I received a phone call from a Season I Iron Bride™ reporting that one of the other Season I Iron Brides™ is really struggling financially right now. For her privacy I won’t publish her name her for the whole Internet to see, but if you would like to help in any manner, please contact Darlene at 603.988.6949.
Jan
29
We’ve been to all this season’s Wedding Day Exposition bridal shows with good results! Nearly 60 women to date have made application or interviewed for Season III, the best results we have had in any season so far! We have 4 more bridal shows, one each Sunday for the next 4 weekends.
Jan 31, 2010 Sheraton Ferncroft, Danvers, MA
Feb 7, 2010 Crowne Plaza, Natick, MA
Feb 14, 2010 Indian Pond Country Club, Kingston, MA
Feb 21, 2010 Burlington Marriott Hotel, Burlington, MA
We hope to see you there. Season III participation is open to any woman who 1) is 21 or more years of age and living in New England, 2) engaged to be married, and 3) is planning a wedding on or after August 28, 2010. If that’s you, we’d love to meet you.
The process is really simple: we ask 2 pages of information about your wedding plans, ask you to sign a participation release, and then ask you to tell us a little bit about yourselves on camera, who you are, how you got engaged, and why you think you would be a good match for the show.
If you can’t attend one of the bridal shows, call us and we’d be happy to tape you another time. 603.369.1471
Nov
24
Amy and Lance were kind enough to send us a link to their online photo montage. It’s a beautifully done piece really. If you’d like to see it, it’s online at: http://oncelikeasparkslides.com/AmyandLance/.
Nov
03
Sasha poses on her wedding day in Cape Cod
A Dad's Beaming Smile
This wedding was hard for me. It’s the first Iron Brides™ wedding that I have missed. If you have ever met Sasha, you would understand the joy people feel around her. She’s wise, balanced and ever ready with a smile or happy thought to brighten the mood. Unfortunately, I was previously committed to attending Season I Iron Brides™ contest Nicole Corvini’s wedding to direct the camera team’s taping of her day. Other Season II Iron Brides™ were there at Sasha’a ceremony; Rebecca, Laurie and Stephanie were on hand to share the joys of the day.
A Toast To An Iron Bride And Her Husband
Sasha and Chris’s tropical honeymoon was so much fun that Sasha admitted it was tough to come home! They rented ATV’s and drove around the island, snorkeled over a German shipwreck, went rope swinging off the side of a boat and went horseback riding along the beach at sunset. She described it as “A perfect blend of romance and adventure.”
Our thanks to wedding photographer Gary Tsai who covered their wedding and provided these photos. And, our VERY BEST to Chris and Sasha… Good luck guys, always !
– George
Oct
28
Publically, work on Season III just began last weekend. Iron Brides™ attended the Wedding Day Expositions bridal show last Sunday at the Westin Hotel in Boston. Behind the scenes of course, preparations have been in progress for months.
For Season III, Iron Brides™ will be adding several ‘twists’. While not excluding anyone, we are making a concerted effort to audition brides-to-be who have performance skills experience, i.e. cheerleading, theater, dance, gymnast, playing a musical instrument, a trained voice, etc. Ideally, contestants for season III will have had any combination of 4 or more years of lessons and/or performance. Depending on the selected contestants, this gives us an opportunity to add performance video shorts to the material we are capturing for the show.
If you are interested in auditioning for Iron Brides™ Season III, we will be attending ALL the Wedding Day Exposition bridal shows in Massachusetts, and would love to meet you! The requirements for Season III participation are: 1) Be engaged to be married, 2) Be 21 years of age on or after April 1, 2010, 3) Be a resident of any state in New England, and 4) Hold your wedding anytime on or after August 28, 2010. The show’s taping schedule has not yet been determined but will consist of several weekends in the spring/summer and at least a 7 consecutive day week during the summer.
If you are unable to attend any of the Wedding Day Exposition dates, give us a call at 603.369.1471 and we’ll work something else out. We look forward to meeting you.
Oct
07
Iron Bride Amy Dole Marries
On October 4, on the gorgeous summit of Loon Mountain in New Hampshire’s White Mountains, Amy Dole married. The day broke cloudy, then cleared for an absolutely beautiful view, then clouded up again threatening rain, just before the outdoor ceremony was to commense. Very beautiful, but elegantly simple, the 12 minute ceremony barely ended and then the skies began to clear.
As you can see, Amy has personality! Her feather was gorgeous and I have never seen anything like it. While we were filming at Madeleine’s Daughter (a dress shop in Portsmouth, NH) I seem to recall her remarking that she wanted a feather to wear, and she modeled one or two for the camera.
Loon Mountain Wedding
After the service there were the usual wedding photos, then the married couple climbed into their bridal gondola for the trip back down the mountain. With 2100′ of verticle drop, guests needed to enjoy heights I guess ! 
Great Loon Mountain View
Everything went very smoothly ~ the reception was held at the base of the mountain. Dinner was excellent, fillet mignon or stuffed chicken. While both looked excellent, I took the chicken and it was superb!
The DJ was good, and all the young people in particular danced. Amy’s 140 guests had a great time. I was even asked to dance!
Good luck Lance and Amy… Don’t be strangers!
Sep
21
Season II Iron Brides™ Contestants
There were amazing challenges and competitions for the brides during Season II, and several bumps along the way, including a big one we precipitated by accident/omission. We never saw it coming but boy did we hear about it.
We also expect a format change or two: everyone lives and learns !
Our special thanks go out to Peter Vynne and the staff of the Wachusett Village Inn who accommodated our every need for 9 days, our several sponsors and the crew. Without you, none of this would have been possible.
We invite you to stay seated.. will will air in just a few months’ time!
– George
s™
Sep
21
Grandfather Corvini
I get to attend a lot of weddings… Some by invitation, some by responsibility. All of them seem to have a special moment or two…
I cried at Nicole’s wedding, not when she married, not when she and Phil had their first dance.. but when Nicole dedicated a song, “Amore” and danced with her grandfather.
He had come out on the dance floor earlier and danced with her for a moment or two and I thought it was a precious thing then, them dancing amid the all the others… but when she dedicated the song, and he beamed sooooo widely, the whole dance floor opened with bystanders and other dancers moving to watch from the perimeter, I wept quietly…
At 53, I have 2 granddaughters… and two grandsons. I can only hope, that they will have the same eyes for me years from now, that Nicole had for grandfather at her wedding…
At the church
Phil and Nicole married on Saturday, September 19, in a beautiful church under a perfect September sky. Their reception was at a country club and everything was lovely, the musician outdoors, the DJs indoors, the couple, the wedding party, the guests.
Congratulations Nicole and Phil. It was a great start, and you deserve all the best. Good luck with everything.
Phil & Nicole
Sep
03
The last 3 weeks have exhausting~ I’ve been devoted to insuring a quality experience and successful outcome for all involved at the Iron Brides™ sponsored bridal show happening at the Wachusett Village Inn, September 13, 2009. There is complete information on our web site at: http://ironbrides.tv/BridalExpo.html.
WANT TO BE ON TV?
The show of course has all the regular bridal show trappings but!!! Bridal show attendees wishing to participate, will have the opportunity to ask wedding planning questions on camera, to be later answered on the TV show in a sort of broadcast version of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Attendees whose questions are selected for broadcast, will appear on the TV show and receive a certificate of thanks from the show’s producers. Anyone attending the bridal show may participate! Sounds fun huh?
At current count we have 28 vendors of all stripes attending the show, making it a sort of ‘medium’ sized show, and we’re still working to put folks in it! Mark your calendar now, get all the information online, and attend the show, Sunday, September 13 at the Wachusett Village Inn, Westminster, MA. Tickets are $4 and if you have a ticket from any other briday show in September (used or unused), get in FREE !
Aug
10
Just two more weekends, then the show will rap for the season. It’s hard to believe. Just 4 more competitions, then the final results will be in. At the moment just 15 points separate the 4 top scorers, just a 2% point spread – all these girls are great competitors.
Cooking Challenge
The ladies had two very full days this weekend. Saturday their participation was calculated to help prepare them for their big day. Sunday was designed to help them throughout a lifetime. You see them here in a cooking competition at an undisclosed location. You will have to watch the show for all the particulars. I would mention that the competition was fierce, even to the point of some light sabotage (perfectly within the rules of this event!)
Stay tuned… there is more to come on Iron Brides!
Aug
07
One of our sponsors is Life Fusion Photography. Marina Sun, photographer extrodinaire, followed us for a day as the girls rallied and left the Wachusett Village Inn at 7:30AM in a limo, took flight lessons, traveled 2 hours to Cape Cod, went parasailing, then banana boating, then held a genuine ‘on the beach’ clambake. We arrived ‘home’ at about 12:30AM the next morning.
Some of the photography is online at: http://lifefusion.com/IronBrides09/. You will want to take a peek, I know!
Thanks a million Marina.. Truly!
– George
Aug
03
OK.. It’s been widely reported that the Season II Iron Brides have been aloft in more ways than one, been beach bunnies, at least for a meal, and have been caught in swimsuits braving the waves.
Eileen tries on a few wedding make-up and hair style ideas.
One of the best parts of being an Iron Bride contestant is the frequent opportunity to ‘experiment’ with wedding ideas. You get to discuss your plans with several other brides, dialog about ideas, maybe even try on a dress or make-up or hair up-dos for a trial run. And even then you ask all the other girls what they think!
Eileen tried this hair do, and speaking purely for myself, I thought it was stellar! Only the bride knows what she thought (ok, and all the girls she mentioned it to!). I for one like giving the contestants a ‘safe’ environment to explore. What do you do on your wedding day if you don’t like/want what you ‘thought’ you wanted?
Usually on your wedding day there is no time to be seriously changing your mind!
The taping season is now about 2/3rds over. The ladies have posted numerous blog entries, dozens of journal entries, have been pampered, suprised at several moments, followed by the press, and their daily lives peppered with questions the rules prohibit them from answering. Sounds fun huh? LOL
I am already feeling those ‘season withdrawl’ pains… A little over 5 weeks, and it’s done… One of the brides on the weekend remarked “I wish it could last forever.” — I feel that way too… OFTEN…
– George
Jul
18
On Thursday, July 16, Iron Brides concluded its first week of primary taping for Season II. Having been at the Wachusett Village Inn, Westminster, MA, for 8 days, and keeping a demanding schedule, the cast and crew was genuinely fatigued, and approximately 35 hours of film was shot.
Kristi and Eileen Go Parasailing
It’s fair to say that some of the activities our ladies participated in brought them to new personal heights. There were also a few tears, some controversy, and some amazing healing moments. And of course, the audience, will get to see real people, being themselves.
The contestants were introduced to journaling. They have been required to blog weekly, but now additionally are required to journal daily. This is required in part so they will better remember their Iron Brides experience, but also as a self inspection tool.
Eileen, Cece and Julia prep chicken.
Experience has shown us that the brides are very likely to record their feelings and observations. Taking time each day to sort out one’s feelings can help people deal with festering issues before they turn to an unhealthy coping mechanism.
In about two weeks time we will all be together again for more taping, and like any good EP, I can’t wait!
Season II Iron Brides stand in front of the Wachusett Village Inn marquee.
Jul
11
Reality TV Show Iron Brides has begun principal filming of Season II. The contestants began an 8 day stretch by taking some lessons in Manchester, NH on July 9. Then they moved to ‘base’, the Wachusett Village Inn in Westminster, MA. From ‘base’ the bride contestants will dart out on day trips to various locations for competitions and R&R. On base, the girls are participating in various presentations and exercises, calculated to help them discover themselves, improve communication skills, discover their strengths and weaknesses, and how their current skill set can be refined to better their chances for a successful marriage.
Jun
28
They grow up too fast...
A little girl is born. You wait for the first smile.. then the first word.. then for them to walk.. then for them to enter school. Before you know it, they are all grown up. I haven’t discussed it with Jennifer’s parents, but I imagine that’s exactly how they feel. “I can’t believe she’s married!”
Yesterday, June 27th, 2009, Jennifer Lessard married William Goldthwaite at Lasting Legacy Farm in Barrington, NH under a beautiful sunny sky. I had never been to a wedding ‘at home’ before but it was intensely moving. Jennifer arrived and changed in a log cabin, and rode in style to the ceremony site on a Mule, a Kawasaki Mule, with her little brother Noah at the wheel.
Jennifer arrives on a Kawasaki Mule
Jennifer read the vows she wrote to William
Having walked down the short little path, dozens of family and friends watched the simple ceremony under a decorated arbor. The bride and groom exchanged vows they each wrote. Love, devotion and commitment were solomnly expressed with smiles and deep gazes. You could ‘feel’ the moment. The couple exchanged rings, and Jennifer’s stepfather, a Justice of the Peace, pronounced them man and wife, and bid William to kiss his bride.
Mr. and Mrs. Goldthwaite enjoy their first married kiss
I don’t like to tell tales out of school, but, I have been to several weddings, and their first kiss(es) were the most ‘energetic’ I have ever witnessed! You ROCK kids!
Over the next several minutes a receiving line formed, and almost everyone
offered the couple hugs and best wishes. It was really very touching. Amy & Darlene, other Season I Iron Brides Reality TV contestants, were on hand to share the event and went through the line with the myriad of other friends and guests. Then it was time to pose for the cameras while the guests retired to the reception site, a nicely decorated, concrete floored barn across the street. Hors d’oeuvres and beverages were waiting while a DJ kept the guests entertained.
William & Jennifer ride to the reception on their trusty Mule!
William & Jennifer's first dance as husband and wife
Of course, William and Jennifer RODE to the reception, and their first dance immediately followed. What the now ‘honeymooning in North Conway, NH’ couple didn’t notice was that William was still ‘live’ on his microphone all afternoon. We’ll get back to you, our readers, if we get any good stuff off the tapes!
Lunch was g-r-e-a-t. I always hate to eat at restaurants where you don’t understand the menu, or have to ask the server what something means. Lunch was cooked farm fresh meats, potato salad, cole slaw and garden salad, all of it excellent. I didn’t have any chicken, but Joann, an associate producer, thought the chicken was amazing, and I want the recipe for that Potato Salad. The wedding cake was excellent too but I was good, and only had 1 piece.
Iron Brides, Amy, Jennifer and Darlene
The reception was fun and lasted four hours. We got to see and mingle with Amy & Darlene a little, and caught a few moments with the bride and groom. Little by little guests started drifting out, but it was great fun.
All of the Iron Brides gang wants to extend our heartiest wishes to Jennifer and William. Congratulations and good luck. NEVER be strangers !
Jun
05
One of the contestants wrote to the Iron Brides cast and crew:
“I just watched the last episode and it definitely made me cry a little. We all had some really good times and I appreciate all the great memories. I remember at the end of the week, I just wanted it to end and be with my family, but now I realize it really has ended and how much I’m going to miss you all. Thank you everyone. I’ll always remember you all and this experience.”
Season I Iron Brides
She then wrote “Good luck, I hope you all have a wonderful life.”
I read online in the last couple of days, that on average Americans ‘change’ their friends about every 7 years.
I have always wondered about teachers, especially teachers in the lower grades… how do they have the ability to spend so much time with children, then to just ‘cut them loose’ to the next grade every year?
I am certain the bride who wrote “have a wonderful life” didn’t mean to suggest that the Iron Brides family has now forever disbursed. Seasons change but people you have wept with get under your skin and in their own special and unique ways shape you, make you both more real and more connected to ‘humanity’. They forever become part of the tapestry of your life. Fosters reported that “Jobel… fought back tears when he thanked the women for letting him into their lives.”
Let’s NOT be strangers, ok?
– George
May
31
Vania Ann Crevier married Robert Nicholas Pore, Jr. at the Newmarket Community Church on May 30, 2008.
What a delightful day yesterday was. Vania invited Associate Producer Joann Mills and me as guests to her wedding. Director Jeff Thayer and Assistant Director Dave Petty were also there, videotaping the wedding.
Vania, Bridesmaids & Village Image Staff Wedding Day Morning
The day was balmy warm, clear skies, high clouds, very nice. The church had a gleeful excitement and the events went so smoothly. The bride’s make up and dress were stellar. The groom, Rob, played a sweet gag on the bride. Essentially, when asked if he would take Vania as his lawfully wedded wife the theme music from ‘Jeopardy’ played, he pulled out an imaginary note pad, and ‘scribbled’ some notes, before playfully answering in the affirmative.
Vania and father Ken, walk down the aisle
After the recessional the guests retired to Huddleson Hall at the University of New Hampshire for a reception featuring Filet of Beef and Baked Stuffed Haddock. The meal was wonderful, and the crowd of mostly young adults filled the dance floor for more than 2 hours. The photographer mentioned to Jo that he had never worked with so nice a young couple (was he fishing for a tip? just kiddin’…). One thing I *did* notice… that the party was all about a young couple getting married, but they had time for everyone… They circulated, paused for pictures, frequently danced with children, were comfortable apart and yet, when they came back together, the connection could be felt in the room…
Vania cuts the cake with husband Rob
About 10 o’clock, they gathered everyone’s attention, and announced that Rob had been accepted into the US Air Force OCS (Officer Candidate School). Vania’s sister and brother in law are both West Point graduates. He is to be a mission control specialist. Good luck Rob!
It was a grand event. Thank you SO MUCH Vania and Rob for inviting us. I wouldn’t have missed it for the world !
– George
May
27
Two more broadcasts… a few small things to clean up… and it’s a wrap…
You make friends… the brides somehow become family, like sisters or nieces or best friend neighbors… but all the while you are the executive producer, or the director, or, or, or…. and in some ways, while the show is taping, this friendship can feel plastic, or like the thin veneer on a cabinet. You have a job to do: the friendship is, and must be, subordinated to the task at hand.
But…
Once the show raps….. you can truly welcome the friendships these amazing contestants have to share….
All the staff feels the same way I know… To Amy, Darlene, Jennifer, Kylin, Nicole, Tarryn, Trisha, and Vania… thank you for your participation… thank you for who you are…. and thank you for your friendship…
– George
May
20
Its official: we have announced Season I (New Hampshire) winners. We are very proud of the tremendous efforts put forth by all these amazing women. Eight strangers arrived for the first day of shooting. Eight self confident comrades departed the last day, eager to face the future.
Engaged women, 21 or older, who planned to hold their ceremonies anywhere in New Hampshire, Southern Maine or Northern Massachusetts after February 1, 2009, were eligible to audition as contestants. About 75 women registered online, 45 actually submitted video auditions or attended open auditions held throughout NH and about 35 signed eligibility contracts with the show.
Two grand prize winners have been announced: Tricia Comi, 31, of Portsmouth NH, for the highest competition point tally, and Kylin Szlosek, 29, of Hampton, for the online popular vote of the public. Each will receive wedding videography services from Iron Brides Productions LLC and wedding photography from Rhapsody Studios, Methuen, Massachusetts. Each winner’s package is valued at $9,000.
The other contestants will not be left out however. The show will be offering all of the non-winning eligible contestants videography services equal to the grand prize winners’. The girls are all winners in our view, and this is the very least they deserve.
While the show doesn’t boot contestants, the show’s rules make brides whose engagements dissolve ineligible for prizes. For this reason, Darlene Ramsey withdrew from competition.
Contestants eligible to receive the videography packages include:
Amy Dole, Gonic, NH
Jennifer Lessard, Somersworth, NH
Tarryn Brandl, Milford, NH
Nicole Corvini, Melrose, MA
Vania Crevier, Belmont, NH
Comi won by doing the best among 17 individual competitions during the season. Competitions included indoor skydiving, physical training, cooking, snowshoeing, and more. Szlosek won by receiving 6,408 votes of the 16,552 vote cast.
Season I episodes are available free at the show’s website, www.IronBrides.TV. Taping for Season II (Boston / Cape Cod) begins June 6th and is slated to air beginning October 1, 2009.
– George
May
10
OK.. so it’s not American Idol… but if you know that the system allows only 1 vote per household, and believe that maybe only 1 in 10 viewers votes, then the show could have as many as 60,000 pairs of eyes on it (c-o-u-p-l-e-s still watch tv together, yes?) and even if adults watch it solo, still, 30,000 pairs of eyes isn’t chicken feed !
The best part is… that as I have looked at the realtime results (anyone can!) I have seen 3-4 of the girls in the lead at different times. At about 4:00AM Saturday Vania was in the lead. By early Saturday evening Tarryn had a razor thin edge, then late night Saturday Trish had a commanding lead. It’s reversed again and at 11:27 PM Sunday night, it’s Vania 705, Trish 567, Nicole 467, Tarryn 345, Kylin 322, Amy 272 and Jennifer 15….
With 4 more days to vote this has been a LOT MORE FUN to watch than I imagined it would be !
I don’t know who did it girls but.. there was an article in Sunday’s Nashua Telegraph suggesting the community get out and vote for their local girl ! You can all see it here…
Does that give any of you ideas?
– George
