February 25th will now be special for two reasons. Not only is it the day of my mom’s birthday, but also the day my beautiful bride Karen and Alex will celebrate for the rest of their lives. This was my first wedding of the season and I could not have been happier to have kicked it off with this! Karen was an ideal bride in many ways. She was organized, not over bearing, easy-going and allowed me creative control. What is most beautiful about Karen is her spirit. I just knew from our first meeting for her trial that we would get along just finnnne.

While this was probably one of the happiest days of her life, it was still a bittersweet moment – which I won’t get into.  I was so glad she was able to share the challenges she and her family faced with me because it really pushed me to go above and beyond for her to ensure this day was a day to celebrate and cherish. I loved that throughout the entire time that I was with her, she was smiling and SO excited. The morning started off early…pitch black early and as always, I receive a BBM from one of my favorite friendors, Vanessa who was doing makeup. This has become a tradition for us…usually when we are driving just to see where the other is. NOTE: do not drive & text! Lol.  We opted for a beautiful Tower of Pisa, adding lots of texture and softness. Because Karen’s hair was a bit short, we added a few strands to really give it that drama. I must say, she looked incredible!  Her girls were just as easy to work with and the morning started off great!

As Vanessa and I left the hotel to go for our “team meeting” a.k.a. brunch, we started noticing how crazy cold and windy it was and my first thought was, “oh man, she said they were going to do photos outside!!!” Luckily, Karen booked us for a touch up and to our surprise, everything was pretty much in tact! It was a blizzard out there, so it really could have gone quite bad. You’ll see in the photos below what troopers they were, courtesy of Renaissance Studios Photography!  As I was finishing up with Karen, a pastor/friend of hers came in and asked to pray with her. It was such a touching moment as I saw Karen tear up and I could totally feel the joy she had, that was something I will never forget. I know how hard it must have been, but man, was she ever surrounded by people who loved her. Side story: not only was one of the BM`s a bride I was unable to do hair for, but a random girl (who isn`t random now) pulled me aside and told me I looked nothing like she had envisioned. At first I had no idea if that was a good thing or bad – but she thought I was going to be an old guy having heard so much about me and my experience from the people around her. LMAO. She was in shock how young I looked. Bless her heart…I was a hot mess having been up for 13 hrs already with NO nap.

Karen wrote V and I a cute note of thanks:

Just wanted to say *thanks* for making us all look *FABelous* and *AmaZing* on my special day!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you guys were *awesome* to work with!!

it wuz a very haPPie and fUn day!! 

How cute is she? Lol.  Karen & Alex, may God continue to watch over you and bless you with love, joy and happiness! Take a look at the amazing pics below!! To think that was just a few weeks ago…and now the sun is out and people are wearing shorts…insanity! I get cold just looking at them, but so warm and fuzzy because of their love. Ok, ya, that was a bit over-the-top cheesy.

It never fails that during my wedding season, there is always one bride who intimidates me. This is based solely on appearance mind you, because there are just certain people who seem to have it altogether – confidence and beauty. This year, that bride was Jenny. Now don’t get me wrong – she was the sweetest bride!! So when we initially met, she had brought a few of her bridesmaids who also fell into this intimidation category and well, I had my worries. I have said it before and I will say it again – image is nothing. These girls were down-to-earth and hilarious!

I knew Jenny was going to be my kinda bride  just by the way she wrote her emails. I loved the fact that she actually used the word “scoured” when she explained to me her search online for a hairstylist.  How she found me is still a mystery. Throughout our correspondence,  I kept telling Jenny how much I appreciated her organization. She was on top of it, sending me photos of inspiration and sending me reminders to send her the contract etc. I’m pretty good at responding to emails for the most part, but it was nice to have reminders especially because I was just starting my wedding season when we first made contact.

The Trial:

As I mentioned before, when we actually met, I had a sinking feeling in my stomach. But my instinct was wayyyy off. We just instantly connected and had tons to talk about and I felt she totally trusted my work. We started with a Miley Cyrus inspired “halfie,” and that really wasn’t doing it so she asked me to just do something I wanted. So I opted for a soft Sydney Opera House low bun. Eureka! The one style no one thought would work actually did and it was so nice to see the excitement in Jenny’s eyes, as well as her posse. This was until Jenny’s mom saw the photos LOL. Mom’s have a funny perception about hair   So, after debating, we decided for a second trial with her hair down and after a few variations, we concluded on a side swept Tower of Pisa.

The Morning Of:

Heck, it was an early morning. Given this was an October wedding, it was dark! But from the minute I entered the door, it just felt right. I LOVED this bridal party. There was no shortage of jokes and the laughter rolled on for the entire time I was there. Stories of drunkness and childhood memories always make for a great time I loved that the girls trusted me to do my thing and more importantly, that they liked it!  This is how cool Jenny and her girls were: they did their own makeup! As if a wedding itself isn’t stressful enough :S  The maids rocked navy blue Henkaa dresses and man, did they look great! Attention all brides, you should all consider looking into these convertible dresses….it’s like Transformers for girls!

It was such a huge pleasure to have been a part of this wedding for many reasons. The main one being that there was open communication.  I mean, there normally is anyway, but it was more of the openness to sharing things beyond the wedding itself and feeling comfortable with each other. Each email always had a small update included and was never just about “business.” I appreciated her words of encouragement and understanding for my (sometimes) tardy responses!

Jenny – working with you and your girls was pure joy! I cannot tell you enough just how much I appreciated all of the kind words you spoke. I’m so glad we met and had the chance to work together   You looked radiant and could not be more happy for you and Hiro!  “May your joining together bring you more joy than you can imagine.” Hope our paths will cross again in the future!

I gotta say, being a stylist takes you to some very shady areas sometimes – and Ada, my awesome bride would agree!

But before I get into that, here’s our story.  Ada contacted me in the nick of time. She only had a few days before having to move to New York for work (she’s a lawyer), so we quickly scrambled to meet for a trial.  After our initial consult, we didn’t quite hit the mark of what she had envisioned, so again, we quickly tried to match our schedules for one last trial before she left. Thankfully, we got it and she had one less thing to worry about as I wouldn’t be seeing her until the day of. We opted for a flowy halfie Here’s how small of a world it is. Ada had brought one of her bridesmaids to the trial, named, Beatrice – who looked so familiar and yet I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. UNTIL we started talking more and found out she worked at the Toronto Zoo too!! That’s weird right? In any case, it was great to have reconnected and reminisce about our good ol’ zoo days.

Being double booked on the morning of, Ada was so gracious and flexible to work with my schedule. It really went to show how much she trusted my work!  As I entered her hotel room at the Monte Carlo in Markham – I already sensed some weirdness just from the choice of decor, which was only magnified when I entered the bedroom area to find a hot tub in the corner (note: the entire room is carpeted…). So I joked about how it seemed so grimy and they proceeded to assure me it was in fact, not a joke. Apparently, the hotel is notorious for having prostitutes lingering around and also guys looking, which two of the bridesmaids encountered first hand when they were ask by an old guy if they were from Thailand. Ew. Gross as that was, it was just as funny. I also had the chance to reconnect with my good Friendor, Vanessa

As we quickly wrapped things up, it was my first time seeing Ada’s custom made, Qi Pao (Chinese Dress) and wow, it was stunning! Unlike your traditional ones, this was open back and had a beautiful red sash that went over the gold dress. I had the chance to go back a few hours later to do a touch up at her Fiance’s house, which was super convenient given that it was only 3 minutes away from my house!! LOVE close weddings! LOL. What wasn’t convenient was walking into this massive house with over 60-70 guests (?) and having everyone stare at the random guy coming in with jeans on hahaha. I seriously need a uniform. In any case, Ada definitely knows fashion dropping some major labels like Badgley Mischka and her gold Miu Miu shoes! I have to also mention that she had one of the most stunning hair pieces that I’ve ever seen, which you’ll see in the first picture below, however, it was darn heavy so unfortunately we decided not to keep it and thankfully she wasn’t upset about it. You’ll also notice that her MOH went for a super chic and large bouffant updo inspired by Lily Allan. Love a girl who is daring and she def. pulled it off well!

I had so much fun doing this wedding because Ada and her girls were so much fun! Ada was an easygoing, generous, caring bride – which really showed throughout the entire process. Ada & Pierre, thank you for sharing such a wonderful day with me. I wish you nothing but happiness and love

I know that this post is a bit out of order, but it has taken me this long to think about what I want to say. I am pretty sure most people who know me feel like they already know Crystal in some capacity, whether they actually met her or not. Lol. Not that I always talk about her, but having been friends for 22 years (yes, 22!), she’s not just any friend. It feels like people ask me about her like when you ask about someone’s family out of courtesy. Haha. So rather than trying to sum up our entire friendship, which has TMI written all over it, I figure I would just post my speech from the wedding.

Just a quick recap: Crystal and Sam got married at the Dreams Resort in Punta Cana back in September.  It was a beautiful week of celebrations and a lifetime of memories. So here we go…

“22 years ago at the age of 5, what all of you don’t know is that I was actually married as at one point to my elementary sweetheart, Ashley. At the ceremony, a tall and skinny brown girl who had unusually bushy hair stood up with us in front of our entire grade 2 class playing the role of a bridesmaid. At the age of 6 in grade 3, I divorced Ashley after I caught her eating her own snot. Needless to say, I was “devastated,” yet Crystal, who still had bushy hair, stood by me to console my broken heart. I mean, if that isn’t a sign of true friendship, I don’t know what is.

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Ming – otherwise also known as “that Chinese boy.”

In 22 years, a lot has happened. Crystal and I were pretty much joined at the hip. Through our days of acne to sharing our secret crushes to cheating on our highschool tests – we shared both many laughs and a lot of tears, If we weren’t on the phone, we would make the grueling 3 minute trip to each others houses (keep in mind, this was pre-driver’s license as now we just drive!)

I honestly cannot remember a time where Crystal was not a part of my life. Our friendship has been tested many times over, yet God has always brought us back together. As I was writing this, it had me wondering why. And well, the answer is simple – whether good or bad, we were always honest. We had no reason to lie to one another and it was this honesty that Crystal has taught me what a friend is. To know Crystal is to know true friendship.

So what did this true friendship include?

Well, she and I have our own language and vocabulary and special sound effects – which is sometimes so hard to understand that even we confuse ourselves. Crystal taught me how to understand Mr.Dopson’s accent (READERS: they are Trini…just fyi lol). I taught her how to tame her wild hair.  She taught me how to take her mom’s spicy food without scratching my head. I taught her that I always know best. She taught me  and patience. I taught her Chinese swear words. She taught me to accept the things I cannot change.

Last August around 1am, I received a phone call from Crystal and I remember picking it up quickly with concern and asked if she was ok. It had been a long time since she called that late. She said she was fine and that Sam had proposed. Honestly, my first thought was “SAM, YOU BASTARD!” J/K. That night we talked for a long time since a long time and it was like old times.

Crystal and I are able to know exactly what we are each thinking without even saying a word. A friendship like this only comes once in a lifetime.

Sam – you are one lucky guy – to have found such a genuine, caring, kind hearted, loving soul. This girl means the WORLD to me and I know you will take good care of her because you feel the same way. She deserves the best.

To finish things off, I want to share a quote with you all by Elizabeth Foley. “The most beautiful discovery true friends make is that they can grow separately without growing apart. “ I cannot express how happy I am for my best friend for finding her other half. I wish you two a lifetime of joy & love. May you learn to love one another more each day!

If I could get you all to raise you glasses. To Crystal & Sam!”

I won’t lie, I choked up…but in my defense, everyone else did too, so that means it was worth crying for LOL.  I was so happy to have also spent it with  (co-host & Friendor), Janet, who was the photographer and did an amazing job capturing the wedding BUT also Myfanwy, my crazy and loveable Moshi (lol). The three of us spent a lot of time together, getting into all sorts of trouble, but I couldn’t have imagined spending it with anyone else.  For pics, check out my FB album

First of all, with writing like that, I should be a Doctor. Secondly, how I managed to read that in dim lighting and tears in my eyes is a miracle!

No, no, there isn’t anything wrong with your screen – that does in fact say 2011. I still have a handful of weddings to get through, so here we go!

Here’s how we met: I met Winnie through Bonnie – they are sisters. I met Bonnie through Taketo – they are coworkers. I met Taketo through Tracey – they are married. Yes that makes him my brother-in-law lol. Weird as that connection may be – a few years back I was planning our 2nd annual PROJECT SWAP fundraiser and Taketo had mentioned he knew someone at his work that also had an interest in event planning and could perhaps be of assistance. We started corresponding through email, met up for coffee at Starbuck’s and the rest is history. Bonnie and I have become close friends – her “to-the-point” attitude and loyalty is something I really admire. AND, I’m proud to announce that she will be getting this August!

Winnie was a much more energetic version of Bonnie.  She definitely had a vision about what she wanted to look like on her big day and that was something I thought was special. When we met for our trial, it was the funniest thing and here’s why. Winnie had met up with makeup artist and super friendor Vanessa prior to our appointment. When the door bell rang and I peeked through my window, I froze for a bit wondering who the heck was this girl and then I freaked thinking I had double booked two brides at the same time. I opened the door with hesitation and finally when I heard her voice, it was in fact, Winnie. As she came in…I am pretty sure all I said was , “wow…..wow…” LOL. She asked if I had liked it and I just kept saying “Yes…wow…” Honestly, the makeup looked amazing! Not that I was surprised, but whatever V did really enhanced Winnie’s natural beauty. I was in SHOCK to say the least. You know that saying, “easy breezy, beautiful  cover girl?” Ya, that was Winnie.  Looking back, I must have been such a dork.

ANYWAY, we tried a few different looks as the original plan was to do a Phase II (hair change). However, the big day fell on my bestie’s Bachelorette party…um, yes, Bachelorette (what? this is the result of having your best friend be the opposite sex haha) that will be in massive blog to come. Unfortunately because I was pretty much running that show, I was unable to Thankfully, Winnie was very gracious and understood. So, as we continued on with our trial, I remember her specifically telling me what she wanted her guests to see and what she had always had envisioned walking down the aisle. I know most girls probably have an idea, but it was the way she had described why she wanted to look that way that really made me stand back and say (in my mind), “ok – I am going to make this happen for her.”

On the morning of, it was early like always. By the time I reached there, the girls had just gotten out of bed. Lol.  And as the morning went on, more people started trekking through and like most weddings, we were down to the wire. THANKS FOR MY COFFEE btw! Vanessa and I worked like little work bees and got the whole party camera ready. Winnie made her transformation and wow (here I go using that word again), it all came together! Super Friendor, Andrew, captured the entire day!!

Winnie – in spite of all the craziness, I hope you enjoyed the beautiful day because you totally deserved it. I wish you, Mike and little Tiffany all the best. It was an absolute pleasure working with you and sharing such a special moment in your life.  Your giving nature, big heart and love for others is obvious and I admire you for being a great friend, sister and mother. See you soon!!

What an awful picture…I promise to get better ones!