Y&R Star Camryn Grimes Previews Mariah and Tessa’s Wedding

Love is in the air! The romance of Mariah Copeland and Tessa Porter on The Young and the Restless is culminating in the couple’s wedding next week. Soap Hub sat down with Camryn Grimes, who plays Mariah, to preview the big event.

Camryn Grimes Talks Tessa and Mariah’s Wedding

While some soaps have had same-sex wedding ceremonies, the marriage between singer Tessa Porter (Cait Fairbanks) and Mariah is Y&R’s first. Grimes has the inside scoop on what to expect at the wedding and shares whether or not her TV nuptials are providing any inspiration for her upcoming real-life marriage.

Soap Hub: Tell us about your gown?
Camryn Grimes: David [Zyla], our head of wardrobe, came and he talked through it, initially. He had anywhere from five to 10 dresses at the first fitting. From the second fitting, it was like, ‘Yep, this is it.’ My biggest issue was that would the dress be comfortable. I know from attending weddings that this is something I’ll be in for one to three days. [Laughs] I’ll know I’ll hate it by the end, but I wanted a gown that I’d hate the least. We decided on these headdress/headbands sort of things. I knew a great company in New York called Lelet [that makes them].

Soap Hub: What are your thoughts on being a part of Y&R’s first same-sex wedding?
Camryn Grimes: The simplest answer I can give is, ‘It’s about time.’ I will say I couldn’t be more glad that it’s these two characters. Their journey is special and unique. I’m happy that it’s Mariah and Tessa. As an actor, I’m honored that we get to be the first [same-sex wedding on Y&R]. I sincerely hope that we’re not the last. We consider [Mariah and Tessa’s love story] a resounding success. I hope the audience feels that way too. I hope they experience those wonderful butterfly feelings and have fun along with us.

Soap Hub: Did you get to work with anyone you don’t usually get to for the wedding?
Camryn Grimes: We can still be in a pattern of two-person scenes. So, it was really nice to work with Greg [Rikaart, Kevin] and Liz [Hendrickson, Chloe]. Before Michael [Mealor, Kyle] had left I hadn’t done a ton of stuff with him either. So, it was great to see him.

I’m sure that people don’t believe me when I say this – you’ll hear it across the board — but the worst thing about doing weddings is the long hours, and the best thing is that you get to hang out with your co-stars. It’s so rare we get to do that. There’s the holiday Christmas party and the Daytime Emmys. We don’t all hang out in hair and makeup anymore. It’s very different. The opportunity to hang out is just great. When you’re tired and your feet hurt and you don’t feel you can shoot another shot, it’s the laughter and energy [from your colleagues] that keep you going.

Soap Hub: What do Tessa and Mariah bring to each other’s lives?
Camryn Grimes: I think they’re two people who have, not despite their ups and downs but because of them, grown. They were two people who were in incredible need of perspective and growth. They crashed into each other and naturally, pulled that out of each other over time. That’s why I think they’re such an amazing couple. I think that’s how it should happen in real-life. You never want to stay stagnant. You want to hope that your partner brings out the best in you. I think we’ve seen them bring out quantifiable growth in each other over the last five years.

Soap Hub: Five years? It goes by quickly.
Camryn Grimes: It’s also the real timeline of couples, which is rare for a soap opera!

Soap Hub: Has Mariah’s wedding given you any ideas about your own upcoming real-life marriage ceremony to Brock Foster Powell?
Camryn Grimes: We haven’t even looked at a single venue yet. We’re only now just starting to plan times to go and see places. I have to see this one place first because I can’t get it out of my mind. I need to see it first because I’m going to have to compare everything else to it. I’m an easy shopper. I don’t dilly dally a lot. I do want to see every option and know that I’m making the best choice. I don’t want to jinx it, but I love this one venue – and I haven’t even seen it!

Soap Hub: Mariah thought it wasn’t the best time to have the wedding in light of poor Rey’s [Jordi Vilasuso] death, but Sharon [Sharon Case], Mariah’s mom, insisted they go ahead with it.
Camryn Grimes: That was realistic. Everyone was thinking of Sharon. In a moment of grace, Sharon doesn’t want to derail anything. We’ve included Rey’s last gift to us, which is very nice and poignant.

The Young and the Restless (YR) airs weekdays on CBS. Check your local listings for airtimes. For more about what’s coming up in Genoa City, check out all the latest that’s been posted on Y&R spoilers, and for an in-depth look at the show’s history, click here.