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This week's topics: bridal beauty, when to book makeup/hair, creating a business and working with real couples, communication with bridal party and wedding guests, full lashes or individuals, exploring new skincare/beauty treatments before your wedding, budgeting for beauty services, importance of a makeup/hair trial run, creating a beauty look that aligns with your partners preferences and your personal style
This episode of Wedding Day Podcast features Nataliya Kovchan, the founder of Le Beige Beauty. She shares her journey of starting her own beauty business in Arizona with Sonja and Dan and the importance of education and training in the industry. A big part of Nataliya’s journey connects back to her roots in Ukraine where she was going to art school, and she gave Sonja and Dan a run down this week on how that has shaped her to create her own American Dream. Nataliya said the general beauty scene for Ukraine women is oftentimes more understated and minimalistic, so that was her point of reference as a young women. It was a big transition to move to Arizona, but one of the most eye-opening moments for her was seeing the power of beauty and makeup among local people. Nataliya started self-taught, she learned from YouTube videos and found a natural liking to the world of beauty, and eventually decided to start Le Beige Beauty which now has almost four years of experience with beauty.
When Nataliya decided to invest in makeup, hair and learn new skills, she quickly became an expert and still works to educate and further her learning. At Le Beige Beauty, she trains all the makeup artists herself, but she stressed the importance of continuous education and self education, especially in the wedding world where trends are constantly training it is all about the foundation. When looking for her team, Nataliya carefully curates makeup artists who have robust experience in weddings and know how to stick to a schedule and keep the big day moving smoothly. Nataliya actually suggests that couples find beauty artists who have at least three years of experience in the industry. It's also essential to book beauty 9-12 months in advance when you are planning, especially if you have a specific artist you love and want to lock down (Le Beige Beauty even has a wedding already booked for 2026).
Sonja and Dan were super interested in learning about the logistics of Le Beige's team and their work, and the intersection between beauty and other wedding vendors. One thing people overlook - getting ready! Don't forget to remember moms, grandmas and all the members of your day that might want beauty services. Le Beige works to make sure the entire bridal party is shining, even if it means last-minute adjustments and making room for extra people (though obviously this is not ideal). Dan was (perhaps unsurprisingly) a little unfamiliar with the actual time it takes to get hair and makeup done, and Nataliya said Le Beige allocates typically 45 minutes per person per service - not including the bride, who gets some more special attention. There's also etiquette - who plays for beauty? Nataliya said it really depends on the wedding, but it's not uncommon for brides to cover hair and makeup for their bridal party if they want a certain look. It's also important to have that conversation with your partner to figure out what you are willing to cover for guests in terms of vendor experience and also building in tips. Le Beige notably builds a gratuity into their services to make sure their collection of artists are taken care of and to ease stress on the wedding party with remembering tips.
Makeup can be intimidating, especially for bride's who have never worn professional makeup before. Nataliya, Dan and Sonja were all in support of a trial run for makeup, it's always a good idea to ensure you have a chance to perfect your look and fully understand the style you want. It's important for not only brides, but a lot of time their partners though Dan, Sonja and Nataliya all agreed that your wedding day look is up to your style and preferences. Sonja was super curious about wedding day routine, Nataliya went into the best things to wear while makeup is happening, with button-up attire and robes being the best. To wrap things up our hosts chatted with Nataliya about all-things eyelashes with a focus on the pros of individual lashes as opposed to strip lashes. Some of Nataliya’s parting advice was to speak up and communicate, because your makeup and hair artists are there to help actualize your vision.
This episode is powered by Ryann Lindsey Photography, Hazel Grove Rentals, Florals by Kendra, Le Beige Beauty and Amour de Sucre. Special thanks to members Linen Effects, Continental Diamond, Warpaint International. Photos for this episode captured by Ryann Lindsey Photography.
Natalia Kovchan, photographed by Ryann Lindsey Photography