From Refugee to Say Yes To The Dress Wizard: How Mara Urshel Saved a Bridal Empire

If you are the mother of a bride, a soon to be mother-in-law, the bride herself, or in any way connected to the lead up to a wedding, it’s all but guaranteed that you have watched episodes of TLC’s series Say Yes To The Dress, and you know that the show tapes at Kleinfeld Bridal, the house of lace, silk, crystal, beads, pearls, sequins, and dreams reflected in many mirrors, on West 20th Street in Manhattan. Yes, women are striving for more equality in the workplace, in commerce, politics, technology, and more, but inside the doors of Kleinfeld, a pause is taken to give glamour its due.

Different generations gather on curved settees to see women they love appear in strapless, backless, bowed or buttoned, sleek or full, shining, sparkling wedding dresses in styles too numerous to count. Stepping into this enormous glow with my daughter, a soon-to-be bride, I surrendered to the trills of delight emanating from the mothers, grandmothers, sisters, and future brides, and in no time fell for the gossamer veils, the bling of jewelry, belts, and shoes. Who created all this? I asked myself. And then I met her.