So...
You have found your PERFECT man/woman, your perfect planner, found your perfect ring, your perfect dress, the perfect venue, the perfect catering company, the perfect flavor for your cake. You have even found the perfect DJ, the perfect bartending service as well as perfect floral arrangements and decor! You are all set for your big day, right?
WRONG.!
You realize you are missing one VERY important thing... your wedding day glam squad! How could you forget!? So it is time to go on the hunt for the PERFECT beauty team to help you feel like your most beautiful and glamours version of yourself for your perfect day! However, you have no idea where to even begin!
Have no fear, I am here to help!
As a licensed professional in the beauty industry with over 12 years experience in both beauty and the wedding industry, I know JUST how to help you find the perfect glam squad for you! Let's break it down step by step. Buckle up beautiful, you are about to unlock to secret to frolicking through the PERFECT bridal beauty experience for YOU.
STEP 1- HAVE A VISION
Sounds easy right? You'd be surprised how many brides have NO IDEA what sort of look they want! Do they want a smokey eye? Soft glam? Do they want a natural look? Do they want big Hollywood waves? Do they want an updo? Well, your artists can't decide that for you, you have to know what you want! Now listen, of course your bridal beauty team will be able to HELP you discover your most perfect look, but you need to have a baseline! What do I mean by that?
Know if you want to experiment or stick to what you know! Do you want to try something you never have tried before? OR do you want to stick to basics and keep it as natural as possible and not too flashy? Full coverage? OR do you want your super cute freckles that your fiancé fell in love with to show through?
Know if you want to stick to a more traditional bridal color palette or if you are wanting a little pop of color somewhere. This could be on the eyes or a bold red lip. I have had brides want GLITTER. Yep, glitter. It isn't for everyone, but she KNEW what she wanted and we delivered!
Know how you best like to view your face. Do you like your hair out of the way so we can see all of that natural beauty in all its glory from every angle? Do you want some framing pieces? Or are you a glamours lady who likes to have her long and luscious hair cascading down her back? Half up half down maybe? Why not have the best of both worlds?
Our job is not JUST to deliver what you think you want, we will for sure help you see a new way of viewing yourself and work toward helping you be fearless in trying new things, however, as mentioned, we need a baseline. We don't want to freak you out! We also need to know where to revert back to if you are feeling that you maybe want a little less of something or even more of something!
STEP 2- BEGIN THE HUNT
It is now time to start harassing everyone you know, including your planner and other vendors you have hired for your big day for recommendations. Let's be honest... if you like the people you hired already, chances are you are going to also like whoever they recommend. Similar energies run in a pack together! You'd be surprised who your DJ knows or even your florist! We all know one another in this industry, especially here on the Central Coast! Here are the steps to step 2. Yep... loads of steps. Stay with me!
Harass your hired vendors for recommendations for hair and makeup teams/companies in the area!
Once they tell you a name or nameS ask them what they like about this particular beauty team! WE ARE LOOKING FOR FOUR KEY COMPONENTS: 1. TALENT/SKILL. 2. PROFESSIONALISM. 3. RELIABILITY. AND 4. FUN! (You do not want a boring beauty team, I promise.)
Compile a list or look up the main person they recommended to you
Find Me. JK LOL
Go online and search their websites, social media etc. to find photos of their work.
Narrow down the artists whose style you like the most as far as their work is concerned. Be aware of the following things when searching for portfolio images: 1. Does this artist have a RANGE, meaning.... Can they do a plethora of vastly different looks? (If so, they will most likely be able to totally nail what you want no matter what it is you want. This means they are versatile and can change gears easily.) 2. Reviews. Read them. 3. Find their social media, do they make reels? Do they post frequently? This way you can see if you and them have similar energy. Will you vibe?
Contact the artist(s) that seem to fit what you like personality/work wise or that intrigue you the most with their personality/work.
When you hear back from the artists you have selected, ask if they offer a free consultation. Arrange this. Whether it be in person, over the phone or over a video call. This will allow you to get to know the person and see if you DO in fact vibe... or don't. That happens too.
Request a quote AFTER you talk to the artist! Sometimes the experience with that particular person is worth a few extra bucks (We, personally, want to have a BLAST! Don't you? No nerves when CCBeautymark is in the house. We are going to chat with ya, make ya dance with us and have a jolly ol' time.)
Once the quotes are in, decide who you want to book with.
WAIT WHAT?! NO TRIAL WITH EACH ONE TO CONFUSE YOURSELF!? Yeah, no. This leads us in to ....
STEP 3- SELECT YOUR ARTIST
Not try one here and try one there. Think of it this way... remember when you were looking at rings or dresses? The more you saw, the more confused you got with what you wanted. This can happen with beauty as well. Find the artist you like the most and work together to create your most beautiful look! The trial should be a time for you to go over what you want and for the artist to give advice and opinions. From there you make necessary changes together so that by the time the big day rolls around, you have EXACTLY what you want pinned down with someone you trust because you have built that bond. Bouncing from artist to artist is not ideal. Of course, if you meet your artist and they are nothing at all like you expected, they are rude, you don't vibe or the makeup looks absolutely nothing like anything they have shown in their portfolios, as in.... they gave you a unibrow and black lips with a glitter cut crease topped off with 301 lashes when their website showcased very natural looking bridal makeup... then ok, I get it. But seriously aside from legitimate issues, stick with one person and work together to customize a look that is tailored to you specifically. TRUST me on this.
STEP 4- ASK QUESTIONS.
Ask your artists ALL the questions. Ask their experiences with timeline creation, how they handle any set backs, what their process is, how many people they are capable of finishing within a specific timeframe. How many years they been in the game? What pushed them in to this career? (Finding out someone's true passion and love for their career will tell you all you really need to know about the job you will receive from them!) Get to know your artist and how their mind works. Make sure they have a game plan and are responsible with their business. Discuss the expectations you are hoping they are able to meet. BUT remains respectful. As the professional, we do know what is best for how we work, so share with us your concerns and expectations but allow us to execute business in a way that works with our brand. A professional team will be able to do this effortlessly. They will KNOW what is expected and how to get from point A to point B as SMOOTHLY as possible.
STEP 5- BE HONEST!
Make sure you are honest with your artists. Want less hair in your face? Speak up! Want a bolder lip, DON'T BE SHY! Decide that you do, in fact, want full coverage.... Let's do it! Maybe you hated your hair in an updo, no worries... let's let that baby down! A good artist, and the artist for YOU will not be offended or take requests for changes personally. We NEED and WANT to know what YOU want! We need and want to know what is or is not working for you! On the opposite side of that coin, we also want you to tell us what you DO love so we can make a mental note that, that is a STAPLE to your look.
STEP 6- TRUST!
If you found a skilled artist they will also worry about the timeline for you. In fact, if we are being honest, any artist who has been in the game a while does NOT want you to tell them when to arrive and how much time they have per person! We KNOW what we gotta do. Trust us to arrive at a time that is necessary for us to set up in and also trust us that our timeline for you and your bridal party will have you out on time, no matter what! We got you!
STEP 7- KNOW THE PLAYLIST
Know what you want to listen to and have a friend, family member or your artist play it for you. I carry a small speaker, personally because I am ready to dance wherever I am at! So pick your genre and let's jam out and perform the worst karaoke known to man!
STEP 8- RELAX & LET'S PARRTTYYYYYY!
Ok... maybe not PARTY. We don't want a stumb-lina tripping down the aisle with crooked eyeliner because we all got a little buck in theeeereee. BUT we do want to help you stay calm and not get tooooooo worried and nervous. Some nerves we won't be able to shake for you, but we are skilled in the art of beauty AND distraction. It's a magical power we posses. Remember when I said to make sure one of the key components to finding the perfect recommendation was "fun"? This is why. Trust me, you are going to want to have (a) fun and carefree artist(s) working on your face/hair. You're going to need a good laugh to avoid all the pre-aisle jitters!
STEP 9- SIT STILL
Once you are in the chair of your artist, do not move! Don't whip your head around, do not be texting/taking calls. DELEGATE your concerns to someone else in your bridal party. You have a bride tribe for a reason. UTILIZE them. The more you move the harder it is for us to perfect your makeup and get you done ON TIME. No up and down, no 300 bathroom breaks. Just take a deep breath, grab a glass of water (stay hydrated) and chill out. This is you time, babe. This is the one brief moment you will have all day to just exist, breath and be totally pampered. Enjoy it.
STEP 10- PAY UP + TIP
Jk! Well, kinda. But for real, that is it! You have successfully made it through your bridal beauty experience with little to no stress!!!!
STEP 11- LEAVE A POSITIVE REVIEW <3
Once you are back from your honeymoon of course ;)