Many reality shows that at first seem designed to degrade or mock regular people — like, say, “The Bachelor” or “The Biggest Loser” — turn out to be rather sweet.
To its credit, the low-key documentary series about a Las Vegas wedding chapel, “Happily Ever Faster,” could easily fill the hour with footage of drunks and fools getting quickie marriages at 2 a.m., yet in its premiere episode, airing tonight at 10 p.m. on TLC, it chose to show the sweeter side of weddings Las Vegas style.
But whether that betters its chances to draw viewers is no sure bet.
Set on the Strip at the Chapel of the Flowers (formerly the Little Chapel of the Flowers), the episode portrays two somewhat quirky couples who actually planned their Vegas weddings ahead of time and chose this venue because it’s less tacky than the usual Vegas wedding mill.
In fact, the chapel is run by an attractive blond couple named Jason and Holly Myers. The two wedding planners we meet in the premiere episode, Melody and Nicole, seem to be kind folks who are genuinely eager to please their clients.
But while refusing to give mean-spirited viewers their expected dose of Schlockenfreude, the producers instead fill the half hour with contrived drama, and it comes off as contrived.
We’re expected to believe that a pregnant bride didn’t try on her mail-order dress until the day of her wedding. Will it fit? And if it doesn’t, can Nicole get it altered in time for the ceremony?
The other couple in the premiere is a pair of Trekkies from New Zealand who are attending a “Star Trek” convention. They ask Melody if she can get William Shatner to be their best man. The actual ceremonies take up little time, but both are treated with respect.
The show divulges the total cost of each wedding at the end, leaving it to viewers to judge whether the couples got their money’s worth.
The problem with "Happily Ever Faster” is that this sweeter approach, while diverting, seems bound to grow old quickly. It's cute to see Joe and Mary from Ashland, Ohio, come to Vegas to get hitched, but after so many Joe and Marys, what's left to find cute anymore?
What if the couples were getting married back in their hometowns? Would viewers choose to watch those weddings?
Small-town weddings can be beautiful if you're in them, but if you're the organ player -- or a viewer -- they're sure to grow boring in short order.
The reality is that when it comes to weddings, it's the big, snazzy weddings of the rich and famous that engage viewers. It's about seeing how the other half lives, and it's an aspirational experience.
