The Untold Truth Of Four Weddings
The world is losing faith in reality TV shows as reports of scripting run rampant. However, there are a few candid interviews with the participants of TLC's Four Weddings that prove that the TV show may be more realistic (and dramatic) than we know.
Four Weddings is a TV show that pits four fabulous brides against each other on their wedding days. All the brides attend the weddings of the three other participants and, at the end, rate them based on overall experience, venue, dress, and food. The queen bride will be rewarded by TLC with a dream honeymoon at an unknown, but always luxurious, location.
Brides tell all
Interviews with the blushing brides from Four Weddings seem to be few and far between, but we found a few juicy ones that gave the real scoop on the show. Three of the brides were winners – Linsie from "Four Weddings and an Oathing Stone," Amy from "Four Weddings and a Pickup Truck," and Michelle from "Four Weddings and Halted Vows." Also interviewed was Shauna from "Four Weddings and Men in Kilts" who (drats!) didn't win. So how much did their opinions vary? Was there a script to play up the production? Is the loser spiteful? What's all this about a dream honeymoon?
The real scoop on the dream honeymoon
So, first thing's first... does the winning couple really get a dream honeymoon? Since the honeymoon is the whole reason that anyone would allow these drama llamas to infiltrate their special day, we wanted to get the scoop on what exactly the couples walk away with. For all the doubters, TLC really does gift the winning bride a honeymoon. However, the trip is fat with fine print details the audience doesn't know about. Before you go bananas, even though the audience didn't know what this perfect paradise would entail, the couples did. TLC was always honest!
Wait for it...
The first catch to the honeymoon is that the winning couple has to wait approximately forever before they can traipse off to paradise. Linsie was asked where she went on her honeymoon on a reddit 'ask me anything' thread a entire year after her episode was filmed and she still hadn't gone yet. She explained that, "we had to wait for the show to actually air before we [could] set up the trip." Michelle mentioned that, "if [the producers] decide, for whatever reason, to pull the episode, there's no honeymoon for the winner." So basically the couple goes through all of this drama and there's a chance they don't even get anything?! In the words of Stephanie Tanner, how rude.
What's the fine print?
Another unsettling surprise is that the couple has to cover the taxes on the value of the trip! While Linsie did say that TLC gave her $5,000 to cover the estimated cost of taxes, she admitted that it would not cover everything she and her husband would have to shell out, so what gives? Linsie's money savvy husband was prepared, though – he made sure to ask the producer about the taxes the moment he found out he won. Thankfully he knew the right questions to ask, so it wasn't a surprise to this couple.
Was airfare covered?
Linsie left the show longing for her airfare to be covered, but of the three winners, she was the only one. The other lucky brides got their airfare paid for by the show. TLC did give Linsie and her husband the above mentioned $5,000 with the stipulation that it was supposed to cover both their taxes and the airfare. However, with the cost of taxes coming out to $5,000 alone, there was nothing left over for the flights. Luckily, Linsie's husband isn't the only penny pincher in their relationship. Super-saver Linsie signed up for a credit card that got points towards free airfare so that their flying fantasies weren't a bust. Since the bride and groom had to wait until the show aired, they had time to accumulate enough points to get free flights.
What kind of honeymoon did they win?
Lucky for the ladies planning to lounge in luxury, TLC didn't skimp on the hotel and packages the couples received. Linsie and her man received five nights in a luxury hotel in Tuscany as well as, "[one] night of dinner [one] spa day [and one] wine and olive oil tasting." Plus the couple got a pretty generous gift card with $1,000 on it. Not bad loot. We're not completely sure if the honeymoons were smooth sailing because Linsie and Michelle were still waiting for their episode to air during the interview. Amy on the other hand had a fabulous time in Hawaii! She didn't seem to get the same package-style trip that Linsie did. Instead, she said TLC gave her cold hard cash for such outings.
How staged was the show?
On to the next big question on everyone's mind – was the show really as dramatic as it seemed or was it scripted? Amy had a great answer, stating, "most of what you saw on TV was actually real." Even though some scenes may be shot multiple times (to make sure everyone's hair looks okay, of course) the producers usually use the first take. Shauna agreed with this, saying, "Despite a lot of things being left out, I was pretty happy with the way the episode looked in the end." The only beef that Shauna had was how little air time her wedding ended up getting. TLC seems to favor showing off the fabulous winning wedding.
Were the girls catty?
So were the girls just playing nice for the cameras? Linsie noted when she first saw her episode, she was definitely taken aback at some of the girls' comments. However, for the most part the girls seemed to get along swimmingly. Michelle made fast friends with the girls on her episode and said, "What made [being at strangers' weddings] ever easier [...] was that the other girls were so nice, and after a while, you just feel like you know them." Shauna also had a great time with the girls on her show, but she did mention that the brides hadn't seen each other since. She blames the distance, and we're just going to have to believe her.
Did the brides enhance their weddings?
If your wedding sounded like a dud, the producers had no interest in you. So, did the girls need to ramp up their weddings in order to win? The answer for most of the brides was no, but Michelle managed to sneak in some surprises. Michelle's husband, Rob, explained, "We put flowers in places we didn't have flowers before and tried to make it even nicer, because it is on TV." Michelle and Rob went on to assure the interviewer that they didn't stretch their budget (they actually came in under budget); they just simply tweaked a few details. The other girls were quick to say that they didn't think there was a way to up the ante after being cast. There was very little time between the casting and the actual weddings. In order to add anything, the brides would have been running around like chickens with their heads cut off.
Was it worth it?
Despite having randos at their weddings, all the brides agreed they would recommend applying to be on the show. Shauna laughed the night away on her episode and said, "I had a fabulous time with the whole experience. Everyone that we worked with from TLC couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating." Since Shauna didn't win, it's cool that she was still so positive. Amy totally agreed, concluding that, "in the end, we were definitely glad we chose to do the show and had a lot of fun!" Michelle looked like she was having a blast in her episode and Linsie noted that she had a great time.
And the winner is...
While there are definitely some spicy scenes, Four Weddings seems to be pretty honest. Despite pitting four brides against each other in the most emotion-filled night of their lives, everyone (sort of) keeps their cool. It's also great to know that the winners really do get the honeymoon of their dreams... even if it is a year later.