It is our distinct pleasure to introduce you to Bridal Babes Co-Founder Ashley Young. She is our Innovative Women in the Bridal Industry Spotlight. Bridal Babes is a bridal tech company. Not only does the brand design and deliver curve-hugging, trendsetting gowns for women of all shades, shapes, and sizes, but it is transforming the way women shop for bridal and bridesmaid attire online. The first of its kind, Bridal Babes is fueled by immersive digital experiences and its social media community of over 200,000 brides and bridesmaids.
Created as a solution to a common problem that co-founder, Ashley Young, experienced when planning her wedding, Bridal Babes is the answer to what traditional bridal boutiques lack — fashion-forward, curve-hugging dresses for brown and black women.
She remembers thinking “It shouldn’t be this difficult to find bridesmaid dresses that will make my best friends look and feel amazing by my side”. After that experience, she and her co-founder Charles got to work building Bridal Babes.
How did you get the idea for your business?
Bridal Babes is the answer to what traditional bridal boutiques lack — fashion-forward, curve-hugging dresses for multicultural and/or plus-size women that are easily accessible online. Bridal Babes is not just revolutionizing how people shop for wedding attire, but the company is also making space for diversity in the $72 billion wedding industry by showcasing models and clients of all shades, shapes, and sizes. Bridal Babes’ mission is to create a community celebrating love and honoring sisterhood, during the wedding planning process and beyond.
The brand’s technology and community-focused approach have allowed us to re-create the in-person shopping experience through virtual consultations, virtual events, and a social media community of over 85K brides and bridesmaids of color. By doing so, Bridal Babes is breaking through the traditional, vanilla wedding industry.
What is it like working with your spouse?
I love working with my husband — he’s the best co-worker I’ve had!
Ashley Young
We have two completely different personalities and work styles so we are very complementary. He handles more of the detailed items like operations, logistics, and customer care. Where I handle more of the abstract side like product design, marketing, and partnerships. This allows me to be very creative where he is more detailed — especially around the budget!
What was your Shark Tank experience like?
Shark Tank was amazing! The interview/audition process was during wedding season 2022 — the biggest wedding season since 1982 — so it was very intense but we made it through! It was such a huge surprise to be featured on the same show that Emma Grede would be a guest shark.
What has been your most significant achievement?
Outside of my marriage and children, the most significant achievement is building a community that makes women feel valued, beautiful, and seen. We have done just that for thousands of brides and bridesmaids.
More on Ashley Young
Ashley Young is the co-founder and Lead Stylist of Bridal Babes — the first size-inclusive bridesmaid gown line. Created as a solution to a common problem for brides and bridesmaids, Bridal Babes is the answer to what traditional bridal boutiques lack — curve-hugging, attractive bridesmaid dresses for women of all shades, shapes, and sizes. After struggling to find the perfect bridesmaid gowns for her bridal party, Ashley noticed this huge gap in the bridal and bridesmaid market.
Shortly after their wedding, she and her husband Charles launched Bridal Babes to create an easier way to find attractive and affordable bridesmaid gowns and bride-to-be attire (bridal showers, bachelorettes, rehearsal dinners and more!). Most importantly, Bridal Babes created a space for women of color and plus-size women in the bridal industry that hadn’t existed previously.
At Bridal Babes, Ashley heads up the marketing and production side of the business and taps into her 10+ years of marketing expertise to grow the business. Ashley has worked for notable CPG brands such as Johnson & Johnson, Nature Made Vitamins, and The Laughing Cow Cheese. She has also managed the federal government’s youth tobacco and vaping prevention campaigns. Ashley is excited to get to know more brides and bridesmaids this wedding season and beyond!
Keep up to date on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bridalbabes/