Wedding season - in full effect!

Life of a Bridal Makeup & Hair Artist:

Great communication is a key to providing the best services for your clients!

There is a great deal in discussing details when it comes to doing the makeup and hair for a Bride and her Bridal Party.  It's not as simple as: "You free on this day?" - "Yes, I am" - "Okey, see ya then!"

No no no!

There are many fine details to go over in providing the best services as a professional artist.

Here are some details that gets discussed between the Bride and myself via emails, which is my preferred method of communication as everything is recorded in writing:

*  Traditional wedding or non-traditional

*  Dress style and how many dresses

*  Desired hairstyle as well as makeup, likes and dislikes

*  Hair extensions or not

*  False lashes or not; and if so discreet or full-on bam!

*  Any allergies to the makeup and/or hair products

*  Hair accessories

*  Style of Tiara and Veil

*  Jewelry:  any accent color on the jewelry?  Silver or gold?  Pearls?

*  How many in the Bridal Party

*  Will there be a specific color scheme for the Bridal Party's look

*  Will I be needing an assistant

*  Reception makeup touch up and/or hair change

*  Makeup & hair for engagement photo shoot

*  Location of preparation for the ceremony

*  Location of the reception for touch ups

*  Booking a trial about a month ahead, take full notes and pictures for record

*  Prepare schedule; back and forth with adjustments if there are any; confirm schedule

*  Prepare Price Quote; back and forth with adjustments if there are any; confirm Price Quote

*  Keeping in touch throughout the days before the Big Day, assuring all is okey and good to go

SO MUCH goes on from months ahead in preparation of the Bride's most precious day!  

I love this season!

I love doing weddings.  The whole event from the beginning to the end, and especially the Big Day, is extremely fulfilling and rewarding.  Making the Bride and her family happy, joyful and beautiful is an amazing feeling. Having that moment where you think to yourself, "Wow, I am a part of one of their most memorable time of their life..." simply puts a smile on my face.  And when I see the Bride and/or her family cry for joy...damn it...I can't help it but to tear up myself!  I feel honored to have the opportunity to be a part of something so wonderful and magical.

Some weddings requires me to be there as early as 5 am!

Early morning wake up call do not bother me at all.  It's actually quote nice to be one of the few driving on the auto-routes at dawn.  Sipping on some coffee, full stomach as I eat a full breakfast no matter how early, and listening to my meditation music on my way to the location preps me to face the day with zen spirit and alertness.

I'm never nervous but...

What I feel most nervous about...is not waking up at all on the day of the wedding!!! Missing the alarm for some stupid reason like dismissing it in my sleep or not setting it up properly the night before...freaks me out!!  I shreak just at the thought of it!
Mind you though, that 15 years of my career and it has NOT happened to me....oh boy, I better not have jinxed it!  

Is it just me?...that I program 3 alarms by my pillow?...just in case? lol  I would do anything to avoid this tragedy.  It's my biggest fear of arriving late, or not arriving at all!

My second worse fear is forgetting my kit at home! (or even a part of it!)

Makeup and hair products are one thing, but forgetting my brushes?  oh la la!  Not good, not good at all!

Am I the only artist who double...no, triple,...no wait, octogonally (?) check their kit, inside & out, the night before the wedding? 

I get a little too perfectionistically-fanatically-crazy (!) and make sure all, including what clothing I wear, ready and good to go the night before.
Better to be safe than sorry, is how I think!  

Taking pictures

After everyone is prepared and the Bride is ready, I sneak in and take pictures for my portfolio.  I have always asked for them to send me some professional photos after the wedding, however, message gets lost in time and find myself missing out on photos to build my portfolio. Totally understandable, though!  Many couples are off to their Honeymoon straight after and it takes time for them to receive the photos from their photographer. So instead of constantly bothering them, which I feel bad doing so, I've learned that the best way was to invest in a good camera and take them myself! 

It's challenging though...to be a ninja and sneak in among their family, their friends, their own professional photographer and videographer in midst of their traditional ceremony...aye! So at times, I give up and I miss out on taking pictures!  I feel terrible for my previous Brides who may not have their pictures on my website! It was me who couldn't take the pictures!  (If you're one of them, please do send me some!  I beg of you!)

A rewarding experience

It's not just about providing professional makeup and hair for their wedding...but to me, it's a spiritual, mental and emotional connection I receive and to be able to provide that gets me to love what I do.  I pour out my 100% of my skill, attentiveness, professionalism and positive attitude for the Bride and her family on the day that is most precious to them.  Celebrating the unity and love of two individuals.  I have seen many different races being joined by marriage.  Seeing the two families come together, despite the differences in customs, traditions and cultures, is the most spiritually beautiful thing I have ever seen.  One can only hope and jump with glee for such positiveness when it comes to their future children being born into their world.

Witnessing the lovebirds, whether from the same sex or not, same race or from a different race...whatever the background,  sharing love and promising one another their commitment to each other is...by far...the most rewarding part of my career.  Brings me to tears every time.

Here is one of many beautiful experience I have witnessed that brought me to tears:

While touching up the Bride who is Chinese for her reception, she was so concerned, since that morning, to do the "right thing" for her Laotian mother-in-law when it came to the traditional ceremony that was to come during the reception.  Which traditional items to put on the head, proper color of lipstick, customary Laotian outfit to wear, customary gestures and moves for the ceremony...the Bride was clearly nervous and concerned wanting to do it perfectly for her Groom's family.  The mother-in-law comes into the room and the Bride asked her to please give her some final details to keep in mind for the traditional ceremony.  The mother-in-law, in her soft loving voice, told the Bride to simply enjoy and have fun.  "It doesn't matter how red your lips are or what traditional clothing to wear.  What matters is that you are there and you have fun!"  As I was touching up her lips, I see her tearing up, lips quivering, with a sigh or releif.  Contentment, but mostly feeling of love and kindness that she felt form her mother-in-law that made her whisper to me, "I'm so blessed to have a nice family".  

Tear jerker, right!!!!

You see!  Can you see why I tear up too!!  I still tear up!  I'm tearing up just as I am typing this!