The reason I left the wedding industry… is the same reason I’m coming back after 19 months off!

So…. after my huge announcement on leaving the industry after 15 years as a hair & makeup artist ….. I have now decided to come back. 

If you know me well, this wouldn’t be surprising! The bridal industry is where I started and came alive with passion & ambition. It really was the making of me. And since I announced my retirement (shortest one in history!), there’s always been this little pull back.

Another “OK, ill do just this one, then I’m done”... plus the recommendation overlaps with new brides still requesting me. The small comments of confusion from past brides & suppliers - shocked that I would quit something I’m good at after all the work I put into it over 15 years.

So, why the turn around just after 19 months off? 

Well, to answer that I need to tell you why I left in the first place. Listen, this next bit is raw, honest. Whether you’re a bride, supplier or fellow artist… I don’t know how you’re gunna take this, but I need to be honest with you.

The decision to leave… it didn't come lightly, I think the shift for me was lockdown. 

The lockdown doom scrolling

Through lockdown, educators in the bridal industry adapted FAST & pushed education hard with impactful inspo & imagery. Everyone got comparing, stuck at home doom scrolling. Anticipating, panicking & developing ready to pounce once the lockdown lifted. 

This caused an unhealthy amount of trying to out do each other, be the best & build these unrealistic expectations. Losing sight of our why, our individuality & our confidence dropped.

Understandably so! 

Then AI came around. All the inspo pics became boards of perfectly generated & edited images & our brides couldn’t always clock it, they just naturally would expect the same perfection as seen on their pinterest board. 

So we continued to learn, to add constant pressure to ourselves & in the process showcase & edit at a very high standard.

Only posting the very best, at the very best angle. 

The messiness, the mistakes, the normal, the diversity, the individuality, the blurry, the unedited…… all of it got binned. None of it was posted. 

So the pressure continued on us AND our brides. The perfect wedding was pushed from every angle. It became more about the industry, the content, popularity, awards & the perfect image…. & less about the love story, the party, the emotions, the real & the messy. 

THAT is what a wedding should be. That’s the real, that’s love. 

Lockdown lifted into madness! 

Then, lockdown lifted and WOW… did it lift!!!!

Every wedding supplier I met got to a point where they could barely keep it together. Myself included. 

It was the busiest year ahead catching up with all the brides that postponed & It honestly killed my buzz for the industry. 

This combination of AI perfection, industry 'icks' & the exhaustion…. Finished it for me. 

I lost my love. I lost the ambition. My health declined & it just didn’t align with me anymore. 

The new direction. 

I started noticing others asking me how I had reached the level of success I had. 

How I achieved certain things. Women that had lost their confidence in the industry (due to the above pressures), Women who felt lost, fed up & wanting to make a change. They just didn’t know how.

So I decided to put my passion & ambition for helping women…..into coaching!

It’s been amazing!!! And still very much a focus & drive for me. Over the last couple of years of coaching others to change the industry, to lead the way, to grow & build authentic & aligned businesses, I started to realise…….. I’m not done here yet!

The realisation.

I can continue to do the coaching, while choosing a handful of weddings that align with me.

Even if it meant just 1 bride per month!

Because honestly, I miss the buzz, the fun & the variety weddings bring me. The venues, the creativity, the people, the chaos & the love. Every messy part of it!!! I really missed using my skill. 

This drive I have in coaching, and the message I bring with it…. that's my why now. 

My drive. My passion. My mission in the wedding industry. 

For every supplier, and every couple, who's just as fed up and overwhelmed as I was.

So....back I come… (hair only this time) for brides that are also sick of the pressure, sick of the trends that are pushed year after year. The ones that want fun, love & realness on their big day. The ones who aren’t performing for the gram & know their wedding is a celebration of their love story. Knowing their wedding is for them & their loved ones to celebrate & enjoy. No one else!

If you are still here reading this, well done…. I know I like to ramble!

Maybe it means you feel the same as me. If so, double tap, share  & let me know your thoughts below.

Let's do better for our brides, let's bring back the real, the raw & the messy. This shift is coming & I'm so here for it!!!

Claire

Your hampshire bridal hair stylist & wedding business coach xx