‘I Found the Gown’ at Vows

Courtesy of TLC | Used with permission

First came Vows…

Leslie DeAngelo had a tough time finding a designer wedding dress for less before her Big Day just over 20 years ago. So, after she and her husband Rick said “I do,” they opened a discount boutique with only 50 dresses. Two decades later, Vows in Watertown is home to 800+ gowns, as well as a collection of accessories, veils, and invitations. They also carry bridesmaid frocks from Watters and offer tailoring and online shopping.

Leslie and Rick have a palpable passion for helping brides find a great deal. “I love their reaction when they find the dress, there’s nothing like it,” says Leslie. And though the prices may be low, the couple strives to offer brides a high level of service and a special experience at the store. According to Rick, “if you subtract the experience, you subtract a lot.”

Rick & Leslie DeAngelo | Photo by Julie DiGiovine

Then came TLC…

Over the past several years Leslie says that customers would ask why Vows didn’t have its own “Say Yes to the Dress”-esque show. The DeAngelos took the hint and TLC’s newest reality show “I Found the Gown” was born.

Each episode will feature multiple brides and the shop consultants who work with them. The show will also follow Leslie and Rick on buying trips.  “We have an interesting cast of characters” working at Vows, Leslie says. “There’s Barbara, our resident fashionista; Amelia, our chameleon; Allison, who is very softhearted and sweet; and Patty, the motherly figure.”

What makes this show unique? “Definitely the treasure-hunting aspect,” Rick says, and Leslie agrees. “We’re out on the road hunting for dresses, brides are in the store hunting for a deal, and consultants are hunting through our inventory to find the perfect dress,” she adds.

Leslie’s advice for brides browsing for a bargain is, “keep an open mind about samples … you can buy a gently-used version of your dream dress.” Rick urges brides to do their research and, “not to get set on one particular dress because there are a lot of dresses that look like each other.”

“I Found the Gown” premieres this Friday (Aug. 24) with two back-to-back episodes on TLC.

Vows, 30 Galen St.,  Watertown, 866-843-4696, bridepower.com

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