The Real Housewives of New York picked out my mother-of-the-bride dress. Well...sort of.
For those of you who have watched Dorinda, Luann, and all the housewives from the Big Apple through the years, you know exactly what I mean when I say (yell) the word "JOVANI!" For those of you who don't, let me offer a brief explanation.
When Countess Luann, an O.G. New York housewife, was debuting her new cabaret show, she walked onstage wearing a sequined outfit made by fashion brand Jovani. She looked gorgeous. Problem was, another New York housewife, Dorinda Medley, was sitting in the audience, also wearing Jovani. And she was miffed, not only that she and Luann had experienced recent tension in their friendship, but that she had been the one to introduce Luann to the Jovani brand in the first place. (Dorinda, whose ex-boyfriend runs a high-end dry cleaning business in New York, knows a lot about fancy clothes and had recently raved to Luann about how well Jovani fit a woman's body, yada yada yada.)
Turns out that the sight of Luann making her stage debut while wearing Dorinda's favorite dress brand, added to the rift forming in their friendship, was too much for Dorinda to take (especially since she'd had a couple of adult beverages). Out of the blue, while Luann was starting her performance, she suddenly started clapping and sarcastically yelling, "Jovani! JOVANI! Thank you, Jovani! JOVANI!"
It became an iconic Real Housewives moment. It also worked brilliantly, because when I set out to start looking online for my mother-of-the-bride dress last fall, the Dorinda/Luann scene was ringing in my head. I googled "Jovani" and decided at that moment that I was going to do everything I could to wear the brand at Alex's wedding, because the Real Housewives are my imaginary best friends and I wanted them to come to the wedding with me. And sure enough, after sifting through lots of glittery, sequined, strapless, and glitzy options, I finally found a Jovani dress that looked like it might work. It had an allover soft blue scrolly pattern against a nude shell, and what really stood out to me were the sleeves, which were neither long nor short. Instead, they were open on the underside and gave the impression of a cape or shawl. I ordered it in the size I wanted to be (or thought was realistic) by the wedding, then stuck it in my closet.
Long story short, it was the dress I wound up wearing to Alex and Mauricio's wedding! In recent months I'd ordered and rejected/returned about eight different dresses, winding up with one additional (non-Jovani) option. Until the wedding day, I still didn't know which one I'd wear...but ended up going with the Jovani! I can't seem to type the name without an exclamation point.
Here's me welcoming everyone to the wedding/reception and saying something dorky. (Look at Ladd and Alex, haha.)
And here's me busting a dance move.
All in all, I'm glad I went with the Jovani! (Exclamation point alert!) It was a little outside my comfort zone in terms of being snug, and I tugged on it a little throughout the night. But the other choice was more fancy and glitzy, and it wouldn't have felt quite right at the ranch. And besides...all eyes were on Alex and Mauricio anyway! 😊
It was so nice to have my favorite Real Housewives BFF's at the wedding with me. Even if only in my imagination.
Ree Drummond is the founder of The Pioneer Woman and a lover of butter, basset hounds and life on the ranch! Ree started her blog in 2006, and now millions visit ThePioneerWoman.com every month for her trusted recipes and fun family stories. Here’s what she has been up to since it all began:
New York Times Bestselling Author
Ree has written two memoirs (Black Heels to Tractor Wheels, and Frontier Follies) plus nine bestselling cookbooks:
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Recipes from an Accidental Country Girl (2009)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Food from My Frontier (2012)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: A Year of Holidays (2013)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinnertime (2015)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Come and Get It! (2017)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The New Frontier (2019)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Super Easy (2021)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: Dinner’s Ready! (2023)
The Pioneer Woman Cooks: The Essential Recipes (2025)
Food Network Host
Since 2011, Ree has been sharing simple, family-friendly recipes—and the occasional kitchen prank!—on her award-winning show The Pioneer Woman, filmed right on Drummond Ranch. Ree is also a regular judge on Food Network competitions, including Christmas Cookie Challenge.
Founder, The Pioneer Woman Collection
Ree has been creating and selling kitchen and home products at Walmart since 2015 and she’s involved in designing every piece and pattern. The line now includes best-selling appliances (you have to see the floral blender!), plus hundreds of pieces of cookware, tableware, and more. Ree doesn’t like to play favorites but the Agatha print has a special place in her heart.
Restaurant and Hotel Owner
Together with her husband Ladd, Ree has opened several bustling businesses in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, including The Pioneer Woman Mercantile—a bakery, restaurant, and general store that draws visitors from across the country (many come for the biscuits alone!), P-Town Pizza, Charlie’s Ice Cream Shop, and The Boarding House, a charming hotel with eight different rooms decorated by Ree and Ladd.
Media Personality
Ree appears regularly on national TV shows like Today, Good Morning America and more—all while managing to keep flour off her shirt.
Wife, Mom and…Grandma!
Ree’s kids (daughters Alex and Paige and sons Bryce and Todd) are all grown up, and as of December 2024, Ree is the proud grandma of the cutest baby ever, Sofia Scott, born to Alex and her husband Mauricio. Ree still cooks for Ladd (and the kids when they’re home), and she also looks after a few mischievous ranch dogs.
