Wednesday, September 16, 2009

wedding review: Susmita Patel (hair/makeup)


Susmita Patel
Review: Communication was a bit difficult, but she absolutely came through 110% on our wedding day. The epitome of professional, she was calm, cool, collected, and quick! I couldn't have been happier with mine, and my family's looks!

By most accounts, our wedding weekend went off without a hitch, and I am constantly asked for advice by friends with upcoming weddings. I always respond with the same two pieces - (1) most of the things that you think are a huge deal probably aren't going to make or break the wedding, and (2) everything always works out in the end. Such was the case with Susmita, who we booked to do our hair, makeup, and sari draping. She came recommended by some friends from Florida, where she often traveled to work at Indian weddings.

The good:
*Susmita was always calm and cool, even when I (and my mother) were super frazzled or frustrated. During the wedding, she was probably the most collected person in our hotel suite, pinning up hair or touching up makeup without missing a beat. She even stopped to give me a quick massage when I was having an 'OMG I'm going to lose it' moment!
*Susmita arrived at the hotel early and stayed with me for the entire day with her assistant. She handled touch-ups during my pictures, and fixed me up just after the wedding ceremony was over.
*She's got a great resume, having worked with Hollywood artists for starters, and has been in the business for years and years.
*She is FAST and CREATIVE. She does hair and makeup quicker than I've ever seen a professional work, and the results are truly a work of art.
*She's honest, and will tell you if she thinks a particular look will work for you or not. I was drawn to casual, piece-y updos, but she did not think it would work well for my hair texture or color. Instead, she suggested a sleek (but not tight) updo accented by flowers that matched my sari. Truly perfection.
*That's not to say she won't listen. I'm a minimal makeup kind of girl, and I didn't want a heavy look at all. She stayed true to my comfort level, but still made me look better than I ever thought I could look.
*My mother and mother-in-law loved her. They're both a bit picky about hair/makeup, and loved what she did.
*She can tie a sari about a thousand different ways. Amazing.
*She has an arsenal of makeup and tools, and she comes fully prepared. For example, my skin was less than stellar on the day of my wedding, and she airbrushed it to near perfection.

The not-so-good:
*The number one frustration I had with Susmita was some trouble communicating. I often did not hear back from her for some time following my calls/emails, and when I would try to call or leave a message, her voicemail box was full. My biggest worry was that I wanted to sign a contract beyond our verbal agreement to secure our date, and also that she might be flaky on our wedding day. Looking back, I can say this: Susmita is an incredibly hard-working person, and she basically runs her own business. She was also working to open her own salon/spa, and was super busy on that end. She tried to reassure me numerous times that although she is very busy, when it counts, she is always 100% focused on her bride and bride's family. Did I have a right to be frustrated and worried? Probably. Do I look back with any regrets to booking her? Absolutely not.

Lessons Learned:
*If you can (and if your wedding day schedule might call for it), try and book Susmita for the entire day. It was great having her available to fix me up just after the wedding, and for touch-ups during my morning and afternoon photos.
*Bring inspirational photos if you have them, but keep an open mind. Susmita (or any good hair/makeup artist) should be honest about what will or will not work for you. After all, your work is what keeps their business going, and it's in their interest to make you look your best.
*For Indian weddings, having someone who can do hair, makeup, AND draping is a godsend. I only included my mother, mother-in-law, and sister-in-law in my wedding party, so Susmita and her assistant were all we needed for the day. Most artists will advise you on whether they'll need to bring on more assistants, etc., depending on the size of your wedding party.
*Do a trial or two to make sure you feel comfortable with your final look. Make sure you have the look(s) squared away so you can calmly sit back and get beautiful on your big day.
*I know everyone says this, but it bears repeating. Don't do anything you aren't comfortable with. You want to look like yourself...just a better version of yourself. If you don't normally wear heavy eye makeup, your wedding day is not the time for a smokey eye. You'll regret it every time you look back at your photos.

Susmita recently opened her own salon/spa - Studio Sush. It was her lifelong dream and I couldn't be happier for her. I suspect that future brides will have a much easier time scheduling meetings or trials now that she has a salon. Susmita is multi-talented, a true professional, and a pleasure to work with. She was without a doubt one of our favorite vendors, and I would recommend her services to anyone and everyone!

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