Beauty Inspiration from our Lovely Clients

One of the most rewarding things about working in wedding hair and makeup is spending the day with such amazing women and getting to be a part of their celebrations! Scroll on to check out some of our favorite moments captured with our recent brides and some never before shared (by us) content.

Adrienne

Photos by Kevin Shih

Mallory

Photos by Timeless Tree Weddings

Kelly

Photos by Stephanie Lang Photography

Emily

Photos by EV Photography

Samantha

Photos by OMG Photo Sb

Caitrin

Photos by Ed and Aileen Photography

Abby

Photos by Stephanie Lang Photography

Kari

Photos by Ellen Gobeille

Winter Hair Care Tips You can Try Now

When we hear seasonal hair care advice, it's often geared around all things Summer. Think; dealing with humidity & frizz, minimizing chlorine damage, keeping up with healthy trims because of extra styling & damage that might be happening.

Today, I want to talk about an under represented topic; winter hair care! I especially want to inspire you to use this colder time of the year (and in years to come) as a reset opportunity for the health of your hair.

Step 1.

Take a break. Since this time of the year is known for staying in a bit more, it's a great opportunity to give your hair a rest and cut back drastically on things that damage our hair.

Personally, I like to cut my heat styling down to once every 4-5 days (instead of 1-3 days). I also got a feeling last fall that a hair clip I used frequently might have been causing breakage. Now, I've swapped it out for super soft scrunchies for my around-the-house hair do.

It's worth mentioning that there's certain things we do that can cause issues later if we take a break and we want to avoid this. The biggest one is hair color. If you've been consistently getting color or highlights (and you plan to continue to do so) stick with your regular schedule. A long break results in too much outgrowth and can create a line that's impossible to blend in.

Additionally, the only thing skipping haircuts can help is your budget. Keeping those damaged ends hanging around can lead to even more breakage and that yucky feeling that you can't wear your hair down because it never looks right.

Step 2. Try something new. I say seize the opportunity to pamper yourself! Invest in a silk or satin pillowcase that's gentle on your hair (and skin, too)! Have you been thinking about a deep conditioning treatment but you never really get around to it? As your hair stylist for a recommendation. You have options for at home treatments that you can apply 1-4 times per month, or in salon by your stylist.

Step 3. Get ready for Summer

I mention this now because I believe it's best to think ahead a bit so we don't forget! Look ahead at your schedule and decide it you want to adjust your hair maintenance schedule (shifting by a couple of weeks is perfectly fine) because of any big events you have coming up.

Will you be needing a Keratin treatment this summer? Most clients like to have their appointment between mid May and mid June to experience the best results during our humid season. Since these appointments are on the longer side, it's best to book about a month in advance.

Are you feeling inspired? Have fun choosing some pictures of new hairstyles- taking a few inches off the length always gives us more volume and brings life back to our locks.... just in time for Summer!

Don't Make These 3 Common Mistakes When Choosing Your Wedding Vendors

1. NOT asking your friends for recommendations. Whether we're talking about a friend who's wedding party you were in, or one of your close coworkers- anyone you know who was recently married in the Chicago area and has a similar style to yours can be an amazing resource! Here's a few great questions you can ask them; What were your best decisions when wedding planning? Do you have any regrets (for example, some people will tell you that they wish they hired a videographer, etc.)? Who were your favorite vendors? Asking these can result in an abundance of valuable insight that you may not get from simply reading reviews.

2. Getting stuck in analysis paralysis by researching too many vendor categories at once. Wedding planning can be so exciting, and also so overwhelming. It's actually rather common that couples get into the research process and then life happens, and decision making becomes stressful and they end up taking a break from planning for 1-3 months. Trust me, you don't want to be the person who reaches back out to your favorite vendor(s) when you're ready to book to find out that they are no longer available... especially when you've previously asked all the questions and had the deep conversations with those vendors. I recommend researching just 1-2 vendor categories at a time and stay focused in those categories until you've made your choice and locked them in. Then you can move on to the next category.

3. Taking breaks at a less than ideal time. This one kind of good hand in hand with the previous tip. Unless you have a short engagement, you will be able to take some breaks- you won't need to be wedding planning as a second job for the next year. As you work through your vendor categories, booking each one- make sure that you are aware of the next steps in each category and if the vendor will be reaching out to you, or if there's any homework you need to do. Then you can make yourself a reminder in your calendar so any important tasks are handled on time. Additionally, I recommend getting yourself through the initial phase of securing all of your vendors before you take a break. It's a good feeling to know that you'll be working with a full vendor team that your trust.

I hope you found these tips helpful.

Happy Wedding Planning!