In fact, there are more than 20 wedding-related shows on the air, and with the recent launch of Wedding Central, a 24-hour television channel, the trend doesn’t appear to be losing steam anytime soon. Even celebrities are getting in on the act, with Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos producing Masters of Reception for TLC, and Salma Hayek reportedly developing a wedding show with Merv Griffin Entertainment.

So, why are so many people enthralled with wedding programs? “I think the interest stems from the fact that weddings are so exciting!” says celebrity planner David Tutera, host of WEtv’s My Fair Wedding. “They have a magical element to them and pairing that with the story behind the wedding and décor, like my show does, makes for a show with a big emotional range.”

And because of New Jersey’s proximity to production companies in Manhattan, and the huge array of weddings in every category, many of the brides and vendors on the shows wind up being from the Garden State. “I think one of the things I am enjoying most about the weddings in New Jersey is the change of scenery. There are some really unique and beautiful venues outside of the city and the same goes for vendors,” says Tutera.

With that in mind, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that when Kelly Ripa and Mark Consuelos came up with the premise for TLC’s Masters of Reception, a show about how catering halls pull off multiple weddings in one day, they approached a New Jersey-based business: Frungillo Caterers in Mountain Lakes. Robert and Jerry Frungillo manage four wedding locations and can have up to ten different weddings going on at once.

Initially, the brothers were skeptical about putting their business and personal lives in front of the cameras. But after a meeting with Consuelos—and assurances that the show wouldn’t include any negative stereotyping of Italian-Americans—the Frungillos decided to go for it. Still, adjusting to life in front of the cameras wasn’t easy.

“When we started, and they would come right into our meetings with the cameras, I was anxious,” admits Jerry. “I was self-conscious about looking at the camera too much or mispronouncing a word. But you get used to it, and the crew goes out of their way not to be intrusive, especially when filming the weddings. Some guests don’t even realize it’s a television crew—they think they’re the videographers!” Of course, being on a hit national show has been good for business. “It’s been an all-around positive experience,” he says.