If you’re a bride-to-be and have access to TLC, chances are you’re a fan of Randy Fenoli. If the name doesn’t ring a bell, perhaps “Say Yes to the Dress” does. Star of the TLC hit series, Randy Fenoli helps countless brides find perfect dresses at New York City’s acclaimed Kleinfeld bridal salon. Randy’s passion and talent for bridal fashion has made him one of the most trusted and sought-after names in the industry.
After years of consulting brides from his NYC salon, Randy, along with TLC, has decided to take his expertise on the road in an effort to help brides across the country. Randy is packing a big rig full of his favorite gowns and hitting cities coast to coast, promoting his signature “head-to-hem” styling approach. This new series, “Randy to the Rescue,” arrives in semi-truck style in New Orleans on February 26.
“A typical salon may have 1,500 gowns, but there are usually only a handful that are great, and all the brides want those few. So we’re gathering the best of the best from the designers and salons and taking it to brides who don’t have a trip to NYC in their budget,” says Randy. “With hundreds of gowns, mirrors, chairs and drapery, we’re creating a pop-up bridal salon.”
Inside the event space created by The Wedding Guys, Randy will have a team of consultants from a local bridal salon working various fitting stations. Randy will start the event with a morning presentation of tips, trends, dos and don’ts. Following the presentation, brides-to-be will have opportunities to visit with exclusive exhibitors for help in creating the perfect wedding. Randy hopes to consult with as many brides as possible, and a few select brides will be featured on the show.
Brides interested in being featured are being directed to the TLC website, where they can download, fill out, and send in an application. After visiting the TLC website, select “Randy to the Rescue” under the “Shows” tab, and then click on “Get on the show!”
Tickets are $15 for general admission and $20 for an exclusive bridal appointment with an experienced consultant. A select number of appointments are available, and there is also limited availability for Randy’s morning presentation. Tickets and additional information are available here.
Randy, who spent his high school years in Winnfield, Louisiana, is excited to return to the state, where he has resided off and on throughout his life. After attending beauty school in Pineville and working as a makeup artist and hairdresser, Randy developed an interest in costume design. He later attended the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, where he won a number of awards for bridal design and achievement.
“The concept for the new show actually grew out of a business idea I had in 2005,” remarks Randy. “After designing in New York for about 15 years, I decided to take a break and move to New Orleans. I was within weeks of opening a one-of-a-kind custom dress shop in the same building as my condo when Katrina hit.”
Randy evacuated to New York and was forced to abandon his plans for the dress shop. At that time, Kleinfeld offered him a position in NYC. The rest is television history.
Randy’s enthusiasm for New Orleans seems as abundant as his passion for assisting brides on the most beautiful of occasions. After spending February 26th with area brides-to-be, Randy says his extended stay will involve seeing old friends, doing some Royal Street antique shopping, and indulging in the local cuisine.
“There are great restaurants in New York,” says Randy, “but I have yet to find a really good bowl of gumbo or great crawfish etouffée.”
If only the perfect dish could lure Randy back to his roots for good. No storm could stop him now.
