'Say Yes to the Dress' Star Dorothy Silver Is Engaged! 'I Never Thought I Would Be Getting Married' (Exclusive)
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"So far I have two gowns, but it's never-ending when I keep seeing more dresses that I love!" says the 66-year-old Kleinfeld Bridal pro
Say Yes to the Dress star Dorothy Silver is getting married!
The Kleinfeld Director of Merchandising and Buyer, 66, and her fiancé Mark Shorr got engaged in 2020, she reveals exclusively to PEOPLE.
"The proposal was really quite intimate, but still special to us," says Silver who has worked at the iconic bridal retailer for more than 30 years.
"What my fiancé really wanted to do was come to the Kleinfeld flagship and propose in person, but I forbid it," she says with a laugh. "Instead, we were home one evening in our PJs, and he got down on one knee and proposed. It was perfect."
Related:Everything You Need to Know About the Say Yes to the Dress Consultants at Kleinfeld Bridal
Before the pair began a romantic relationship, they knew each other for years. "Mark really is the boy next door," she gushes. "We lived in apartment buildings next door to each other growing up in Brooklyn."
Since Shorr is three years older, they didn't hang out much as kids, but Silver attended school with his younger brother. "It's like the old song that I had to travel the world to meet the boy next door," she adds.
After growing up and forging separate lives, the couple connected through Shorr's ex-wife Lois, who suggested that they meet. "About a month later, we were all at the beach and he came and put his beach chair next to mine and that was it," she says. "We've been together ever since."
Lois died suddenly from a rare form of cancer in September 2019. "She never got to see that her introduction resulted in a beautiful engagement," says Silver. "She will always have a special place in our hearts."
Silver adds that she never envisioned herself walking down the aisle. "I always considered myself an anti-bride. I'm not a dress person and my favorite color is black. I never thought in a million years I would be getting married," she says.
But now that she's a bride-to-be, Silver is embracing all things wedding. "As the Director of Merchandising and Buyer for Kleinfeld I had my pick of gowns. So far I have two gowns but it's never-ending when I keep seeing more dresses that I love," she says. "There was no hoopla when I tried on dresses because I really wasn't sure if I wanted to wear one. But, suddenly, I tried on a dress and when I walked out of the fitting room the staff was there and I burst out crying. It was such an emotional moment for me since this was and is my Kleinfeld family. My parents had never lived to see this moment and I cried especially for that. Sharing and thinking about it now makes me emotional."
Related:Say Yes to the Dress Star Randy Fenoli Is Engaged! 'I Never Thought It Was Going to Happen for Me'
When it comes to the actual ceremony, Silver says she and Shorr are in no rush to say "I do."
"We first were considering a destination wedding or a small party for friends at The Rockaway Hotel," she says. "We just bought a home together by the beach in Arverne By the Sea so we are taking our time on the wedding planning."
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Silver has been a part of the bridal team at Kleinfeld since 1991. Once a fur salon in Brooklyn, the retailer is now the largest luxury bridal store in the world, selling more than a thousand different designer gowns. Kleinfeld also recently collaborated with Zales for their Kleinfeld x Zales collection, a selection of 15 lab-created diamond engagement rings and eight bands for brides, including sparkles with round, oval, marquise, pear, princess and emerald diamond shapes.
"I always said that when it comes to bridal, you're either in it for a minute or a lifetime," says Silver. "For me it's my life. The emotionality of the business is what hooked me. I found it extremely rewarding to be part of someone's most important time in their life."
As for her own engagement ring, Silver tells PEOPLE she picked it out herself. "I am very minimalistic when it comes to jewelry as I like to keep it classic. But I do believe the bigger the diamond the better!"
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