20 Lessons from my 30th Year

I love a good self reflection. With my 31st birthday approaching next week, I wanted to share some reflections of lessons I really ‘practiced’ this past year. haha These are in no particular order and have to do with all areas of life.

1. Saying no does not make you a bad person. I’ve really exercised my ability to say no and honor my best interests.

2. Being one of the last of your friend group to get married is amazing. Having so many bridesmaids who have already planned weddings (or been in multiple) is a blessing and so helpful.

3. Being engaged is one of the most magical times of life. Prepare to giggle a lot.

4. Joining a challenge that seems really hard (i.e. the BIPOC author only reading challenge for a year), is a great sign that it’s something you need to try. It’s one of the best things I’ve ever done.

5. I am so grateful for my body’s ability to move. I cannot imagine my mental health story without the ability to use cycling and running as a means of therapy.

6. Talk less and listen more.

7. I feel my best when I get to bed early and read before falling asleep. Same goes for waking up early to spend time alone reading.

8. Planning a wedding is harder than it looks and can bring up a lot of past emotions you didn’t know you needed to work through. It’s also the most fun I’ve ever had planning the day I get to marry my best friend. (aka SO WORTH IT).

9. The more nieces and nephews I am blessed with, the better life gets. If my heart can grow this much from nieces and nephews, I can’t imagine what having children feels like.

10. You don’t have to physically give birth to be a mother. You can mother your friends, your family, others’ children.

11. I love wearing a mask at the grocery store so I can be sly and get and out quickly without seeing anyone I know.

12. I also love wearing a mask for moments when I’m doing makeup and don’t have to worry if people can smell my coffee breath.

13. Sourdough bread making isn’t as hard as I thought it was going to be.

14. Writing a cookbook is still hard, but we’re almost there!

15. Life is truly lived in the little moments. With each year I appreciate the tiny details more, as they are responsible for so much of life’s daily joy.

16. Being the bride after all of these years of working in the bridal industry, is a weird feeling. It’s ok if you don’t feel super bridal. Doesn’t mean you don’t deserve to be a bride, or won’t enjoy it. It just might take longer for you to have it sink in. Plus, it’s about the marriage, not just the wedding day!

17. Turning 30 was absolutely amazing. If you are nearing it, embrace it. It’s exponentially better than your 20’s haha (and my 20’s were awesome)!

18. While I never would have wished the pandemic on anyone, I am grateful that it confirmed what I already knew…I can spend every second with only Mikey and still miss him the minute he walks out that front door.

19. Setting a realistic wedding budget is CRUCIAL. I cannot imagine this process without my budget.

20. You do not have to work every second of every day, to have a successful small business. Burnout is real and resting is great. Also work life balance is something you are continually striving for, so don’t be so hard on yourself if it feels like you haven’t mastered it. Life and businesses have seasons.

See you on the other side when I’m 31!!!

Andrea

Unsolicited Wedding Advice from a Married Financial Planner

I am so honored to welcome Stephanie A Trexler, CFP®, a previous Andrea Fontana Beauty bride and CEO and Owner of Golden Goose Wealth Planning to the blog! When I got engaged in February, I asked her to share her wealth of knowledge with those of us who are in the planning stages of our weddings! Be sure to check out her business when you are done reading and share this information with anyone you know who is newly engaged! Thank you Steph.

Everyone has an opinion when it comes to weddings and it has been said that weddings bring out the crazy in everyone! Here are a few things I wish I would have known before my big day!

∙       Do research before you set a budget- Do not put the cart before the horse! My husband and I picked a random number for a budget because we thought that is what the wedding SHOULD cost, turns out we were off by $10,000. We had not done our research and taken the time to figure out what the kind of wedding we wanted would realistically cost. It would have had a better idea of a realistic cost beforehand; it would have saved many disagreements in the future!

∙       Get organized- Get a physical wedding planner. My sister gave me a custom wedding planner for our engagement gift. It was super helpful having everything in one place. I carried it around with my in my purse and always had my checklists at my fingertips. You will also want to make a spreadsheet and save it in a place where you can easily share it with your fiancé. You will want to make sure you have the following tabs:

o   Guestlist

o   Addresses

o   Budget & Payment Due Dates

o   Day of schedule, 

o   Vendor contact information

∙       Go to the wedding expos- They might seem cheesy, but they have tons of great ideas and I made a lot of great contacts at the one I went to. This is also a great opportunity to start getting an idea of how much things cost. At the expo I attended, a caricature artist was setting up her business and she was offering a discount if I booked with her that day. This allowed us to add a nice touch to our wedding that was very affordable. 

∙       Think creatively where you register-You might think you really need that waffle maker but consider also registering for things for your home such as tools and yard equipment. After you move into your “big-kid home there are a lot of leaves to rake and driveways to shovel. Those gift cards to Home Depot will come in handy in the future and save you money down the line! Consider using a wedding registry website that allows you to register at multiple stores. 

∙       Hire a day of coordinator-Yes, it is an extra expense, but 1000% worth it. Skip the Starbucks, work a side hustle, or pick up some babysitting jobs to make it happen! Having a day of coordinator allowed me to relax with my bridesmaids and drink mimosas. On top of that, she was able to take all the decorations I had bought and made and arrange them even better than I ever could have myself. She has an eye for weddings and her personal touch made all the difference! Leave setting up to the professionals and enjoy your day!

∙       Flower Captain-On the day of your wedding, assign someone you trust to make sure everyone including parents and grandparents gets their boutonnieres and corsages. Give that person a list of who’s supposed to get what. I made the mistake of sending the boutonnieres and corsages to the groom’s room, and not all of the grandparents received theirs on time. This is a great job for a significant other of a groomsman!

∙       Allocate extra time- Weddings always seem to run behind. Set yourself up for success and give yourself an extra half-hour buffer between items on your itinerary. Things come up! Someone might need to stop at the store on the way back from the salon, a traffic jam slowed down the trolley or a groomsman needs a belt! Plan extra time into your day to ensure your ceremony and reception do not get delayed!

∙       Talk about money with your fiancé- Money is one of the top fights between couples. There is a good chance you were raised differently and have different values around money. It is ok to have different opinions, the important thing is to understand the WHY behind why your partner thinks the way they do. 

∙       Relax and enjoy- Planning a wedding can be a stressful time, but also the most magical. It all goes by so fast. Soak up every bit of it and enjoy the journey. There are very few times in life where all the attention is on you. Everyone will give you their opinion, but just remember everyone is excited and eager to help. Do not forget to take five minutes for you and your husband alone on your big day! 

 Happy Planning!

-Loyally, 

Stephanie A Trexler, CFP®

Stephanie is the CE0 and owner of Golden Goose Wealth Planning. She helps couples plan and save for the future. Be sure to reserve your spot in Stephanie’s Newlywed class today. https://calendly.com/ggwealthplanning/newlywed

11 Things With Andrea #5

I’m trying to get better with keeping up with these posts because I know how much you guys love them. So here we are! New year, new 11 Things with Andrea.

1. Should we start off with a bang? In case you missed it, I paid off my last student loan on Christmas Eve this year and now I am officially DEBT FREE! I can’t believe this moment is finally here after years of hard work and dedication. Let me know if you want me to write more about my debt free journey.

2. I have officially joined the #PASHFAM and become obsessed with my Passion Planner. I have no idea how I’ve survived this long without one. Special thanks to my best friend Margaret (@edgewoodplace) who convinced me to take the plunge. This is the best planner I have ever purchased and it works so well for my brain.

3. Coming off of working so hard to be debt free, I wanted to make sure I didn’t treat myself too much in January, so this month I’m doing a No Buy. This means, no extras but the necessities for the whole month of January. I figured this would help me transition into life where I’m not putting more than a third of my income towards debt!

4. About a week ago I purchased the new iPhone 11 Pro Max and I’m so happy with it so far! The picture quality is amazing and I’m excited to experiment with it as I continue to create new content for you this year!

5. I received Alison Roman’s cookbook, Nothing Fancy, for Christmas and I’m already obsessed! The few recipes I’ve tried so far have been amazing and I’m excited to keep diving into more. If you like to feed your friends and family with cozy and easy meals that feel special, check it out!

6. Speaking of cookbooks…I’m still trekking along on my own cookbook journey. Still working on recipe testing which takes a lot longer than you would imagine.

7. For the first time in maybe ever, I feel like my two weeks off for the holidays was actually two weeks. I got rest, did puzzles, read books, took many naps, cooked and ate delicious food, and really relaxed. I think it also helps when you have created a life that you like getting back to. While it was nice to have a break, I’m so happy to be back to planning 2020 and amping things up for what this year has in store for AFB.

8. I have a secret project coming for Galentine’s Day that I CANNOT wait to share with you! Stay tuned, but your hint is that it will be located in the SHOP tab…haha

9. January was really hard for me last year. I think I even wrote a post about it? January is not usually my best month but this year feels so much better than years past! I think it has a lot do with being medicated for my anxiety and feeling like I have a stable but flexible plan for the month.

10. I’m already more than half booked for 2020 and I cannot believe it! If you or someone you know is getting married and needs a makeup artist, send them my way or email me ASAP (andreafontanabeauty@gmail.com). I don’t want you to miss out!

11. Mikey’s birthday is at the end of this month and I cannot wait to make his annual birthday cake. Every year I pick a theme based on something he loves. Previous years included the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Death Star, and Harry Potter. This year I’m thinking the West Wing? Stay tuned to my IG for that as well because you KNOW I’ll be sharing that labor of love when it’s done.

What’s going on in your life right now? Let me know in a comment below. I hope you feel rested and ready to start off the new DECADE on a strong note. I believe in you and I’m grateful every day for your support.

Have a great week,

Andrea

My New Favorite Makeup Brushes (MODA PRO)

Boy am I excited to write this post. You guys know I love to review and test out new beauty related products. When my good friend Jodi asked if I wanted to test out and review the MODA PRO Brushes from Royal & Langnickel Professional Makeup Brushes, I was so excited! (The kit I received is no longer available on the website but my coupon code ANDREAFONTANABEAUTY is good for anything on the site)

I will only use high quality products on my clients, and tools are no exception. The only thing better than discovering new products that I love, is finding ones that I love that are also at a really reasonable price point. Insert Royal & Langnickel.

While I initially noticed three awesome things about the MODA Pro Brushes, I wanted to add them to my kit and come back here to review them for you after I had tested them out for a few weeks at weddings!

The first three things I initially loved about the brushes were:

1. I loved the look. As a working makeup artist, I prefer black on black synthetic brushes because they look the sleekest and cleanest in my kit.

2. I loved the texture on the handle of the brushes because they are comfortable to grip when applying makeup for hours.

3. I love how light they feel. When you’re doing makeup for 7 hours straight, little things like this matter!

After using them for multiple weddings, I can confidently tell you that I reach for these brushes over the other ones in my kit time and time again. They do everything I need them to when I’m working with clients. I need tools that I can rely on and use hundreds of times and these brushes are awesome! I’ve had clients also comment about how soft they feel as well, which makes me really happy.

I’m definitely going to be purchasing more for my kit for the 2020 bridal season and also picking up a set to replace my personal makeup brushes.

If you’d like to try out the MODA Pro brushes from Royal & Langnickel, or any of the other makeup brushes that Royal & Langnickel have created, visit ROYAL & LANGNICKEL PROFESSIONAL MAKEUP BRUSHES and be sure to use the code ANDREAFONTANABEAUTY at checkout to get 10% off your purchase!

Coupon Code for 10% off: ANDREAFONTANABEAUTY

Be sure to share with me if you try any of the brushes out!

Have a great day,

Andrea

Disclaimer: These brushes were gifted to me but all opinions are my own and I am not being paid to post. If you purchase using my code, I do earn a small commission and I appreciate you supporting Andrea Fontana Beauty so I can bring you more content! Thank you!

So You're Getting Married (Part 2): 7 Tips for Future Brides

Now that it’s May, bridal season is upon us and I wanted to take the time to bring you a second part to my really popular post from a few years ago (So You’re Getting Married). Click here to check that one out if you haven’t! That post is centered mostly around makeup and getting ready, but today’s tips are just reminders that I think every bride should read before their big day.

Reminder that while I have never been married or planned my own wedding, I have witnessed great planning, poor planning, and everything in between. This advice comes from my experience working in the wedding industry for 5 years now, but ultimately you know what’s best for you and your future spouse.

1. You’re the only one who knows exactly what’s supposed to happen.

   Guess what. No guest at your wedding will know what your exact thoughts for your cake table are. So if details don’t go exactly according to plan, don’t sweat it! Chances are everyone will still think your day was absolutely spectacular, so don’t get stressed.

2. The people bring the joy.

   Last fall I had the pleasure of doing the makeup for one of my first friends of life, and at her reception, her mother gave one of the best speeches I have ever heard at a wedding. She mentioned that a friend gave her the advice to focus on the fact that while the details can be really special, the people truly bring the joy to the wedding. This may be the only time in your life that all of your favorite people from both sides of your lives will be in one room. That in and of itself is special, so don’t forget it.

3. Choose bridal looks that make you feel like you.

   I can’t recommend enough choosing a bridal look that looks and feels like you. You want your groom to feel like it’s you walking down the aisle, after all he’s marrying you, not some fantasy bridal version of you. You will look at these photos forever, so stick with classic looks that represent the true you. If you don’t like how your hair looks up and never wear it up, don’t choose an updo for your bridal hairstyle. You obviously want to feel special on your wedding day, but in a moment that can feel very surreal, it’s important to love what you see when you look in the mirror. We’ve all had those days when we don’t like our outfit for example, and feel less confident. Don’t let this happen on your wedding day!

4. Stay organized and do a little each week to prevent stress.

   The brides who seem to be the least stressed to me are those who stay organized and do a little bit of wedding planning each week. Obviously if you have a short engagement this might not work for you, but I find that most brides tell me that by making a couple decisions a little at a time, they don’t feel that overwhelmed. I think a lot of wedding planning comes down to what kind of decision maker you are, so lean on those you trust, who are good at it.

5. Stop caring about what other people think or making decisions to please others.

   It’s YOUR wedding day. The day is about you and your partner joining lives together. If you don’t want to do some traditional aspect of a wedding, don’t do it. Your day gets to be as unique as the two of you, so who cares what the people think! If you don’t like the look of a veil, don’t wear one!

6. People just want to have a good time and celebrate you.

   While the details may be really important to you, don’t forget that most people just want to have fun. I say this not to sound like no one cares about the cake topper you chose, but in 20 years, most people will remember whether or not they had a great time at your nuptials.

7. Find a moment while you’re getting ready to just sit and think about the day.

   Most brides tell me that it doesn’t feel like their wedding day, in the mornings when we’re getting ready. I personally love when the bride can find even just 5 minutes to sit and close her eyes and just soak in the moment. It’s a big day and from what I’ve heard, it flies by in the blink of an eye. At the end of the day, you will be marrying the love of your life and I think it’s really important to find a few minutes and sit and reflect on what that feels like. Often times, brides are bombarded with a million questions as they are getting ready so I think this time is sacred and special.

Overall, the most important thing is that you have fun and marry your husband or wife. Try your best to take extra time for self care and remember not to sweat the small stuff. Fill your day with gratitude and I can almost guarantee that you will have the best wedding day EVER!

If you’re a past bride of mine reading this, I hope your marriage has been better than you ever could have imagined so far. Thank you for letting me be a part of your day!

If you’re a future bride of mine reading this, I am so excited to have the honor to do your makeup on your wedding day. You will occupy a special place in my heart forever.

Have fun planning,

Andrea

Photo above is by Ben Ramos Photography.

So You're Getting Married? (Bridal Makeup Tips)

Hello! 

I'm really excited to bring you this post because I have so many tips to share when it comes to bridal makeup. I'm going to try to condense everything into as short of a post as possible but there is so much to consider when planning the getting ready portion of the day.

1. Give yourself PLENTY of extra time to get ready. This one has many reasons so read the whole thing! When it comes to the morning of your wedding day, you will not be able to sleep in. You're going to be so excited like a 5 year old on Christmas, so if your hair stylist or makeup artist suggest an earlier start time, do not worry. There's a few reasons why I always ask for extra time. The largest being that this is a really important day and it's the only time you will get to spend with just your bridesmaids. You picked them for a reason, so take extra time to enjoy their company. Also however you feel at the end of getting ready, is the energy you will feel when going into a first look or down the aisle. The last thing you want is to go into it feeling stressed or rushed. I also recommend that my brides take a moment to let the day sink in with peace and quiet, often when alone. Enjoy every second of the day because it will fly by. 

2. Trust your hair stylist and makeup artist when they give advice. You hired them for a reason and unless you have been married before, they do this a little more often than you. As a makeup artist I have seen TONS of things not go as planned, so when I give recommendations to my brides, it's usually because I have experience to go off of when something went wrong. Whomever you decide to go with for your glam team, wants you to have the best day ever so keep that in mind. 

3. Have a trial. I cannot stress this enough. The more that you can do to get rid of potential stress on the big day, the better. You will feel a sense of relief knowing that your hair stylist and makeup artist know exactly what you want for your wedding day. Also this allows you to make sure you don't have any sensitivities or allergies to the products being used ahead of time. 

4. Bring pictures! I find that sometimes brides feel weird about bringing pictures to their trial but they are so helpful for your glam team. It's much easier to understand what you want if we have a visual of it. We all describe things differently so pictures can help us connect the dots better. Also know why you love the pictures. I often ask brides why they love a certain look so that I can make sure I deliver the best possible makeup look for them.

5. Discuss allergies and sensitivities ahead of time.  If you are allergic to specific ingredients or sensitive PLEASE let your artist know ahead of time. While I keep a lot of extra products in my kit, I can't be prepared for every possible allergy since everyone is different. So make sure you discuss everything with your artist before the big day.

6. Create a schedule. This is the big one. Depending on large your wedding party is or how many people are getting hair and makeup done, you may want to create a loose schedule to keep things flowing properly. If your party is large, it will probably take a good amount of time (hours) for everyone to be glammed. If you create a schedule it allows your girls to at least know the approximate time that they will be needed by the hair and makeup team. I've had bridesmaids go MIA and slow down the process which can end up stressing the bride out. Sometimes they need to leave to help with setup and such, which is fine, but it's nice for them to know what time they should return to keep things running smoothly. It's helpful to have your hair and makeup team take a look at the schedule to make sure that you planned enough time for them to do what they need to do to help you look perfect! Please lean on your hair and makeup team for this! I cannot stress this enough. Have family members (mom, sisters, etc.) be done towards the beginning. I recommend making sure that none of your close family members go last. I like to plan for worst case scenario so that even the unpredictable doesn't ruin anything. Anyone who you would want in pictures to help you get dressed (i.e. sister buttoning your dress, mom putting on your veil) you do not want to go last. Just in case things are running behind you do not want your mom or sister to miss that special moment. You want to be as close to the end as possible without being last. You are the star of the show and your makeup and hair needs to look the best, so going as close to the end as possible (I recommend second or third to last) is best so that everything will look fresh at the end of getting ready!

Congrats on your big day! If you are still looking for a makeup artist for your big day, please send me an email. I'd love to be considered in helping you look your very best on your wedding day. If you are going to be a bridesmaid this year, make sure you check out this post I did on Bridesmaids Makeup Tips. 

Have a beautiful week,

Andrea

Bridesmaids Makeup Tips

Recently, a common conversation topic that I've been encountering is getting your makeup done as a bridesmaid. I'm at the age where every weekend someone is getting married, so it's not a surprise that so many clients and friends are asking me questions about being a bridesmaid. Some of you have never had your makeup done, so I decided to compile a list of tips for you to have on hand for the next time you are in a wedding!

1. Make sure you have a consultation before the makeup artist begins. Since bridesmaids rarely have a trial before the big day, it's important that the makeup artist chats with you for a few moments to discuss things like your skin type, how much makeup you feel comfortable in, anything you love or hate, your favorite features, etc...If they aren't asking you these questions, speak up! If you know you get super oily throughout the day, that's something the MUA will need to know. 9 times out of 10 the bridesmaids pay for their own makeup which means you are their client. It's your face! Don't be afraid.

2. If you wear dramatic makeup on a regular basis or want a dramatic look for the wedding, okay it with the bride first! After all, it is her day and she may have an idea of the look she wants for the bridesmaids. On multiple occasions I've had a bride let me know ahead of time that she doesn't like the look certain bridesmaids might ask for so please don't do it! It's always better to double check with her first to make sure she's comfortable with what you want.

3.  Be on time! Getting ready for the big day will take some serious time. If the bride gives you a specific itinerary with a time slot for you to get your hair or makeup done, make sure you're there 10 min early. I can't tell you the amount of times I've seen girls not show up on time and this could cause a cramp in the schedule! The last thing you want to do is stress the bride out hours before she walks down the aisle! 

4. Bring pictures! Sometimes the most difficult part of a MUA job is understanding what you mean when you're describing what you want. Everyone is different and depending on your makeup knowledge, you might describe a natural eye as a dark smokey eye. Pictures allow the MUA to instantly see what you're talking about and help them understand you better.

5. If you've never gotten your makeup done before I'd recommend going with a natural look that's a little more glam than what you wear every day. You can't go wrong with that! 

I hope these tips help you the next time you are in a wedding. Remember, it's the bride's day and you may have to sacrifice your signature red lip which will be ok. Just remember that the most important thing is you standing up with her on the biggest day of her life!  

 -Andrea