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beauty

How much time should I plan for hair/makeup services?

Q: How much time should I plan for hair/makeup services?

VIDEO SUMMARY

1 hour per service is your sweet spot. And here’s why. I have a team of over 20 artists. We have played with every timeline known to man. Yes, we can do a service in 30 minutes. We can do a service in 45 minutes. However, the 1 hour sweet spot is perfect, because what it does is it allows a little wiggle room in case something goes wrong. It allows for someone being a couple of minutes late to the chair. It allows for being thrown a curveball and somebody wanting a more intricate look. It allows time for us to wash our brushes and reset in between. And also, it helps you to feel pampered, because you are not just a number to us. We want you to feel pampered. We want to give you the time and attention that you deserve, that you’re paying for. And each service, in addition to obviously doing the upstyle or doing the makeup look, we have to do a proper consultation with each person, talk about what their comfort level is, what they’re envisioning. We like to go through their inspiration photos and discuss what it is they like about the inspiration photos because there’s a little time that needs to be allotted for that, because the picture can say a thousand words. So we need to make sure that we’re clear what you’re communicating with us. It also allows ample time for those foundational techniques. So if you have an artist that’s like, no, I can whip it out in 30 minutes, and they’re trying to cram as many people as they can, probably so that they can make some more money, then what you run is the risk of that look not holding. Because there are certain things that take time. There are certain foundational techniques we need to do to make sure that curls hold, that pins stay, that makeup lasts. There is one caveat if you are desiring a more intricate style, you have hair extensions. You want a Hollywood glam wave? You want that instagram makeup. Then you’ll want to allow some more time, probably an hour and 15 minutes to an hour and 30 minutes, even 2 hours. Whatever your artist suggests, go with that. But again, be forewarned. If they’re saying they can do people and 30 to 45 minutes, that to me, would be a red flag.

Should I get a spray tan before my wedding? When? Dos and don’t?

Q: Should I get a spray tan before my wedding? When? Do's and don’ts?

VIDEO SUMMARY

Another benefit of being spray tanned is that your teeth look whiter.

Listen. I know we all love a good, healthy glow, right? Most of us feel pretty good with a little extra color in our skin. However, I have seen spray tans gone wrong too many times that it’s not worth the risk to me.

Spray tans are one of those love em or leave em type of things. I personally love them.

It’s a no for me dog. But here’s the thing I get People like to be tan sometimes. So what I will say is, if you’re going to do it, go to a professional spray tanning person and not into a spray painting booth.

How do I talk to my mom, who never wears makeup, about her hair and makeup for the wedding? I would like for her to get hers done but she doesn’t think she needs it.

Q: How do I talk to my mom, who never wears makeup, about her hair and makeup for the wedding? I would like for her to get hers done but she doesn’t think she needs it.

FILM YOUR ANSWER
 
VIDEO SUMMARY

What kind of space, and what do I need to provide, for hair and makeup on the wedding morning?

Q: What kind of space do I need for hair & Makeup? What else do I need to provide on the wedding morning?

VIDEO SUMMARY

This is a question you definitely want to ask your individual artists, but the fact that you’re clicking on this question that you even care tells me you are the exact types of brides that we like to work with. So thank you. Thank you from whoever your artist is. I love that you’re already thinking about this. Some of the things that we ask our brides to keep in mind are to make sure to have plenty of table space for the makeup artists. Coffee tables don’t necessarily work because it’s really hard on our backs to keep reaching down. I mean, if you think about how many times we’re grabbing for products, that would mean we’d be reaching down like, 50 to 60 times throughout the day. So they need to be counter height. Our team, we bring our own chairs and our own makeup lights, so really that table space is key. And then also something to think about for both hair and makeup is just ample space. I think a lot of times our brides don’t think about how many people are actually going to be in the room, so just allowing extra space and access to outlets. And then another thing to think about is to provide an area that’s away from exit or walkways, because that can be a little tricky. And then here is my little pro tip for you. I highly recommend choosing someone who is going to be responsible for answering the door. I can’t tell you how many times we’ve had to step away to let somebody into the room, because we’re polite people and we’re going to serve. So if there’s a need, we’re going to meet it. But it really can interrupt the flow of the hair and makeup for the big day.

What should I do if I don’t like my hair trial?

Q:What should I do if I don't like my hair trial?

VIDEO SUMMARY

This is a multifaceted question, and here’s why. There are a couple of things that I would ask the bride first, to be able to better give her some advice. First would be, was it an execution issue, like an issue of technique, or was it about miscommunication? And the look that was desired wasn’t delivered. So in the first scenario, the question would be, okay, the execution, the delivery, were the lashes falling off or glue showing? Was the foundation mismatched? For hair, it might be, did the curls not hold? Were the pins showing? So those are more about technique and execution. And so in that case, you might have somebody who’s just not up to the skill level that you desire. But on the other side of that is communication. So something I always talk to brides about is that the inspiration photos you choose communicate 1000 words. And if your hairstylist or makeup artist isn’t asking a lot of questions about those pictures, then they could be getting the wrong message. Something you can do on your end is, when you’re choosing those inspiration photos, make sure that the person looks like you. Sometimes we’re drawn to those inspiration photos because it’s a beautiful model, but you want to make sure they have the face shape, the skin tone, even the age of you, as well as the hair type. So those are some things to look for and think about. And then also, when you were at your trial with your artist, were they asking questions about the picture? Because I cannot tell you how many times a bride will show me a macro image of an eye. Like a close up, right? And they’re like, oh, my God, I love this. And I will dissect that picture with them. I will ask, okay, what do you love about it? Oh, I just think it’s really pretty. And I love how the eye is just really popping. But I’ll continue to ask questions. Okay, what do you think about the eyeshadow color? Oh, my gosh, I love it. What do you think about the glitter? Not really a fan of glitter. Okay. What do you think about the eyeliner? I love it. But maybe not top and bottom. Meanwhile, the picture has, like, top and bottom liner. What do you think about the lashes? What do you think about the brows? So I’m literally dissecting that picture with them. So if your artist didn’t do that, then that tells me there might be an opportunity for you to maybe do another trial and get on the same page. So there’s a third component I want to talk to you about. So when listening to this, if your situation was on the side that maybe the execution and the technique wasn’t there. We need to have a real conversation about budget, because I cannot tell you how many times we will get a bride with a champagne taste on a beer budget. And we all know those exist. So if you have chosen to go with somebody that is a lower price point, and you made that choice because you’re working within a budget, then sometimes concessions have to be made. Sometimes you’re going to get maybe a less experienced artist who needs a second trial to properly match your foundation. Doesn’t mean they can’t do it. It just might take them a little longer to get exactly what you’re wanting. So just keep that in mind. I hope this helps. Thanks for checking in on these questions. I love it. And I can’t wait to see you on the next one.

Should I wear my veil all day?

Q: Should I wear my veil all day?

answers:

1 Videos
VIDEO SUMMARY

Here’s the planner perspective on the veil. I love a veil. They’re absolutely gorgeous. But the problem is when you get to the part of your day, like cocktail hour where you’re interacting with guests, everybody’s hugging you, and the first thing that they do is throw their arms around you and it smacks your veil and it rips your head back and it sucks and it’s annoying and it ruins your hair. So all of my brides who have decided to wear their veil, I’m usually carrying it by the end of cocktail hour because they’ve had enough. So just keep that in mind in case if you do want to keep it on for your first dance, take it off the cocktails, put it back for your first dance. I think that’s probably better because you’re going to get annoyed.

Should I have “day old or dirty hair” when getting my hair done on my wedding day?

Q: Should I have "day old or dirty hair" on my wedding day?

VIDEO SUMMARY

Please do hair artists everywhere a favor and show up with clean hair. I cannot tell you how many times a bridesmaid will roll in with day old or three day old or even five day old hair acting like they’re doing us a favor, when in fact we set instructions that we want clean hair. And here’s why we want clean hair, because we can dirty the hair up with our own products that we know how they will perform. Whereas when you show up with dirty old hair, we don’t know what we’re getting into. And oftentimes you have to spend a lot of time and grunt work kind of trying to get that day old hair out of your hair. There are only two exceptions to this. One is if you have textured hair, definitely talk to your hairstylist about how they want you to come to the appointment. Oftentimes they will have you come with your curls already set from the day before, how you like them. The second would be is if you had a professional blowout the night before as directed by your hairstylist. So always make sure you’re in good communication with your stylist. And please, please, bridesmaids, follow the directions, follow the instructions. You will make our lives so much easier.

Is it a bad idea to wear my hair down on my wedding day?

Q: Is it a bad idea to wear my hair down on my wedding day?

VIDEO SUMMARY

A beautiful downstyle that will stay all day long can be achieved. And here are some serious considerations to keep in mind. If you want to have your hair down on your wedding day, you need to have a deep look at how you want to spend your wedding morning. Because to create a down hairstyle that is going to stay all day, especially the those Hollywood glam waves that are so on trend right now and so gorgeous, you can expect to spend about 2 hours in the chair just on your hair. You can also expect to spend some money on hair extensions. Now, I hear brides say all the time, oh, I have long hair. I don’t need hair extensions. I’m here to tell you, if you want that look, you need hair extensions. And here’s why. Hair extensions don’t only offer length, they also fill out the bottom of the hair. Because sometimes at our lengths, our hair is a little bit skinnier, and they help to hold the style all day long. They help to hold the curl pattern. Another thing to think about when you’re wanting that style to last all day is how you want to spend your day of your wedding. Because it takes some serious management to make sure that the hair turns out in every photo. We as hair and makeup artists, absolutely love wedding photographers. We have the best relationships with them. And at the same time, I’m here to tell you that they’re not always aware of how the hair looks in photos. So our brides often opt to have us stay on site for their wedding day so that we can make sure that the hair turns out in every photo. Because otherwise you’re going to risk that wind just catching that one piece and ruining the shot. Loop de lose so many things, and especially if you’re in an area that might have some wind, some humidity that’s going to affect your hair as well. And as much as you might think that you can manage that throughout the day, probably if you’re wanting that pinterest worthy photo that you showed at the beginning of your wedding day, you are going to need someone to help you reset your hair and manage it throughout the day. Because the reality is that photo was taken at the beginning of the day, oftentimes right when the hair is done or they’re an actual photo shoot model picture. So you just got to be realistic and think about how do you want to spend your day, what’s your budget? And then on your second question, how can you do a second look to really kind of play up or do something different for your reception? If you’re wanting to do it yourself, there are a couple of different options. Something very easy to do is to have an accessory like a fun hat or a floral crown that you throw on to get a different look. Something else that you can do that. I would say, okay, a lot of brides think I’m going to do a fun high pony. That’s easy. I can do it. Those actually take a lot more skill to have a pony that is photoworthy and looks elevated. So instead, what I would suggest is something like a lower shinyon. This is something that you can practice with your hairstylist if it’s not in your budget to have them stay on site. Maybe set up a second trial where you can ask them to show you how to do it and get a game plan going and do some practice runs. But again, it just is a matter of how much time you want to spend on that and then also what your budget is. So I hope this helps. Thank you so much for checking in to these questions. I can’t tell you how happy it makes me to get to have some real conversations with you guys about topics that come up for us all the time.

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Ready to answer our couple’s burning questions?

Here are some tips and tricks to film a great video that stops the scroll:

1

Start with a hook.

You’ve got 3-5 seconds to stop the viewer’s scroll. Be creative… start with a phrase like:

  • Oh hell no, just no…
  • Absolutely not…
  • Yes, yes, yes! You should do this…
  • It depends on one very important thing…

2

Give a super quick intro.

We’ll put your name and bio in the title and links, so you can say something more general like:

“I’m Robin, a photographer in Chicago and after shooting 500 weddings…”
Or
“I’m not only a wedding planner in Chicago, but a newlywed myself…”

3

Answer away!

Give them your hot take, and don’t hold anything back.

Examples of what we are looking for:

check out how Sal nailed it in this video and so did Megan in this one and Nichole told it straight (from her car).

Tips for filming

Filming vertically on your phone.

TikTok is vertical for good reason - Gen Z have spoken!

Good audio is more important than good video.

Find a quiet room (that isn’t an echoey bathroom!).

Make sure your face is bright enough.

Standing near a large window or lamp is helpful - You want to be brighter than your background.

Nothing works better than a good story.

If you have any experiences you can share to help answer the question, go for it!

Bring
the energy!

Down an espresso, pump yourself up, and let the answers pour out! Our couples want as much honesty as they can get.

Featured Question

Q: Is there really a wedding mark up?

Do you feel like the industry charges more “because it’s a wedding” and they know it’s an emotional purchase?

Do companies think that they can charge more for weddings since the bride and groom may be willing to spend more on their dream wedding?

Hey wedding pros – is this higher price tag justified? Why? Do you charge more for your service if it is a wedding?

This is a taboo topic, whispered but not discussed… until now.

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