http://youtu.be/AxwfnxxeJ-Y
(Video above: TLC’s Bride by Design preview)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — Celebrated wedding dress designer and Alabama native Heidi Elnora will star in her own reality series on TLC, “Bride By Design,” premiering Friday March 27th.
Born and raised in Morris, Alabama, entrepreneur Heidi Elnora’s wedding dress line of the same name is designed and created in the historic Pepper Place in downtown Birmingham.
With her custom designs and trademark “Build-a-Bride” option, which allows brides to choose from 15 basic white dresses and more than 20 unique add-ons, brides from around the country come to Heidi Elnora for the gown of their dreams. Heidi’s designs can be found in over 30 stores nationwide.
Elnora was a contestant on clothing designer reality show Project Runway in 2005, but was one of the earlier designers who got cut during the competition.
“Getting kicked off the show, it made me stronger. It made me fight harder,” she told Yellowhammer in an interview Thursday.
After leaving Project Runway, Elnora was designing children’s clothing in Atlanta when she was tragically hit by a drunk driver. Her injuries brought her back home to Alabama to heal, where she met and fell in love with her husband, Jeff.
Elnora credits her husband for her ability to balance life as an entrepreneur, mother, wife, and now TV star.
“I have one awesome husband,” she said. “I mean, I really do. He is such a blessing to me, and I am so incredibly blessed to be surrounded and supported by some truly amazing people.”
She finds inspiration in the beauty of Alabama, and considers the her home state a hidden gem, full of undiscovered beauty and talent.
“There’s just so much in our state that I think we take for granted because we see it every day. From how beautiful our city is and the history behind our city and what all we’ve done over the past 50 years,” Elnora said. “And the spirit of our people. People from Alabama, we have this amazing spirit. We are fighters, and we will survive, and I just love it.”
Elnora told Yellowhammer she was surprised by how at ease she is with the cameras rolling in her atelier. “It’s just as easy to me as designing a wedding dress,” she said. “And to me, designing a wedding dress is like breathing.”
The show, whose pilot premiered last July on TLC, will follow Heidi as she and her team design and create dresses to match the personality and wishes of each bride.
Bride By Design’s 10 half-hour episodes will air at 8pm central on Friday evenings this spring. Check out the show’s preview in the video above.
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— Elizabeth BeShears (@LizEBeesh) January 21, 2015
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