FreetheGirlses

On behalf of all Italian Americans in the NY tri-state area...I apologize for Stephanie's friend. Listen, I can be very upfront and abrasive around my family and friends...ESPECIALLY my family (70 of us go on vacation together each year, my cousins and I are crazy close). We are loud AF, talk over each other, are constantly hugging and gesturing wildly. However, the way I act with my family/close friends when together and the way I act with other people is NOT the same. There is no way in HELL I would conduct myself like that in a conversation with anyone. This is not your family in your home. Be an adult and have a respectful conversation, for goodness sake. You're not in the kitchen for Sunday dinner with your relatives. Being an Italian NYer is no excuse for acting ugly and rude. On a side note, what world are we living in where Lisa comes across as sane, dispensing good advice? There is no way in hell that Ed's daughter actually watched this season. If she did, that was just major displaced anger on her part towards Rose.

My dad has NPD (diagnosed by multiple therapists. Childhood was a joy, if you were wondering). Lisa doesn't ping my NPD radar at all. She'd also likely be able to hold it together better while being filmed, if she had NPD. People with NPD tend to be very aware when they have an audience, which the cameras/crew most certainly are.

As someone who worked in Disney World, while FOTLK is a great show, and the actors definitely get paid more than your hourly front line cast members on stage (I think they're equity), but I'm not entirely sure it's a great living. I'll have to ask some of my friends who used to work it.

See, I felt like that was all bullshit. Her family lives in Florida, you know damn well they were at that competition live.

Gabi's parents are total narcissists, right down to the barging into her shower to get an answer RIGHT NOW. Zero boundaries with them. I recognize it because my dad has NPD. I feel for her. On a shallow note, her mother's lisp was driving me nuts.

As a NY teacher, I'm shocked. It isn't done here.

Italian American Long Islander here who just got married a year ago! I'm laughing, since I did get married on the island. 250 guests. Also, my friend Tori was one of the sisters who owns Harbor Bridal whose dad passed away on 9/11. Came over to this end of the forums because I was curious to see what people were saying about that reading.

Don't give her too much credit. If it's one of the first days they're there, they are likely still on their regular time zone, so it wasn't really waking up that early.

Totally typical for a NYC metro area Italian wedding. Viennese hour! I had them too. Over $100k easy, even on a Thursday.

That's what I was thinking. She's what, only a couple of months postpartum? In the rant she says that she wants to be home with her babies. It's probably a situation where she might not want to do it anymore, but the money is too good to pass up. Hormones are no jokes. I'm on meds now since we're having trouble getting pregnant, and I woke my husband up with my sobs at 4 am the other morning (sorry, dude). I'm freaking unhinged right now, I can't imagine how I'd be after I gave birth and filming a reality show. Especially because these people have a decade of past history together. Who knows WTF really goes on.

You're from Jersey, aren't you? 😉 The Rails thing KILLED ME. I wonder if they hid the knives?

Bingo. I knew that, but completely forgot about that when I was typing this morning.

I don't think that the budget was the issue with them at all. It's very common in Italian American families for the bride's parents to pay for a substantial part of, or all of the wedding. Do we know what her parents do/what they're worth? It's pretty rare for both families to contribute absolutely nothing. Destination weddings are cheaper than weddings in the US. I have friends who got married in Italy, and they weren't reality TV stars. I don't think the budget was the issue at all with this one, it was more the time factor involved.

She honestly is. I think she had good parents who helped guide her, too. I listen to her podcast, and IDGAF if she's boring, I love her.

That venue IS really extra. It's peak NJ for ya. I did a 100 year old historical home for mine. I didn't want a "wedding factory" type feel. They got married at a total wedding factory. https://thelegacycastle.com/ Personally, not my taste at all. But knowing NJ Italians, I could TOTALLY picture Mike and Lauren picking this type of place, even if they weren't filming. I'm sure the venue would be signing clearances for it...the more the venue is featured on TV, the more their name will get out there, and the more customers they're going to have. More customers = higher demand = they can charge higher prices. Their venue charges $300 per head on Saturday nights during wedding season. Their business partners with Albert Manzo from the Real Housewives of New Jersey. He has his own catering hall, the Brownstone, which was really popular before the housewives existed. Two of my cousins got married there. I kind of think that the Legacy Castle looks gaudy, but that's just me. It's not a real representation of Italy at all, and I think that Mike was just making those comments because they COULDN'T go to Sicily and get married...more for emphasis than the fact that the thought he was actually getting something that would resemble what his Italian wedding would have been like. I could be wrong about this situation, though 😉