Inspiration is EVERYWHERE!

I love Fall! It is my favorite time of the year! The cool bite in the morning air - not too cold but just enough to make your coffee cup show it's steamy temperature with a waft of steam waving out of the top of your favorite mug.  The wildflowers and berries that color the landscape and the beginning of subtle changes to the leaves on the trees excite me to no end!

Yesterday, I actually did something I have never done before. I walked around the 5 acres of our "home on the hill" and clipped wildflowers to decorate my mantel with. I felt very Martha Stewart with one exception - I had no pretty basket to lay my colorful stems in, so as the mother of a five and seven year old does so well, I improvised - with a blue sand bucket complete with the remnants of sand from our beach trip earlier this year.

You see, I had been inspired! Inspired by things I had seen in magazines and the beautiful things I had seen in nature - God's amazingly gorgeous creation!

Psalm 19:1-4 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; 

 the skies proclaim the work of his hands. 

 Day after day they pour forth speech; 

   night after night they reveal knowledge. 

 They have no speech, they use no words; 

   no sound is heard from them. 

Yet their voice goes out into all the earth, 

   their words to the ends of the world." 

 Inspiration is all around us and I am sitting steeped in inspiration today.
"Where am I?" you may be asking.  I am at Wedding 101 and finding inspiration for my work in bridal hair and makeup artistry. There are so many places that you can find inspiration for your wedding look and I want to offer a few suggestions for you to consider as you plan this once in a lifetime event!!

1. Of course, the obvious is all of the wonderful bridal magazines that are out there! You will see all sorts of looks from the rock and roll bride to the vintage chic that are each stunning in their own rights!

2. Take to the World Wide Web! Check out Wedding Wire and www.theknot.com . Google or Bing bridal hair and makeup looks and you will find a plethora of options out there to consider.

3. Look around town and in nature! The places that you love to go and the sights that take your breath away contain colors and movement that speak to you - so take a picture and notice the themes. You can incorporate them in small or big ways on the Big Day!!

4. Come to Wedding 101 in Franklin, Tennessee to see all of the inspiring ideas that I am steeping in as I right this article!

5. Bringing it all together - Make an Inspiration Board or Book. Put together every scrap you can possibly find that speaks to you in any way whatsoever and then look for the common theme.

You will be amazed at the creativity that lies within you to create your own, one-of-a-kind wedding and bridal look! I encourage you to look for the inspiration in everything around you and you will find that the overwhelming feelings you may be having will melt away as you begin to see your wedding plans take shape before your eyes!

And remember to book your hair and makeup artist early!! (wink, wink) 

Here's to YOUR inspiring day!!

Love,
Christi

A great day at Wedding 101!

I had the wonderful opportunity to spend this afternoon with some amazing brides at Wedding 101 in Franklin, Tennessee. We had a blast talking about all of the exciting plans for Jessica and Kristine's weddings coming up next summer. I played around with some basic makeup looks for both of them with a mini makeover.

Jessica was spending her Saturday planning and hanging out with friends and family so I used a mineral foundation and brought out her gorgeous brown eyes with soft neutrals on her lid. She is wearing a great everyday lipstick color by Mary Kay - Shell. My focus for her this afternoon was just to enhance her natural beauty and highlight her eyes and smile. I think you will agree that with this every day "look" she looks wonderful!!

Kristine arrived with a plan - a little bit of work on her wedding plans and then a mini makeover before heading to Spring Hill to attend a friend's wedding. The goal for her this afternoon was to bring out her green eyes with a little drama. Since Kristine has skin that tends to be a little oily we started off with an oil mattifier to control the shine. We focused in on her eyes and gave her a very neutral lip with Lancome's Bisque lipstick (unfortunately, this color has been discontinued).
I asked Kristine what she was planning to wear to the wedding tonight and she told me about her great plum dress and platinum shoes. You know that plums and purples are going to be HUGE this Fall so I knew she was going to need an on trend style in her makeup as well. I am sure she was the belle of the ball - outside of the bride, of course!!!  : )

I can't wait to get back together with Jessica and Kristine to plan their bridal looks!! Both of these young ladies are sure to be breathtakingly beautiful brides and I am so honored to be able to take part in their wedding days!


On my next mini makeover day at Wedding 101 we will be focusing on getting some pictures of hair makeovers. That is sure to be a ton of fun!! Please make plan's to join me at Wedding 101 to get your mini makeover for hair or makeup and talk about how I can pamper you and your bridal party on your "big day"!

Happy Labor Day!!

I hope that all of you wonderful brides are planning to have a great weekend! Whether you are getting married in the next few days or you are still in the planning phase, I want to encourage you to enjoy the journey with your fiance' and your family! These moments will fly by and before you know it you will have a new last name!!

I wanted to share a few more great pic's from a terrific bride - Jackie at Chateau Elan in Braselton, Ga.

Wedding 101

I am very excited to announce my new partnership with Wedding 101 in Franklin, Tennessee!! I will be showcasing my services in their awesome Bridal Resource Library as well as holding showcases of my work, on-site makeovers and bridal run thru's!

I wanted to post a few more pic's for you to see! Also, keep checking back to see announcements of upcoming showcases and opportunities to meet me in person at the Wedding 101 showroom in beautiful Franklin, Tennessee!

The Trial Run

 One of the best suggestions that I can give any bride is to take advantage of a trial run about six to eight weeks before the wedding day. A trial run is a great time to ensure that you and your artist connect well and that the look you will have on your wedding day is exactly what you want!

My trial appointments consist of several components:
- reviewing pictures that the bride has selected that represent her ideal look for hair and makeup

- discussing how much makeup she is used to wearing on a daily basis
- clearly understanding the type of venue and demands of the event that she is planning i.e outdoor ceremony in July, typical weather concerns  etc.
- taking a before and after picture
- taking a detailed record of all products and colors used to ensure an exact replica on the wedding day
- settling on the style for hair and placement of veil
- review of bridal party needs such as how many bridesmaids will be booking services.
 - confirmation of location for services to be rendered and preliminary scheduling





The trial run is key for a stress free wedding day for both the bride and for her hair and makeup artist!!

Just a personal note about the trial run. I love having this "face" time to get to know my clients and their personalities. It is a time for me to listen to your dreams and your visions for this special season of your life! There are few moments in our lives that are as memorable as our wedding day! I consider it a blessing to be a part of this special time in the lives of my clients!




So enjoy these photos from the trial run appointments of two brides that I had the joy of working with in Atlanta, Georgia! They are both beautiful from the inside out!

For more information on booking services for your wedding day or special event please contact Christi at christine@christinesmithenterprises.com or call 404-867-6543