Sneak Peak: Memi and Dapo's Video Trailer

This must be one of the most beautiful couples that we know (if we should say so our selves).  On August 4th 2012, our beautiful Memi a.k.a BCG Blogger married the love of her life, Dapo "too dapper" Oladapo.  Her wedding was too gorgeous for words and 3Ring Weddings was on hand to capture their beautiful day.
We can't wait to share all the details but for now enjoy the video trailer of their love story:

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Ah! Mazing Vendor: Crystal Eyez Makeup

I have the pleasure of sharing an interview I had with Bisi of Crystal Eyez Makeup Artistry. She is a young, talented business owner who is very passionate about her craft and I KNOW you guys will enjoy this interview! 

 

Memi:  Tell me about yourself and what made you want to start Crystal Eyez?

Bisi: Well my name is Bisi E and I think its safe to call myself a creative person. I've always loved sketching, painting, designing, etc and these are some of the things that led me to study architecture in college. I love architecture and got my bachelors and masters in architecture from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Makeup on the other hand had just been all about fun for me. Now I think back at all the makeovers I gave my college roommates and friends in the name of fun, yet at that time I never thought of a career in makeup. It wasn't until I started getting a lot of pressure from friends and family who recognized my unique talent and encouraged me to pursue a professional career in makeup artistry. Once I decided to consider this, I took it seriously and enrolled in makeup school for formal training, after which I started my makeup company, Crystal-Eyez.

Memi: What services does your company provide?

Bisi: Crystal-Eyez provides a variety of services including makeup for weddings and all special events, fashion shows, photo shoots and all other media. We also provide one-on-one private makeup lessons, group lessons, as well as full-day workshops where we train makeup artists. We also do makeup parties for events such as bridal showers, bachelorette parties, birthdays, girls' night in or out, etc. In addition, we host an annual larger scale makeup party where we try to have a different theme each year. And finally, we provide personal makeup shopping services. Our service list keeps growing as we try to meet all our client's needs and requests.





Memi: What do you LOVE the most about doing makeup and the beauty industry? What do you love the most about doing brides?

Bisi: Doing makeup in itself is a lot of fun. I get to meet and work with different people with different features all the time. I love enhancing the outer beauty that a client never saw in herself before and particularly love the boost of confidence that their makeover brings out in them. Brides are always a pleasure to work with...from the ones who have no idea what they want, to the very detailed ones. Every bride is different and so every experience is different. It never gets boring.

Memi: Could you explain the importance of having a professional makeup artist for your wedding day?

Bisi: Oh thanks for asking this question. I cannot stress enough the importance of having a professional makeup artist for your wedding!!! This is probably the most important day of your life. A lot is invested into this day physically, emotionally and financially. It only makes sense that you hire professionals who will make you look beautiful for such an important occasion. Looking beautiful applies to various aspects from health, personality, wardrobe, etc to hair, nails and of course makeup. A professional makeup artist will help to hide flaws and enhance beautiful facial features to make you look the best you have ever looked before. Even for brides who don't like to be glammed up, your makeup artist can make you flawless and yet still have you looking as natural as possible. You don't want to take the risk of doing your own makeup as you don't know what last minute issues may come up and put you in a mood that will hinder you from doing a good job with applying your own makeup. You also don't want to rely on a friend who is an amateur that will give you a makeover that will not hold up longer than an hr. Hire a professional who will give you the perfect makeover that will leave you looking fabulous for the entire day...through all the tears, sweat and everything else. Besides its an opportunity to get pampered so take advantage! Don't forget the photos will last for generations.

Memi: What was one of your best and worst experiences doing wedding makeup?

Bisi: Ha ha lets just stick with my worst experience, I think you'll find that more entertaining. I had a bride who only contacted me two days before her wedding. That should have been my first warning sign. Luckily for her, I was available on her wedding day. However this bride spent the next 15 minutes of the phone call trying to negotiate and convince me to lower my rates. Phew! Of course her attempts were to no avail. On her wedding day, the room where she was to get her makeup done was not ideal in anyway. It was dark and there wasn't any table to set up on. Like this wasn't frustrating enough, the room was crowded with so many people...from kids running around and wanting to try out my products, to people who wanted me to take a quick break from servicing the bride to give them a "quick 1-minute" makeover. Like really? And then those who "didn't want to disturb" me but just wanted to borrow my eye liner, blush and lip stick so that they could do their makeup, their grandma's makeup, and everyone else's...again, without disturbing. And of course the ones who didn't even take permission before browsing through my kit to help themselves to my products. I was constantly being interrupted, having to explain why they couldn't use my products for hygienic reasons as I have certain tools and techniques that I use with my products. That was the longest one-hr...a very frustrating experience indeed.

Memi: What motivates you to get up every day and do makeup?

Bisi: Great, I can answer this one in one word - Passion!


Memi: What is your favorite makeup look??


Bisi: Hmmm this is a very tough question to answer as many factors come to play when picking a favorite look. First of all, fashion and trends are forever evolving so its hard to pick one favorite look. It also depends on the event and on the features of the client sitting in my chair. For brides, I can say that my favorite look at the moment will probably be something with subtle eyes and bold lips...again, this will depend on the client's features.

Memi: Where do you see Crystal Eyez in the next 5 years? 10 years?

Bisi: In the next couple of years, I see Crystal-Eyez as an even more established company than it is now. We currently have a team of 3 talented makeup artists and I see this number growing with an even larger clientele in the next few years. I see Crystal-Eyez at its beautiful studio that will also serve as a location for our classes, workshops, makeup parties, store front, etc. I have a lot of great dreams for Crystal-Eyez and I'm excited as God unfolds them at the right time.

To find out more about Bisi and her work find her at any one of these spots:

Website: http://www.crystal-eyez.com/

Facebook: www.facebook.com/BisiCrystalEyez

Twitter: www.twitter.com/BisiCrystalEyez

You Tube: www.youtube.com/BisiCrystalEyez

Stay Beautiful My Loves,

Memi

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Ah! Mazing Vendor: Onada Photography

Hey guys!! 

I had the wonderful opportunity of interviewing one of the premier photographers in the area. She was such a delight to talk to, so personable, and bubbly! I hope you enjoy the interview as much as I did!

Memi: Tell us about yourself and how you got into photography. 

Onada:  I’ve always liked taking pictures since I was little, I’ve always owned a camera and liked taking pictures. I also loved getting my picture taken! I think it all tied to the fact that my Dad was a huge photo enthusiast. He always had really fancy Nikon’s and all this expensive camera gear and he was always taking pictures of us. So we have all of our albums from when we were born to when we were ten and growing, and just loads and loads of pictures of us.  About three and a half years ago I purchased an entry level Nikon SLR (single lens reflex) camera and was attending a friend’s wedding in Jamaica. She was getting married on a resort and had to use the resort’s photographer but he decided to get there after the ceremony began. So my friend asked me if I could use my camera and take pictures of them getting ready. I did and I actually really, really liked it. That is when I realized OMG I can actually do something with this! So when I got back from the wedding I got her pictures ready and she LOVED them! She liked them more than the resort photographers pics, haha! From there I put an ad out and that is how I pretty much got into the wedding business. 

Memi: What do you love the MOST about photography?

Onada:  I just love looking at the pictures I’m taking. I am really big on visual memories, like I love watching old videos and looking at pictures. There is a picture for literally EVERY phase of my life and I just LOVE having them to look at. So that is what makes me love photography! For example, if I see a friend for five minutes and we don’t get to spend that much time together, if we are able to take a picture together I will always be able to keep that memory with me.  Photography also helps me meet people because I am kind of introverted so I don’t really go out of my way to meet people but with this I get to meet a LOTT of people and make a lot of new friends. 

Memi: What is your favorite thing/event to shoot?

Onada:  The wedding ceremony itself, is my favorite thing to shoot, and then engagement sessions. I say the ceremony because nowadays people take marriage so lightly, but at that special moment at the altar what they are saying to each other is just so beautiful and overwhelming. There have been times when I’m shooting weddings and I’m like standing there crying, hahaha! I’m like OMG I’m supposed to be taking pictures and I’m standing here crying, so that WHOLE emotional aspect of the ceremony is my favorite part because it’s just so important to the couple and the family! It’s just one of those moments, like once it’s done you cant take it back but you can always remember it with the pictures and videos.  I like engagement sessions because I get to interact with the couple. It’s just me and them, no guests, no bridal party just us! We get to talk to each other and get to know each other and that is where I have met a lot of my friends through photography. I still talk to and have lunch with a lot of my former brides. 

Memi: What motivates you to wake up every day and want to pick up your camera and shoot?

Onada: I just love doing it! There are just so many beautiful things out there that I just feel like how can I NOT photograph this!  Even if I don’t have my SLR I have an iPhone, and I’m ALWAYS taking pictures on my phone! I’ll take pictures of random things, like while I’m shopping or of a gorgeous tree; I’m just always taking pictures! There are so many pretty things out there and what I see makes me want to just photograph things! Especially, in the summer I’m just like, take a picture of me in front of this flower, or in front of this tree, hahaha!

Memi: Where do you draw your inspiration from?

Onada: I read a lot of fashion magazines and books and I also follow my favorite photographers. Two of my favorite photographers are Jose Villa and Elizabeth Messina their work is just SO beautiful! I still read a lot of wedding magazines just to look at pictures and look at what is going on in the industry. I watch a lot of fashion shows just to see what people are wearing, how people are posing, etc. I get a lot of inspiration from fashion, I LOVE fashion!  During weddings you have limited control over who you photograph and what the wedding will look like because you are only there to document it.  So I try to draw inspiration from my clients. I ask them what do you want your day to look like? What do you imagine yourself looking like when you get your pictures back? When they give me their ideas I keep them in mind when I’m taking their pictures. For example, if the couple lets me know they love laughing and having a good time I will try to capture that essence of them or if they say they are more romantic then I wont only get pictures of them acting crazy I will make sure to get some romantic pictures in there! 

Memi: Whose wedding/event would you LOVE to shoot?

Onada: I would love to do an event that Preston Bailey has designed or like a suburban chic vintage type of event. As far as celebrities hmmm.....I would love to shoot someone like Lily Allen’s wedding. I really like her music, her fashion sense, and her personality. I like her because I think she will really have a sense of doing something different. I ALSO love Tracee Ellis Ross, I think that would be really nice too! If I had those opportunities I would JUMP at them!

Memi:  What is some advice you have for our readers who are searching for a wedding photographer? 

Onada: Definitely pick a photographer where you LOVE their images and you LOVE their personality. You have to love their personality because this person will be in your face for eight hours with a camera so you want to have fun with them and not be irritated by them. Don’t settle for someone! Make sure you are on the same page with them! When looking don’t focus just on the money, look at the work first, then based on their work then look into the budget. The WORST thing is trying to look for a budget photographer and at the end of the day you hate your pictures when you get them. First step, is to LOVE the images, love the photographers personality, look at their work FIRST, then think can I afford this? You want to be able to look at your images and say OH I LOVEE my wedding pictures and have BEAUTIFUL  images to look back at forever! 

Memi: Where do you see Onada in the next 5 years?

Onada: Still taking pictures and doing weddings. I want to be able to do a mix of like high-end, mid-level weddings because I don’t want to just limit myself to one market. I want to start doing more family events and baby portraits because I think babies are fun to photograph. I plan on being very successful with my business and staying true to myself and still pursuing my passion! 

Memi: As a female entrepreneur do you have any advice for any young ladies that want to get in the industry or start their own business period?

Onada: Business in general is challenging especially as a woman who has so many roles, especially if you work, are married, have kids, etc. Those are already full time jobs. So it can make running your own business extrememly hard. I say when you love something and are passionate about it just find a way to carve out an HOUR In your day everyday to do what you love. I don’t watch a lot of television, I would love to sit around and watch Kim Kardashian, Real Housewives, etc…but at the end of the day those are hours you can not get back. Try to carve out one hour of your day every day, get on your blog, network with other people, that little hour you carve out will build up over time and it will PAY OFF in the long run. I still work full time and I sleep really late, like 1-2am and I have to wake up really early to go to work but I LOVE doing it. So when you love doing something it doesn’t really feel like work, learn to invest in yourself! And don’t think because you are doing something part time and someone else is doing it full time that you will never get ahead! You don’t know how that person started or what it took to get them where they are now.  Everybody starts somewhere! Learn to network and get to know other women that are in your field to help you as well! 

To see more of what Onada Photography has to offer check out her site here:
http://onadaphotography.net/Weddings/index2.php#/home/

and her super cute blog
http://onadaphotography.net/blog/

Stay Beautiful My Loves,
Memi

 

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AH! Mazing Vendor: Vintage Ivy Events

Hey guys!! Today I present to you Tope Olanrewaju of Vintage Ivy Events an extremely talented and passionate wedding/event coordinator! I had SUCH an great time talking with her because she was just so excited to talk about her passion for weddings! I hope you enjoy reading!!

Memi: Tell me about yourself and how VIE came about?

Hello!! My name is Tope Olanraweju and Vintage Ivy Events came about with the idea of me just loving to plan events! I started planning events when I was in college in Northern Virginia at George Mason University to be exact. I was overseeing a department there and as the office specialist I was in charge of all the university events for that department. I didn’t realize I had the bug then, I just knew that I enjoyed planning events for the school. A few years later in 2004 I decided to start helping friends and family plan their weddings. They would just ask me questions and I would just tell them what I knew, meanwhile I got my certification as an event and wedding planner. I got married in 2008 and around that time I decided to launch my own business. The name was the first thing that happened, it’s actually the name of the street that I live on Vintage Ivy Lane. It was just the first address that I could remember so it just stuck! So the business started from there and I just enjoy it, I love planning events and a little decorating here and there.

 
Memi: What was your most amazing experience as a wedding planner? Your worst?

 My first wedding was my most amazing experience, the reason why is because it was my first! It was a testament to myself to prove that I could do it. It is very different trying to plan a wedding that is not your own. But you have to use the same mentality you would use to plan your own wedding and say okay what can I do for this wedding that I didn't do for my wedding. So I had to think of all the things that I forgot to do for my weddings and do it for this wedding. That is exactly what I did for the first wedding I did and it made it sooo exciting from there! The bug did NOT leave me after that I just got more and more excited for every single one. I would definitely have to say my very first wedding was a testament to show that I could fully plan a wedding.


My worst wedding experience was a few months ago when a bride called me two weeks before her wedding and didn't give me the full breakdown of her wedding. She just gave me bits and pieces and I didn't realize till about a day or two before the wedding that her Mom was doing one part and she was doing another part so therefore NOTHING added up. So when Mom is planning one thing and the bride is planning something different that means communication is at a disconnect. So one thing I've learned to do with my brides is ask them who else is planning your wedding? Is it you and your husband, or you, your husband and your Mom or mother in law? If your Mom is helping you plan I need to know what HER contribution is to the planning process and what she has covered or not. Once I know that we can all be on the same page.  

Memi: Many people do not feel they need a wedding planners, can you explain the importance of having help on that day?

The importance of having help on that day is planning out what is going to happen from beginning to end. What a lot of people don’t realize is that there should not be ANY dead air going on during your wedding. Something should ALWAYS be happening. If you get to a point where nothing is happening for 5-10 minutes that is NOT good. That is what a wedding planner does. They plan what will occur from A to Z. Another thing is, the little things that a bride and groom may not know about because they are NOT in the wedding industry a planner is aware of. A prime example is the toasting time when it is time for the toast, someone has to make sure that all the guests have an open bottle of wine...if that is not done everyone will just be sitting there with an empty glass when it's toasting time.

Memi: What do you love about the wedding industry?

WOW! So much to love about the wedding industry. To be more specific…I love the uniqueness about the bride and groom. There are NO two brides that are the same, so it is so exciting to hear their stories, how they met, their ideas…it’s just MARVELOUS!

Memi: Who is your dream bride to work with?

I love Lady Gaga to pieces! I would love to plan her wedding only because I know she will come up with the craziest ideas and I would just love to design that for her!

Memi: What services does your company provide?

I’m a color person, so I love just about ALL colors! But I have to say burnt orange, I don’t know what it is about that color but when a bride says she is using burnt orange I’m just like whooo yayyy! You’re using a bright color! Hahahaa! But if you ever asked me to use burnt orange I would say no, loll! Because my favorite color is light blue and different shades of blue. And blue is such a calm color, so when a bride tells me a bright color I get excited!


Memi: If you could give all of our readers that are planning one solid piece of advice, what would it be?

Be ORGANIZED! If you are planning your wedding be very very organized! If you are having trouble, get a planner RIGHT away! Don't even hesitate, spend the money on a wedding planner it is so worth it!

Memi:What motivates and inspires you to keep fresh ideas, etc.

My main motivation is style and just being up to date. I love things that are beautiful and elegant! I love things that will make people just smile where they see it and are just like WOW you knew exactly what I was envisioning! That is what keeps me going. The idea that the bride is going to be happy at the end of the day and knowing that she is going to LOVE the end result. Just being able to give that superb service is what motivates me.

 
There you have it!! I loved talking to Tope because she was just sooo in love with all things beautiful and the idea of love! Please leave your feedback! 

TOPE IS OFFERING ALL OF OUR READERS HERE AT BCG $25 OFF A PLANNING PACKAGE IF YOU JUST MENTION OUR BLOG DURING YOUR CONSULTATION! Check out their site http://www.vintageivyevents.com/

Stay Beautiful My Loves,
Memi

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Ah! Mazing Vendor! LolaRo Jewelry

Helloooo Everyoneeee!!

Last week we featured in our "Beauty Sightings", beautiful brides and their colorful aso okes and geles.  If you noticed they all completed their looks with fabulous accessories; shoes, purses, fans and JEWELRY.   So, we only thought it appropriate to feature a vendor who makes incredibly beautiful and fabulous jewelry.

We had the pleasure of sitting with Lola Rotimi from LolaRo Jewelry and picking her mind and finding out what makes her tick and how she comes up with such beautiful pieces!! Lola Ro is a trendsetting, one-of-a kind jewelry designer that makes pieces that can not be found anywhere else. Her jewelry has been featured in Genevieve Magazine and on Bettertv.com for "Top Wedding Trends". Now we are featuring her here and introducing you to the beauty behind the beautiful jewelry!

Memi: When did you start LolaRo and how did it come about?

Lola: I started LolaRo in February of this year. The reason why I decided to start LolaRo is, because I have a huge passion for jewelry making and right from being a little child my passion, if I wasn't painting, I was doing poetry or SOMETHING artistic. I'm a person that loves to create and everyday is a new creation for me! So I saw passion in jewelry and I learnt how to make beautiful pieces from Nigeria, from watching local artists. I always enjoyed the aspect of the bold necklaces that women wear with their outfits. So I decided to take those artistic designs that African jewelry designers use to make fabulous pieces that would fit in the Western world. 


Memi: What does LolaRo mean? How did you come up with that name?


Lola: Lola is my first name and Ro is part of my last name Rotimi. So I just cut off a little bit of my last name to get the Ro because I thought it sounds, um sexy!

Memi: What do you love the most about making jewelry?


Lola: What I love the most about making jewelry is my ability to think of new and complex designs because the fashion industry is evolving everyday. Every season there is a new trend and I love to follow and compete with the trend! I also love to come up with new things that are not on the market and offer things that the industry has never seen before. LolaRo is a trendsetting jewelry line whereby it follows the trend and even goes beyond the trend to create pieces that you wont see anywhere else in the market.


Memi: What would you say inspires and motivates you to make such beautiful pieces?


Lola: Well, what inspires me is just what's in me. It is a natural born talent and I always tell people once you have that passion in you, that should be your INSPIRATION! If you are doing it today you cant just give up and say you wont do it tomorrow, because it is IN you it is built you. It is a passion that drives me to keep doing it. It is something I love to do and is enough to inspire me to want to do it everyday!


Memi: So would you say it was a hard decision for you to want to start your own business?

Lola: Well it came about during the recession, when finding a job was very difficult. So I was just like why don't I put my passion into this and drive it forward, so that is what really kick started the decision I made.


Memi: What do you love the most about adorning brides for their wedding day?

Lola: What I love about doing brides is that they come up with such different design ideas. I love to share my ideas with them, discuss their ideas, look at their outfits and match colors with them and also make necklaces that LOOK like them. That is what I love about brides! Communicating with the customer and finding out what they want and creating designs that will make them happy on their special day!

 






















Memi: So you do make custom pieces??

Lola: Yes, yes I definitely do!


Memi: That is GREAT! I'm sure our readers will love that! What type of woman is the LolaRo customer??

Lola: LolaRo is for EVERYYY woman around the world. Beautiful, slim, big, it is for every woman no matter the shape, size, or color. I refer to my customers as "jewels" because every woman is a jewel, and should look like one, because we are all created in God's image and that is what LolaRo represents. 


Memi: Aww I love that! That is so cute! Who is your DREAM "jewel"? Who would you LOVE to create a piece for?

Lola: I would love to make a piece for Oprah becuase she is a woman who is naturally beautiful inside and outside and has come to love herself for who she is. She is very confident and portrays herself in a beautiful light. That is a woman that I look at and I'm like, "oh I would LOVE to make a necklace for you!"

Memi: Where do you see LolaRo in the next 10 years? And what is your vision for your company?

Lola: LolaRo would expand to other products like handbags, rings, and so many other things to it. I want it to be a lifestyle brand where customers can come in and shop for different fashion accessories. I see it being worn by celebrities and being recognized as a brand that inspires people to follow their passions and dreams because that is what I did. 


Lola Ro is offering our readers a SPECIAL DISCOUNT for FIRST time customers - take 15% off on any necklace set (necklaces, bracelets, and earrings) custom made to suit your taste. Price vary from $50 to $500 depending on your design specification. Run over to www.lolarojewelry.com and find something you like! I hope you enjoyed this interview, below are some more pictures of Lola Ro's work!
 

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Beauty Sightings: Gorgeous Aso-Oke's and Gele's!!

Today we are showcasing BEAUTIFUL brides dressed in their traditional Aso-Oke's and Gele's!!

"An Aso-Oke  (pronounced ah-SHOW-kay) is a hand loomed cloth woven by the Yoruba people of south west Nigeria. "Aso oke" means top cloth in the English language. The fabric is used to make men's gowns, called Agbada, women's wrappers, called iro, and men's hats, called fila. The gele (pronounced gay-lay) is a head wrap synonymous with the Yoruba as well in Nigeria. Geles use materials such as Aso-Oke, Brocade, Damask, and the most popular, Jaquard."

You will  mostly see Yoruba brides wear these outfits during their traditional engagement ceremony (I will go into more detail about what that is on another post). Brides also switch into these outfits towards the end of their wedding reception instead of a shorter dress or a party dress like Western brides. As you will see through these pictures these fabrics come in SOOOO many different colors and combinations. As a bride you can literally choose from a myriad of fabrics, colors, and textures to get the look you want!




Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)





Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)





Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)





Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)



Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)





Photo Courtesy of S67 Photography (http://www.s67photography.com/)




All of the pictures below were borrowed from www.bellanaija.com!!

www.xsightn.com

What color do you want your traditional outfit to be? Which color combo was your favorite? Let us know!!

Stay Beautiful My Loves,

Memi



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