This is one of the most frequent questions I hear from brides. Should I hire a make-up artist? Well… now your wedding day questions are answered! Our friends over at Cloud 9 asked their “go-to” make-up expert Carissa Passerella with Carissa Beauty all of your burning wedding day questions.

Head over to Cloud 9’s blog to read the entire article on Ask the Expert… Carissa Passerella. Make sure you check out Carissa’s blog Hooked on Beauty for all of the latest trends.

TGIF!

Company Name: My Big Day Planner

Name: Tawsha Connell

Location: Colorado

Tell us a little about what you do. I am the owner of My Big Day Planner which is also the name of my wedding organizer created by brides for brides. Along with the wedding organizer, my business partner and I have come up with an event called the Wedding Preview Event. This bridal “show” is a production featuring the very best professionals in Colorado. There will be wedding demonstrations, lunch, dessert, champagne, workshops and one on one meeting time.

How long have you been in business? My Big Day Planner has been an official business for a year. However; The research for this business and creation of the book was a seven year process.

What inspired you to start your business/studio? Is it horrible to say that I inspired myself to start this business? I was a lunatic when planning my wedding. I wanted everything just right and it wasn’t happening. I refused to hire a planner because I thought I could do it all on my own. I nearly went crazy. On my wedding day, my brain wouldn’t stop focusing on the next thing and I didn’t give myself an opportunity to enjoy this once in a lifetime occasion. As the doors opened for me to walk down the aisle, I wondered if everyone knew how to get to the reception spot. That was it. On my Hawaiian vacation, I vowed (no pun intended) to help future brides avoid this mistake. Whether or not you hire a planner, organization is the key to calm. My Big Day Planner will keep you organized, on top of your planning and ready for the next step. How? It was created by brides who have all experienced the same thing.

What is your favorite thing about your business/studio? My favorite thing about My Big Day Planner is that I am confident in what I’m promoting. I believe in this book so much because I know that so many people left their personal touch in order to help other brides. That’s really special. It’s like creating a bridal community. Providing a book that allows brides to actually jot down their dreams; some for the first time, is so exciting to me!

Was there a defining moment when you knew you picked the right career path? There wasn’t a defining moment; really, it was more a defining feeling. Once other professionals who I respect very much started believing in my business as much as I do, the turning point had been reached. There are such incredible people in the wedding industry and I feel right at home. It’s just a good fit.

When you built your business what style would you say you built it around? (i.e. classic, modern, vintage) Is “stress” an option?

When working with people how do you help bring the vision for the event to life? That’s the cool part about my job. I get to hear (and see) brides at the very beginning. They start with My Big Day Planner and lay it all out there. I see their hopes for their big day, some color suggestions, their flyers and pamphlets they’ve collected, business cards, etc. It’s fun. Once the wedding day draws near, everything comes together. In the months (sometimes year) that the brides have been planning, the pages have been filling up. A couple of weeks prior to the wedding, she can take the pages she needs for her big day and combine them into a mini-planner so she’s able to enjoy her time while someone else carries out her plans. It’s like magic.

Where do you go for inspiration? (i.e. blogs, magazines) Other brides. Always other brides. Nobody knows the stress of planning a wedding than the brides who have been through it.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you and your business/studio? There’s so much more to come. I love feedback . I enjoy coming up with ideas of how things can go together or what kind of unique product we can do next. Remember My Big Day Planner because this is only the beginning.

**The Wedding Preview Event is this Sunday, March 21 in Denver. Make sure you check out My Big Day Planner’s website and blog for more information.

Photo courtesy of My Big Day Planner.

Company Name: Intricate Icings Cake Design

Name: Rachael Teufel

Location:149 South Briggs Street, Suite 100, Erie, CO 80516

Tell us a little about what you do:  Intricate Icings is a custom cake boutique specializing in wedding cakes, sculpted novelty cakes, and hand-made gumpaste flowers.  We take pride in every cake we make, baking it fresh no more than two days before the event.  We use high quality ingredients and never freeze our products.  We limit the number of events we reserve each weekend in order to maintain our high standards of quality.

How long have you been in business? We officially became  a business in October 2006.

What inspired you to start your business/studio? My passion for baking started when I was a young girl.  I grew up baking with my grandmother.  When I graduated from college, I started looking for a creative outlet and took a few classes in cake decorating.  I made a few cakes for friends and family and before I knew it I had a business.  I gradually transition from physical therapy to cakes when I moved here to Colorado in 2006 and grew large enough to open my own custom cake boutique in May 2009.

Was there a defining moment when you knew you picked the right career path?  I can’t say there was a specific moment.  I can tell you that when I wake in the morning I can’t wait to get to my shop and start making cakes.  I sometimes put in really long days and even when I’m up until 2 am working, I still love what I’m doing.

When you built your business what style would you say you built it around? (i.e. classic, modern, vintage)  I have a very modern, clean line style.

When working with people how do you help bring the vision for the event to life? I love using inspiration from other parts of the event.  Things like the invitation, embroidery from a bride’s gown, vases/flower arrangements, etc all help guide the final cake design.  The cake has become the centerpiece for events over the past few years.  It’s really a place to tie everything together or show off a little personality.

Where do you go for inspiration? (i.e. blogs, magazines) Top wedding sites like Style Me Pretty and Wedding Chicks are my two favorite sites for wedding inspiration.  I look for the new trends in the industry and then adapt them to cake.

Is there anything else you want people to know about you and your business/studio? We bake all of our cakes on site, no more than two days before an event, using high quality ingredients.  We do not freeze our cakes, which means you are getting the freshest cake possible.

You can check out more on Intricate Icings Cake Design by visiting their website and blog.

Photos courtesy of (from top): Autumn Burke Photography, Kokoro Photography, Peter Holcombe Photography.

Company Name: Pick Me Floral and Event Design Studio

Name:  Kara Delay

Location: Winter Park, CO

Tell us a little about what you do:  Floral design, event décor design, event planning and event coordination

How long have you been in business? 5 years

What inspired you to start your business/studio?  A love of flowers and a need to please people.  Living in a small resort town, we saw an opportunity and ran with it.

What is your favorite thing about your business/studio?  Bringing someones vision to life and making it different every week.  We are extremely flattered when a bride brings us a picture from our own website as inspiration.  Our response is always – how can we make this unique for you?

Was there a defining moment when you knew you picked the right career path?  When I got a high five right after a wedding ceremony from one of the top photographers in Colorado who said “You make this fun . . .a really pretty to shoot.”

When you built your business what style would you say you built it around? (i.e. classic, modern, vintage) Rustic Ranch Weddings – 80% of our weddings are outside so we aim to incorporate as many elements of the property as possible.  Is there a vintage truck?  We will use it.  Whisky barrels as planters – let’s build the décor around them.  Recycle and reuse throughout the day.  Make it easier on the environment AND the budget.

When working with people how do you help bring the vision for the event to life?  LOTS of pictures, fabric swatches, inspiration boards.  And sitting down – one on one – and finding out what is important to the couple.

Where do you go for inspiration? (i.e. blogs, magazines)  YES and catalogues for home and clothes, travel pictures.  My favorite design of last summer was created with this instruction from the bride – she handed me a picture of an alpenglow sunset and said that those were the colors she admired and told me that I had to include coxcomb since it was the first flower her now husband had ever given her – and then she told me to make something (within budget) that I was proud of.  Here’s the picture:

Is there anything else you want people to know about you and your business/studio? We believe that every wedding is different and should be a reflection of the couple.  It’s your wedding – your way.  All we do is whatever it takes to make it happen!

You can check out more on Pick Me Floral and Event Design Studio by visiting their website and blog.

Photo courtesy of Brinton Studios.

Company Name: Maihar Design

Name: Ashleigh Davis & Melanie Ford

Location: San Antonio, TX

Tell us a little about what you do: Maihar Design crafts unique, hand-sewn keepsakes. Our current product lines include ring bearer pillows, flower girl wands and hair petals. We are a sister team; Melanie is the designer and Ashleigh handles all the business functions, including marketing. All of our products are designed to be beautiful and unique, each meticulously constructed from quality materials.

How long have you been in business? Since Spring 2009

What inspired you to start your business/studio? Melanie had been sewing ring pillows and wands as a freelance designer for various event companies. For years she had wanted to launch her own line, but the stars aligned when Ashleigh ventured off to start her own marketing company. The timing was finally right to make Maihar Design a reality.

What is your favorite thing about your business/studio? Working with my sister. We’ve gotten to know one another on a different level, and have really come to appreciate each other’s unique abilities. Maihar Design is truly a partnership of two sisters – we are both integral to the success of the company.

Was there a defining moment when you knew you picked the right career path? Probably from the response we’ve gotten. We’re still very new and both work “day jobs” in addition to running Maihar Design. Despite this, the industry has been so appreciative of our products and we’ve been nothing short of overwhelmed with the kind words. Our products were unique ideas that we decided to offer, even though we knew the initial product launch was extremely niche. In all honestly, we weren’t really sure how the industry would embrace our designs or if there was even a viable market.

There was one notable source of feedback I got in the very beginning before we launched that made me a bit doubtful because it was less than supportive. In fact, it was from a local wedding publication (to remain unnamed) and they told me in not so many words that our product was a bad idea and that their magazine’s account executives had their finger on what was popular, and ring pillows were “out.” Top publications, such as BRIDES Magazine seem to think otherwise. I kind of want to go back to that magazine and show them our press clippings.

When you built your business what style would you say you built it around? (i.e. classic, modern, vintage) We definitely have a modern, whimsical flair that has developed as a result of the fabrics and colors selected for our products. We didn’t intentionally set out to create a style, but rather to offer a unique, sophisticated alternative to current offerings.

Where do you go for inspiration? (i.e. blogs, magazines) We look at a variety of wedding blogs and photographer websites. The wedding industry is filled with amazing and talented individuals on all levels – from the planners to photographers, stylists – everyone from beginning to end is incredible. It’s hard not to find inspiration within the large talent pool!

Make sure that you check out Maihar Designs website, blog, and Esty Store.

Photo Credits: Matthew Niemann with Aberdenn Studios.