Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Metropolitan Weddings Podcast
Meet The Wedding Pro - Cameron with Something Blue and Co.
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Brides keep asking for the same things: a jacket that looks great in photos, a robe that feels special, and thoughtful “something blue” gifts that don’t feel cheesy. We sat down with Kamryn Gracie’s Bridal to share how those recurring requests sparked Something Blue and Co, a sister brand dedicated to day-of essentials, custom jackets, and playful extras you’ll actually use.
We walk through the origin story: constant buzz at wedding shows about the team’s denim jackets, shoppers looking for garters and keepsake handkerchiefs, and the decision to launch fast by Valentine’s Day. Kamryn explains what sells and why—custom last names, Bible verses, and phrases that live beyond the wedding day—and how the catalog spans white, black, and classic denim, leather, pearls, fringe, and more. You’ll also hear why having the same assortment online and in-store matters for group planning, gifting, and keeping the look consistent from getting ready to the sparkler exit.
If you’re hunting for trends, pearls remain strong, now stepping off jackets and into cozy travel-ready sets like pearl-accent sweatsuits. We talk Nashville vibes, photo-friendly styling, and the practical side of growth: SEO, fulfillment, and how wedding shows act as a testing ground for new drops. The energy is entrepreneurial and real—big ideas balanced by logistics, with a focus on making shopping easy and fun for brides and their people.
Ready to build your look with smart, personal details? Explore SomethingBlueCo.com or toggle from GraciesBridal.com to browse the full lineup, then swing by the Glenstone store to try favorites in person. If you enjoyed this conversation, tap follow, share it with a friend who’s planning, and leave a quick review to help others find the show.
Welcome And Guest Introduction
SPEAKER_04Welcome to Metropolitan Wedding. I'm back.
SPEAKER_03I'm John, and we are here to educate couples with information from wedding professionals in the industry. Our goal is to make the wedding planning process as seamless as possible by providing you with insight from industry professionals. Okay, couples, let's get this party started.
SPEAKER_04Hello, listeners. Welcome. We are here today with one of our longtime merchants. Would you please introduce yourself and your business?
Gracie’s Bridal Backstory
SPEAKER_02Hi, yes. My name is Cameron Hudding. I own Gracie's Bridal, and we just launched a second company, which is a sister company to Gracie's called Something Blue and Co.
SPEAKER_04Yes. We're very excited to talk about Something Blue and Co. But in case you didn't know, Gracie's is one of our dress companies that you've possibly met at the show or seen in the magazine. How long have you been doing Gracie's?
SPEAKER_02Oh geez. So we've been open for 18 years. I have been in it for seven or eight years, and I have owned it for three and a half.
SPEAKER_04Three and a half. I don't know why it feels like we've known you for your whole life. Because you're so young.
SPEAKER_01Well, I mean she's she's only she's only seventeen. I know, right? We have known her since she was 10. That's not true. But she yeah.
SPEAKER_04I mean, I do feel like that we've known her and then we met your husband and then your children, and you know, we've been along this journey with you.
SPEAKER_03We have. Yeah. For sure.
SPEAKER_04So it talking about journeys, your business has been taking a journey. And tell us why and what something blue and co is.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so um funny thing. About two years ago, we started selling these denim jackets um that brides can get their last name customized on. Um, we always, as a team, wear them to wedding shows and we just got so many inquiries about where can they buy them online, all that good stuff. Um, and we just also had a lot of brides coming in asking things like, where can I get a garter? Where can I get all this, you know, day of essentials that you know you need but don't really know where to get. Um so something blue and co was kind of born out of a necessity. People were looking for it and we had it and we were like, why are we not selling this online? If people want to have it, like what that just seems silly. There's a market for it, let's do it. Um, and so I brought this idea to my husband. Um trying to think. It was first what which day was the wedding show this January? Um, like the first weekend of January, second weekend of January.
SPEAKER_04I think for the second second, yeah.
From Idea To Launch On Valentine’s Day
SPEAKER_02Yeah, like the second weekend. And that Monday I came to my husband, I was like, I have this idea. I don't know if this is a now idea or a later idea, but I think there's something here. Um, and we launched on Valentine's Day because I have um no patients. So um we do have a website. Um, but we are really excited for this upcoming wedding show because we're gonna be in person. We have a lot of fun stuff coming for that. We've been putting some or special orders in just for that. Um, so we're really excited to see where it goes.
What’s In The Shop: Essentials And Gifts
SPEAKER_04I love it. So the sister company, as you explained to Gracie, something blue and co is all encompassing of tell us like just kind of a long bullet list of the types of items you guys have.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, so um it's just kind of your wedding day essentials and the other odds and ends that you maybe don't think of, oh, this would really add to my day. Um, like that we have custom denim jackets and leather jackets that you can get your Rostan handput on. We have, you know, the handkerchiefs you can give to grandma, or we have some that say something blue, so it can be your something blue for that day. Um, we have little books that you can write in at your gift shower that say who got you it and what it was and all if you've written the thank you yet. We have the sunglasses that say bride, we have getting ready robes, just all those odds and ends, t-shirts that say bride, just all the fun stuff, you know, that it just makes your bridal experience like a little bit more fun.
SPEAKER_04Yeah, and you keep talking about like it's online, but I feel like going in and seeing the things that kind of sparks like the oh yeah, yeah, yeah. How fun would this be? We could use it here or I don't know, like right, for sure.
SPEAKER_02Putting Yeah, and we do have a section in our store with all of this uh merchandise. Um, so that's a great place if you want to kind of come browse. That section is always growing. Um, I tell my girls that they need to let me stop make me stop buying things because I see something cute and I'm like, well, this has to come in. Um so we just got these hats in that are so cute that say marriage material on them. Um I think those are adorable. So I keep finding more stuff and adding more vendors, which is always super fun.
SPEAKER_04It's a good thing I don't work there, Cameron, because I also love merchandise. I know. And we would just uh I would constantly be like, yes, let's do get that.
SPEAKER_02Yeah. I'm like, I don't I'm out of this phase of my life, but I need someone to have it for me because I think it's too cute.
unknownYeah.
SPEAKER_04100%. We're like, I I don't need this, but you need it.
SPEAKER_02Absolutely.
Custom Jackets And Endless Options
SPEAKER_04So what is so you've only had something blue and co like I don't even know, this is a few months basically. Um and have do you find um more online sales or in-person sales?
SPEAKER_02Um, I would say more in person than online. We're still really working on um growing all the SEO related to um something blue. There's a lot that goes into that. Um so I'm we're working on it. Um we have had some even orders from New York, which is fun to see it kind of growing that way. Um, but we're focusing on, you know, having it in store, just getting the word out there.
SPEAKER_04Do you guys have merchandise online that you don't have in the store?
SPEAKER_02Um, no, everything that we have online we also have in store.
SPEAKER_04So really you could do it either way. You could go online and then have your friends go and look too if everybody couldn't like make a trip to the store to find things together. It could just be like let's just go look online and see.
SPEAKER_02Right. And that was kind of our goal to be a little bit more accessible than um having to come in store here. Um we just think, you know, that's where the market is moving and we want to be able to be available to people. We don't see bridal ever going that direction, but these little odds and ends definitely can be.
SPEAKER_04I like all your um like you were talking about the jean jackets that I've seen. Like some of them have friends.
SPEAKER_02I feel like yes, I feel like our team gets a new set of them like once a year because a new pattern comes out and I'm obsessed. Um we're about to some of the girls are about to get some that already even like ordering them for themselves. And you can put anything you want on the back. So I have some girls doing like Bible verses on the back. We've had one of them get Boy Mama on the back. Um, just all the fun, you know, denim jackets that you see around. And we have a book that you can order from as well that has I don't even know how many jacket options in it. So many different prints, leather, white denim, normal denim, black denim, fringe, pearls, like anything you can imagine. Um, there's so many options in there that you can customize completely to what you want.
Styling, Longevity, And Photo-Friendly Looks
SPEAKER_04How fun that's fun. I know. I I've seen them too in like because when the weddings come in for like me to put in the magazine and stuff, those jean jackets are like perfect for after the wedding if it's chilly out. You know what I mean? Like some of these where the you what they want to put something on so that is like still within the vibe and like adding to the pictures instead of taking away from them by being some random sweater they put on.
SPEAKER_02I love that you can actually wear it after that when it says their new last name, it's not like bride. Like you can wear the bride one until you're a wife or whatever. Um, but the custom jackets, it's just your new last name. So there's not like a limit to when you can wear that.
SPEAKER_01That's a good point.
SPEAKER_03That's super cute.
SPEAKER_01You guys need to put like your own little some sort of identifying thing so the next time we're in Nashville and we see all the girls out, we can say, Hey, I know where those came from.
unknownOh yes. Yeah.
SPEAKER_04How many how many jean jackets do you see when you were out in Nashville?
SPEAKER_01Oh my god. Was it a worth jean jackets, white boots, and c white cowboy hat.
Trends: Pearls And New Merch Drops
SPEAKER_02Listen, you don't have to call me out like that. I was just in Nashville last week and I didn't like to wear white boots and jean jackets.
SPEAKER_01It's you're fine. It's the uniform. It's all good.
SPEAKER_03Yes. And it's like it's like a rite of passage too. I mean, you get to do it. It's fun.
SPEAKER_02I yes. We I was just out there last week um for one of our designers had an event and they invited me out to preview the new collection. And naturally everyone there was wearing uh, you know, the white cowgirl boots, denim, like all that. I'm like, it went in Rome. Absolutely. That is true.
SPEAKER_04Yes. Uh so what do you what is uh are you willing to spill the tea on what is the upcoming jean jacket trend?
SPEAKER_02Oh um, I think pearls are still really hitting hard. Um I have we just are starting to get our our shipments in for this new season, so we're really excited to see that all coming to store. I think one of the big things that our one of our wholesalers released, um it's not actually jean jackets, it's um pearl sweatsuit, which is really fun for like a getaway. So be watching for us in the wedding show. We have all this fun stuff coming. Um, we're really excited to kind of get that out into the market. And I we're kind of branching out a little bit from just jean jackets too. So we're getting all that kind of fun stuff.
Founder Mindset And Growing Pains
SPEAKER_04Pearl sweatsuits. I kinda like it. I'm just taking a minute to like imagine what the I think it's gonna look like so that when I see it, I can be like, yep, that's or oh that is not what I was thinking. Well, that's fun. I love it. I'm excited for you guys and your new venture. I'm not surprised even a little bit, you and your new ventures seem to happen frequently. I can't believe all the new ventures that we've been on with you have happened in the last three and a half years.
SPEAKER_02Yes, I have a hard time sitting still.
SPEAKER_04I think that I would agree that about you.
SPEAKER_03On top of like having babies and raising them and yeah, you definitely stayed. What's one more thing? What's one more thing? But you do it well, so that's what matters.
SPEAKER_02Thank you.
SPEAKER_03I tell you what.
SPEAKER_02I feel like every time I come to my husband with another idea, he's like, You've gotta be kidding me. He told me I couldn't open a coffee shop because it was a little too much right now.
SPEAKER_04It was a little too much right now. I like it that it's like has nothing to do with the wedding industry. Well, it does, but like not really uh the bridal shop.
SPEAKER_02Right. He said maybe later, but not right now.
SPEAKER_00What what about a coffee cart inside the dress store?
SPEAKER_02See, I wanted to open a to-go coffee shop in our public, and fortunately someone else made that happen without me having to open it. Oh he said it's a good idea, but not for us right now. Someone else can do it.
SPEAKER_04How many, let's be honest, how many times has he said that to you?
SPEAKER_02Honestly, not very many. Okay. He's normally on board for whatever I say. But that was the He's a good one.
SPEAKER_00I I know that role. I know that role.
SPEAKER_05Yes.
SPEAKER_00Like, I don't say no. I say, okay, how can we make that work?
SPEAKER_02Let's talk about it. So you you sound like me.
SPEAKER_03We are innovators, and I've got I'm sitting in the room with two people who look at me and say, That's not gonna work.
SPEAKER_02Listen, I just don't like taking no for the answer.
SPEAKER_03Oh, me either. I get away with it more with Adam. Meg looks at me and is like, and who's gonna organize this? Who's gonna do this? What time do we have? And I'm like, okay, okay, fine, fine.
Booth Plans, Big Ideas, And Coffee Dreams
SPEAKER_04Yeah, there are more logistics that don't make the first round of of like brainstorm. Don brainstorms big.
SPEAKER_03I brainstorm big, but then I yeah, but I don't I don't do logistics. Exactly.
SPEAKER_02I told Don or I told Meg that I ordered more stuff for the wedding show, and my husband said, why do we need that? And I'm like, it needs to be bigger every time. So if anyone's selling a semi, um literally bigger U-Haul. I'm gonna have to.
SPEAKER_03Which means I need to call you later and we'll talk about your next booth. I think I I think you need a double booth for that.
SPEAKER_02Oh, geez. I already have enough, I think. I think three is plenty. Three the crown.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's awesome.
SPEAKER_00I love it though.
SPEAKER_04Not for your coffee shop.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, she definitely needs a double booth for that one.
SPEAKER_02Listen, we might be on to something here. I think so. It could happen. Can you imagine a coffee shop there?
SPEAKER_04Can it be Nashville um themed so that everybody can wear their white boots again?
SPEAKER_02Yeah, yeah, I think that's a great idea.
How To Find The Brands Online And In-Store
SPEAKER_04Yeah. I love it. Well, so online or in person, how do they find you?
SPEAKER_02Um, so online, you can go to somethingblueco.com or gracie'sbridal.com. They have have links at the top to toggle between the websites. Um, and then we are here on Glenstone, 2724 South Glenstone across from the mall. Um, we have all of our goodies in here as well. Awesome.
SPEAKER_04Thank you for hanging out with us today and sharing your fun uh business with us. Of course. We'll talk to you soon.
SPEAKER_02Sounds great. Thanks for having me.
SPEAKER_04All right, I'm like, I feel like I'm alone. Like they're over there, like, we're not saying goodbye. You say goodbye. You say goodbye.
SPEAKER_03I'm not saying goodbye. I'll see you see you next time. See you next time.
SPEAKER_00You hang up. Nope, you hang up.
SPEAKER_03You hang up. We all just went back to eighth grade.
SPEAKER_00You hang up. Literally.
SPEAKER_02You hang up. Listen, my husband didn't have a cell phone until we were in high school, but we started dating in eighth grade. And so we would sit and talk on the landline for hours.
SPEAKER_03That's hilarious.
SPEAKER_01To put that into perspective, what year was that?
SPEAKER_03Uh 2013.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, that is crazy.
SPEAKER_03Oh my gosh. 2013. Shoot, I had two kids by then. Yeah. And they were in the eighth grade on the phone talking for hours. That's adorable. Yes. Aww. Oh my gosh. All right, fine. We'll say goodbye. I'm hanging up. Bye.
SPEAKER_04Thank you for joining us for Metropolitan Weddings Engage Podcast. Be sure to click subscribe so you are notified when our new episodes drop. For more information and to get connected with merchants for your wedding, visit MetropolitanWeddings.com. You'll find information on upcoming wedding shows, access to our blog, Facebook, and IG. Also look for the latest issue of Metropolitan Weddings on newsstands near you. Email any questions or suggestions for topics to Hello at MetropolitanWeddings.com.