Vault: Is she going to Running of The Brides

Summary

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The Bert Show – "Vault: Is She Going to Running of The Brides"

Release Date: July 1, 2026
Main Theme: A playful, behind-the-scenes segment covering Joanna's quest to get early access to the legendary Running of the Brides wedding dress sale at Filene’s Basement, and the on-air “challenges” she must complete to earn her spot.

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Episode Overview

This episode revolves around Joanna, a newly engaged team member, and her opportunity to attend the high-energy, highly coveted Running of the Brides event at Filene’s Basement. The cast explains the madness and excitement of the annual bridal sale, then puts a signature Bert Show twist on Joanna’s participation by having her complete a set of light-hearted challenges on-air before she can claim her early-bird place at the sale.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Joanna’s Engagement & Running of the Brides

• Joanna’s News: She recently got engaged to Jason, sparking excitement and teasing from the team (01:32).
• Background on the Event:
  • Running of the Brides at Filene's Basement is a long-standing event where wedding gowns—designer labels, priced for hundreds instead of thousands—are put on racks for a frantic, first-come-first-served sale (02:10).
  • Brides-to-be camp out the night before, forming a tailgate party in anticipation (02:22).
  • The event is described as “organized chaos”—dresses are unsorted, and an 8 a.m. whistle signals the mad dash to grab as many gowns as possible and swap/trade with fellow shoppers (02:25, 02:41).

2. The Dresses & Deals

• Highlight on Savings: Dresses are marked at $250, $500, or $700, but are regularly priced from $900 to $3,000+ (03:45, 03:50).
• Emotional Pressure: Joanna shares the universal bridal panic of confronting expensive price tags, emphasizing how special the discounts are (03:24).

3. Joanna’s Early Access: Not Without Challenges!

• Joanna’s Initiative: Instead of calling her family after her engagement, Joanna’s first thought was, “How do I get into this Filene’s thing early?” (04:02).
• Team’s Response: Early access isn’t just given away to staff for fairness—Bert Show tradition means Joanna must earn it through a series of fun challenges devised by the show (05:04).
• Contest Mechanics: Tasks were crowd-sourced from the team, written anonymously, and placed in a hat. Joanna must successfully complete each to get early access (05:23).

4. The First Challenge Revealed (Wake-Up Picture)

• The Challenge: Joanna’s first task is to post a photo to the show’s website within 30 seconds of waking up—no makeup, no prep, fully authentic (06:35, 06:47).
• Team Shares Their Embarrassing Pics: The Bert Show cast recall their own wake-up “glamour shots,” swapping stories about awkward poses and unflattering candids—setting the stage (and the stakes!) for Joanna (07:40).
• Support & Teasing: Gentle ribbing continues about making sure the photo is real and not staged—“No turning on the lights, nothing” (07:13), “I’m already engaged so I’m not trying to impress anybody” (08:32).

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Engagement:

  • “So Joanna is a freshly engaged woman. Her and Jason are gonna be happily married in four years.” — Host (01:34)
  • "Are you the kind of woman that buys your wedding dress before you ever get engaged?" — Co-host Jeff, playfully probing Joanna (01:45)

• On the Intensity of the Sale:

  • “You run in and you tear up the bridal section. You grab your dress and you find as many dresses as you can in your size… and you look.” — Host (02:25)
  • “They're designer gowns that normally go for thousands of dollars that you can get for hundreds.” — Co-host Jeff (03:10)

• On the Reason for the Challenges:

  • “We can’t just give this away… Listeners would be mad.” — Host (05:23)
  • “If you perform all four, then 6 a.m. you’re at Filene’s Basement, bagel in one hand, looking at dresses with your mom or bridesmaid.” — Host (06:04)

• On the Wake-Up Pic:

  • “There must be a photograph of you… within 30 seconds of you waking up tomorrow morning.” — Host (06:35)
  • "I'm starting to think if that $3,000 dress is worth paying $3,000, you could get a $10,000 dress." — Co-host Jeff, joking about the stakes (08:28)

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Important Segments & Timestamps

• [01:32] Joanna’s engagement and introduction of Running of the Brides.
• [02:10] Explanation of the Filene’s Basement event—how it works & why it’s a big deal.
• [03:24] Joanna discusses the thrill/panic of wedding dress price tags and the event’s unique value.
• [04:02] The lengths brides will go to for deals; Joanna’s hustle for early access.
• [05:23] Challenge system explained—Joanna must “earn” early entry.
• [06:35] The first challenge is drawn: the authentic wake-up selfie.
• [07:40] Cast recounts their own embarrassing wake-up photos, building camaraderie.
• [08:23] Joanna debates if the dress—and the challenge—are worth it, but ultimately commits.

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Tone & Style

The episode is classic Bert Show: bright, playful, with endearing in-team banter. Jokes are quick, but never mean; encouragement and teasing are balanced. The segment is energetic and relatable for anyone who's been wedding shopping—or just loves good old-fashioned morning show mischief.

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Conclusion

Vault: Is She Going to Running of the Brides shines a spotlight on the blend of tradition and fun that defines the Bert Show. Joanna’s journey toward a dream dress gets the full morning radio treatment, complete with creativity, support, embarrassment ("Wake-Up Pictures," anyone?), and plenty of laughs. Even listeners with no bridal plans will find themselves rooting for Joanna and amused by the lengths the team goes to make radio "real" and interactive.

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Transcript

[Radio Announcer]

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[Commercial Voice]

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[Radio Announcer]

Refreshers contain caffeine. Listen, it's the bird show.

[Host]

The lovely Joanna.

[Joanna]

Yeah, I'm nervous.

[Host]

Don't be.

[Co-host Jeff]

Nervous isn't what we're talking about.

[Host]

This is a big week for Joanne.

[Co-host Jeff]

Neither do we.

[Co-host Female]

Why is it. Why is it a big week?

[Co-host Jeff]

Oh, I do know what this is about. Oh, yeah? Yeah, yeah.

[Host]

When do you know too?

[Co-host Jeff]

Yeah, Yeah, I do know.

[Radio Announcer]

Yeah.

[Host]

If you read my emails.

[Joanna]

So why am I not copied on this email?

[Co-host Female]

Oh, that's right.

[Host]

Yeah. Cause it's about you.

[Joanna]

Oh, okay.

[Host]

So this Friday. What is important, Joanna, about this Friday morning?

[Joanna]

Well, this Friday is Running of the Brides.

[Co-host Female]

And you're newly engaged.

[Joanna]

I am.

[Host]

Yep. So Joanna is a freshly engaged woman. Her and Jason are gonna be happily married in four years.

[Co-host Female]

And it's not four years.

[Joanna]

No, we're eight and a half.

[Co-host Jeff]

I think an important question is, are you the kind of woman that buys your wedding dress before you ever get engaged or you don't have your wedding dress yet, right?

[Joanna]

No, I do not have my wedding dress yet.

[Co-host Jeff]

Okay. Because there's some women I think that do that. Without a doubt asking if Joanna did that.

[Joanna]

I have tried on a dress once before. At last, Running of the Brides. Just because I've never tried on a wedding dress before, but. No. Never purchased one.

[Co-host Jeff]

Okay.

[Host]

So Running of the Brides is at Filene's Basement. It's something that we do every single year. It's taking place this Friday. Anybody can come down to it. And basically it works like this. Everybody lines up. People are gonna start lining up on

[Co-host Female]

Thursday, the day before in their tents and sleeping bags. Tents.

[Host]

They make a tailgate party out of it. Then at 8 o', clock, clock, a whistle blows, and you run in and you tear up the bridal section. You grab your dress and you find as many dresses as you can in your size. And then you try them on and you trade them and you look. And I know wedding dresses, they're beaded

[Co-host Jeff]

a thousand, and the way Filing's basement does. And the reason people camp out, if you're not familiar with Filene's basement or the running of the Brides, the reason people camp out the night before is because the dresses, the gowns are only there for one day. So they ship them in on Thursday night, they put them on the racks overnight. Thursday night. Then when we're on air and we announce the opening of the doors, then you run in, you get your bridal gowns. They are not set up in any kind of order because they make it, because they simply don't have time to

[Host]

put them in order.

[Co-host Jeff]

So they have all different sizes, they have all different styles. And like, you know, Jeff said, there's some beading, there's some not. There's all different types of styles and designers. But they are designer dresses that normally go for thousands of dollars that you can get for hundreds.

[Co-host Female]

Absolutely.

[Joanna]

And I've been at wedding gowns, and I know how expensive they can be. I mean, you put on a dress and you look at that tag, and you try not to start sweating profusely because you're like, there is no way I can afford this $3,000 gown. So this is awesome that they do have them on sale at $300, $400. And it's. It's an amazing, amazing deal.

[Host]

The prices, all the dresses are either marked 250, 500, or $700.

[Co-host Female]

Nice.

[Host]

And the original prices are 900 to 310,000. Right.

[Co-host Jeff]

And these are not, you know, like, discounted made, you know, gowns. They are the designer gowns that are going for hundreds of dollars.

[Host]

So here's the deal. Now you can. There's an initial rush. Everybody gets something, and then all throughout the day, its dresses get returned to the rack. You can come in all day and buy them. But, Joanna, you would think that right after she got engaged, she was so excited for this to happen. The first phone call would be to her family or to her mom or her brothers or something like that. It wasn't. It was to me. It was Jeff. How do I get into this Filene's thing early?

[Co-host Jeff]

Well, she's smart.

[Co-host Female]

Of course she's smart.

[Co-host Jeff]

She's trying to smart. It affects your budget in the background.

[Host]

I could Hear Jason going, did you say yes?

[Joanna]

Who are you calling?

[Host]

What are you doing? It's important for a bride and Joanna is a hard working member of our team. So it's only fair that Joanna gets that opportunity to enter in Filene's basement early.

[Co-host Jeff]

Right. Wow. I'm excited.

[Co-host Female]

That's like a huge plus because you've got to go through the racks and look exactly what type of dress you want. Like if you want an A line dress, a full dress. Right.

[Co-host Jeff]

But it's Jeff that is saying this to you. So you know, it's not that easy.

[Host]

So here's.

[Joanna]

We always should stop being excited.

[Co-host Jeff]

So don't be excited yet. It's an opportunity to go in first.

[Host]

We always do.

[Co-host Jeff]

Jeff always likes to make up games.

[Host]

Yeah, I'm still a 10 year old at heart. Well, my thought was, you know, we always do contests and promotions for front of the line and take the person who's in the front of the line and if they can do something, get them in an hour early and all this stuff. So I. We can't just give this away and just go here, Joanna.

[Co-host Jeff]

Listeners would be mad.

[Host]

So I came up with an idea this weekend and I emailed everybody on the show and they all had their ideas and they sent them all back and we placed them all in a hat. And we just think that from now until the running of the brides, you should just accomplish some tasks. We're certainly not going to ask you to do anything that we wouldn't do. But we're not the ones who want to get into Filene's early.

[Co-host Female]

Right, Right.

[Host]

So we've put all these tasks in a hat and we'll draw one out each at the, you know, every show. And then the next day you have to perform that task. If you perform it successfully, then you move on to the next task. And if you perform all four, then 6am you're at Filene's basement, bagel in one hand, looking at dresses with your mom or your bridesmaid or whoever comes along.

[Co-host Jeff]

She's like going near a dress with a bagel.

[Host]

Oh, sorry.

[Co-host Female]

Jeff would but cereal bar.

[Joanna]

I'm thinking because there's more women on the show than men that you ladies were nice enough to put some easy task in here. Right.

[Co-host Female]

Well, I haven't seen the task so I'm ready to.

[Joanna]

Oh, great.

[Co-host Female]

I'm concerned on what they are if Jeff made them up.

[Host]

Drawing the first one. The first task, Joanna. And this is what you have to do tomorrow. This is something that we've all done. Okay. We're not asking you to do something that you.

[Co-host Jeff]

We would never ask you to do something we haven't done.

[Joanna]

Okay.

[Host]

Tomorrow morning at 6:00am on our website, there must be a photograph of you. This photograph of you must be taken within 30 seconds of you waking up tomorrow morning.

[Joanna]

Oh no.

[Co-host Female]

And we've all.

[Host]

You remember the bird show wake up pictures.

[Co-host Female]

Oh how great they are.

[Co-host Jeff]

And somehow they're still in the Google sphere, which is so fantastic. But yeah. And you can't do anything differently tonight. You can't like go in full makeup and just lay in your back and not, you know, it has to be authentic. You go to bed. However you go to bed and you wake up and you can't even like you said 30 seconds. The camera on the night said you can't do anything. Comb your fingers through your. Nothing.

[Co-host Female]

No turning on the lights, nothing.

[Co-host Jeff]

You can't turn on the light. You just.

[Host]

I think Jen's. I remember mine. I seriously took my camera and my alarm goes off. I never snooze or anything. Cause Jessica's a light sleeper. So my alarm goes off and within 60 seconds I'm upstairs in my bathroom and I put the camera right in front of. First thing I do is brush my teeth. It was like leaning up against the little cup that holds my toothbrush so I couldn't miss it. Took the picture.

[Co-host Jeff]

Little giraffe cup.

[Host]

I remember Jen left hers on her nightstand because when she did it is when she was married at the time and you could see her ex husband's legs sticking out from under the bed cheat like it was.

[Co-host Jeff]

And I snuck out from the bed with Katie so I wouldn't wake her up. But I had no lights on and I felt my way into the bathroom where on the counter was the camera and took it before I turned the light on.

[Co-host Female]

My camera was just in the bed with me because I was just too lazy to get up and do it. So my arms just.

[Host]

However, Wendy doesn't have anyone so she could take it right in bed.

[Co-host Jeff]

What the hell is wrong with you?

[Co-host Female]

Well, thanks for rubbing that one in. I won't be looking for a wedding dress on Friday or ever.

[Host]

So seriously within seconds of waking up.

[Co-host Jeff]

Oh no, we've all done it.

[Joanna]

I'm starting to think if that $3,000 dress is worth paying $3,000, you could

[Host]

get a $10,000 dress.

[Co-host Jeff]

$10,000 dress just for one picture.

[Joanna]

You're going to do it. I'm already engaged, so I'm not trying to impress anybody.

[Co-host Jeff]

And he's seen it.

[Joanna]

So he sees me what I look like in the morning.

[Commercial Voice]

Yeah.

[Host]

So he doesn't care.

[Co-host Jeff]

He does not care.

[Joanna]

All right, I got it.

[Host]

Is that good?

[Joanna]

Yes.

[Co-host Jeff]

You going to do it?

[Co-host Female]

Got this.

[Radio Announcer]

Listen, it's the vert show.

[Host]

Hey, everybody.

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[Commercial Voice]

All new drinks are now at McDonald's with refreshers like the strawberry watermelon refresher and the mango pineapple refresher with popping boba. To crafted sodas like the Sprite berry blast with berry flavors and cold foam. Who knew ice cold drinks could be so fire six? All new drinks are here now at McDonald's.

[Radio Announcer]

Refreshers contain caffeine.