Bride Vibes: Q&A With Soon-To-Be Bride Tay

This week our founder and lead stylist, Ashley, got to sit down with soon-to-be bride, Tay! They talk us through budgeting, adapting weddings to COVID-19, most expensive purchases, and more! 

Q: What is the right timing for Bridesmaid dresses?

A: “I recommend for our [The Bridal Babes] signature collection, definitely get your dresses 6-9 months in advance,” Ashley, our lead stylist, suggests, “and for our ready-to-ship collection those can be done 3-6 months in advance.”

Q: What are some Black businesses and vendors?

A: Some directories that we recommend are MunaLuchi (@munaluchibride), The Black Bachelorette (@theblackbachelorette), Perfete (@perfete),  and The Coordinated Bride (@thecoordinatedbride)

Q: What are some Black caterers?

A: Some Black caterers are Caribbean Caterers, Couture Cakes by Sabrina, and Get Plated Catering & Events. There is a whole list of Black caters, florists, and more on the Washingtonian! 

Q: How have your plans changed because of COVID?

A: “We were originally scheduled to get married on June 13th, 2020, but with COVID things got postponed,” Tay explains she even had to change her venue because the old one was unsure about whether they were going to open. Her new venue is in Annapolis, so it’s still close by, and the new wedding date is September 11, 2020. 

Q: How was your planner helped along the way?

A: “Christina, the wedding planner, has been amazing! . . . Whenever there's a change, she’s always emailing all the vendors, making sure everybody is on track, and she helped us get the new date.” You can find Christina at @inspiredeventsbychristina.

Q: Since the venue changed, how did the site visit go?

A: “We actually went to see it, we are getting married at the Historic Inns of Annapolis . . . fortunately she let us come in and view it in person . . . we got to review the bridal suite, the outside deck where the ceremony will be.”

Q: Did you have to change the size of your wedding?

A: “Yes! We originally had about 75-80 guests, which is still kind of a smaller wedding and now we have 50, but if anything else changes, we’ll have to cut it down again”

Q: Do you have a theme for your wedding?

A: “We don't have, per say, a theme . . . I had so many different ideas flowing through my head, it went from like boho to boho-chic to like, I don’t think I even have a theme right now. Just different elements to kind of bring out the venue, so I would say it’s kind of historic if I had to choose a theme . . . historic-chic!”

Q: Would you say it has a vintage twist?

A: “Yeah, vintage glam for sure! Very blush and navy blue with gold undertones.”

Q: How many bridesmaids do you have?

A: “I have seven . . . I originally wanted to do a smaller party, but then it just got bigger, but you know, the more the merrier”

Q: Are there the same number of groomsmen?

A: “Yep!”

Q: Talk a bit about your bridal babes experience!

A: “You were amazing! I found you on Instagram and reached out and instantly you got back to me and we were able to talk and I came in like a week later . . . you were very warm and inviting, and the girls loved the dress. You also helped a lot, since I’m from New York, accommodating the bridesmaids who were out of state. Then my one cousin was pregnant and you worked with her with that! So you and your team have been amazing!”

Q: How do you coordinate when your bridesmaids don’t all live in the same place?

A: “So I have a group text and I basically drop all the information there! Like when we went to meet you about the colors and measurements . . . we dropped that information and pictures into the chat so we could help everyone with sizing and then I set dates to like reach out and put down money. You know, it’s kind of like setting small goals for everyone so everyone’s on the same page.”

Q: What was your favorite part of the wedding planning process?

A: “Cake tasting! Me and my fiance are definitely foodies, but besides tasting I would say our pre-marital class with our church was one of my favorite parts.”

Q: Did you have a budget and if so, did you exceed it?

A: “I feel like you always start off with a budget, and you always exceed it. My advice is to make a list of your must-haves, look up the prices for those, and then make a budget. We didn’t do that, so our first budget wasn’t really realistic, because we didn’t really know the prices for things.”

Q: What was the most expensive thing?

A: “The most expensive thing is florals for sure, between that and rentals.” Ashley and Tay also discussed that flowers are even more expensive now due to COVID so a lot of brides are experiencing price additions up to 15% for florals. 

Q: Band or DJ?

A: “We have a DJ, I would say it depends on your venue. I personally prefer a DJ, but really whatever floats your boat! I think both are amazing!”

Q: What has been the most challenging part of wedding planning?

A: “ I would say staying within the budget but also just realizing that the day is just that, a day, and that it's gonna be perfect no matter what goes wrong and just don’t overthink it. You know, things do go wrong, but at the end of the day you have to remember that it’s about marriage more than it is wedding. The hardest part is not worrying.”

Q: Are kids invited to the wedding?

A: “Honestly, it’s a kidless wedding! We only have two kids, the flower girl and the ring bearer! I don’t have any kids, which that might be why as well, but I feel like when the adults come they want to come and enjoy themselves, you don’t wanna be worried about the kids!”

Q: Any last advice?

A: “Just keep in mind there are gonna be things that are out of your control, please don’t bust a blood vessel or worry about them too much, because at the end of the day what really matters is the relationship between you and your soon-to-be husband and just make sure that that foundation is really solid.”

Every week we discuss wedding questions directly from the comments with brides, planners, and more. Follow us on Instagram @bridalbabes to catch our lives and other exclusive content to help you plan the perfect day!

Disclaimers: Some of the answers have been shortened or paraphrased, watch the full live on our Instagram to see full answers. None of the companies or people mentioned are sponsoring us, we are talking about brands we genuinely like!