It’s Not a Trial – The Origin of the Beauty Preview

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Lauren Before and After getting the 'M3 treatment'

Lauren Before and After getting the ‘M3 treatment’

 

In 2006, when my business partner and I started M3 Makeup (now also known as M3 Beauty), we were struggling with the try-out part of the hiring process with our brides. I just hated the term used by the rest of the industry: “Trial”. It was a hair trial or a makeup trial and the idea was for the bride to test the artist or stylist to see if they were good enough for her wedding.

Our brides were booking with us, but the trial sessions always seemed to feel off, like we’d started off on the wrong foot and had to prove something.

“This isn’t a trial, this is a rehearsal. It’s a preview of how beautiful you’ll be on your wedding day.”
Preview your wedding day

 

After some discussion, we had a eureka moment when one of us said, “This isn’t a trial, this is a rehearsal. We’re giving them a preview of how beautiful they’ll be on their wedding day.” And so the Beauty Preview was born.  Since then, we’ve seen dozens of other wedding beauty vendors locally and around the country pick up and start using the term as well. It just makes so much more sense.  It’s more about the relationship than the transaction.

Nikki smiling throughout the process before & after

Nikki smiling throughout the process before & after

Our brides have taken the time to find one of the best teams for their wedding, and are coming to our studio to see not a transformation, but a revealing of what they will look like on their wedding day.  They come to us knowing they’re going to look their best and the preview is an opportunity to get to know each other and for us to share a vision together.

Some brides know exactly what they want and everything works like clockwork. Some know what they want, but maybe their features or tones or hair type won’t fit that look, and we help shape their vision with advice and expertise that will ensure the best outcome.

Some brides think they know what they want, but when they get it, they realize it’s not what they wanted after all. Sometimes we even do multiple preview sessions and our brides love this opportunity to reveal a number of different looks to choose from.

And that’s an important point.  Not every preview will be perfect, sometimes there are multiple looks that are perfect and some looks might feel perfect in the studio, but not feel right later that day.  Our brides aren’t embarrassed to request another session or even another artist or stylist if they want to go a whole new direction.

Our goal as your beauty team is to make your preview a fun and relaxing experience. One way we do that is we do not offer previews more than 4 months in advance.

Here are a few reasons why doing a preview earlier than that is less desired:
  • You want to be sure you’re set on all other fashion elements.  Meaning your dress is picked out, colors are chosen, hairstyle and accessories are mostly taken care of, etc.
  • Bride’s minds are known to change a lot throughout the planning process.
  • To leave room for multiple previews if desired.
  • We want to make sure you have the same makeup artist and/or hairstylist for your preview session that you have for your wedding.  When doing the preview session so far in advance, it’s much harder to guarantee that.  (Due to life changes such as pregnancies, unforeseen moves, etc.)

We can also accommodate you if you’d like to schedule a preview before officially booking us or if you want to book us for your wedding date before scheduling a preview (so you know we’ll be there on the big day!).

 

When you’re ready to schedule your preview,

here are few things to know before you come out:

  • Location: Previews are done at our private studio in downtown Orlando. We are all about giving each of our clients a special experience, so we only take one client at a time.
  • Makeup Preview: We recommend you coming in with a clean, moisturized face. We will do a full makeup application working and collaborating with you on what you want for your wedding day needs. Appointment time: 1 hour
  • Hair Preview: You should come in with your hair completely dry and having not been flat ironed or curled. If you have naturally curly or hard-to-manage hair and have questions, you would want to talk with management ahead of time about your special needs. Any hair accessories, including your veil, should be brought in on this day.The biggest thing to remember about your hair preview is that it is not the finished product.  Do understand that the hair trial is mainly to give you an idea of how your hair will look on the day. There are different techniques the stylist(s) may use when doing it full out for the wedding day.
  • Pictures: We love pictures! Please bring any images of hair and/or makeup that you like to the preview. This gives us a good idea of the look you’re wanting to achieve.
  • Before leaving your preview: We want to make sure you are 100% satisfied, so please give us your direct and honest feedback. Most brides only need one preview. But if you aren’t 100% confident we got it right, let us know! You can’t hurt our feelings. We’re professionals that are committed to giving you the look you’ll be in love with. Don’t hesitate to book another preview if needed.
  • There are occasions where brides want to set up multiple previews in advance so that they can choose the look they like the best. No problem. We love trying different things!

Is your wedding day around the corner? Schedule a beauty preview with M3! Contact us Today

Don’t forget to enjoy the experience and have FUN!

 

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