Bridal Buddy: What Happened To The Brand After Shark Tank?

Brides everywhere know how difficult it is to use the bathroom in their gowns (and even capes, a popular wedding dress trend among theatrical brides). They either have to take the whole thing off or have bridesmaids in their own dresses help out in the stall, which can be quite tricky and even embarrassing. That's why bridal boutique worker Heather Fitzner had the genius idea of designing a garment that gathers the dress so that brides can take bathroom breaks without feeling awkward. "I came up with the idea for Bridal Buddy while working in a local bridal shop, hearing brides ask time after time — 'How am I going to use the bathroom in this dress?' Bridal Buddy Solves that very challenge with a simple, yet innovative concept," the About section of Fitzner's LinkedIn profile explains. Fitzner describes the product as a "slip" that brides can put on under their dress, and when it's time to use the restroom, the product simply holds the skirt up.

Fitzner dreamed up Bridal Buddy in 2002 and even created a prototype, but it wasn't until 2015, when she got divorced, that she finally decided to turn her idea into a reality after focusing purely on raising her kids for years. "I saw it sitting there and I thought 'It's time.' I got it out and started on it, but I made it simpler," she shared in a 2016 interview with TN Online. Fitzner soon captured the attention of big names, including David Tutera, winning the best new product award at his Your Wedding Experience event, and Steve Harvey, appearing on "The Steve Harvey Show." However, Fitzner decided she needed to grow her business, and that's precisely when she made her appearance on "Shark Tank."

Heather Fitzner pitched Bridal Buddy in the "Shark Tank" Season 8 finale in 2017, and she immediately wowed the investors. The inventor brought along a model dressed in a wedding gown to demonstrate the slip to the Sharks, and they were impressed by the design. At the time, Fitzner told them that she had sold $195,000 worth of products and was selling them for $29.95 each. However, sales had started to stall, and she had trouble getting Bridal Buddy into retail stores. Fitzner needed help from the Sharks and requested $75,000 for a 10% stake in her business.

Although Mark Cuban was impressed by Fitzner's story and pitch, he wasn't interested in the bridal industry, so he turned her down. Robert Herjavec thought she wasn't selling Bridal Buddy at a high-enough price point and didn't see a future with the product if it wasn't in brick-and-mortar shops, so he declined as well. Before anyone else could object, the model jumped in to sing Fitzner's praises, and Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner teamed up to offer $75,000 with 25% equity each. Meanwhile, Barbara Corcoran wanted the deal for 33%. After going back and forth, they settled on 30%, and Fitzner accepted O'Leary and Greiner's deal and walked out ecstatic.

Heather Fitzner's deal with Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner never went through, but Bridal Buddy's exposure on "Shark Tank" helped the brand immensely. After the episode aired, a fan commented on Instagram, "[You] were great on Shark Tank! Congratulations. I'm ordering one now for my daughter!" Another "Shark Tank" viewer marveled at the ingenious idea of Bridal Buddy, stating on Reddit, "This was one of those 'Why hasn't this existed before?' things. Pretty simple in concept and I couldn't imagine a bride not wanting this. All they need is a decent deal with David's Bridal and they're set." Amid all the chatter, Fitzner hopped onto the thread to share the update that Bridal Buddy had a patent pending, and the line soon expanded.

What's more, Fitzner has shown that she has no hard feelings for "Shark Tank" business gurus Kevin O'Leary and Lori Greiner despite the deal falling through. She shared how thankful she was for the chance to pitch Bridal Buddy to them, which undoubtedly gave Fitzner the platform she needed to grow her business. In 2023, the entrepreneur posted a picture on LinkedIn of her and Greiner talking on the "Shark Tank" set and gushed, "Just looking back at this photo makes me feel so grateful for this opportunity. It truly was a huge leap into the next atmosphere for Bridal Buddy."

If you're wondering whether Bridal Buddy is still in business because you want to get your hands on one, you're in luck, as Heather Fitzner is showing no signs of slowing down with the brand and is active on social media. She regularly promotes the product on TikTok, and in one video, she showed how Bridal Buddy could even be useful while walking in inclement weather. "Keep your skirt clean and dry out in the rain and mud with Bridal Buddy!" she captioned the video. Fitzner also takes the time to produce fresh images for her brand, sharing on LinkedIn in 2024, "Photo shoots and [TikTok] videos are so much fun to me. When you find a great photographer and model to work with — it's truly rewarding to see the end results!!"

@bridalbuddy

Keep your skirt clean and dry out in the rain and mud with Bridal Buddy! #bridalbuddy #bride #wedding #rain #weddingdaytiktok #sharktankproducts #bridesmaids #weddingdress

♬ Love Gun – Ruby Red

It looks like Bridal Buddy has lasting power — after all, the idea is pretty ingenious. It's sold on Amazon and Etsy for the original price of $29.95, and according to the reviews, brides find it pretty useful. "It was easy to use. Simply flip it inside out, gather the skirt material, and tighten the drawstring. It took me about 3 minutes to prepare myself for the bathroom by myself (probably would be faster with a friend's help, or if I had practiced it beforehand), and about 1 minute to reset it afterward," one reviewer wrote on Amazon. However, some have described the material as rough, and others thought the skirt was too long, so not everybody is over the moon for Bridal Buddy. Still, from struggling to gain traction to now selling in major online stores, Fitzner has made Bridal Buddy one of the 10 best fashion and beauty "Shark Tank" products you can still buy today.

After "Shark Tank," Heather Fitzner didn't let the ball stop rolling with Bridal Buddy, and in June 2017 — a month after her episode aired — she told Her Network, "I'm working on adding on to the line of Bridal Buddy to accommodate different styles of gowns. I also have another bathroom-related product that is in the works that will make everyone's life a little easier!" And she did precisely that: Fitzner came up with a second Bridal Buddy that features an elasticized waist rather then needing to be cinched with a drawstring like the original. Its name? The Super Comfortable Elastic Waist Bridal Buddy. Clever!

Fitzner's creativity didn't end with the Bridal Buddy, either. She also invented the Christmas Tree Bagger with help from her husband, Garett. After struggling to get their holiday trees in and out of their house, they had the bright idea to use a Bridal Buddy to help contain the needles. Thus, the Christmas Tree Bagger was born, and similar to the original invention, it bundles up Christmas trees using a drawstring. The product is currently being sold for $39.95 and can hold trees up to 8 feet tall.

Finally, as with all good ideas, Bridal Buddy has inspired others to copy the concept, as dupes have popped up online since Fitzner's episode of "Shark Tank" aired. That's what happens when an idea is just too good, but hopefully, Heather Fitzner thinks imitation is a form of flattery rather than an insult.

Now, check out some "Shark Tank" beauty pitches that didn't get a deal but still saw success.