Bridal Babes is an online bridal and bridesmaid boutique that caters to women of all colors and sizes. They sell stylish, form-fitting dresses that let women show off their curves and skin tone. Founders Charles and Ashley Young pitched their business on Shark Tank and got a deal with Emma Grede! Bridal Babes is now worth $1.5 million.
The Founders
Charles and Ashley Young are a married couple residing in Washington, DC. Not much is known about Charles’ background, but Ashley has a marketing degree from the University of Virginia.
After college, she became a marketing expert, spending over a decade managing half a billion dollars for a public education campaign. Previously Ashley lived in New York City and worked for Universal McCann and Porter Novelli. Later she worked for the FDA as a health communications specialist for nine years.
Founding Bridal Babes
When Charles and Ashley’s wedding day was near, the bride called her bridesmaids to ask what kind of dress they’d like to wear. They wanted to wear something to emphasize their distinctive beauty.
The ladies looked at many bridal shops to find form-fitting dresses in striking hues but found none. This helped Ashley realize there was a gap in the bridal market for women of color and those with unique figures. A gap to be filled in the $61.9 billion US wedding industry.
Bridal Babes was launched in 2019 and generated $30,000 in their first year. Charles quit his job as a detective to work full-time on the business. As President and COO, he manages the logistics and operations. By 2021, they were on track to make $1 million in sales.
Shark Tank Pitch
Charles and Ashley made a confident pitch and did a great job explaining the business. The Sharks were impressed with their sales and steady growth. However, the Sharks didn’t like how they were spending 30% of their revenue on advertising, this was having an impact on margins.
Robert and Kevin were the first Sharks to bow out. Emma Grede made an offer of $250,000 for 25% which crushed their initial valuation. The founders countered at 20% and the deal was done.
After Shark Tank
After the episode aired on 21 October 2022, Bridal Babes had a 200% increase in inquiries. The deal with Emma Grede has closed and Ashley revealed she’s played an important role in the company’s operations.
You can get in touch with Bridal Babes directly on their website, BridalBabes.co. In addition to dresses, they also sell robes and merch. Their bridal collection has a 5-star rating on TheKnot.com from 39 reviews. The company is thriving and has lifetime sales of $4 million. In 2024, they did well over $1 million in revenue and are valued at $1.5 million.
The biggest challenge facing Bridal Babes is improving supply chain efficiencies as they scale. The dresses are manufactured overseas so it could take over a month to ship an order unless they pay extra for air shipping.
