Sometimes the hardest part of your wedding planning process can be finding beauty professionals that you trust to create your perfect look for your wedding day. Maria Toler Velissaris of La Voila Beauty, has created the answer to your problems. La Voila Beauty is a concierge service that brings highly skilled beauty professionals right to your door for any special event. La Voila Beauty has partnered with big brands like Maybelline, American Express and NBC Universal, just to name a few. Check out our interview with Maria below.
Full Name: Maria Toler Velissaris
Name of your business or company: La Voila Beauty
How long have you been in the industry? 2.5 years
Specialty: Hair and Makeup for Women of Color
Tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started in the beauty industry?
I am an entrepreneur and brand strategist with a passion for luxury and beauty. I started my career consulting for Booz Allen Hamilton and then went on to work in Brand Management at Kraft Foods and Brand Strategy at Siegel + Gale. I love helping companies define and execute their brand strategy and wanted to take my skill set and apply it to an industry that I love. While attending the NYU Stern School of Business I developed the idea of La Voila Beauty, my perfect intersection of beauty and business.
What kind of services does La Voila Beauty offer and how does your service work?
La Voila Beauty is a one-stop shop for all things hair, makeup, and nails. We offer premium hair and makeup services to private clients such as brides, hotels guests, and those attending events.
We also create one-of-a-kind beauty experiences tailored for PR events, Brands, and Companies. I leverage my extensive background in strategy and branding to develop exciting and engaging beauty experiences for events. In addition, we work with Fashion Retailers and provide hair and makeup services for their photo shoots and fashion shows.
What should a bride know before booking beauty professionals for her big day?
Before booking a beauty professional there are 3 important things to consider:
- Did they execute my vision? The artist should be able to translate your vision into gorgeous hair and stunning makeup. No one should have to tell you that you look amazing. You should feel confident and beautiful.
- Do I like their energy? It is important to find an artist that has an energy that complements yours because they will be with you and your bridal party for the majority of the morning and can significantly impact the mood in the room.
- What’s the backup plan? If the artist has an unforeseen life event, who shows up on your wedding day? We get lots of brides that call frantically 2 weeks before their wedding because they have discovered the artist they hired moved, took a higher paying job or went on tour with Beyonce. La Voila Beauty, has a team of 50 amazing hair and makeup artists, and a back up artist for each bride (just in case), so you can have peace of mind that you are covered on your big day.
Do you have groom services?
Yes. We provide male grooming services for the groom and his party.
What are some tips that you have for brides looking for a glam beauty experience on their wedding day?
To achieve the ultimate glam experience, you need to start with a fun space. If a large suite is not available, we always suggest that the bride ask the hotel to use a conference room (these are usually available free of charge Saturday or Sunday mornings). You can cater breakfast, have champagne and turn on the tunes to set a fun and relaxed atmosphere while your bridal party gets glammed.
What are some of the beauty trends that you are seeing this season?
Last year we saw many many Great Gatsby themed weddings, this year, we have less requests for structured up-dos and more for relaxed beachy waves.
Do you want to book La Voila Beauty for your special day? Visit the La Voila Beauty website at www.lavoilabeauty.com and be sure to follow them on Facebook and Youtube !
Interview by our Wedding Features Editor, C.K. Alexander. C.K. is the owner and founder of Love Ink and Brownstone Bridal. Keep up with C.K. on Twitter here: @Love_Ink
