Mocha Girl on a Mission: Bridgette Bartlett-Royall from BlackBridalBliss

I am a Mocha Girl on a Mission because…

I launched BlackBridalBliss.com five months after getting laid off from what many of my friends and family considered a “good job”. My goal was to create an online space where Black women — and that includes all women of the African Diaspora, not just Americans — who were engaged and recently married could be celebrated. There were very limited platforms that featured Black women in their bridal bliss and told their rich stories. I was exhausted by the lame “Black women are all bitter, lonely and unlovable” narrative and decided to do something to counter it. We are resilient and driven yet can also be vulnerable and romantic. Whether we’re tying the knot in a courthouse or a castle, our weddings contain creative nuances that other bridal outlets just weren’t capturing. That is how BlackBridalBliss.com was born. The mission is so much bigger than weddings as images are far more powerful than any of us realize. I ‘m doing what I can to help shift the perception of Black women — even for other Black women.

Obstacles…

Whew! I’ve definitely had my share of obstacles as we all have and I know there are more to come. One that I’ll share is when I was laid off in 2009 prior to launching BlackBridalBliss.com. In addition to the obvious disappointment of losing a steady paycheck, 401K matching and health/dental benefits, I had to navigate the unpredictable world of freelancing and being an entrepreneur quickly. Working for yourself is often isolating, not to mention you eat what you kill. Thankfully my awesome support system including my mother and brother had my back every step of the way. I will never be able to thank God enough for them.

Accomplishments…

I actually have four! They are:

1) Becoming a landlord at 30 years old. It was far bigger than just becoming a home owner. I wanted to help preserve my family legacy.
2) Quitting my first job at ESSENCE Magazine to study and live abroad in London.
3) Launching BlackBridalBliss.com and getting feedback from women all over the world (!) who express that the site has inspired them in some way.
4) Marrying a loving, thoughtful and hilarious man who supports my passions.

Keep in touch with Bridgette on social media!

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