers and styles to buy, if women expect the same experience wedding dress

shopping as they see on reality television, and if brides feel social pressure to have the perfect


white wedding because of images that are displayed on reality television shows. In order to

answer these questions this survey uses qualitative and quantitative methods to discover

women’s perspectives on these issues.


Literature Review

Statistics show that in 2001 the cost of the average wedding is $20,000, which is a four

hundred percent increase over the average of weddings in the past twenty years (Wallace, 2004).

The latest statistics show that the average wedding budget, excluding honeymoon is $28,427

(TheKnot.com). In American culture, weddings are held as a ritual of high esteem. The social

demands of brides in this decade are extremely high. The products and behaviors that brides are

adopting into their wedding budget are so high because of the demands that are pressured upon

them by the major trends in wedding planning. The image of a white wedding began in the mid-

1800s, when families who were wealthy created to host wedding in the backyard of their

beautiful homes (Wallace, 2004). The mid-1800s may have started the traditional white wedding,

but there is now many other wedding rituals that are incorporated into the tradition of American

white weddings (Wallace, 2004). It is everything from the flowers, the white gown, to the many

elements of the white wedding. Tradition has required that all couples must-have to achieve the

perfect wedding (Herr, 2005).

Reality television has now made its way into the bridal industry to create a target market

audience for brides, for women of all ages. Reality wedding TV shows have forged their way

into the creation of the ultimate bridal fantasy. “Planning a large, formal wedding brought an

element of fantasy to the weddings of girls from modest backgrounds” (Wallace, 2004).

Wedding reality shows have now entered the women’s fantasy of what her white wedding should

replicate, and product placement is being promoted, which makes women think that they need

that same exact dress, designer, floral arrangements, etcetera, and is helping designers build a

high-end reputation (Sgroi, 2006). Reality TV is related to consumption because it is allowing


viewers to become relaxed with customs of observation, and this is encouraging them to inhabit

the position of consumer/producer (Sgroi, 2006).

There are so many options to choose from for wedding TV shows; on both network and

cable. Wedding shows mostly appear in the daytime and primetime schedules; however The

Learning Channel (TLC) has many different options of wedding television. For example, A

Wedding Story (Banyan Productions, 2004) is a documentary show, while For better or For

Worse (Nash, 2004) is presented using a game-show theme. A Wedding Story follows the same

format every show. Documenting the planning of the wedding, showing everyday people plan

their wedding and then airing the wedding itself at the end of the program to show how

everything came together on the couples big day. Four Weddings is another example of a game-

show type theme. Like For better or For Worse, which is also on The Learning Channel (TLC),

it introduces four women who are strangers who attend one another’s wedding and then rate

them based on the bride’s dress, venue, cuisine, and overall experience at the wedding to win a

destination honeymoon.

Reality TV wedding shows also place an emphasis on style and personalization. They

concentrate on the idea of the bride having a status of a unique and high class wedding.

Traditions are reinforced through white weddings and have evolved through history, but now

brides are searching for personalization and finding their unique style (Sgroi, 2006). Recent

trends, including a high divorce rate in the US and many people not willing to be in a committed

relationship in our society, might suggest that reality TV wedding shows provide something that

the viewing audience wants and, maybe, needs (Sgroi, 2006). When prospective brides watch

these played out reality TV wedding shows they see a vision of what is possible for their life.


Reality TV reinforces audiences that shopping and retailing is significant, after having

the brands visually displayed to them in the comfort of their home customers visually see what

they desire for their wedding. These wedding shows offer stories of love, marriage, and fantasies,

but most importantly, it displays viewing pleasures that are focused towards specific products

and brand names (Sgroi, 2006).

Bridal store managers have the advantage to set up their store the way customers will find

appealing by being influenced by the wedding shops on reality television. For the stores to

maintain and increase sales, bridal customers that come in to shop for their big day need to be

happy with the store layout (Weiss, 2008). With the expectations that are already set up for the

bride by reality TV shows, store managers must set realistic goals for the bride to have

satisfaction for the price that is available to her needs. The media has enlarged the importance of

“the gown”. Today, women on their wedding day will do whatever it takes to have the wedding

of their dreams. According to the weddingchannel.com, the bridal gown should cost 10% of the

total wedding budget, which is the average cost of about $2700 (Weiss, 2008). Mara and Ronnie

Rothstein, the principal owners of Kleinfield’s bridal boutique, stated that a bride is willing to

spend a lively amount of money to fulfill their image of a perfect wedding than a bride is to

spend on her first born child (Weiss, 2008).

An article written by Geoff William in April of 2013, states that reality television has

created a whole entire genre dedicated to wedding shows. These series have been giving brides

and grooms an unrealistic expectation of things that should be expected of how their wedding be

like (Williams, 2013). Hollywood is infamous for numerous failed marriages but the television

industry is increasing the obsession with wedding themed reality television shows (McKay

2011). According to the article “Do Wedding-Themed Reality Shows Make a Mockery of


Marriage?, by Hollie McKay, she states that women today are feeling pressure to appear a

certain way on their wedding day and turn to television to reference images of women and try to

imitate unrealistic expectations of appearance before walking down the aisle (McKay, 2011).

TV cameras have been following brides-to- be on their hit television shows from WETV’s

“Bridezillas” and TLC’s, “Say Yes to the Dress,” since 2010 to show the reality of weddings and

wedding dress shopping (McKay, 2011). There is a danger of having all these reality shows that

keep reinforcing the same message, that if you are not perfect and your wedding is not perfect

that you are never going to be good enough (McKay, 2011). These shows are damaging

American men and women who are planning their wedding by making them believe that the only

way to feel satisfaction is by attaining the perfect wedding (McKay, 2011). Couples who can’t

afford all the lavish expenses of a wedding are shown constant images suggesting a low budget

and that their wedding simply won’t be successful (McKay, 2011).

.


Methodology

To examine the influence that reality television has on the bridal industry, a qualitative

and quantitative method was used. Quantitative research was conducted by a survey that

consisted of ten questions. A convenience sample comprised of students at Mount Ida College

was chosen to answer survey questions for this study. This sample of student’s purpose was to

determine the impact of reality television and how women are influenced by wedding-related

reality TV shows. Approval to conduct this survey was obtained from the Mount Ida College

Institutional Review Board (MIC-IRB). The survey used a convenience sampling of women.

Qualitative research that was conducted for this study involved an owner of a bridal shop.

Ryan Mainvelle, owner of Pearl Bridal Boutique in Holyoke, Massachusetts was interviewed

along with two brides who got married in the summer of 2013, Julie Boudreau and Melissa

Giroux. These questions requested information concerning how the bridal industry is affected by

reality TV shows for the bridal shop owner, and how the recent brides’ buying behavior was

influenced by those reality TV shows.


Results

A total of 82 usable surveys were completed. Of the 82 participants, 100 % were women,

with ages ranging from 18 to 37. The mean ages of participants were 18 to 22. The pie charts

below display a summary of the participants’ age and gender. In question three, women were

asked which television shows they watched out of the options and every women watched at least

one of the shows that were listed. The chart indicated the majority of women watch Say Yes to

the Dress. Question four indicated that thirty four percent of women were strongly influenced by

the brand names that are displayed through reality TV wedding shows. The survey showed that

women feel neutral about having the same experience wedding shopping as they see on TV.

Twenty three percent of women agreed that reality shows impact their thought process of how

wedding dress shopping should be like.

Qualitative research proved that women who watch more reality TV wedding shows are

more influenced then women who do not watch as much reality TV wedding shows. Interview

questions were conducted to two different brides who were married the same summer of 2013.

Julie Boudreau stated that she watched Say Yes to the Dress while planning her wedding. She

said that “I liked seeing the different styles of dresses so I could have an idea of what I wanted.

That was it. I don’t have cable and did not get swept into the bride-craze that many women do

because of reality TV.” While Melissa Giroux said, “I watched them all! Say Yes to the Dress –

New York and Atlanta, Four Weddings and Say Yes to the Dress – Bridesmaids were the ones I

watched most frequently.


I liked Say Yes to the Dress most, but it was also the one that gave me the MOST anxiety! It

helped give me ideas about what types of dresses were trendy right now and also provided a little

education about what type might look best on my body type.” Another interview question that

was asked was “Did the experience of dress shopping live up to your expectations?” Julie

responded, “Yes it did, and I ended up choosing a dress that my youngest sister insisted I try on.

Then at David’s Bridal they have you ring a bell to make the moment special. It was surreal, my

friends starting crying and I was just relieved to cross something off my to-do list and of course,

I found a simple, flattering and amazing dress. I put it on a few times after my wedding too! I

wish I could wear it again.” Melissa however did not have the same pleasant experience, she

stated that “No. Talk about stressful and overwhelming. I went to three different places. First

time I did the “mom” thing and had an okay experience, found a dress I liked but wasn’t ready to

commit. Second time I had a horrific experience with a local shop – the women were rude and

when I found my dress, they told me it only came in silver (which was the floor model) and I

could only get that one. I ended up leaving and going to Bancroft where I had a fantastic

experience. Of all three places, they really lived up to the experience – champagne, constant

attention to detail and made me feel good. I brought one other person and it was so much less

stressful.”

Owner Ryan Mainvelle of Pearl Bridal Boutique was also interviewed questions about

her shop and how the bridal industry has changed since reality TV wedding shows have started

becoming popular within the industry. She stated that, “Brides feel that they have social/media

pressure to find the perfect gown. The choices can be overwhelming. There is so much over

exposure of wedding gowns now through different media sources. A bride may feel compelled

to keep looking because she keeps seeing different dresses day in and day out.” Ryan also stated


that “Reality TV has affected the wedding industry and has made the wedding industry a huge

focal point over the past 10 years or so. Some brides feel like they have to outshine their

counterparts and go bigger/better than the last wedding they attended. Sometimes they have

unrealistic expectations because they “saw it on a show” and we have to explain well that’s TV

and this is real life!”


Conclusion

Based on the research conducted and the survey findings and interview questions it is

confirmed that reality TV wedding shows have a major impact on the bridal industry. Women are

expecting to see the same brand names with the same pricing as they see through reality televis ion.

In summary the results conclude that the bridal industry is influenced by reality TV and its target

market which is women of all ages. With the continued production and viewing of reality televis ion

it is shown that reality TV will continue to influence the bridal industry today and for years to

come.


References

Banyan Productions (Producer). (2004). A wedding story [Television Series]. Philadelphia: The

Learning Channel.

Herr, R. (2005). The Dream and the reality of the American wedding: Taste, Style, and Reality

Television. In annual meeting of the International Communication Association, New

York.

Miles, J. (2013). Infographic: the national average cost of a wedding is $28,427. Retrieved from:

http://blog.theknot.com/2013/03/07/average-wedding-cost-2013/

Nash, B. (Executive producer). (2004) For better or for worse [Television series]. Hollywood,

CA; The Learning Channel.

Sgroi, R. (2006). Consuming the reality TV wedding. Ethnologies, 28(2), 113-131.

Wallace, C.M. (2004). All dressed in white: The irresistible rise of the American wedding. New

York: Penguin.

Weiss, J. D. (2008). In search of the dress: an analysis of the consumer decision making process

of brides (Doctoral dissertation).

Winch, A., & Webster, A. (2012). Here comes the brand: Wedding media and the management

of transformation. Continuum, 26(1), 51-59.

Williams, G. (2013). How bridal reality shows are affecting the bridal industry. Retrieved from

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal- finance/articles/2013/04/17/how-bridal-

reality-shows-are-affecting-the-bridal- industry

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/04/17/how-bridal-reality-shows-are-affecting-the-bridal-industry

http://money.usnews.com/money/personal-finance/articles/2013/04/17/how-bridal-reality-shows-are-affecting-the-bridal-industry


McKay, H. (2011). Do wedding-themed reality shows make a mockery of marriage? Retrieved

from: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/14/wedding-themed-reality-

shows-making-mockery-sacred-tradition-marriage/

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/14/wedding-themed-reality-shows-making-mockery-sacred-tradition-marriage/

http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/2011/03/14/wedding-themed-reality-shows-making-mockery-sacred-tradition-marriage/


Appendix: A

Consent Statement

Dear Student Respondent,

You are invited to participate in this research project by completing this brief survey on your

view of quality service. The aim of my project is to understand customer expectations of quality

service administered by the influence of reality television and how it is affected by the bridal

industry.

Remember your participation is not mandatory and if you do not feel comfortable taking this

survey you may return it to the giver at any time. It should take you only about twelve minutes

maximum to complete. If you choose to participate, please fill in your answers clearly and return

the survey to the giver.

To maintain anonymity, please do not put your name on the survey when you fill it out. This

survey is completely confidential, and all answers are strictly used for the purpose of

determining how customers view quality service. There are no risks to you or to your privacy if

you decide to participate in this study.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

Brittany Fernandes


Instructions: Answer the following questions by placing a check mark in the appropriate

box.

1. How old are you?

18- 22 23-27 28- 32 33- 37

2. What is your gender?

Male Female

3. Which Programs do you watch out of these choices? Please check off the ones that apply

to you.

Something Borrowed Something Blue

Friday Bride Day(TLC)

Four Weddings(TLC)

I Found the Gown (TLC)

Say yes to the Dress(TLC)

Say Yes to the Dress Atlanta(TLC)

Say Yes to the Dress Bridesmaids (TLC)

Say Yes to the Dress Randy Knows Best (TLC)

My Big Fat American Gypsy Wedding (TLC)

90 Day Fiancé (TLC)

Bridezillas (WE TV)

My Fair Wedding (WE TV)


Instructions: Please respond to each of the following statements using the seven-point scale

below each statement. Circle the appropriate number on the number line.

4. Do Reality TV Wedding shows influence your opinion on what brand names you would

like for your wedding?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree

5. Do Wedding Reality TV shows influence you on what designers and styles to buy?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree

6. Do you expect the same experience wedding dress shopping as you see through reality

TV wedding shows?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree

7. Do you feel social pressure to have the perfect white wedding because of the images that

are displayed on reality television shows?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree

8. Do you feel that reality TV wedding shows influence your selection of a wedding gowns

and your thoughts of price and style?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree


9. Does Reality shows impact your thought process of how wedding dress shopping should

be like?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree

10. Do you believe that reality television shows influence your expectations about how your

life should be?

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Strongly Strongly

Disagree Agree


Appendix: B

Interview Questions: Pearl Bridal Owner; Ryan Mainvelle

1. Do you feel that brides have social/media pressure to find the perfect gown? Explain.

“Yes. The choices can be overwhelming. There is so much over exposure of wedding

gowns now through different media sources. A bride may feel compelled to keep looking

because she keeps seeing different dresses day in and day out.”

2. Do brides often reference reality bridal TV shows while shopping at your boutique?

Explain.

“No. Reality shows are not reality. They are unscripted shows in which a producer tells

you how they want the scene to go and let you improve. They are nothing like the true

bridal gown shopping experience.”

3. Do bride’s expectations become influenced through reality TV (price, style, etc...)? Give

examples.

‘Yes they do. Many brides have no clue what a gown may cost, and because of certain

shows think that gowns start at 5k, when that is certainly not the case.’

4. Do you think that wedding reality TV shows affect the expectation of the shop and the

bride’s experiences? Explain.

“Yes. Many times a bride comments that her experience is nothing like how they see it

happening on the shows, and that she has a much better experience then she was

expecting.”

5. Do you think Reality TV has affected the wedding industry? In what ways?

“Yes. It has made the wedding industry a huge focal point over the past 10 years or so.

Some brides feel like they have to outshine their counterparts and go bigger/better than

the last wedding they attended. Sometimes they have unrealistic expectations because

they “saw it on a show” and we have to explain well that’s TV and this is real life!”


Interview Questions: Bride 1: Julie Boudreau

1. While planning your wedding, did you watch wedding reality TV shows? Which ones did you

like best?

“Say Yes to the Dress! I liked seeing the different styles of dresses so I could have an idea of

what I wanted. That was it. I don’t have cable and did not get swept into the bride-craze that

many women do because of reality TV.”

2. What do you think influenced your selection of a wedding gown and your thoughts of price

and style?

“I knew I didn’t want to spend over $1000. It didn’t make sense to me to buy something so

expensive for one day and I knew I could find “the dress” at the price I wanted. I wanted a

flattering dress that would stay up when I was dancing!”

3. When going dress shopping, did you have any ideas of what it was going to be like and where

did these ideas come from? How or what influenced you most?

“I was pretty unfamiliar to the dress shopping experience. I brought my friends and family with

me to give honest and helpful feedback…and to tell me “that’s the one.”

4. Did the experience of dress shopping live up to your expectations?

“Yes it did, I ended up choosing a dress that my youngest sister insisted I try on. Then at David’s

Bridal they have you ring a bell to make the moment special. It was surreal, my friends starting

crying and I was just relieved to cross something off my to-do list and of course, I found a

simple, flattering and amazing dress. I put it on a few times after my wedding too! I wish I could

wear it again.”


Interview Questions: Bride 2 Melissa Giroux

1. While planning your wedding, did you watch wedding reality TV shows? Which ones did you

like best?

“I watched them all! Say Yes to the Dress – New York and Atlanta, Four Weddings and

Say Yes to the Dress – Bridesmaids were the ones I watched most frequently. I liked Say

Yes to the Dress most, but it was also the one that gave me the MOST anxiety! It helped

give me ideas about what types of dresses were trendy right now and also provided a little

education about what type might look best on my body type. “

2. What do you think influenced your selection of a wedding gown and your thoughts of price

and style?

“I think I was most influenced by what looked good and price. I did a lot of “research” about

different styles by watching TV, looking at Wedding magazines and then browsing websites of

the dress makers that I liked.”

3. When going dress shopping, did you have any ideas of what it was going to be like and where

did these ideas come from? How or what influenced you most?

“Oh Yeah! I envisioned the dress shopping to be this magical experience – almost as magical as

the proposal itself! Ha. I guess growing up there’s this stereotype of all little girls wanting this

fairytale wedding starting with the Cinderella dress. I had already gone dress shopping with

several of my other now married friends so I had an idea about what the dress store would feel

like.”

4. Did the experience of dress shopping live up to your expectations?

“No. Talk about stressful and overwhelming. I went to three different places… first time I did

the “mom” thing and had an okay experience, found a dress I liked but wasn’t ready to commit.

Second time I had a horrific experience with a local shop – the women were rude and when I

found MY dress, they told me it only came in silver (which was the floor model) and I could

only get that one. I ended up leaving and going to Bancroft where I had a fantastic experience.

Of all three places, they really lived up to the experience – champagne, constant attention to

detail and made me feel good.”


Appendix C:

67%

23%

7% 3%

Age of respondent

18 - 22 23 - 27 28 - 32 33 - 37

Male0%

Female 100%

Gender

Male Female


Do Reality TV Wedding shows influence your opinion on what brand names you would like for

your wedding?

11%

17%

12%

12%

34%

14% 0%

Effect on brand names StronglyDisagree

2

3

Neutral

5

6

Strongly Agree


Do Wedding Reality TV shows influence you on what designers and styles to buy?

Do you expect the same experience wedding dress shopping as you see through reality wedding

shows?

8%16%

15%

18%

32%

10% 1%

Influence on designer choice

Strongly Disagree 2 3 Neutral 5 6 Strongly Agree

Strongly Disagree

7%2

15%3

18%Neutral24%

5

17%

69%

Strongly

Agree10%

Expectation of experience



Do you feel social pressure to have the perfect white wedding because of the images that are

displayed on reality television shows?

Do you feel that reality TV wedding shows influence your selection of a wedding gowns and

your thoughts of price and style?

13%10%

22%15%

17%

16%7%

Social Pressure



Does Reality shows impact your thought process of how wedding dress shopping should be like?

Do you believe that reality television shows influence your expectations about how your life

should be?

final capstone

Documents

perfect wedding

wedding programs

wedding media

wedding day

influence of reality

reality television shows

average wedding budget

wedding dress miles