If you don’t tune into the Little Women series on Lifetime, the Atlanta installment in particular, you are really missing out. From faked pregnancies to lost engagement rings and baby daddy issues, these little women have big drama. But in the newest spinoff of the popular franchise, they’re celebrating a major milestone: marriage. Tiffany “Monie” Cashette is finally wedding her longtime love, Morlin, and we’re all going to be able to tune into not only the nuptials, but the planning process leading up to the big day with Monie Gets Married. And despite this being a huge and positive moment, in true Little Women fashion, you know there have to be theatrics.
We talked to Monie about prepping for her wedding day, if she ever found that huge engagement ring she lost and why she’s making an extra special effort to be submissive now that she’s married. Check out our chat, and be sure to watch Monie Gets Married when it premieres tonight at 10 p.m. on Lifetime.
LaJoy Cox
MadameNoire: How did the planning process go?
Tiffany “Monie” Cashette: I needed a professional for real. Miss Juicy did try to help me but we went through a lot and I didn’t know what I really wanted. I couldn’t make up my mind. I just chose my colors and I thought that would be it. But there was a lot to do. She put me on to the best wedding planner in Atlanta, and it went from there. I probably was the most difficult client, but it’s a lot. It is a lot planning a wedding.
Did you ever find your engagement ring after misplacing it?
No, I never found the ring. The last place it was was on the counter. Morlin put it on the counter because I was taking a bath. I think it fell down the sink and I did have a plumber come out. They said that I likely washed it down the drain. I never found that ring but I still have our wedding ring and I guard that with my life. I learned my lesson [laughs].
What did you think about people trying to debunk your story about the ring, even claiming you may have pawned it?
First of all, let’s do the math. That’s where I start. Ok, if I pawned my ring, let’s do the math, how much would I really get for a $3,500 ring? I would have to go and beg and give them my life story just to give me more than what? $900? That wouldn’t make any sense. I’m a real one, so I’m not going to pawn it. I’m just going to say, “We’re going to take this back.” I want the whole $3,500, honey. What am I going to do with $500 from $3,500? Exactly. So nah. When they said that I said, “That’s crazy.” I was reading those comments on Twitter.
How did your dress come to be?
I knew it was short notice because as soon as Morlin said yes, I was like, let me just jump on this. I don’t want to wait a long time. I wanted to go ahead while he was still in the phases of “Let’s go ahead and do it.” I knew I wouldn’t have time to order a dress because of my height so I was already like, “I know I’m going to have to get it made.” So I actually designed it myself — I knew what I wanted — and Juicy hooked me up with Mr. Nate. He’s a seamstress here in Atlanta, and he helped me. He brought my dress to life. It was good because it was the first time I ever had anything made specifically for me based on my design or my own style, so I was happy. I was really happy when it all came together. Now, the process? Uh uh. It was crazy. I was questioning myself in between like, “Are you serious girl? Why didn’t I just go buy a dress and have him hem it?” Then I was scared. And you know, sometimes when you’re putting a dress together, there were parts that I didn’t really understand. I knew the train would be long, but there were phases of the dress too. Sometimes he would be within a phase and I’m thinking, “Oh my God.” Then I started thinking about the time: “What if he doesn’t finish my dress? Plus, he has to make the other girls’ dresses.” It was crazy and I’m actually taking the world on this journey with me to see the ups and downs that I had and experienced.
Was that the biggest stressor in the wedding planning process for you, your changing feelings and worries about your dress? Or were there issues also with family?
Well, you’ll see that we say, “Oh we’re going to Jamaica!” Well, there was a problem with the venue. And that’s the most stressful part because with the dress, I knew I could work that out. But when you don’t have a venue? And in the show you guys see that I find out that if I do have a wedding in Jamaica, it may not be family there because there’s other stuff going on with my family. It’s just crazy. It’s a lot of drama. And I know people are like, “I can’t wait to see how the wedding played out,” but I just hope people who are getting married, this will be a lesson to them. Maybe they’ll say, “Hey, maybe I need to plan earlier.” I just hope everybody takes something out of this as well. I’m opening up about family issues, all of that. It’s me. It ain’t just fun and we’re going to pick a flower and walk down the aisle. It’s my whole journey, you feel me? My whole journey.
LaJoy Cox
One of your concerns during this past season was that Morlin’s job required a lot of travel. How have you adjusted to that? That’s a lot to take into a marriage.
I feel like he was able to see where I was coming from. He did turn his work around to where he could be home at least every day. And that’s better. So I’m glad and I feel like that’s better for our relationship. Because when you’re having problems and then you put distance in the equation, it’s not good. I didn’t know if it was more or less me or his job after a while. Was he taking on more hours to stay away from me? Because he was really hurt about that ring and I get it. I understand. But I realized that when he was putting that distance between us, he was using that time to put in work. He knew he was going to have to buy me another one, so he just went ahead and put in the work. But I’m glad about everything because I got my wedding and I got my man. I’m still winning!
Did Minnie have a part in your wedding and planning? I know you guys were close but you went through things when she found out that Miss Juicy was going to be the maid of honor.
You know, Minnie already told y’all she didn’t want to go “the ratchet wedding,” so you’ll have to see how that played out. But last year, when we talked about the wedding, she said she didn’t want to be a part of that ratchet wedding. But it’s cool. I look at it like this: We all go through stuff, me and the girls, but at the same time, when we’re all really in need, regardless of what we say to each other, when you really need something, we come through for each other. We might be talking noise coming up the street, but we’re going to come for you. We’re going to pull together to support you. So just know, that’s how we roll. In the end, I had all my girls there to support me, so that’s what I can tell you.
What’s next for you and Morlin? You’re married and you know people are probably going to start bugging you about kids, but I know you already have a son.
At this time, I don’t want anymore kids, but I don’t know what the future might hold because now I’m married. I don’t have the whole say so. But as far as right now, me and Morlin, we’re good. We’re trying to see if I can get my son here. But we’re enjoying each other. I’m trying to learn to be submissive because I have a strong will at times. But now I know it’s not just about me. I can’t be spoiled. It’s not Monie’s way. I’m just learning that part of being submissive, giving in and then trying to get this situation together of having my son here. Maybe in six more months I might have a lot of other stuff to tell you, but right now we’re still in the honeymoon phase of things. We’re still enjoying each other. It’s still good right now.
Based on what you just said as far as submission, I know you’ve been together for more than two years. Did you feel like you needed to be more submissive now that you’re going into marriage? A lot of us give a big side-eye to submission because we have the definition of it confused.
This is my second marriage, and the first time I was really young. I married at 19. I didn’t understand everything and the way I looked at submission at the time was if he says do this, you just say ok. But that’s not what it is. It’s more or less meeting in the middle. Times have changed. We women have to work now, so your partner has to be a helpmate. Y’all both have to grind together to get where you want to be a little faster. I have a voice, too. So, to me, it’s about communicating. That shutdown stuff and talking about leaving? You can’t do that no more. It’s not, if I get mad at you, you can just leave or I can just leave. It’s about working through our problems.
I started at 100 with my temper, and I’m working on that. I knew I would have to change my attitude to do what I wanted to do, so that’s what I’m learning too. I’m not going to say I’m cured, because there are still those key things that will get me to pop. But I am trying to do better and learn when it is appropriate to turn up and turn down. You’re all going to see this too in the season. The old Monie comes out, and it’s definitely a journey.
