Style; substance and success make Tracy French the perfect TV personality. Ready for Her Close-Up By Allison Bagley“Today’s bride is a busy professional or a student--- she doesn’t have time in her day to run around making appointments and phone calls.”Enter the wedding planner. But, not just any wedding planner. The Style Network’s go-to expert for wedding reality shows “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” and “Married Away”--- Tracy French, a San Antonio-based wedding coordinator who has won the hearts of network executives and viewers alike.
French, owner of The French Connection, has been making bride’s dreams--- no matter how impossible--- come true for six years. And, she seems to have mastered every aspect of the business. Her company has expanded operations to include wedding photography, floral design, hair and make-up, catering and music. She has even found the time to write a blog about wedding planning.
In 2004, French received a call from The Style Network requesting total access to one of her upcoming weddings for “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” When the show aired, she was a hit with viewers. Two series and eight episodes later, the network is still calling.
“Tracy has the perfect disposition for a wedding planner,” says Stephanie Eno Bianco, director of current programming planning for The Style Network. “She's articulate and sensitive, confident and capable and completely adorable. Our audience embraces her sweet Southern charm and likens her to their close friends. What more can you ask for in a wedding planner?”
Described on one episode as a planner “braced for a battle to satisfy her bride,” French says she doesn’t believe in alarm clocks, eats dessert daily and refuses to lead an ordinary life.
She attributes her success on The Style Network to her commitment.
“This is a full-time business and career for me,” French says. “I get really involved and I want to make a bride’s day exactly what she has always dreamed of. And, it doesn’t hurt that I like style and fashion. I think they like seeing that on their shows.”
“Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?,” now in its sixth season, reveals all chaos of wedding planning. From the tears about the tiara to the tight time constraints the day of, it’s a show anyone who has ever been involved in the process can appreciate.
“Weddings are about fulfilling a lifelong dream and the expectations that are put on these planners are amazing,” Bianco says. “We look for wedding consultants who we know can deliver the fantasy and make great television at the same time.”
French has not limited herself to planning weddings in South Texas. As destination weddings have become more popular, she also finds herself in exotic new locales.
“A lot of couples want a party,” French says. “When they envision their day, they see everyone having fun. Getting away means a weekend full of activities. That’s why we’re seeing more and more destination weddings.”
A wedding she planned in Hawaii was featured on the first-ever “Married Away,” The Style Network’s new reality show that follows planners who have the added pressure of pulling off a perfect wedding--- in uncharted territory.
Renay Wright and Joe Herter’s seaside wedding took place at an intimate Oahu resort--- the perfect venue for a couple who wanted to spend as much time as possible with loved ones before Joe’s possible military deployment.
“The network is always looking for a couple that has an interesting story,” French says. “When you start asking couples about their day-to-day lives outside of the wedding, you find out their stories are so compelling.”
French says programs like “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” and “Married Away” fill a need. “Brides are addicted to the planning process. When they become engaged all they want to do is sleep, eat and breathe weddings. They soak it all up. They want to find new and fun ways of doing things on their special day, and what they should and shouldn’t do.”
So what is French’s one piece of advice, for brides both on and off screen?
“Set your budget,” she advises. “You really can’t make another decision until it’s determined.”
She also recommends brides talk numbers over with all the key members who are going to contribute to the day and be realistic about what you can spend in creating your ideal wedding.
One of French’s recent weddings was featured on the season premiere of “Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?” Heather Whitney and Philip Atkins, the featured couple, watched their wedding footage for the first time along with an international audience.
Whitney learned about French while watching The Style Network. “I always thought having a wedding consultant meant you had to have a huge affair,” Whitney says. “But on this episode, Tracy was doing a ‘regular’ wedding. I fell in love with her from our very first meeting.”
There may have been an underlying reason Whitney picked French to plan her wedding. “I always secretly wished she would ask me to be on one of the episodes,” she confesses.
On the day of her bridal shower, Whitney learned that her wish might be granted. French received a call to fill in on an episode, and she recommended Whitney and Atkins’ wedding.
The couple quickly filled out the application, created a homemade audition tape and participated in a conference call with network execs to see if they were a match for the show. It wasn’t until four days before the wedding that they found out they had been chosen.
“They called us one day, and the next morning the crews were in San Antonio,” Whitney recalls.
Being followed by camera crews to all the appointments in the final days leading up to the weekend was exhausting, Whitney says, but exciting. “How much more stress do you need at that time? You already want to look good in your dress, but add to that the pressure of being on camera!”
The bride adds, “I was nervous when all the taping first started, but within five minutes it was really easy. They were very respectful and blended in.”
In the end, the couple says it was worth it. “I think it’s the coolest thing ever--- our wedding will be on TV!” Whitney says.
And how did Atkins feel about the behind-the-scenes taping?
“He knew it would complete my day, so he was very supportive. All he cared about was that the filming wouldn’t get in the way of his golf plans that weekend.”
As long as there’s a need for reality wedding programming, French says she is ready to answer the call. “It’s a chance to showcase my work and get the word out about my services, and I welcome that,” she says. “It has been absolutely wonderful and I’m very thankful.”
“Our programs are geared towards anyone who has ever dreamed of a wedding,” Bianco says. “I think single girls watch to dream, brides-to-be watch to be inspired and married women want to relive their wedding days. We all love to peek into others’ lives.”
Ashley and Martin did not want just any wedding cake they wanted cupcakes! The cupcakes they chose were absolutly dazzling! The couple cut slices out of the cupcake to feed to one another at the traditional cutting of the cake.
Dinner was on the other side of the River Garden under hanging lanterns. We treated the guests to active stations to keep the mood of a very social event. Guests took their time and really seemed to enjoy themselves. We could hardly get them up from this area when it was time to move to the next phase of the event. 
