"the LML 18 Lady Bridal Party Challenge"

Meghan Dowlen is Engaged!! That was the exciting part :) I have known Meghan since my freshman year in high school. She is always the life of the party and the girl with tons of friends. That great character trait she has always had made everyone always feel included no matter who they were, where they came from or how well she knew them. What happens when the worlds most friendly grows up? She accumulates quite a number of close girlfriends. Then she gets engaged....... 14 bridesmaids later.......... a wedding happens. What a joyful experience for her 14 closest friends to be a part of her special day. Guess who else got to be a part of this epic celebration? Label Me Lindsay!!! So this is a little story of the day April 30th, 2011. A day, I know, I will NEVER forget.

My Day started Bright and EARLY at 2am. Yes, I do mean 2am. So, it wasn't bright at all. It was more like PITCH BLACK. The sound of that alarm meant I better get up and showered!!! Let's rewind before we get too ahead of ourselves.....................
Some time at the beginning of 2010 I saw Meghan Dowlen at the Blackboard Bistro (the restaurant I worked at for 7 years while figuring out everything from College Parties to my Career). She sat on the patio with her, then, fiance. I heard she had gotten engaged so I congratulated the happy couple. I had no Idea what I was to come :)................
A few months later Meghan came to my house (this is when I was doing waxing jobs on the couch hahahahha) and got her eyebrows done. She told me she was interested in hiring me for makeup and hair for her wedding coming up sometime in 2011. Apparently, there were a ton of bridesmaids hair and makeup that I would be doing. But not EVERYONE! Whew.... cuz 14 Bridesmaids + and bride + 2 moms + a flower girl= too many for LML to handle!!!!!!!!!!!!!!As the day got closer.......... the numbers got higher...... Now everyone was signed up for a little LML in their lives! That impossible idea of 18 people just became a reality. I got a little STRESSED...... Meghan never knew that of course. At this point I was hopping some of the girls would change their mind....................
We did a spray tan party two days before the wedding so we could get some gals tan........ I think the spray tans tapped out at around 10, give rather than take. A few brow waxes were thrown in the mix that night as well........................
So Friday rolled around and I had to make sure I had everything and pack it all up for Saturday. I had all day to do it; I wasn't stressed. Until...... My entire day booked up with clients. Back To Back... I was attending Meghan's Wedding so I needed to find a dress and spray tan myself (I am always last, without fail!). Thank God I had two great friends Erin and Sam go shopping for me. They picked out a bunch of dresses and outfits I might like so I could just run in to the store and try them on in the dressing room. AMAZING!!! The first one I tried on worked! Now that was out of the way I needed some items that were missing from my makeup kit for the next day. Erin went on a CVS/Rite Aid mission for me while I was finished packing and spray tanned my last client............After the madness of preparing for 18 hair and makeup I went home at 11pm and went to bed thinking of all the things I need to do when I woke up at 2am........................

I was up, In the shower, blow dried, left for my shop, spray tanned my self around 3am, did my own hair and makeup (just in case I ran out of time before the wedding), double checked my kit, and called my team to see if they were up. They arrived at 4am... bright eyed and bushy tailed! I can't do large parties without my LML Team!!! The Saturday of Meghan's Wedding my group included Michele Conradi, Lexi Holtz and Michele Whal. They are the best hair curlers in town and I couldn't have done it without them :) Since everyone arrived on time we had time to stop by 7eleven to give ourselves a java charge before our "18 Person Bridal Party Challenge". It was all fine and dandy UNTIL......................
We encountered the FREEWAY CONSTRUCTION PROBLEMO!!!!!!!!!!!!!! OMG I had heard something about the freeway construction on the 7th street ramp but I didn't know they were shutting down the 605 to 405 change, 405 south and 22 at night until 5am!!!!!! I freaked out! We had a line of three cars getting on and off the freeway more than 4 times following detours throughout Long Beach, Seal Beach, Garden Grove and Westminster.... It was a mess everyone was calling people to get directions and there was a million cars on the road also trying to find a way to the 405 s!!!! We made the decision to take PCH to the 55. We got to the Double Tree in Irvine a little late but I always plan extra time for these things.

We started the girls at 5:30am. Everyone started curling hair and I started on the makeup. We worked straight until 11:30. It was such a pleasant day. All the girls were chipper and so excited for Meg's Wedding! When 11:30 hit we had to change locations (this always makes me nervous because sometimes it takes a lot of time to pack up, move and unpack again.). So around 12pm we started up again. By this time all the curling was done and it was all about read lips and touch ups :) And remember there was also 2 Moms and a flower girl not pictured :) That is right about the time the photographer arrived..............
Let us take a moment with the photographer.... Lindsey Cahill is also a Millikan High School Alumni like much of the bridal party.... Meghan Dowlen, Sarah Duncan, Lindsay Dondero, Veronica Glover-Tolas, Marissa Simpson, Michele Weide-Gale and Jeni Nickoletich as well as 2 of my LML Team Michele Junghanel-Conradi and Lexi Holtz.

I have worked with Lindsey Cahill in the past and she does some amazing work!!!! www.lindseycahillphotography.com. I have dealt with a few photographers in my day and she definitely has a unique style of shooting. Sometimes photographers are in my face telling me what I need to to and how to do it. I forgot Lindsey was even there. I was almost was thinking did she take enough pictures? When I saw the moments she captured I was amazed! And I am sure you are as well. All of these shots are out of this world. The colors are vibrant, the locations chosen are breathtaking and every person in each one of the photos looks flawless. I take my hat off to Lindsey and would recommend her to any bride that came my way. She is so easy to work with and really revealed the essence of Meghan's Wedding through her photography. Such a pleasure to work with her! xoxo Lindsey your work speaks for itself!!!
My Job was done and as Lindsey was working with the Bridal Party I slipped into my dress, gave my hair a little poof, slapped on some extra lip gloss and sat with the rest of the guests. What happened next was what all this primping since 5:30 am was for... the ceremony

The Bride Walked down the isle, the vows began and the rest is history.............. Congrats Meghan and Casey Garrison there are going to be so many more happy moments in your future to add to this amazing day. Thank you for letting me be a part of it! Even if I was stressed out for months... the wedding went off without a hitch. It was so great catching up with all the gals too! xoxo to you all!
To The "LML 18 Lady Bridal Party Challege" ...............................TAKE THAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!