Bridal Buddy Update | Shark Tank Season 8

Brides sometimes struggle to use the bathroom because of their bulky wedding gowns, turning what should be a beautiful, memorable day into an awkward ordeal. To address this, Heather Stenlake created Bridal Buddy, a slip that lets brides bag and secure their dresses, making it easier to use the restroom independently while keeping their gowns clean and elegant. Can Heather secure the sharks’ support? Let’s dive into our Bridal Buddy update and pitch recap to find out.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Bridal Buddy after Shark Tank.

Heather pitched Bridal Buddy in Shark Tank Season 8. She sought $75,000 for 10% equity in her wedding-gown accessory business. After her pitch, she made a deal with Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary for $75,000 for 30% equity.

In terms of a Bridal Buddy update, the company expanded its retail presence and secured major partnerships, which boosted visibility and sales to $3 million by mid-2024.

Shark	Result
Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary	Accepted offer of $75,000 for 20% equity
Barbara Corcoran	$75,000 for 20% equity
Robert Herjavec	No offer
Mark Cuban	No offer

Shark Tank Bridal Buddy Pitch

• Entrepreneur: Heather Stenlake
• Business: Wedding-gown accessory
• Ask: $75,000 for 10% equity
• Result: $75,000 for 20% equity
• Sharks: Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary

Heather is on a mission to make wedding days easier by helping brides keep their gowns in place when using the bathroom.

She sought a $75,000 investment to scale production, improve marketing, and secure key retail partnerships.

Bridal Buddy is a wedding accessory designed to help brides use the restroom independently while wearing a gown.

Its elastic waist and drawstring secure the dress, keeping it clean and intact.

The business reaches customers through a mix of e-commerce and retail partnerships. Social media and bridal shops play key roles in marketing.

Bridal Buddy is often sold alongside wedding dresses, making it easy for brides to find and purchase.

Many customers buy it as a gift for bridal showers, further boosting its popularity. Bridal Buddy stands out by solving a specific problem that brides commonly face.

Following the presentation, a model hands out samples to the sharks.

Heather explains that she first encountered bathroom difficulties in wedding gowns while working in the bridal industry in 1998.

By 2002, she had created a prototype, but she paused the project to raise her children.

However, in 2015, following her divorce, she became determined to revive her idea and borrowed $40,000 from her retirement account to relaunch the product.

She has generated $195,000 in total sales. Each unit costs $14 to produce and sells for $29.95.

Mark Cuban says the wedding industry isn’t for him, and he is the first shark to exit the negotiations.

Meanwhile, Robert Herjavec says there’s a lot of potential in retail partnerships, suggesting that brides would likely buy the product alongside their gowns.

Nevertheless, he feels the workload involved is too much. He’s out as well.

At this point, the model speaks up in support of Heather, which catches the sharks’ attention.

Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary had a brief discussion and decided to offer $75,000 for 25% equity—split equally between them.

Barbara Corcoran then entered the negotiation with her own offer of $75,000 for 33.3% equity.

In response, Lori and Kevin then revised their offer to $75,000 for 20% each.

Heather countered by asking if they would lower the combined equity to 30%. Barbara quickly agreed, but Lori and Kevin matched the same terms.

Heather, recognizing the value of partnering with two sharks instead of one, ultimately decided to go with Lori and Kevin.

Let’s get a Bridal Buddy update and see where the company is today.

Shark Tank Bridal Buddy Update

Our Bridal Buddy update found that the deal with Lori Greiner and Kevin O’Leary ultimately did not close. The reasons for this are not publicly detailed.

However, the Shark Tank appearance provided substantial media exposure, leading to features in various bridal magazines and television segments, which enhanced their brand visibility.

In addition, Bridal Buddy expanded its retail presence by securing placements in major stores like Bed Bath & Beyond and numerous bridal shops across the United States.

Our research on the Bridal Buddy update found that by mid-2024, the company had achieved lifetime sales of $3 million.

At the time of this writing, Bridal Buddy remains active, with its products available through the Bridal Buddy website and various online retailers like Amazon.

If we get another Bridal Buddy update, we will let you know.

Don’t forget to take a look at our other company updates from Season 8, Episode 24:

• Wine & Design Update
• Rocketbook Update
• Laid Brand Update

Before you go, check out all of the company updates from Season 8 on our Season 8 products page.