Like you said, there are great stylists out there, what makes you different?

Well, if I can be completely honest, there are some great stylists out there but there are way more who aren't so great!  I typically go through about 20-30 stylists before I find one I would even consider hiring.  I would say at least half of our brides have had one, two, and sometimes even more previews with other stylists hoping to save a few bucks only to eventually come back to us because they had such horrible experiences elsewhere. I also hear story after story from wedding vendors who have seen first hand how an inexperienced or unprofessional stylist can turn what should be a calm wedding day into a chaotic mess.  Also, the way a business is run can have a huge impact on the bride's experience.  Hair Comes the Bride is run like a well oiled machine with policies and procedures in place that ensure things run smoothly.  My office staff is friendly and accommodating and available Monday through Friday to help brides when they have questions or concerns.  I feel so strongly about being of service to our brides and I don't want to sound arrogant but I truly feel that we are the whole package!

Is there a particular style you specialize in?

Yes, our style tends to be more on the natural side.  Hair and makeup that accentuates but doesn't overpower the bride and her features.  One of the things we like to say to brides is "we want people to notice you, not your hair and makeup."  Even with some of the trendier looks such as smoky eyes, there is a way to do a smoky eye look and still have it look soft and beautiful.  We encourage our brides to be as timeless as possible.

Is there a certain type of bride that you work best with?

We find that our ideal bride either has a good sense of her own personal style or at least knows what she likes and dislikes when she sees it.  Also, someone who is looking for a professional to help her with her look, not just someone to "put on" her makeup or "do" her hair.  Our stylists have years of experience and would like the opportunity to educate the bride on what they think would look great and work best for her.  Of course, the bride should and does have the ultimate decision making power and our stylists never try to convince a bride to do anything that she is not comfortable with.  As a matter of fact, our stylists are not even allowed to use absolutes with brides.  For example; "you can't" "you shouldn't" "that won't work" etc.  Instead, we teach our stylists to educate, "this might not be the best style for your hair type because....."  

For what type of bride is your company not ideal?

We are probably not the best option for someone who is making their choice based solely or primarily on cost. We are not the cheapest out there, but we are the best. Our ideal bride knows how important her hair and makeup vendor is and is willing to pay a fair price, which is probably not going to be the absolute cheapest.  That doesn't mean that a bride has to have a huge budget to use us, compared to the other details of the wedding such as flowers, cake, catering or even her dress, we are probably going to be the least expensive aspect of the wedding (but the most important, in my opinion).  Also, we find it difficult to work with a bride who is overly afraid to voice her opinion.  This is a day in which her opinion is really all that matters.  Sorry grooms and moms, but really, a wedding day is all about the bride.  Especially when it comes to her look!  She really needs to be willing to be honest with her stylist.  

What exactly happens at a preview appointment?

At the preview appointment, our stylist will come to the bride's location with all of her supplies and equipment.  She will first do a complete consultation to find out all of the details of the bride's wedding.  She will also want to find out about the bride's personal style and any likes or dislikes she may have.  Once the stylist and the bride agree on what look they think is going to work best, taking into considerations all of the different factors, she will completely style the hair and makeup.  The bride will then have an opportunity to let the stylist know if there is anything at all that she is concerned with.  If so, the stylists will listen, address and resolve any issues or concerns the bride may have.  Really, the main objective of the preview appointment is for the bride to have complete confidence that this is the stylist that she wants with her on the wedding day including having confidence that she will show up on time,  get her done on time, be a fun and calming influence on the day and of course be able to achieve a hair and makeup look for the bride that makes her feel beautiful and reflects the bride's unique style!  After the preview the bride should truly feel at ease that she is in good hands.  If the bride does not feel this way, should should not book with that stylist!

How can I know if a stylist is going to show up on time or be a calming influence?

The preview should truly be a pre-view of the wedding day.  Did the stylist show up to the preview on time?  Did it take her 5 hours to do one hairstyle?  Did you feel like she truly listened to you?  Was she friendly and easy to get along with?  Was her equipment stocked and clean?  These are all the things that a bride should be looking at.  If she felt at ease with the stylist, had fun and ended up with a style that she loved, she can be confident that everything is going to be great on the wedding day.

What happens if I don't feel confident after the preview?

First of all, it is very important that a bride is completely honest with her stylist.  To be completely blunt, it is not fair for a bride not to be honest, not fair to her or us. I know some people really have a hard time being honest because their stylist is so sweet and they don't want to hurt their feelings.  Yes, our stylists are very sweet but they are also absolute professionals.  I can guarantee you that their feelings are going to be more hurt if a bride says she loves everything but really doesn't, the stylist leaves feeling happy and confident that the bride is happy and confident only to have the bride call and cancel the next day.  Our stylists really want their brides to be happy and that means there has to be honest communication.  Now, if the bride is completely honest and the stylist just can't get her style right OR if the bride feels uncomfortable personally with the stylist for any reason like she was late or unprepared, then a bride should not sign the contract and not book with that stylist.  If a bride does not book, we do like to follow up to find out what we could have done differently.  We would never make her feel uncomfortable or pressured, we just want to know what we could do better next time.  Also, if we have another stylist available, we would love another chance to make her happy with another stylist.  If the bride does not want to do another preview and just wants to cancel the wedding day, we will immediately take her off of our books and open that day up for other bookings.

If I am happy and confident after the preview, then what?

If everything goes great at the preview and the bride is happy and confident with her stylist, we will go over with her all of our pricing packages and options.  Once she decides on the package that works best for her, we will finalize all of the details such as location, start and end time and have her sign a contract to secure her wedding day with us.  Her stylist will also want to discuss with her what plans she has for her bridesmaids, moms and flowergirls hair and/or makeup.  After all of the details are finalized, the stylist emails that information to our main office so that we can book the appropriate support stylists and assistants if any are needed.  Then, of course, we show up on the wedding day and have fun making everyone beautiful!

How many stylists and/or assistants will you bring?

It all depends on how many services are being done and what package option you choose.  We always book enough stylists and/or assistants to make sure everyone gets done on time and without being rushed or hurried.

Do I need to supply anything on the wedding day?

We bring all of the supplies and equipment including false lashes.  The only thing that a bride or bridesmaid needs to bring is anything decorative they want to wear in their hair or if they plan on wearing hair extensions, they must supply those.

What about any kind of space requirements?

No, we can make any space work.  We have even been known to pull out an ironing board to use as a table in a hotel room.  We come in and make a space work for us (very gently and respectfully of course).  We don't want the bride to have to worry about anything, this is her time to relax and be pampered.

How about bridesmaids, how do you know what style or styles of hair and makeup to do on everyone?

Well, the first thing we do is ask the bride.  Sorry bridesmaids, it's her day!  Most of the time, the bride either lets everyone do what they want or she knows she wants everyone's hair up or 1/2 up but other than that they can do what they want.  Although it is the bride's day, we still want to make all of the girls happy.  So, once we have determined what the bride wants, we will do a short consultation with each bridesmaid to help determine what is going to look best on her and what she is going to love.  With both hair and makeup, we do like to have the wedding party look "flow".  I don't think that everyone should  be "matchy-matchy" or carbon copies but you do want everyone looking great together. 

How soon before my wedding day should I book my preview?

We typically like to do the preview between 2-3 months before the wedding day but we have done previews as long as 8 months and as soon as the

day before a wedding.  It really is up to the bride.  I do suggest, because we do book up most weekends especially in the summer, that if you know you want to do a preview, you go ahead and secure your date with us as soon as possible even if your wedding date is far away or you are not quite ready to do your preview.

How do I get secured on your books?

It is as easy as emailing us.  We will have you fill out a short questionnaire.  If we feel as though we would be a good fit, we will have your stylist contact you to either set up a preview now or to find out when we should get back to you to set one up in the future.  As soon as we know from you that you would like to do a  preview (whether now or later) you are secured on our books, that's it. 

What if I have more questions?

We are one of the few hair and makeup companies who have a full time staff to answer your questions.  Our office hours are Monday-Saturday from 9am-4pm (of course, we are available for services 7 days a week).  Feel free to call or email our office manager, Angela at info@haircomesthebride.com with any questions.  If you need to speak with me directly, you can email me at gina@haircomesthebride.com (I am not in the office every day but will get back to you within 48 hours).  You can also refer to our FAQs page.

What if I'm ready to book?

Awesome, when you are ready, you can email our wonderful office manager, Angela at info@haircomesthebride.com, she will get you all set up!