Meredith Hayman, Makeup Artist

Meredith Hayman, Makeup Artist. That's me and I'm sticking to it. In this tough ecomony I have been forced to swallow my pride, get creative, and get back to business.

Here's a little back story:

A little more than two years ago, I left Manhattan for a "better quality of life" in the suburbs of Westchester, NY. One of the most expensive counties in the United States. I had a great job doing makeup for many Viacom networks including VH1, MTV, and Nickelodeon. I enjoyed the people I worked with, the hours, and the $$. Freelancing was so much better than I ever imagined it would be. Once I had proven myself, I was booking several jobs a week and had the freedom to work for who I wanted, when I wanted. Who would ever leave that situation?

I did, for a very good reason. About a month after my husband and I moved an hour north of the city, I got pregnant with my son, Spencer. While I would have loved to continue working in the city, my husband and I both agreed that an hour was just too far a commute in case I ever had to run home for an emergency. I became a full-time Mommy and a "sometimes" Makeup Artist. After about a year, our family really started to miss my salary. I knew I had to think of a way to use my talents and expertise to creat a niche for myself in suburbia.

I have been doing makeup for weddings since I picked up a blush brush in 1998. I knew that I needed to focus on putting my name out there so Westchester, Putnam, and Rockland County brides would hire me as one of their wedding vendors. The only place I have ever advertised my bridal business is Google Ads. It just seemed like the most logical place to start because I could set my own advertisting budget. Currently, I have ads on The Knot, Wedding Wire, Style Me Pretty, Party Pop, and Facebook, to name a few. I also participated in my first Bridal Expo this past September. I was spending more than ever on getting my name out to the public but I wasn't generating any new business.

Then it dawned on me, wedding budgets are at an all time low and I need to lower my rates considerably! When I really thought about it, I realized that one of the first vendors to get cut out of a wedding budget is probably the Makeup Artist. Most people have a friend or cousin that can do the brides makeup on their special day. However, I know that there are still a lot of brides out there to want to look and feel their best on their wedding day and would only trust a professional do help them look perfect in pictures that will last a lifetime. I want to be that professional. Not only because my family needs the money but because every bride deserves to look her best on the happiest day of her life.

So here I am, charging the lowest rates ever in my career. I am booking more weddings everyday and it is an honor to be a hired wedding vendor in these tough times. I hope that every bride I work with feels that they received the professionalism and quality of work that they are paying for.