Winston County native Madelon Taylor Flippo chose her wedding dress and said her vows in front of more than just friends and family; she did both for a national audience to witness.
Madelon applied to TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress more on whim.
“After getting engaged last year, my friends threw me a surprise engagement party. We were just hanging out and one was like ‘Madelon, you should go on Say Yes To The Dress’. We laughed about it and I went on the TLC website to see about applying.
She added, “I found out that you could apply for the one in Georgia or New York. I decided to just do an application because why not. I NEVER would have thought it would lead to anything, much less what it did. A few weeks after I sent in the application, I got an email from a production company telling me that they were casting for a spin-off “Say Yes To The Dress: America” and thought I could be a good fit to represent my home state. I was shocked to even receive anything and so I responded with ‘sure, what do I need to do’.
Madelon continued, “I then went through three different selection processes with applications, casting videos, and skype interviews. Throughout the process of casting, I truly did not realize what the spin-off would intel. I honestly thought it was just the regular SYTTD show and I would just go to get a dress. Little did I know, I was in for a huge surprise.”
Say Yes To The Dress America is a new series by TLC that started airing in January and will end airing March 14 with the marriage of 51 couples in Central Park by host Randy Fenoli.
The couple found out they were chosen a month before the wedding in Central Park.
Madelon explained the excitement behind finding out they would be part of the special.
“The morning I got the email, I was at my best friend’s house. I honestly was speechless. The email read, ‘Congratulations, you have been selected to represent the state of Mississippi in Say Yes to the Dress: America’. I immediately called my mom, and she was like, ‘do you think this is actually real?’. Within the next few weeks, I received more information. There would be a bride from all 50 states plus Peurto Rico and Washington DC, along with their fiancé’s flown out to NYC and get a VIP experience at Kleinfeld, along with a mass wedding ceremony in the iconic Central Park, officiated by Randy Fenoli,” stated Madelon.
The couples then spent 6 days of filming and preparation for the series and wedding.
Madelon noted, “Production flew Jonathan and I out for 6 days and put us in a hotel with all the other couples.”
Along with the dress selection, the couples were able to enjoy other events as part of the trip.
“During that time, we were able to do so much. We got to have an engagement photoshoot at the Brooklyn Bridge which was so fun. We also were selected to be one of the couples on a filmed sight-seeing tour. We also spent some time with our families sight-seeing ourselves, as well. I went to Kleinfeld to go dress shopping, while Jonathan went to Men’s Warehouse for his tux with some of the other grooms. We got to have a state pride reception, where we all got to just hang out and show off our state pride. I had a full day on the wedding day, as the brides had to go for rehearsal in Central Park, then we were pampered all day by glam squads that were absolutely fabulous.”
At the wedding ceremony, each bride was featured and walked down the aisle one at a time to meet her groom. The couple then took their state’s spot for the vows.
“The ceremony was an experience that I will never forget. Although it was 52 couples, when it was my turn to walk down the staircase to my groom, I felt that it was just Jonathan and I there,” stated Madelon.
Following the ceremony, the couples were given a reception which featured an incredible wedding cake by the Cake Boss, Buddy Valastro. The morning following the wedding, all of the couples appeared on Good Morning America.
“I truly cannot choose just one part as the best part. The whole experience was incredible. It was amazing to be able to meet so many new friends from all over the world. If I had to choose one moment to have been the greatest, it would be my “yes” moment with Randy. Randy made sure that I knew I was beautiful and that meant so much,” said Madelon.
While weddings are usually seen as a bride’s special day, Madelon noted her husband Jonathan enjoyed the experience.
“At first, he didn’t really believe it. I honestly don’t think anyone believed it at the time. It was his first time on a plane going there and his first time in NYC, so it was an overwhelming experience. He was one of the grooms selected to go get his tux in New York, and I believe the grooms had a great time. He said that they would come out one at a time and act like they were models and get all hyped up about it,” stated Madelon.
The ceremony, the show and all of the trip was memorable for the couple.
“The ceremony was one for the books. It was truly an amazing experience. Although there were 51 other couples, I still felt like it was special to Jonathan and I in our little corner. Randy Fenoli made sure that each of us felt special in our own way,” stated Madelon.
After the Central Park ceremony, Madelon and her husband Jonathan did host their planned local ceremony as well.
“We also had a wedding for our friends and family back home. It was the wedding I have always dreamed of. We wanted to be able to also share our special day with our friends and family, and celebrate the start of our forever,” said Madelon.
Say Yes to the Dress America airs on TLC at 8/7c every Saturday night, leading up to the 2 hour finale on March 14. You will see your Mississippi couple during this episode. It can also be watched on the TLCgo app.
The 10-part series features 52 couples whose brides were invited on an all-expenses-paid trip to New York City to shop for their wedding dresses at Kleinfeld Bridal. The brides were assisted by a consultant during a private shopping event then gifted the dress of their choice.
