!Be forewarned: this is not a review but a small novella ! . I invite you all to join me as I recount the frustration and eventual triumph of finding an on site hair and makeup artist for the big day.
I have many friends and family in the biz.... I knew I could count on discounts and good times, but while I Wanted to support their respective businesses, I was not willing to compromise on my ideal wedding look.
In The early days of planning I was a naive bride to be with so many overwhelming tasks ahead of me. Foolishly I reached out to a local mom group soliciting artist suggestions and subsequently found myself inundated for days with inbox messages and friend requests from people who wanted to provide services. Some were rude or pushy, some had zero experience and one girl shelling some MLM weight loss program asked if I planned to lose some weight before the big day. I was at a complete loss but I kept track of every quote and the services offered.
I spoke with several artists whose resumes and photographs reflected my ideal wedding look but I just couldn’t seem to get the right vibe (I acknowledge I am truly exhausting as a human). When a friend suggested Katie I was admittedly skeptical, her pricing seemed fair and her work was incredible, there had to be a catch.
In my infinite apprehension I had concluded she must be some kind of monster with bad breathe and poor social skills, but my assumptions were immediately smashed when I met this beautiful soul for a hair and makeup trial.
With the wedding mere days away panic set in for some bridesmaids and my future mother in law who implored me to add them to the beauty services. I didn’t want to stress Katie out or ruin her schedule but I decided to ask. I text her at 9 pm to ask if there was anyway to fit in the services. Once again proving her kindness, she assured me she would make it work.
The day of the wedding Katie brought two members of her team to assemble an incredibly efficient assembly line of beauty services. I swear I could have added all three to my bridal party. They were sweet and energetic, they truly made the pre wedding events fun and hilarious. As the ceremony time quickly approached my maid of honor informed me that she thought she was getting her makeup done too. I told her we were pressed for time and one of the other bridesmaid could help her but Katie quickly stepped in, again rearranging the schedule to allow for an additional service.
Every bridesmaid looked phenomenal and each thanked me for finding this team. My hair and makeup was truly a work of art. I didn’t look like an over contoured Instagram influencer; I looked like me but bridal. For my hair I picked an elaborate boho braid directly from Pinterest. I’d seen enough braiding fails to know this was a lofty task to undertake, especially given the length and width of my unruly mane, but Katie made it happen. Not only did she replicate a gorgeous flowy braid, she did something magical in its construction that kept it in place for the entirety of my wedding and into the next day.
Katie made me look flawless. My wife could not believe how incredible I looked and literally spent the night staring at me. I cried multiple times and danced until I was blistered and bruised but my makeup remained. Two days later I had to force myself to wash my hair. It was really hard to let go of my perfect braid but thanks to Katie and her team of fellow wizards I know the ideal look is only a text away.
