Did you watch the season premiere of Bridezillas last night? If so, I’m sure you asked, “What the %*#$??!!” at least twice during viewing. (Admit it.) Well, I have a little more guilty pleasure for ya. Triple B caught up with newlywed Erica to find out if she feels the WEtv cameras added extra stress to her wedding planning, if she ever made peace with her sister and what she thinks about the show’s unmarried critics. (I guess that includes me, huh?) BONUS: Erica offers bridal tips for you nearlyweds as well!
Black Bridal Bliss: So you’ve been married a few months and the dust has settled a bit from your wedding planning. Do you have any regrets since watching the show clips?
Erica: Well, I now recognize that I could have done some things differently in terms of the planning. I did wait until the last minute to do some things. But at the end of the day a lot of last minute preparation stems from when people who you think are going to be around to help you aren’t.
BBB: Do you think that the added stress of planning your wedding made you act out of character?
Erica: Its like this: You want everything to be perfect. Your wedding is one day that you put so much time, money and effort into. I don’t think people who aren’t married or who haven’t planned a wedding get that. Once they go through it they’ll see what other brides have to go through. They’re looking at everything from the outside so they don’t see all the stress involved; you want everything to be flawless.
BBB: Did you watch the show before you got engaged?
Erica: Yeah, I used to watch Bridezillas all the time. I used to laugh at it. I was like, ‘They’re crazy!’ But, when you’re put in that situation it is different. You don’t know everything about a person until you’re put in their shoes.
BBB: Did the cameras filming you add an extra layer of angst during your wedding planning?
Erica: Yes, you have cameras and people you don’t know in your face all day during the most stressful time – the week before the wedding. So that can kinda add to it because sometimes you want to be alone and not be bothered. But even if the cameras weren’t there I think some things still would have happened because bridesmaids and friends weren’t pulling their weight, nobody was helping or acting like they cared. It gets aggravating after awhile when no one is answering their phone or around to help. When you were first engaged, everybody wanted to be in the wedding and everyone wanted to lend a hand.
BBB: The argument with your sister Jamika was pretty intense. Have you guys made up?
Erica: My sister and I are very close; that’s my baby. She agreed to help and then when it was time to do the work she said, ‘ Oh I have to study.’ She [eventually] helped and I even helped her study later. Every family fusses – especially siblings – but at the end of the day we’re going to help each other. That love is still there no matter what.
BBB: Erica, please share your words of wisdom on keeping stress to a minimum to all the planning brides here on Triple B.
Erica: Just don’t depend on anyone. There will be some people who will say they’re going to help you and stick to their words. But do what you can by yourself and don’t stress over the rest. It hurts when you feel like the people who are supposed to be there the most aren’t so just keep your expectations low. It is your wedding day not anyone else’s and you don’t want to have any regrets.
What do you think of Erica’s take on her bridezilla behavior: ridiculous or justified?
B, you were on it! I watched the episode and I was saying “What the F#$%!” through the whole thing. I know how crazy and stressful the last week can be. I locked myself out the house as I was loading the car and had to drive 30-minutes to get my keys from my husband.
Erica, congrats!!! Marriage is beautiful. When you have God, you don’t have to depend on others.
Erica your wedding was beautiful! I completely understand yeah watching the show I was like what the F#$% also. But you are right that last week and day before is so stressful. I had to do alot of running around on the day before my wedding and the day of. The hotel lost the tuxedos, everyone that said they will help wanted to get pretty while I missed all my appointments driving around getting rentals for the hall with one car. And to add insult to injury the day before was my birthday. I was tired and very cranky the whole time that after the rehearsel and my now hubby planned a birthday party for the rehearsel dinner I really didn’t enjoy it because I was so exhausted. And I waited to do somethings on the last minute also. I had alot of help in the beginning but that last week everyone was MIA! You had a beautiful wedding and you looked really pretty. Good luck on your marriage and remember to put god first!
I know that planning a wedding is stressful, but some of Erica’s behavior was just unforgivable. You catch more flies with honey than vinegar. They way she treated her sister was ghastly. Family is always there not matter what. You can’t possibly think your wedding plans can be a priorty to someone’s education. I think if Erica had voiced her requests for help in a more civil manner she could have avoided a lot of the aggravation and nonsense. I know she probably isn’t embarassed by her behavior but she should be.
There is no defending her disgusting behaviour, she is a horrible person, the more she recognizes this, the higher chance she will change, she ruined it for her self, and the fact that she still mentions others letting her down, and the whole planning being the only thing she would do different, even though the hint was there, offering her some sort of redemption, her selfishness still blindsided her and she missed the bait.
Horrible woman, feel sorry for her husband, family, infact any one who has to come in contact with her, it was no camera trick.
I heard some one mention religion, and god up top there, why do you need a god to dictate how to feel? and how you should be treating other people? You NEED other people, more than god, you need other people to feel empathy, and love, amongst other things. I am not religious, but I do as jesus did if you will, because I can look into my self and others, rather than a bible and religion. She needs to do the same thing, you cant hide behind religion, and you cant use religion as a front. If there is a god he WILL judge you on this, are you acting nice and kind because you think god will judge you, or do you choose that path because its the right thing to do? Did jesus do what he did because he was scared of not being accepted into heaven? Apparently not, he did it out of love, look into your self more.