If you are at all remotely interested in getting Kelly Zhang for your wedding, BOOK A TRIAL EARLY! I contacted her in January for my wedding in September & she was already booked!

I saw some crazy before & after transformations on their website so I was intrigued. The after photos have a common aesthetic: fresh faced, flawless complexion. The hairstyles range from sophisticated up dos to laid back curls & they're adept with birdcage veils & hairpieces. Here's what got me: they know how to make hooded Asian eyes POP & not in that anime kind of way.

Jessica C. did my bridal hair & makeup trial. While I didn't get 2 different hair styles as quoted on their website, she pulled together an up do that fit all the things I was looking for. I was a little hesitant about the makeup. It photographed well & didn't look cakey in person, but Jessica's stepwise fashion & slow graduation from natural look to more defined got me a little worried I would look too bare faced the day of.

I was asked to make a decision 2 weeks after the trial & booked Jessica C. No regrets here. I felt that Jessica C. did an even better job the day of, meeting requests of further eye popping and bone structure contouring spot on. The hair & makeup lasted through 10 hours of laughter, tears, & sweaty dancing, no fading, no hair falling out of place, & no false eyelashes coming off. No headaches either from the up do and obscene amounts of bobby pins used to hold it up. I really appreciated how Jessica C. was on time, calming, professional, & even allowed me to eat while she was doing my hair.

I booked with Mieko for my engagement shoot and was really pleased with how it photographed. Her enthusiasm & energy make the hair and makeup session a fun experience. She is also very knowledgeable about her craft & offered some great tips.

My interface with Kelly was the initial introductory meeting about bridal styles and booking. Kelly was so patient with the process. Circumstances kept changing & I had to keep updating the amount of bridesmaids & relatives getting hair & makeup. I appreciated how understanding & professional she was.

TIPS: Again, book a trial early. I cannot emphasize this enough. Their makeup artists get booked fast.

Try airbrush before you commit. I got the airbrush foundation for the engagement shoot & the application stung like a mother. The compliant Asian in me didn't say anything so it's really not fair to bring it up. Although it photographed well, airbrush looked cakey on me live. I'm glad I stuck with the traditional foundation for the big day.

Leave a lot of cushion time for hair/makeup sessions the day of. We went a little over the estimated time because I had 1 person in my camp not feeling how her hair & makeup were going. It's good to take that into consideration when planning.