To Every Wed-to-Be Reading This: I've let you down!
- Claire Jane Whitaker
- 1 day ago
- 7 min read
A letter from Claire Jane..... founder of Totally You Bridal Hair & Makeup
If you've stumbled across us recently and thought "where have these lot been hiding?"....fair!
And you deserve an answer.
We didn't disappear. We just went quiet. And in the wedding/bridal world, where a wed-to-be is scrolling, searching, and trying to find their people before the big day….. going quiet is basically going invisible.
Which means some of you…..the ones we’re made for……never got to meet us!!!
And for that…. I'm genuinely sorry!
So What Actually Happened?
I'm Claire. I'm the founder of Totally You, and I lead an incredible team of bridal hair and makeup artists who are, frankly, bloody brilliant at what they do.
A while back, I stepped down as a bridal hair & MUA after 15 years.
As a result… I took a bit of a break. Not intentionally abandoned…. just… stepped away. Life does that sometimes. And when you're running multiple things at once, something occasionally gets less attention than it deserves.
The knock-on effect of that? Well of course, the team kept doing stunning work! Brides kept having the best mornings. Hair & makeup kept staying put through to the dance floor and chaotic group photos. BUT......the presence….. the showing up online, the letting you in behind the scenes, the ‘this is who we are and this is our vibe’ …..that got lost.
You couldn't find us. You couldn't get to know us. And you definitely couldn't get a feel for whether we were your people.
That's the bit that genuinely stings. Not for business reasons. But because the brides who would have clicked with us…..the ones who are a little bit bored of seeing the same bridal blueprint, who know exactly who they are, who want their wedding morning to feel easy breezy & a vibe with their favourite people…...... those brides might have ended up with someone who didn't quite get them.
And that's not okay!
Introducing the Totally You Rebrand — And Why It Actually Means Something
So here we are. New look. New energy. Same team, same skills, same absolute commitment to making your wedding morning one of the best parts of the whole day.
But this rebrand isn't just a new logo and a prettier Instagram grid (although…..have you seen the new branding? Obsessed! ).
This rebrand is us putting our hands up and saying: we know who we are now, we know who we’re for and we're not going to hide it.
Totally You is bridal hair and makeup ( & a total VIBE! ) for brides & wed-to-be’s who know who they are & what makes them feel good. The ones that aren’t fussed about the bridal mould.
You know the mould. The one that says your hair needs to not move, your makeup needs to be flawless, & you need to look "bridal" (whatever that even means), and basically you need to look like every other bride on every other Pinterest board!
Yeah. That's not us. And if that's not you either…. then hi beaut! We've been looking for you!
What "Totally You" Actually Means
The name isn't just cute. It's the whole philosophy.
When you book Totally You, you're not getting a team that'll gently nudge you towards what they think a bride should look like. You're getting a team that will sit down with you (or hop on a Zoom with you), actually listen to what YOU want, and then make it happen….. beautifully, properly, and in a way that still looks like you at, even when you're on the dance floor losing your mind to “Mr Brightside.”
The most important thing about your bridal experience isn't how you look.
It's how you feel.
When you feel confident, you stop checking yourself in every mirror. When you feel comfortable, you stop overthinking every little detail. When you feel understood, you don't question whether you got it "right." When all of that clicks….you're just in it.
Present. Laughing. Actually living the day.
Your glam should never hold you back. It should set you free.
That is what we show up to do. Every. Single. Time.
The "Totally You" Approach — What to Actually Expect
So what does working with us look like in practice?
It starts with a proper conversation. Not a form you fill in and never hear back about. An actual conversation (via email, phone, or Zoom) where we get to know you, your wedding, your vibe, your vision, and your beautiful face. (Faces matter. Every face is different. A good bridal artist knows that.)
We come to you. We're a mobile bridal hair and makeup team, which means we rock up to your venue or getting-ready location and bring everything with us. You don't need to stress about getting anywhere on the morning. You just need to be there, preferably with a brew in hand….. or something bubbly!
We handle the morning. Timelines, logistics, the order of who sits in the chair when…. that's on us. You focus on getting hyped with your people. We'll handle the rest.
We do your look. Whether that's bold and editorial, soft and dewy, barely-there natural, undone waves, or a sleek up-do…. we're here for all of it. There's no "signature style" being pushed on anyone. Your face, your vision, your day.
We stay in our lane and it's a good lane. We're not here to tell you what your wedding should look like. We're here to make sure you look and feel incredible within whatever vision you've created. The wedding is yours. We're just the people who make sure your face matches your energy & your confidence shines through!
Who We're For
We work with all brides. Genuinely. All styles, all aesthetics, all wedding vibes.
But if we're being honest about who we are built for? It's the bride who:
Has a clear sense of her own style and doesn't want it steamrolled
Is more bothered about having the best morning than having the most "perfect" morning
Wants her wedding to feel like her actual life, just elevated
Is not here for the stuffy bridal industry version of what a wedding "should" be
Will absolutely be jumping around the dance floor at midnight and needs her hair to survive it
Wants a team she can have a laugh with, not walk on eggshells around
If you read that and felt seen….. Hello!!
We're so glad you found us.
A Note on the Bridal Blueprint (And Why We're Binning It)
There is an unspoken blueprint in the bridal industry. If you pop in “bridal hair & makeup” in your browser…… everyone looks the same. Same dress, same hair & makeup….. Same models!
And look ….. there's nothing wrong with that if it's genuinely you. If the blueprint is your vibe…..We will do the most breathtaking soft and romantic you've ever seen.
But the problem with the blueprint is when it gets applied to everyone regardless of who they actually are. When brides feel like they should go MORE, should go LESS, should go MUTED…. because that's just what brides do.
No. Absolutely not. You are not a category. You are an individual.
Want a bold red lip? Done. Want a full statement eye? Let's go. Want your hair down and a bit undone because that's just how you wear it? Perfect.
The blueprint gets binned at the door. What replaces it is a genuine conversation about you… your features, your style, your confidence, your comfort zone, and how far you want to push it.
Finding the Right Bridal Hair and Makeup Team — What Actually Matters
Since we're here and we're being useful: here's what we'd genuinely tell any bride looking for their team, whether that's us or someone else.
Look for artists who ask about you, not just the look. A good bridal artist wants to know about your skin, your hair texture, what you normally wear, how confident you feel in makeup, what makes you feel most like yourself.... but better!
If the conversation is only ever about the aesthetic and never about you as a person — keep looking.
Check their work across different styles. If every bride in their portfolio looks basically the same, that's a sign they have a signature style they apply to everyone. Great for some. Not great if you just wanna feel like YOU!
Trust the vibe check. You are going to spend your wedding morning with this person (and potentially their team). You want to feel comfortable, not performed for. Does talking to them feel easy? Do you feel heard? That matters as much as the portfolio.
Ask about the timeline process. A team that's done this properly will have a clear process for managing the morning — how long each person takes, the order, the schedule. Chaos on the wedding morning is a vibe killer. Organisation is underrated.
Make sure they've got the experience to back it up. Pretty portfolio is great. But have they done large bridal parties? Have they worked at your venue? Have they handled a full morning solo or with a team? Ask.
We're Based in Hampshire — Here's Where We Cover
Majority of us are based in Hampshire, but we also cover Berkshire, Wiltshire, Dorset, Surrey, London & to be honest..... we will go where ever you need us.
If you're unsure whether we cover your area, just drop us a message — we'll always tell you honestly if a hotel is required & travel expenses before you book.
Ready to Find Out If We're Your People?
We're not going to do a hard sell here. That's not our vibe.
What we will say is: if this has landed with you, if you've read this and thought yeah, that sounds like me — then we'd love to hear from you. Have a nosy at our work, get a feel for the team, and if it feels right, reach out.
Because the right bridal team isn't just about skill. It's about finding people who genuinely get what you're going for and have the ability to deliver it.
We think we might be yours.
Come find us. We're not hiding any more! Click here: THE TEAM
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