Hobbies....

Lots of people have been asking about my hair and makeup business, so I thought I'd share what I do here, especially since its one of the things that has kept me so busy for the last 5 weeks :)


I have been doing my friend's hair as far back as I can remember. Angi taught me how to do the basics, and we started doing each other's and our friend's hair for weddings and such. Then as our friends got married, we did their hair, and the bridesmaids, and anyone else who needed their hair done. :) It kind of escalated from there. I did my first bride by myself in 2009 when I was 16.

Heather was an absolutely gorgeous bride! I loved the hairstyle she chose :)

I started doing hair for my friend's friends, and their friends - sometimes getting paid, sometimes not.

Last spring I decided that I wanted to advertise and start getting paid :) lol I put an add on craigslist and made some contacts in the wedding world around Cville. Last summer, I teamed up with a hair and makeup artist doing the same thing as me in Richmond. I have loved working with Joy - she has taught me so much. I did her makeup class, and started getting into that side of the business as well. Now I work as her associate - she is very well know in the Richmond area, and advertises a lot. I cover the Cville area for her as well as help in Richmond.

My friend Lily created this logo for my business as a  thank you for doing her hair and makeup one time.

Stephanie was one of the last brides I did before I started my business last year. She helped convince me to make it into an actual business. I never thought it would be such a success!

This was a bride from last summer - there are so many weddings around the Cville area... tons of amazing venues. Like Ash Law, Veritas Vineyard, Keswick Hall, Boars Head Inn, UVA Chapel, and hundreds more. There are lots of vineyards around here, and lots of UVA students come back to this area to have their wedding.

The next few pictures are from a wedding I did last Saturday in Montpelier. I always bring an assistant for bridal parties of 4 or more people. Otherwise I would have to start waaaay too early :) Amber Clem helped me with this one. She has recently joined my team of hair and makeup artists.

Compared to some other makeup artists I have worked with, my kit is very small. :)

This is the mother of the bride...

Covering a tattoo....

Bridesmaid's hair...

Eyelashes :)

Flower girls....

Amber did this bridesmaid's hair and makeup. She did a great job! :)

Me, doing the bride's hair...

This bride went for a classic, simple updo.

Bride's makeup.....

My concentration face :)

I really enjoyed working with this bride. She was so sweet :)

I'm still working as a dispatcher/accountant for Ben Franklin Plumbing full time, and I do this on the weekends. I will often do consults (basically a trial run for the bride) on weeknights after I get off work, or on Sunday afternoons. Some weekends I have a Saturday and Sunday wedding.

I absolutely love what I do:) I did not go to any type of school except a hands-on makeup training class with a more experienced makeup artist. God has blessed me so much in allowing me to have a job where I get paid to do what I love. :) It is going so well for me - I'm almost completely booked out for the rest of this year! I left a few weekends open so that I don't overwhelm myself - working 6 days a week gets old :)

Someday I hope to quit my office job and be able to do this full time. But for now i wouldn't know what to do with all that extra time! :) lol

  -Marci

PS: Thanks a million to mom and dad and their training that allowed me to start something like this when I was only  18 - as well as supporting me in it and being ok with my crazy schedule! :)