Christina's Engagement Shoot

Wow...not gonna lie I'm a little embarrassed to realize I haven't written a blog post in 2 mths!  Just goes to show how busy you can get sometimes w/ work!  It is wedding season after all and June/July have been pretty crazy for me...which I'm definitely not going to complain about b/c we all know there are those slow Winter mths when there is too much time!  Actually on an exciting note June was my highest grossing mth on record yet! The wedding business is definitely moving on the right track and I've almost doubled the number of staff wedding bookings this year!

Anyway, back to what this post is actually suppose to be about ;)  I met Christina back in January when she hired me to makeup and hair for her engagement party.  Right away I thought she was really awesome and I was hoping she'd hire me for her big day - which funny enough happens to be on my BIRTHDAY - Oct 15 2016.  You know if I'm going to work my birthday it means it has to be a bride I actually like lol!  This obviously shows what a planner Christina is as well b/c she's taking almost 2 years to plan the wedding of her dreams lol!  Even her engagement party at Wvrst had all sorts of special and thoughtful details to make it a bit different and unique.

Christina did hire me for her wedding - Yeah :)  And a couple of mths ago she hired me to do the makeup and hair for her engagement session - Double Yeah :)  When I say this girl is a planner you have no idea!  Originally she had a whole other engagement shoot session planned but literally the day before the shoot when she realized the weather wasn't going to co-operate she didn't reschedule the shoot like a lot of brides - no she went with it and literally planned a whole new shoot w/ new locations inside...and it was pretty friggin' awesome!  The girl had like 3 or 4 locations w/ look changes and everything lol!  This also shows that on her wedding day she'll be able to roll with the inevitable changes and switches that always seem to happen no matter what you do.

One of my fav things about Christina is that even though day to day she isn't necessarily a huge makeup person she loves to experiment for events.  For her engagement party we did a really vampy burgundy lip and for the engagement shoot we had fun w/ a teal green liner look and waved beachy hair which looked amazing w/ the flower crown she got from Coriander Girl!

Here's some of my fav pics from the shoot.  The location was Kitten and the Bear and even though I've never been there before I definitely want to try it now it looks so cute!  They also did some really cool stuff at Future Food Studio and comic book store too I think.  Really it was just the perfect locations to show off their mutual interests and loves!

Photos courtesy of All This Happiness

Can I just say they are the cutest together!  I met Daniele when I was getting her ready for the engagement party and just the way they look at each other and talk about one another...it's so cute!

What a gorgeous flower crown!

Atlantis Pavilions Wedding

Back in February on Valentine's Day actually I had the chance to work w/ an amazing group of girls and I'm so excited I got pictures from this awesome day because Nicole (the bride) looked stunning! Seriously, gorgeous!  Totally website worthy lol!  The group was so laid back and fun and we had a great time getting them ready at the Radisson on Queens Quay before the big event at Atlantis.

With the wedding being on Valentine's Day it could have been super cheesy but thankfully it wasn't and Nicole kept everything really classy and sophisticated.  I loved how the bridesmaids dresses went together but didn't completely match each other and even the bridesmaids themselves chose makeup and hair styles that really complimented them.  Two of them went w/ bold lips and updos while the other two went w/ more neutral lips and down hair...totally not planned but kinda cool how it all worked out like that lol.

Nicole doesn't wear a lot of makeup (like so many of my brides) so I really tried to keep it soft and natural.  Very glowy pink flushed cheeks, soft eye w/ a small winged liner, nude pink lip and airbrush foundation.  Really I just wanted to accentuate and enhance her natural beauty.  For her hair we added additional clip-in extensions that really made all the difference in styling!  I set her hair in the beginning of the appt. and when I took it out and styled it we got that big gorgeous Victoria Secret hair that so many woman want on their wedding day.  The important thing to remember is that the hair will settle and go down...plus it photographs differently than you think it looks.  So often my brides freak out a bit about the volume b/c they aren't use to it but it does go down and it only seems big b/c it's different.  In fact a lot of times what I've done is actually not even as big as the reference pics they've show me lol.

Thank you again to Damion Rae Photography for the beautiful pictures!  You guys did an awesome job capturing the day!

See how much fun Toronto Beauty Group clients have w/ us ;)  Love this pic of Jen and Alexandra!

Great group shot of the girls!

How do I pick which pics to put on my site!  So many great shots!

What a pretty group!

Love this shot!

Wedding Hair - Why Using Your "Usual" Stylist May Not Be The Best Choice

So as anyone who reads this blog knows I do A LOT of weddings.  Sometimes I do just makeup, sometimes it's just the hair and sometimes it's both makeup and hair.  The more I do weddings and the more confident I get w/ both bridal makeup and hair I will be honest the more I enjoy having complete control over the entire look...that means being in charge of both the makeup and hair (at least for the bride).

Of course that is not always the case and I'm totally cool with that but I will say there has been more than one occasion where I have thought "Oh she would have looked better if she just let me do her makeup or her hair" when I haven't been in charge of both services.  

A lot of times when I'm not booked for hair it's because the bride has opted to use her "Usual Stylist" for her wedding day hair.  Now I'm not going to say that this is always a bad decision because it's not - there are plenty of salon hairstylists that are good at wedding updos and styling...but there are also a lot that aren't!

I think a lot of times brides feel "guilty" if they don't hire their regular hairstylist for their wedding day or they just assume they are a hair stylist and they cut/colour my hair great therefore they'll do my wedding hair great...but that's not always the case.  Do not feel like you are "cheating" on your usual stylist if you don't use them on your wedding day.  

So this isn't to say you shouldn't hire the person that cuts/colours your hair it's just important to ask some questions and make sure they'll be the right artist to achieve you wedding hair dream.

Here's some questions to ask or things to think about:

Do they do weddings often/Have they done a lot of weddings in the past? Ask your stylist this don't just assume they do.  There are a lot of hairstylists nowadays that don't want to do weddings or almost never do weddings.  Either because they don't like them or their specialty isn't updos or wedding styling.

How comfortable are they with Wedding Hairstyles? Some salon stylists are amazing and cut and/or colour but you ask them to do an updo or half updo and it's just not their forte.  This doesn't make them a bad stylist it just means it's not one of their strengths.  If they aren't strong in updos do you really want to risk their skills on your wedding day.

Are they willing to come to you on your Wedding Day? Weddings typically happen on Saturdays which of course is the busiest day in the salon.  Are they willing to leave the salon for several hours to work your wedding w/ you and your bridal party or do you have to go to the salon? 

 If you have to go to the salon how will this effect your timing for your wedding day?  Is this going to cause more stress or anxiety for you having to travel to and from the salon vs. getting your services in your home or a hotel where the artist comes to you?  More and more brides are opting to have mobile services for this reason.  It's just so much more stress free to have an artist or team come to you and your girls where you are!

If the stylist comes to you or you go to the salon what's the timing like? I've also seen several times where b/c the bride wants her usual stylist to do her hair she's had to get it done HOURS before the ceremony or pictures b/c that's the only time the stylist could fit her in.  Either the stylist came to her and did it super early before their Saturday salon hours or the bride went to the salon super early in the morning.  If you have an updo this might not be the end of the world as they are typically pretty sturdy if done properly but if you are wearing your hair down and you get it done hours before pictures or the ceremony you have a much stronger chance that they hair is going to fall and not look like you had hoped by time the ceremony comes around. 

Remember to ALWAYS do a trial with your usual stylist! If you do want to use your usual stylist make sure to book a hair trial with them...don't just chance it and think they will do exactly what you want on the day b/c they are use to cutting/colouring your hair.  I personally find even with my own work I do a better job on the hair the second time around.  I figure out little adjustments and things I want to fix for the wedding day.  The trial is as much a practice round for me as it is for the bride so it's VERY important!

If you aren't happy with the trial DON'T feel obligated to still use your regular stylist!  I've seen and heard this time and time again.  A bride does a trial w/ their stylist and they leave unhappy but then somehow magically hope/expect that their wedding day will turn out better.  Speak up at your trial.  If the stylist isn't getting your vision let them know so they can try to fix things they aren't mind readers lol!  If they still don't get it and you are doubting they'll get it on the wedding day FIND ANOTHER STYLIST FOR THAT DAY!!!  It's one of the most important days of your life and you're spending so much money on every detail you HAVE to hopefully LOVE...at least LIKE your hair!  DO NOT stick w/ a stylist if you are judging their wedding hair skills.  It will cause more stress for you and you'll actually resent them later if you hate your wedding hair.

Like I said above just b/c a stylist is amazing at cutting and colouring doesn't mean they understand or can execute wedding hairstyles.  It's a VERY different skill set for a stylist and truthfully a lot of stylists don't get that much practice at it and it's not heavily taught in school.

I don't cut or colour hair but I specialize in wedding hair...you wouldn't want me to cut or colour your hair b/c it would be a disaster but I feel pretty confident doing your wedding updo lol!

I've had it happen multiple times where a bride who I was doing makeup for contact me after and ask to do a hair trial b/c her regular stylist just didn't seem to get her vision.  I've also seen brides cry b/c they had their regular stylist do their hair while myself or my team has done their bridesmaids' hair and it's looked better.  And of course I've seen salon hairstylists do work that's amazed me where I've wanted their card lol!

All I'm saying is think about what's right for you on your wedding day and don't feel obligated to make a choice b/c you feel pressure or a sense of loyalty if it's not what's right or convenient on your wedding day.  

Theatrical Wedding - Young People's Theatre

Last November I had the pleasure of working with Rebecca...probably one of the kindest and sweetest brides I had last season.  Right away during the trial we hit it off and actually had a few hidden connections!  We actually both studied Theatre at York University but didn't know each other b/c we were in different sections of the program and she was a year younger than me plus my friend Victoria actually stayed w/ her mom when Victoria was touring her one woman show this past Summer in London!  Not only that but when Rebecca spoke of her fiance Stephen she mentioned he was a Dramaturg at Young People's Theatre and I nodded my head...she asked if I knew what that was and I did (b/c of my theatre background...this was before we realized we both went to York lol)...I'm probably one of the only makeup artists (or non theatre ppl) to know what a dramaturg is so we definitely had a chuckle over that and she joked her fiance would want her to hire me just on that face alone lol!  Btw a dramaturg is someone who deals mainly with the research and development of plays and operas.  

So right off the top we obviously got along great...plus the trial went superbly (of course) so she locked down the day right away!  Which was actually great for her as I had a few brides interested in the date (and I actually ended up doing two weddings that day)...yes even in November ppl are getting married in Toronto!

Rebecca and Stephen's whole weddings was so unique and perfect for them and I really loved that aspect of it!  They actually met while working at Young People's Theatre and even though Rebecca no longer works there Stephen still does so they actually got to use the space for some of their wedding pictures and ceremony which they got to do on the stage!  How perfect is that for two people working in the theatre world!  I believe the show that season was To Kill A Mocking Bird so the courtroom stage set up was pretty perfect for a wedding ceremony lol!

For Rebecca's look I created a really beautiful side updo w/ a few small accent braids and overall I was really happy w/ how full I made her hair look b/c it was actually pretty fine in reality.  For her makeup we did a gorgeous natural champagne/brown eye w/ a winged liner and flared false lash and made the look really pop w/ a nice bold vibrant magenta lip!

I really love these pics that Mike Pochwat took b/c I felt he did a great job capturing some wonderful behind the scenes moments as well as the uniqueness of Rebecca and Stephen as a couple!  Can't wait to add these to my site!

 Love the eyes here!

Yeah...my station is usually a disaster after a wedding...I'm hygienic but not neat lol!

 Really wish my hand wasn't in the way of this shot as it's really beautiful lol!

 My usual "work face" aka "bitch face" lol

In the workshop of Young People's Theatre

On a final note I should add that Rebecca also wrote one of the kindest and most detailed reviews I've ever read...seriously!...how nice is that!?!

Short Version: Jessica is amazingly talented , and I think everyone should hire her!

Long Version:

I booked her for hair and make-up services for myself and my bridal party for my November 1, 2014 wedding. She was absolutely amazing, and I am so glad she was able to work my wedding. She made my wedding party and me look absolutely stunning. She created a look for me that was both natural and dramatic/vintage glam, which was exactly what I wanted and perfectly fit with the look and feel of my wedding.

My bridal party was completely composed of people who never ever wear make-up, and Jessica ensured that everyone had a natural look. She was also able to calm their fears of looking overly made-up (fears which were completely alleviated when they looked in the mirror). My make-up artist cousin raved about how everyone looked.

Beyond the looks, Jessica is utterly professional. She was always quick to respond to emails and provided me with thorough, detailed information. Jessica and her assistant were also amazing presences to have around on the wedding day. In addition to raving about their skill, my bridal party raved about what awesome people they were and what a great energy the added to the day. Honestly, it was like adding two more friends to the room. I really feel that Jessica and Amber helped me relax as I was getting ready.

Not only would I recommend Jessica to a friend, I loved her work (and her) so much, I plan to treat myself to future stylings when I have a special event. Why should my wedding day be the only day I look that good?

Distillery District Winter Wedding

Last week I wrote about the beautiful engagement shoot my former bride Kim had last Fall so I figured it only right to share with you some of her gorgeous wedding pics from her Winter Wedding in Distillery District this past December!

Distillery District is always a popular destination for Toronto brides as it's one of the few places in the city that captures a sort of old world feel w/ it's cobblestone paths and brick buildings while still being very centrally located in the city!

Christmas time can be an especially fun time in Distillery District as it's also when they host their very popular Christmas Market.  This can be good and bad of course for weddings.  It can make for some very crowded and difficult picture moments but I have to hand it to Caitlin Free she did an amazing job with that!  In fact to see more pictures from Kim's wedding check out Caitlin's blog where she features lots of outdoor shots.  I really love how Kim worked her love of nature into her bouquet and wedding decorations.  It all had a very earthy and woodsy feel which was perfect for a Winter Wedding!

As I mentioned before Kim was a very natural bride and I actually went even more natural on the wedding day (as per her request).  I kept the eye makeup very light using only soft pink shadows and smudged brown liner.  I was able to convince her in the end to go w/ a few false individual lashes...thankfully...didn't want her bridesmaids outshining her lol ;)  We stuck w/ the airbrush foundation which really did create a flawless, light and airy canvas and covered up all the natural redness in her skin.  I love the soft, flushed glow on her cheeks and natural nude/pink lip.

I didn't do the hair for Kim but I did handle all the bridesmaids' makeup and my team member Becca did the bridemaids' hair.  Really fun group and a great bunch to spend a nice Dec. Sat morning with.  I really love the pics Caitlin took...seriously check out her blogpost...I told her she should submit them somewhere lol!

Really Great Pics of the Bridesmaids!