Heather Stenlake found a way to set brides free on their wedding day when she created the Bridal Buddy. Wedding dresses are often ornate and extravagant and when nature calls, it’s tough for brides to go it alone. In her product video, she depicts a bride, along with a whole team of bridesmaids in tow, going to the ladies room. It takes three or four women to allow the bride to pee – it’s very funny. You can watch it on the Bridal Buddy business page.
Stenlake used to work in a bridal shop back in 2002. After speaking with hundreds of brides about their dresses, she found the biggest question was “how do I go to the bathroom in this?” Stenlake invented the Bridal Buddy back in 2002 but didn’t do anything with it because she wanted to raise her daughters. Now that the kids are all grown up, she dusted the idea off and started marketing it.
The Bridal Buddy goes on like a slip. It has two straps that go over the shoulders. The bride pulls up her dress, bustles it into the Bridal Buddy, slips on the shoulder straps, and goes about her business in the ladies room. There’s no messed up dress and no audience required.
A Bridal Buddy will set the bride-to-be back forty bucks, which is a fraction of what most women spend on wedding dresses. She sells on Amazon, but probably wants to get the product into bridal shops nationwide. Will a Shark want to be Heather’s buddy?
My Take On The Bridal Buddy
I am married to a wonderful, beautiful woman. We got married on the beach, in the rain. Sideways rain. The festivities occurred in a big tent on the beach. It wasn’t a fancy affair. We had a DJ and a lobster boil. My wife wore a very simple, but elegant dress – not one of these Disney Princess style gowns that requires the Bridal Buddy. When nature called, she was good.
I attended many weddings where the bride wore a more “traditional” bridal gown and I guess I always wondered what Heather’s customers did: “how the hell do they go to the bathroom in that thing?” I asked a few women I know what they thought of the idea and it was unanimous: had it been available to them for their wedding day, they would have bought it. Women spend irrationally on wedding gowns. Another forty bucks is nothing. For that reason, I’m in.
Will the Sharks Use the Buddy System?
This is a one product business which is the only real objection I see. Margins on the Bridal Buddy must be huge, which the Sharks will love. If she offers a reasonable valuation, I smell a deal.
While she may field multiple offers, I predict a deal with Kevin. Over the past few seasons, he built a niche group of companies that serve the wedding industry known as the “Something Wonderful Platform.” He knows people spend like crazy on weddings and the Bridal Buddy can plug right into his group of companies immediately. He also likes women run businesses. If Heather doesn’t leave with a “Wonderful” deal, I’ll be surprised.
Should’ve took the deal with Barbara imo, she actually believed in them