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 than fans thought.
Winners Linsie, Amy, and Michelle spoke out about their experiences, as did runner-up
Shauna, and thanks to them we now know the untold truth behind Four Weddings.
Wait for it…
Okay, doubters, here's the good news: TLC does in fact give the winning bride a dream
honeymoon.
But before you start planning your own perfect wedding, it turns out there's also a lot of
fine print.
Catch number one: you have to wait until the episode actually airs before you go on your
honeymoon, which according to Linsie can take more than a full year!
And Michelle revealed that "if they 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?!
"Aahhhh!"
Hidden fees
Another surprise awaited some winners when they learned that once they got their dream
honeymoon, it might not actually be all-expenses paid.
Two costs not necessarily covered?
Airfare and taxes!
Linsie explained that TLC gave her $5,000 to cover the cost of taxes and airfare, but
the taxes for her vacation were so high, they didn't actually have anything left to buy
plane tickets with, forcing her to use frequent flier miles instead.
On the other hand, Amy and Michelle both had their airfare paid for by the network, meaning
if you end up on the show, make sure to bring a tough contract negotiator with you!
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, complete with "[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!
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, though.
Instead, she said TLC gave her cold hard cash to use for her outings.
Nothing wrong with money, honey!
How staged was the show?
Everyone wants to know whether reality shows are scripted, but according to Amy, "most
of what you saw on TV was actually real."
Some scenes were shot multiple times to make sure everything looked right, but for the
most part, what you see is what happened.
The only complaint?
After all her hard work, Shauna's awesome wedding didn't get much airtime because TLC
wanted to showcase the winner instead.
So keep that in mind next time you're trying to guess which bride is going to come out
on top...
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.
"It was kind of very low and I have a dress on-I'm a married woman, I can't have people
seeing my goodies."
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] even easier […] was that the other girls were so nice, and after
a while, you just feel like you know them."
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?
Most of the women said they just didn't have time to make any last minute changes.
But according to Michelle's husband Rob, they managed to sneak in some surprises while still
staying within the rules, and under budget.
"We put flowers in places we didn't have flowers before and tried to make it even nicer, because
it is on TV."
Gotta look good for the cameras!
Was it worth it?
Despite having randos at their wedding, all the brides agreed they would recommend applying
to be on the show.
Shauna laughed the night away on her episode and said that even though she didn't win,
"I had a fabulous time with the whole experience.
Everyone that we worked with from TLC couldn't have been nicer or more accommodating."
Amy totally agreed, concluding that, "in the end, we were definitely glad we chose to do
the show and had a lot of fun!"
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 somehow 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.
Hey, true love is worth waiting for.
"May these rings forever be a reminder of the love and the commitment that you share.
I now declare that you are husband and wife.
Now let's see that kiss."
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