Many women spend their childhood years thinking about their wedding day, and a key component of the day includes the bride’s gown as well as gowns for her bridesmaids. Wife and marketer turned entrepreneur Ashley Young used her own personal wedding experience to launch a multi-million dollar business.
By 2026 the global bridal market is projected to reach $83.5 billion in value, and it currently sits at a value of $61.1 billion, according to the Bridal Wear: Global Strategic Business Report. With such a large market size, it offers room for a variety of opportunities which the Youngs decided to capitalize on. Ashley Young got engaged to her now-husband, Charles Young, in 2016 and began planning her dream wedding.
However, during her process, she realized that finding the perfect dresses for her bridesmaids was harder than expected. She ran into the stumbling block of picking complementing dresses for her bridesmaids which consisted of women who are of various shades, shapes and sizes. While trying to find the perfect dresses, Young birthed the idea for Bridal Babes and launched the company alongside her husband in 2019.
Bridal Babes sits at the intersection of size inclusivity and innovation. The company is billed as “a bridal tech company that creates bold, beautiful curve-hugging designs with immersive online experiences like our virtual consultations.”
Since its inception, the company has styled 1,000s of bridesmaids and continues to work with bridal parties through available consultation services. The couple was even featured on the latest season of Shark Tank and secured a deal with one of the sharks. They were seeking to raise $250,000 in exchange for 10% equity and settled on a deal with Emma Grede. Their deal ended with the couple receiving $250,000 in exchange for 20% equity.
Potential Bridal Babes can shop from two main collections – bridesmaid dresses and bridal shower gowns – in addition to bridal robes and accessories. Shoppers can purchase dresses in shades of chartreuse, lavender, burgundy and more. The dresses range in price from as low as $40 (while on sale) and as high as $345. Anyone with questions can sign up for a free Q&A session that is expected to take place on April 22. The session will also feature appearances from former clients.
