PHOENIX — A wedding is supposed to be an uplifting and unforgettable day, but getting to that day comes with no shortage of expenses or sometimes unmet expectations.
A Valley boutique owner aims to make weddings more accessible for some marginalized communities.
When planning a wedding, it’s not uncommon along the path to the big day to hear the phrase ‘the devil is in the details.’ For Sarah Tyree, some of those details made her feel downright, uncomfortable.
“Without even asking what my budget was, I was offered the low-cost rack,” she said.
Tyree says whether it was her skin tone, who she decided to love, or both, she noticed she wasn’t treated the same as other wedding parties. In one instance, she said her party was offered water, while following parties were given champagne.
Tyree is no stranger to uncomfortable settings, like this.
“By the time I hit, 7th grade, I was already in nine different schools,” she said about the constant change in her life growing up.
Growing up in Maryvale, Tyree sought structure in her life as she became an adult, and found that, in part through her military service, then as a social worker.
So, when her wedding planning turned out to not be as loving as she thought it would be, she used all of life’s experiences to change that for some marginalized communities.
“I have the capacity to create a space for people, so I should do it,” she said.
In July, Sarah opened Goddess Bridal Boutique near 3rd Street and Osborne Road, right along the Phoenix Pride parade route. Thousands who walked in the parade saw her storefront for the very first time this past weekend. She said that the location was intentional.
Not only is her space a place to buy or rent wedding dresses designed in part by allies of the LGBTQ+ community, but also a venue space associated with a network of allied vendors like DJs, officiants and designers.
“It’s one of the most beautiful experiences you can have, you get to see masculine presenting people put on dresses and it’s the most beautiful they’ve ever felt,” she said.
