A couple who appeared on Don’t Tell The Bride have shared what they would change if given the chance. Fern Weston-Bennett and her then-fiancé Ryan took part in the programme in 2010, with Ryan being handed a £12,000 budget and just three weeks to arrange their entire wedding.
In an interview with Zingo Bingo, the couple spoke about what motivated them to sign up for the show and how people reacted to their appearance once the episode aired. They also spoke about how they would do things now if given the opportunity.
Groom admits he would act differently
Speaking candidly, Ryan told Zingo Bingo: "Obviously, it was for enjoyment purposes. But if I changed it now, I'd do it completely differently because I'm different now."
When asked how, he replied: "I wouldn't be so self-absorbed and be a party animal, you know. I'd spent more time thinking about how to make everything perfect. I’d focus more on the meaning, basically, rather than having as much fun as I could."
Producers needed little prompting
Fern and Ryan also discussed whether producers attempted to steer Ryan’s decisions while he was organising the big day, but Ryan confirmed that they didn't need to.
He said: "Luckily for the producers, me and my best man are entertainers anyway, so we gave them what they needed easily. There was always banter and stuff like that, so we needed very little prompting. We went to Prague for the stag do, and there was me and 20 other guys. I was pretty wild back then."
Show's history and recognition
Don't Tell The Bride first aired on BBC Three in November 2007 and quickly became one of the channel’s recognisable reality formats. The basic premise saw couples given a wedding budget, with the groom responsible for organising the entire ceremony without consulting his bride.
The original format gave the groom £12,000 and just three weeks to arrange the wedding. He had to make decisions about everything from the venue and decorations to the wedding dress, cake and entertainment.
The programme proved popular enough to become what The Guardian described as one of the flagship shows of BBC Three during its original run. It was also recognised by the television industry, receiving nominations for Best Factual Entertainment at the 2012 Rose d'Or awards and Reality & Constructed Factual at the 2012 BAFTA Television Awards. The show later moved to E4 in 2017 where it continued its run.
