Today’s vendor spotlight is Do’s & Dye by Julie, a hair salon located in West Hartford, Connecticut. Julie specializes in romantic and bohemian bridal hair styles, which I love. Be sure to check out her Facebook page.
Business Name: My business is called Do’s & Dye by Julie.
What inspired you to enter your field of work?
I decided to become a hair stylist because I’ve always been creative and artistic. I love big before and after projects and making people feel beautiful and confident. It’s amazing to be able to have such a rewarding career that I love.
What do you love most about your job?
I especially love working with bridal parties for weddings. It’s so fun to be part of the excitement of the big day. I always feel like I’m hanging out with friends while I’m getting the ladies dolled up. In the past I’ve sang along with the girls performing musical medleys, helped contribute new ideas for entrance dances, and calmed even the most nervous brides. I like my role to be so much more than just the “hair girl.” I really like to help out where I can whether it’s adding to the fun or helping to guide the day when the bride is stressed about her maids getting off track.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by new trends and have been particularly obsessed with bohemian and romantic styles. I love the soft and wispy, undone looks. An effortless bride is so gorgeous and ethereal. So often we hear men saying they don’t like a lot of makeup or too much “fake extras” so enhancing the bride’s natural beauty with a delicate and loose style is sure to melt the groom’s heart.
Do you work solo or with a team?
I typically work alone. It’s important to me to have a cohesive look throughout the bridal party. When there is an extra large group, I bring in my lovely assistant Chelsea who is a curling wizard! I have her prep each of the women for me and then finish their styles.
What are your goals for the year?
This year my goal is to reach more brides. Each year, it seems as though the number of brides I work with doubles so I’d love for that to be the case again. Weddings are a blast and I think I will always want to grow my bridal business.
What is your favorite memory while on the job?
I think I have to bring it back to the musical medleys to describe my favorite bridal experience. The girls from this wedding were all totally into musicals. I’ve always been a big fan myself as my father was a pianist and I would often sing with him. As the girls ran through their repertoires taking turns performing their favorites, I listened and kept curling and twirling hair. At one point, they struggled with a lyric and couldn’t decide the right line so I decided to belt it out. They were dying! I didn’t really expect it out of myself either but when in Rome. We all had a long laugh and went on to keep singing together. It was such a sweet and calming experience on such a big day for the bride. We had a blast.
Any wisdom to share with your wedding clients?
The best advice I can give my brides is to stay true to themselves, both in the hairstyle they choose and how they approach their marriage. I think for your wedding day it’s most important to feel like yourself, your most beautiful self but still you. Don’t try anything too drastically different from how you feel most comfortable. And as for the marriage, the same applies. Your groom chose you because he loves the woman you already are.
When you’re not styling hair, what do you love to do?
When I’m not busy in the salon and traveling to brides, I love working on home craft projects with my husband, being outdoors and playing guitar. I like to have lots of forms of art regularly flowing through my day to day.