The Co Turns 10!
I have been doing hair and makeup for weddings since 2004.
It’s hard to believe those words as I write them, even though they are true. Somewhere on the edges of my memory is writing a similar post, a while back on a different blog. The post was about everything I’ve learned from doing over 10 Thousand Weddings. I may have even (incorrectly) thought we had reached our ten-year mark around that same time. It’s a strange sensation to feel like I’ve been doing this my whole life and yet, still started yesterday.
My first wedding was in March of 2004. I was working for another agency at the time, and it was my first real job as a hair and makeup artist, let alone doing weddings. Sure, I had a few “friends and family” amateur hour sessions prior to that day, and I was pretty handy with the fashionable twisties-and-crispy-curls look, but no one was more surprised than I was to find myself with my toolbox standing outside a bridal suite door. This was before makeup artists had really great options for kits, like Zuka or Stilazzi. For reasons I really don’t understand today, I had purchased a heavy, metal Craftsman to tote my purple eyeshadow around in. (Everyone got purple eyeshadow from me in those days.) I also had a full set of Conair curling irons, the kind with the cheap plastic handle that you’d have to hold on the hair for a solid minute just to generate enough heat for it to curl.
That was a good thing though, considering I burnt the forehead of my bride when I was finishing off her beer-can bangs. If I’d have done that with the professional irons we use now, I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have lasted long enough to write this post.
It was the first mishap, and it definitely wasn’t the last. The heavy toolbox got traded in for a larger, more organized fishing tackle box. The purple eyeshadow and Conair curling irons were slowly replaced with brown tones and Baybliss. Then, one day, I needed to hire a makeup artist to work with me. One by one, I lucked out with talent and managed to build an all-star lineup. In July of 2011, we made the thing official and formed Amelia C & Co, LLC.
Rob (Chief Dude) came over to help run the books and scheduling because I was working so much I hardly had time in the office. Having a voice of reason and sanity in a rapidly growing business that I kind of just stumbled into was a game-changer. The team grew. All the while, we were fortunate beyond measure to have enjoyed the faith and cheerleading of some of the most gifted wedding professionals in Las Vegas.
To my diligent husband, Rob, to the rockstar artists I have the privilege of representing, to the brides and bridesmaids who trusted us enough to let us touch their faces on such a big day, and to the loyal friends who have nudged us along and challenged us to be our best selves…
Thank you.
Cheers to 10 Years!
