• When I was on TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress," I was surprised by a few things.
• The show isn't scripted, and I still receive fan mail years later. 
• I thought Randy Fenoli was nice and caring and I liked that we share a Louisiana connection.

Back in 2016, I was on a special episode of TLC's "Say Yes to the Dress" (season 15, episode six).

I planned to get married earlier that year, but when my Louisiana home flooded and my gown was destroyed, it looked like my dream wedding was ruined. As my fiancé and I considered pushing the date back, "Say Yes to the Dress" posted an online request for brides-to-be who were affected by the flood.

A friend nominated me and I was selected to be on the show. Here are five surprising things I learned from my "Say Yes to the Dress" episode.

I'm one of few people — if not the only bride — who received a free dress on 'Say Yes to the Dress'

Normally, the "Say Yes to the Dress" team starts by breaking down your budget, but because my original wedding gown was destroyed, I received a free dress.

My episode highlighted the tragedy of the flood that took most of my belongings and I was offered the best care by bridal designer Randy Fenoli and his team. "Say Yes" flew my husband and me to New York, where we stayed in a lavish hotel right by Times Square.

My family lost everything in the flood, so it was a huge contrast to go from watching all of our stuff wash away to wearing a Mark Zunino gown, Jimmy Choo shoes, and Kleinfield's own collection of jewelry.

Fenoli was so kind, and we even shared a personal connection

As we filmed, I could feel Fenoli had a strong bond with the people who he worked with to tell my story. I'm still so grateful to have been chosen to share my experience about planning a wedding that felt as if it would never happen, and I cannot thank that team enough for helping me feel the most beautiful and cared for.

During the process, I learned that Fenoli actually grew up in Louisiana, and he's also dealt with natural disasters. He was trapped in a two-story apartment in New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

I think my experience touched him because it was a story that was so close to home.

I still talk to Fenoli to this day, and he featured my story in a special season-17 episode where he discussed his most memorable brides.

The show isn't scripted

The crew captured my genuine reactions.

And if I said something funny, cute, or cool, I quickly learned to expect to see that footage over and over again.

Unfortunately, I didn't get any of the footage of my own wedding

I was so excited to have such an enormous film crew and producers record my wedding because I thought I would receive some of the footage. I also didn't hire my own videographer to capture the details of my entire wedding, so sadly, I don't have the day's events on film. 

Still, the "Say Yes" production team gave me five minutes of absolute fabulousness.

Hindsight is 20/20, but I still wish I would've known the footage wouldn't be available to me because I definitely would've hired a videographer.

I still receive fan mail about our episode every so often

People may not know that my husband and I have split up since our episode aired.

Still, every time fans contact me, I don't really know what to say other than, "Thank you."

This story was originally published on July 14, 2022, and most recently updated on December 20, 2024.

• The cast of "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" is stirring drama on social media ahead of season two.
• Taylor Frankie Paul is feuding with her castmates after they didn't comment on her Instagram post.
• After two years, fans are also learning more about the soft-swinging scandal involving Paul.

"The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" season one ended with two cast members potentially quitting the show and rumors of a secret affair involving its most volatile couple.

But there will likely be even more drama in season two if the cast's social media feeds are anything to go by.

After season one aired in September, The Wrap reported, citing Disney's internal data, that "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" was the most-watched unscripted season premiere on Hulu, Disney+, and Star+ — overtaking "The Kardashians" season five.

The series, which follows a group of TikTok content creators known as the Mormon MomTokers, was renewed last month for a second season with 20 episodes, instead of eight like the first.

Mormon MomTok first entered the spotlight in May 2022 over a so-called soft-swinging scandal. Taylor Frankie Paul, a member of the group, said on TikTok that she, her former husband, and other couples in Salt Lake City had swapped sexual partners without having penetrative sex.

Paul said she and her husband were getting divorced because she had an affair with one of the members of the group. Fans speculated that other members of Mormon MomTok were involved, but Paul was the only person who said she was a part of it on social media.

The scandal helped Paul and her fellow Mormon MomTok creators land their own show, but season one did not reveal more details about the situation.

The soft-swinging scandal is ramping up again

On Sunday, Makenna Gibbons, who did not appear on "The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives" but was rumored to be a soft-swinger, shared a five-part video on TikTok and Instagram in which she said she was part of the group.

Gibbons said she felt "ashamed" after the second night of soft-swinging and told her now ex-husband and one of the other couples that she didn't want to continue.

Gibbons didn't initially identify Paul and her ex-husband as the couple until after Paul released a rebuttal TikTok video on Sunday.

Gibbons said that one night after a big confrontation with the group, Gibbons' ex went to check on Paul. The next day, she said another couple told her that Paul had sex with Gibbons' ex that night.

She also said Paul's husband told her that his wife and Gibbons' ex had been sneaking to Home Depot "for some time now" to kiss and planned to leave their spouses. Gibbons said she divorced her husband after finding out about this.

In Paul's rebuttal video, she shared clips of her kissing Gibbons and a screenshot of a text message from Gibbons saying she wanted to kiss Paul.

"She never asked to stop, she was one of the instigators, and sent her husband to get me, but tell your side sis," Paul wrote on the video.

Gibbons said in a TikTok video on Tuesday that her ex-husband sent the text to Paul, and she had previously told Paul about the incident. She also said the kissing video was a "flirty naughty little thing" that they did for their husbands while they were drunk and was separate from the swinging.

On the same day, Paul posted another TikTok video in which she doubled down on her claim that Gibbons never wanted to stop swinging.

"My ex brought us together and said he wants to stop," Paul said.

Gibbons did not respond to a comment request from Business Insider. Gibbons didn't name her ex-husband in her videos, but fans speculate that she was married to a man named Brayden Rowley. Rowley did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Paul is arguing with other cast members too

Whitney Leavitt clashed the most with the other cast members in season one, but Paul seems to be stirring the most trouble ahead of season two.

Last month, it was rumored that Paul had broken up with her boyfriend, Dakota Mortensen. They haven't denied the rumors but have appeared on each other's social media pages in recent weeks.

On Sunday, Mortensen posted a cryptic TikTok video saying he would start "telling my truth and showing my receipts." The video used the same song, "Bulletproof" by La Roux, in the background as Paul's response to Gibbons, which could indicate he's about to weigh in on that drama too.

Last week, Paul shared an Instagram story in which she called out her castmates for not commenting on her social media posts about attending this year's Country Music Awards, which were held on 21 November.

Jessi Ngatikaura hit back in the comment section of Paul's post, saying she had congratulated Paul in other ways, including texting her on the day.

"Shiiit I forgot to comment even though I'm on vacation with my family and trying not to scroll too much 🤭 I'm the worst friend!! Forgive me queen Taylor, I'll bow down now," Ngatikaura said.

Other cast members responded with what appeared to be sarcastic flattery in Paul's comment section and mocking her in TikTok videos. Paul has posted follow-up TikTok videos, implying she is not standing down from this fight.