Vendor Spotlight: Kailey-Michelle Events

2 Dec

Today I wanted to take a few minutes out to introduce you to an amazing Planner/Coordinator we have  had the pleasure of working with throughout this past season, she is one of our favorite vendors in this city!

Meet Kailey-Michelle

She is a passionate curator of perfectly pretty events and fabulously crafted details.

Her heart lies in stories.

From the very first glance, to the heartfelt ending, her mind wanders to create unique events; personalized and crafted through love.

She is a visual story teller and to her, events are an art form.

She creates an ambiance of grace; familiar yet, surreal and It is with immeasurable passion that she brings your love to life.

She is an advocate of impeccable organization and flawless execution; timing is everything, flow is essential and planning is key.

A designer and a logistical perfectionist. Coupled together, She’s been crowned a “mighty mouse” in this city.

She presents your story….

Genuine in passion. Crafted in love. Authentically you.

Her Story:

After working in the wedding industry for over four years, I discovered there was a hole in the Vancouver wedding market. We boast some incredible talent, but the focus seemed to lie on two exact opposites: the grand ballroom setting or the rented hall reception. There rarely, appeared to be a middle ground. {up until recently, that is.}

My other observation, was that most stylist’s and decor companies, focused on traditional looks and their inventory of products, lacked unique pieces that the vintage wedding revolution has inspired.

For years, I’ve watched the international wedding market, attending destination conferences and trade shows. I aimed to adopt their mentality and style, in hopes of bringing it to a local market, where “home-grown style” still seemed to be void.

My desire was to show couples how to bring the elements of their everyday life, like family heirlooms, daily “rituals” and favorite memories, to their wedding and emulate their personal surroundings and taste; to create an environment that felt familiar yet surreal. I wanted to introduce non-traditional and forgotten about settings, like local parks, heritage houses, and rural land (barns, fields, forests etc.)

From this desire, Kailey Michelle Events was launched.

Specializing in intimate and intricately-crafted affairs, I place great value on personalized accents and sophisticated, home-grown touches.

From design conception to impeccable styling, I create an ambiance of grace and transform each occasion into a work of art, meticulously detailed.

Through seamless execution and flawless logistics, I present clients with their unique and personal wedding story, perfect and authentically them. I aim to transcend current trends and present genuine affairs.

{To me, It’s not about re-inventing the wheel, but rather making it your own; precious and special, for reasons close to your heart.} 

No matter my clients budget or whether or not they’ve seen their vision in a magazine, my goal is set their love story on fire and create a day, that magnifies the true beauty of their eternal commitment.

I welcome the opportunity to know you and hear your dreams.

Allow me to present…

Your love. Your story. Your way.

For more information on her amazing services, you can connect with her through the following listed below:

Kailey Michelle Events

www.kaileymichelle.com

hello@kaileymichelle.com

Twitter: @KailMichi

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Kailey-Michelle-Events

Blog: www.kaileymichelle.com/blog

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Bridal Trials – Just when is the right time to book them?

9 Nov

The million dollar question; When should I book my Bridal trial for Hair and Makeup?

Today I want to spend a few minutes to convey how Trial sessions work, and what you need to know BEFORE you go spending your money on random trial sessions!

Many of the larger bridal hubs provide so much false information to brides on this sole area, that I think it’s high time we broke it all down.

Many brides get engaged and switch into hyper-excited mode, and rightfully so. HOWEVER, This is also 9 times out of 10 their own demise as well when it comes to their details planning…

Yes, many brides are eager to see themselves all done up. BUT, Not only are most not ready or prepared yet, but many also lack any of the ideals needed for their professionals hired, to do their job, and properly.

Here’s a few quick key questions to ask yourself first; Do you have all your wedding attire? Veil? Accessories? Color scheme chosen? Date/Times for the wedding? Have you confirmed number of people for services? Do you have any reference images together yet of what you want to go with for your look?

If you’ve answered no to 2 or more of even these basic questions, then you are not ready to begin your trial sessions yet….Allow me to better explain:

In the case of Bridal trials, Make-up and Hair trials are typically done approx. 4-8 weeks prior to the wedding date once everything is into its final stages and you have all your beauty “details” in place.

Though they can be done sooner, it is typically recommended against by most PROFESSIONAL beauty providers, as if done to early, it can compromise many different areas of the services.

All of these items and details are taken into consideration and worked with when constructing your bridal look. The overall style of your personal needs, but also the wedding itself. It’s for this reason that many beauty providers offer Full service packages, to better accommodate brides without compromising their service integrity as well.

Part one: Time Frame

When is your wedding? If your wedding isn’t until next August, a trial now and in the fall will do no good…6 months early? A year early? You’re wasting your time and money!

Why?

Basics will tell you that winter months will wear completely different than a spring/summer month will… How many of us have dry skin in the winter, oilier in the summer? Skin reacts differently, as will the temperatures affect on the Makeup/Hair. Even basics like rain verses sun. You will wear completely differently in 5 degree weather than in the dead heat of August sweating in 35 degree weather on a golf course. Thus in many cases completely different products will also be used, both for Hair and your Makeup.

This is often many brides first step to setting themselves up for False ideals and disappointments as to what you’ll look like, how it will wear and more…

Part 2: Growing your hair out for the wedding?

Most people’s hair can grow upwards of a 1/2 inch per month, some even more than that! So why are you going to do a trial 6-8 months early, then your hair won’t even be close to the length it is now?

Why this may be a problem…

As your hair grows out, this can hinder your hairstyle, and in some peoples cases, make the hairstyles completely obsolete come time of the wedding. Not only will the additional hair length add volume and bulk to the style, but can in fact change the overall appearance of it too.

For those planning down styles or Half up, curls will now wear and fall differently due to the added weight of the extra length. This can also cause hair to not only lose shape but fall out faster to.

For those that plan to overhaul their color; The mere color of your hair will also affect how it will “look” and more importantly, photograph! Ever notice how 90% of the bridal images you find are pictured with BLOND Models? It’s so you can see details, dark hair looks and photographs differently and thus absorbs lighting, fading out any detail work.

Part 3: The Accessories

Your veil, your earrings, the necklace, to the very dress you’re wearing that day… Even your color schemes all play a part in the final step of your wedding look.

Believe it or not, but even the shape of your earrings can change an entire “look” just by the way they shape your face, same goes for a chosen hairstyle.

In the case of brides choosing to wear a veil or statement piece in the hair, often Hairstyles will be styled to accommodate them. Some veils even leaving behind a “kink” in the hair and thus needing to be accommodated for during your styling.

Heavy beading on your dress? The style you chose for hair may actually be compromised now, causing the hair to catch and snag throughout the day on all that beading, willingly creating a frizzy mess and matted hair ends. No amount of photoshop is going to fix that…

When doing your trial, you want to make sure to see everything as a whole look, this is your best way to tell how you like or don’t like something. As a Bride you need to be able to see it as a full package, just as you would on the wedding day and for your photos. The earrings, the veil, the full makeup and Hair.

These are just a few quick examples of how much detail is taken into account for a Brides look and how jumping the gun to soon can hinder your wedding day look. Any professional level artist will tell you that. If as the bride you don’t have anything in place yet that your vendors need, how do you expect them to not only create your look but perform at the highest levels that you are paying them for, when you have them working blind?

Though it’s understandable to be excited, do yourself the favor and spend that extra time to really focus in and gather what you need first, before embarking on random trial sessions for a wedding that is still 9 months or so away and services that you aren’t prepared for just yet.

Booking and securing your choice artist is key, as many book a minimum of 1 year in advance, but holding out your included trial session until you’re ready is also key to the final outcome.

In the end, you’ll find better quality of service from your vendors, but also your wedding pictures and how you look in them. They will always reflect that extra time spent to do it right. When after all, your images are your lasting memory of an amazing day, why leave how you look in them on a bunch of  “what ifs” and “I don’t know yet”…?

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Are you the Bride that gets yourself FIRED?

25 Aug

Bridal season is in full swing and in the past few days I have had an overwhelming surge of last minute requests come through for services, some as close as 2 days before a wedding! This in turn has prompted some VERY interesting conversations with a number of brides left scrambling for vendor services mere days before their wedding.

So today I’d like to touch on a subject of “getting fired” by your vendors. Yes it does happen and more often than one might think….and I feel it be very important for brides to understand the working behind such a decision, as you very well might be heading in that direction and not even know it!

During a few recent conversations, I listened to a few brides stating their case of “what happened” and “why” they were without services, some photographers, some Hair and Make-up, some decorators and so on. Upon listening to many, it was evident that it wasn’t just simply a case of mishap or schedule changing, but full out FIRING of the bride-to-be due to her behavior towards their vendors in question…

Sadly, so many brides are now watching these reality programs on weddings, which do paint quite an un-realistic picture of both what actually happens behind the scenes, but worse yet implies that if you throw a large enough tantrum and go “bridezilla”, that vendors will bend over backwards for you…which unfortunately is completely opposite!  Bridezilla behavior will likely result in your vendors just walking away and FIRING YOU, leaving you scrambling.

Although it seems that the closer you get to your big day the more seems to happen, just know that in the end it will all be okay!! Every bride experiences stress, but how you handle it is key. Today I want to discuss what taking your stress out on those around you can lead to.

Although you may be having quite an ordeal with your wedding planning, keeping in mind that your vendors are likely dealing with that same ordeals with anywhere up to 100 or more other brides during bridal season.

So here are a few areas that I think should be addressed, education is the goal here so that you don’t find yourself in this situation.

#1 – Be fair to your vendors

Do unto your vendor as you want them to do at your wedding! These people are there to help make your day amazing and special. Running them through the ringer with constant last minute changes and indecisive behavior, may lead to them just walking away from it all… if you can’t get it together for them, why would they want to help?  Vendors can’t plan anything for you, if you yourself are in constant flux.

#2 – Communicate.

Your vendors do not read minds, I cannot stress that enough.  Lying to their face saying you “like” something, only to turn around a mere few days before a wedding asking for complete overhaul is very disrespectful of the work that professional vendors put into making your day perfect.   Last minute changes, never usually work out.  Emergencies do happen, so when things change let them know and allow them time to respond, especially over a weekend.  Weekends are the busiest time for wedding pros, as they are likely AT another wedding servicing other brides.  It is for this reason that responses to calls and emails are slower from Fridays through Sundays.

#3 – Be respectful

Yes things change, and your vendors understand this… but screaming, crying and throwing tantrums like a child gets you nowhere. Stepping out of line with childish name calling, demands, and hiding behind friends, family or your wedding planner will not give you the result you are looking for. Instead a vendor is to likely peg you as a drama queen and drop you completely rather than deal with your childish behavior.  Many vendors now have “abuse” clauses in their contract which allows them to terminate services and collect their full payments immediately if they feel threatened. Another thing we can thank TV For, as many vendors did not feel the need for such addition into their contracts, until many of these bridal shows came out!

#4 – Be clear and firm with your plans from the get-go

Booked your photographer for an entire day, only to email them 3 days before the wedding to tell them you only want them for 2 hours? Booked beauty services for 5 people only to now have “Bride only” for services? Not only are you now in breach of your contract, you have now likely cost them other business and clients they could have booked while holding and scheduling a full day for your services. This is often the biggest cause of Brides getting themselves fired and comes down to the age old saying; Don’t say one thing (and sign for it) only to turn around and do another… although vendors will try to accommodate the best they can, it may not always turn out as originally thought due to last minute and overhauled changes. Your day would now be on their time, not yours!

#5 – Know when to listen…and READ (emails, etc)

In most cases brides are planning for the first time. You may “think” you know how something might pan out under your own organization, but sadly 9 times out of 10 it’s a flop. Listen to your vendors’ suggestions, tips and advice given…this includes all emailed information and listings on their websites, as many vendors aim to educate you on ALL facts, BEFORE you even book! Turning around 1 week prior with an “I didn’t know” is inexcusable, especially in the cases of those who have had their contracts/paperwork for months prior that outline all such details in question, long before they even signed and booked services.

Take the time to READ IT all through. That includes pricing, policies/terms, start times, leave times, recommendations for planning and so on…If you have any questions about it, just ask them! Remember that in the end your vendors are there to ensure your day is flowing smoothly.  They know how best to make your day relaxed and fun. They do this for a living and see ALL angles, and can foresee things that more often than not a client hasn’t even thought of yet.

In the end, weddings are another part of life, and unforeseen changes can happen, but being respectful and handling situations in an adult manner will make things a lot easier and keep you from being ditched by those you aim to hire. No one likes conflict!  Think about the best way to deal with the situation, and then put yourself on the receiving end for a minute….how would you react watching yourself?   Your wedding is supposed to be one of the most beautiful days of your life, and we are always sorry to watch a beautiful bride ruin her own day!!!

Here’s wishing you a fantastic wedding and that your vendors brag about your courteous and easygoing nature to other vendors and clients for years to come!

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Dark under eye circles got you down?

5 Aug

Many things are contributing factors when it comes to  the causes and appearance of Dark circles and puffy under eyes including; Genetics, Fluid retention, Lack of sleep, dehydration, Iron deficiency, Stress,  Medications/Drug/Alcohol/ use as well as Smoking…. to the very foods you’re likely consuming.

Dark circles in some people can actually be a sign of toxin build up in the body and sometimes a sign of an allergy to foods, but also possible Kidney and Sinus problems as well.

What may work for one person, may not for another, as varying degrees of darkness/puffiness are a factor as will be skin tones/ethnicity. So I will include a few options, so no matter where you sit on the “dark circle scale” hopefully we can give you a few options to check out!

Let’s start shall we:

Of course we have the ever popular and universal use of Cucumber Slices. Raw potato slices contain potassium and also work well to take away dark circles under the eye.

Secondary to those options are cooled Green tea bags or the use of Rose water.

Cold spoons are also a great quick fix, just be careful they aren’t so cold they stick to the skin!

A few less commonly know options to treat under eye circles; Potato juice, Almond oil, Lemon juices, Crushed Mint and Figs.

Many of our wonderful South Asian clients have shared with us this one…

*Mixtures are approximate*

  • 1 tsp tomato juice
  • 3-4 drops of lemon juice
  • a pinch of turmeric powder
  • enough white flour to make a paste

Mash these ingredients together into thick paste and dab it under your eyes. Let sit for 10-15 minutes, then wash away.

Turmeric and pineapple juice is another common mixture we’ve had recommended to us.

For puffy eyes there’s also the ever so popular Preparation H use too (Cream or Gel. NOT Ointment)

Remember that sleep plays a huge role in the appearance of dark circles.  So getting ample rest is one of your best lines of defense in taming those dark circles!

Some other really great ways to minimize dark circles under the eyes are Vitamin E and Vitamin C. Diet plays a very important part in dark circle prevention so remember to include a decent amount of vegetables in your diet too.

Good luck.

If you have an tips you’d like to share that have worked for you, or products you love and swear by, please feel free to leave a comment below.

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Vendor Spotlight – Mishe Jewels

22 Jun

Today I wanted to take a few minutes out to show some love to an amazing friend and local accessory designer named Mandee of Mishe Jewels.

We have worked with her on a few occasions over the past year or so now and just completed a recent shoot with her for some new and exciting items for her 2011 line!

With more and more of our brides seeking something other than your “traditional” style bridal accessories we thought this would be the perfect time to introduce you to her designs with Bridal season in full swing now and many of our brides asking for accessory referrals.

We’d like to introduce you to Mandee; the maker of fine custom and elite feather headpieces!

These amazing designs are sure to kick it up a notch, while incorporating  elegant and tasteful pops of color to your hairstyle and/or dress. Her hair accessories are also a wonderful option for bridesmaids and flower girls alike.

Her one of a kind designs can be pre-purchased from her amazing array of on-hand accessories, or completely customized and tailored to your ideas and color schemes for your wedding.

With a love for color, and inspired by all ideas and cultures from around the world, her pieces have been seen gracing both celebrities and local brides a like.

Here are a few sample shots of some of my favorite pieces as seen from our recent shoot.


For more information on her designs or to custom order your own pieces, contact Mandee at: info@mishejewels.com

Mishe Jewels also will continue to sell at Private Pop-up Parties for a short time, only-until their WORLDWIDE launch SOON! To be on the mailing list for these exclusive sales, please contact her at the email above!

Photo Credits:

Photography by: Nuno Silva

Models: Laura, Vanessa, Kelsey, Gabrielle and Julia

Accessories provided by: Mishe Jewels

Bridal Gowns provided by: Pure Something

All Hair Services by: Victoria Kuzma

All Make-up services by: Felicia Bromba

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Hair Extensions for your Wedding – The good, the bad, the ugly.

1 Jun

*Contributing post by Hairstylist Victoria Kuzma*

I regularly receive emails from women inquiring about hair extensions.  Many of my brides ask if I would do extensions for them, too.  Since we’re entering high wedding season, and many of my brides are going for long, flowing half-updos for their wedding, I’ve decided that it’s time to address this issue.

Guess who....Money can't by "good" extensions!

Firstly, most women consider extensions when they feel like they cannot grow their hair long enough or thickly enough for their satisfaction.  Today I’m probably going to upset a lot of you when I say that in my experience, the reason you do not have the beautiful hair you wish for is that you are too lazy or cheap to take care of it properly (very few women have actual medical hair and scalp issues compared to the number of women who get extensions).  I will teach you how to do this, after I tell you about extensions…

IF you get extensions, there is a great likelihood that your hair AND scalp will be irreparably damaged and you’ll be even worse off than before you got them.  Above, you see photos of Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham.  They are proof that no matter how many thousands of dollars you spend, fusion extensions still look nasty.  Victoria Beckham still looks like she has a patchy bald spot at the back of her head from her extensions, and I believe it’s been quite a few years since she took them out.

Extensions damage your hair at the scalp level, within the roots before the hair cells in the shaft have ‘died’ and fully keratinized.  It does this in 2 ways that I have seen: by suffocating the scalp and pulling at the roots.  Your scalp needs regular washing and exposure to the air.  Without these simple things, you’re looking at fungal accumulations and dead skin buildup, causing itchiness, foul odor and poor nutrient supply to your roots.  This causes your hair to grow brittle and break off, and scalp issues such as dandruff or folliculitis.  The end result is little bald dots all over your head, spiky little patches of very short broken hair, and thinner, ‘sicker’ hair than ever before.

Did you know that you cannot shampoo your scalp properly with fusion/bonded or track-and-sew?  You can’t put certain shampoos directly on the bonds, and it’s advised to never use conditioner on the bonds either.  Hair must be gently shampooed with a squeezing motion, never scrubbed.  It’s very hard to get a properly clean head using this technique!  I find track-and-sew to be especially gross – the braids are done so tightly to the scalp that you cannot wash underneath.  Trust me when I say it is STINKY to have to style track-and-sew…I no longer shoot with models who have this type of extension.

And finally, extensions are expensive to maintain.  I have heard of prices starting at $200 up to $500 every 4-6 weeks!

The only extensions I endorse are the clip-ins.  They cost only $100-$200 and can last for years if properly cared for, plus you can cut, colour and style them to match your own hair (if the right colours are not available).  I recommend Lord and Cliff 7-piece sets, available in Vancouver at Abantu.  Clip-ins are very easy to put in by yourself!  If unsure, watch a Youtube how-to video :)

SO!  How do you take care of your hair so that it grows long and healthy?  Well, start from within.  Proper nutrition is essential to healthy hair, so I suggest seeing a professional if you are truly unsure of how to feed yourself.  Regular trims are a must when growing your hair, because split ends can fray and break right on up the hair shaft if left too long.  Do you find your hair doesn’t grow past your shoulders?  That’s breakage!  Get a mini-trim every 4 weeks – your hair grows about 1/2 inch in that time, so go get a dry cut to ensure the minimum is taken (wet hair stretches).  And do not get any razor cutting – razoring scrapes and splits the cuticle, resulting in intensely damaged hair.

Stop over-styling your hair.  I advise everyone to work with their natural texture anyway, so go get a texturizing wash-and-wear haircut, and put the blow-dryer and flatiron away.  It will take a few months for your texture to normalize after all that styling, so do regular treatments and be patient.  I prefer Redken CAT treatment because the enzymes only work for 5 minutes, so it’s quick and easy.  You can even stack treatments one after the other without rinsing, up to 3 times.

I cannot stress enough how important it is to use the right products!  Spend the extra money on a decent shampoo and conditioner.  It’s so much cheaper than extensions!  I prefer PureOlogy Hydrate duo for thick hair and Rene Furterer Tonucia duo for thin hair.  Tonucia should not be used longer than 6 months at a time due to the protein content.  Too much protein will damage your hair, so switch to something like PureOlogy Volume for a while until ready for Tonucia again.

The best leave-in product for all hair types is BC Bonacure Sealed Ends, because you need only a teensy bit for maximum benefit.  If your hair is extra dry, you can touch up with it during the day on dry hair.  I love this product so much that I’ll probably write a big article about it, so stay tuned.

And finally, go easy on the highlighting.  It would be beneficial to start colouring your hair even one level darker by doing lowlights or an all-over application.  This will ‘heal’ your hair because salon colours often have intensive protein molecules which hold the pigment in the hair and seal the cuticle so it doesn’t wash out.

Let’s say you really feel it’s too ‘expensive’ to do what I’ve said.  Here is some math for you:

-PureOlogy Hydrate shampoo 1L and conditioner 1L combo, $75 at Zennkai, lasts a year on LONG hair, 1 year and 6 months on short hair

-Regular trims, 1x per month at $40 each (my pricing) $480

-Redken CAT, about $20 at Zennkai, lasts about 1 year if you do biweekly treatments on your ends only (not your whole head, it’s unnecessary)

-BC Bonacure Repair Rescue Sealed Ends, about $15

TOTAL $590 for a year of natural care, which is around what you spend in 6 months on extensions and upkeep, without products or haircuts. You could even splurge and get some $200 clip-ins and still be saving money!

By the way, cheap extensions are a bad idea and will only make everything much worse than I’ve already described.  Be warned!!  I have seen horrible botched gluing jobs with big nasty crusts of glue on the scalp that won’t come off…just don’t do it.

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Whiten those teeth!

25 May

We all want a pearly white smile, especially for your bridal photos….After all you’re going to be smiling in about 90% of those pictures!  ;)

Crest White strips are widely popular for a quick at home fix to brighten your smile; or a visit to your dentist for treatment.

Here’s a few quick “at home” options for you:

Brushing your teeth with table salt and baking soda.
It helps to brighten and polish the teeth and it’s great for the gum’s and fighting off bacteria and infection!

You can also make a paste using a few drops of lemon juice and a pinch of  baking soda. Apply this to your teeth and massage gently. This helps to both brighten your teeth but also aids in removing stains.

Other handy at home options include; strawberries, orange peels, apple cider vinegar and even charcoal (burn a piece of toast, scrape the burnt layer and mix with your toothpaste!)

Remember that teeth naturally have a yellowish tint because of calcium, essential  for strong tooth enamel. Brushing too hard and using to many acidic items or prolonged use of “whitening products” can and will often begin to eat away the surface. Once your tooth enamel is ruined, it’s permanent. Your teeth can become considerably weaker and much more prone to cavities and sensitivity as well. So as with any items that are being used to alter a color or state of appearance, use moderation in application and your discretion.

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