Jennings Trace Wedding | Chanel + Ben
How We Met
Chanel and I met back in May of 2019. She was in the beginning stages of planning her 2020 wedding when we initially spoke. I remember her having such a bubbly personality and was really easy to talk to. She mentioned she would be getting married at Jennings Trace and would need hair and makeup for her and a few of her friends and family.
When we met for her trial session I saw her smile walk through the door before she did. She brought her mom and grandmother with her to my studio and we jumped right into the session. She had inspiration photos of what she wanted and with my advice, this is the look we came up with.
The Wedding
Since Chanel was a 2020 bride, her wedding was unfortunately pushed back a few months due to Covid-19. I felt sooo bad for her because her wedding was the weekend they did the shutdown mandate. Like, they closed us down on the 19th and her wedding was scheduled for the 21st. It was heartbreaking to chat with her over the phone because she sounded so defeated and wanted to cancel the big day.
My recommendation to her was to reschedule the date instead of cancelling it because she would lose so much money and I believe she would have regretted it later. I told her that there were other brides going through the same situation and that she should reschedule the date. This way she would at least have a date set and if in thirty days she felt like she didn’t want to go through with the whole thing then she could cancel. Chanel ended up getting married that weekend (a private ceremony) and using the new date as a reception/ birthday celebration. Thank God she took my advice because she looked like she was having the time of her life!
Since Covid-19 was still a huge factor to consider with her wedding, the bride and groom opted to just take family photos with their parents and wedding party in an empty decorated chapel. Chanel did her father-daughter dance in the reception area with no guests present. This way they could get the video recording without having to wear masks.
Once the reception started their parents left and about 40 guests entered the building. Guests who came together sat together and were socially distanced from other guests. The wedding party and guests wore masks during the reception after eating.
Her Hair
Chanel has long beautiful hair and wanted a simply half up-half down style and that’s exactly what she got. I curled her hair tightly and pinned the curls so that they could cool and last longer in this Houston humidity. The bridal party were to take all photos prior to the reception so I needed the curls to last longer than normal.
Her Makeup
Since my beautiful bride mentioned to me that she would be doing a dance routine with her new hubby, I pulled out my good ole’ airbrush machine and sprayed her face down! Her wedding colors had hints of Champagne/gold in it so I incorporated that into her eyeshadow look, added lashes and a pinky-maroon lip.
Wedding Party Beauty
Her wedding party was diverse so some members of the party didn’t get makeup, some got full glam, and some did the light foundation, mascara and lip balm option. Both her mom and mother-in-love got full hairstyling and natural makeup.
What did she say?
“Where do I begin. I found Nyoka at the beginning of my wedding planning experience back in mid 2018. To begin, she is SO personable. This was one of the top qualities I looked for when choosing vendors. I really wanted to “click” with the ones I ended up choosing for the big day. Communication and punctuality is another thing I can vouch for. From the vision to the timelines she did a great job.
Fast forward to the week of the big day, COVID hit hard. We were the first couple to cancel/postpone the celebration due to covid back in March 2020 and Nyoka was truly there from the day we decided to cancel and potentially postponed and on. Nyoka played a huge part in me deciding to postpone to December 2020 to still have a celebration of us following through and eloping on our original date.
Throughout that wait period Nyoka called me to check in every few months, and for that I appreciate her more than she knows! That will be something I will never forget with 2020.
Outside of that, her services are amazing! I do not wear makeup so I really have to trust you. I felt so beautiful on our reception day and my family and friends loved her services as well. She is able to work on multiple hair textures as well as complexions, and adjust even if I don’t follow instructions with coming with dry hair.
On the day of, she stayed and helped so my hair looked great for pictures, helped walk me out, fixed my train, and truly showed all of her greatness. I know that when the time comes to have children, take maternity pictures, and family pictures that Nyoka will be the only one who I will consider to do my hair and makeup.
Vendor turned family is the best I can describe the relationship formed now. If it’s not apparent from this review, I would 100% recommend services.“
READY TO BOOK YOUR WEDDING DAY BEAUTY SESSION?
Are you in need of a hair and makeup artist at Jennings Trace? Don’t be shy, send me an email and let’s set up a time to chat! Ready to book? Fill out my contact form here.
Want to see more wedding inspiration? Click here to see another tiny wedding.
The Details
Venue: Jennings Trace
Photographer: JF Studioz Luxury Photography
Planner: Moments To Cherish
Hair & Makeup: Nyoka Gregory Beauty
Caterer: Sophisticated Delights
Cake: Cakes By Gina
Photo Booth: Monkey Booth Pics
