How do you get a new lifestyle series greenlit for fall on one of Shaw Media’s specialty channels?

Seek out your star character and put her in a hot market.

That’s what Peace Point Productions did, for the upcoming series Keasha’s Perfect Dress, which will premiere this fall on Shaw’s Slice.

The indie producer sought out Keasha Rigsby, best known as a Kleinfeld’s bridal consultant on U.S. show Say Yes to the Dress, which airs on TLC, for the new series which is currently in production in Toronto.

“Keasha has a bit of celebrity status, mostly from being a character in Say Yes to the Dress, based in New York,” says Les Tomlin, Peace Point president and series executive producer.

“We found her through our development executive, also based in New York. She was free from her contract [for Say Yes to the Dress] and we knew she’d be a perfect fit for the Canadian market,” he adds.

Tomlin says the turnaround with Shaw was quick – Peace Point created a tape around Rigsby and pitched it to Slice, who he says immediately greenlit the show into development and after 90 days, had it greenlit to series.

“Right now, what’s working for us and what’s working for most people who are successful in the lifestyle space is big characters in interesting worlds,” explains Tomlin, adding that the wedding space is “hot” for showcasing interesting situations to engage viewers.

The 14-episode half-hour series focuses on Rigsby, who has opened a bridal salon (an old bank building that was converted in three weeks to a salon) in Toronto, and the challenges she faces in going from working at the biggest salon in New York to the trials and tribulations of opening her own space.

Each episode will feature Rigsby consulting with two brides and their entourages on the quest to find their perfect wedding attire.

Tomlin says that Peace Point pitched to both Canada and the U.S., and while Canada bit first, they will take Keasha’s Perfect Dress to MIP next year under the prodco’s recently launched distribution division, Peace Point Rights, as a premiere catalogue series.

Keasha’s Perfect Dress is slated to premiere in October.

Jennifer Couke and Josh Tizel will coproduce the show for Peace Point.