One question I get asked a lot is “why do you require an overnight stay the night before the wedding?” As a traveling makeup artist there are many factors that come into play, especially when traveling long distances.
With the amount of weddings I do during wedding season, travel can be exhausting and potentially dangerous. I’m no spring chicken anymore, and I very much like arriving on time. When a wedding is over 2 hours away, over a mountain pass, or on the ferry where travel during certain periods isn't available, sometimes an overnight stay is necessary.
Especially if you want me to arrive on time and ready to rock out to 6 hours straight of herding your kittens, chatting up family members, keeping on schedule, while providing exceptional service and quality makeup and hair styling. Because we want you to finish ON TIME, and not having to sit around longer than need be, we don’t take breaks either. We don’t get 2 15’s and a 30, not when we have a schedule to keep and a bridal party that HAS to get out ON TIME, I’m not gonna be the reason why you miss out on photo time.. NO SIR-RY!
So take this, your wedding is at the magical Mountain Spring Lodge in Leavenworth.
Everyone has to start getting ready at 6am to be finished for photos at noon. Well that means, me and my team have to be up at 2:30 am, on the road at 3:30 so we can arrive by 5:30 am so we can set up and be ready to go by 6am. So by the time I get to you, we’ve already almost finished half a regular work day! Now we work for 6 more hours.. by this time we’ve been awake for 10 hours, then we have to pack up and drive home that's another 3 hours. That's more than 12 hours starting at 2:30am, as an artist it takes a few days to get our bearings back after a day like that, and more often than not we have a wedding the next day as well!! I’m sure that bride would like me to arrive on time, safe and ready to roll for her wedding too!
Now let's add the additional travel issues. We’re driving over the pass, at 3:30am and low and
behold there is a tree in the road, or we get a flat tire, OR some naked dude is roller skating down the middle of the highway (this has happened) or in the winter time, the pass is CLOSED (this has also happened, luckily I was already cozy and warm at my Airbnb in Leavenworth) ..
As I stated before, I very much like arriving on time, I ALSO like having energy to slay some faces and get everyone out ON time and looking INCREDIBLE! So arriving the night before is my guarantee that we WILL arrive on time the morning of your wedding, well rested and SAFE!! Coming the night before will allow us time to rectify any issues that might arise, secure alternate transportation if something comes about that is out of our control, it’s like an insurance policy! It may be an additional cost of a few $100, but think of the chaos and stress that would unfold if we couldn’t make it the day of your wedding.
Not to mention, when weddings is your full time job, and you have LOTS of brides to make happy, self care and booking responsibly is policy for us. We love our brides, we love our weddings, and we love being reliable and responsible. Having on site makeup and hair is certainly a luxury service, could you imagine having to drive that early to a salon to start your services? or even driving to do anything the morning of your wedding, EWWWW gross!! You’d rather be sipping bubbles, chatting up your best friends in the comfort of your own room. Having an awesome, well oiled, beauty machine come to your room is certainly an amazing stress free option, but it does come with some costs, especially if you want someone reliable and cares about your morning as much as you do
Comments