“Shannon O’Brien is a Godsend. I say this literally and figuratively. I was never a bride’s “Bride,” in that I didn’t have any thoughts about my wedding before I became engaged. Once the process started, my biggest concern was makeup. After having many bad experiences as a bridesmaid (all 200 times), I was very nervous about my "bridal look." Who doesn’t want to feel comfortable on their wedding day? I stumbled across Shannon’s Instagram page (shoutout to @Shannicat), and aside from her being the most fashionable and upbeat person, her brides all looked fantastic and most importantly, NATURAL. I knew I had to reach out. Sadly, I received the email that every bride dreads-- she was booked. Of course she was. Her talent is a known fact in the Chicago area. I was crushed, but I started the process of make-up trials with other makeup artists. While they were all very nice, I left each time feeling like a typical bride. No one was able to capture who I was without changing my features. I didn’t feel “special” or beautiful and something just didn’t sit right. Months passed, panic ensued, and the heavens opened: Shannon O’Brien was now available for my wedding. Instantly, I went to contract—no trial runs, no questions asked. I was so confident in this decision that I didn’t even schedule my first trial until 2 months before my wedding—me, the most type A individual, went on blind faith up until the finish line. Once I met Shannon, I knew I made the right decision. She opened the door with a huge smile on her face, assuring me that I would look exactly how I had envisioned. I showed her 3 photos, at most, and left the rest up to her. By time she had finished, I felt amazing. She enhanced my features, made me feel beautiful, and most importantly, I still looked like me! On the morning of the wedding, there was a common theme in the room: Everyone loved Shannon O’Brien. Bridesmaids were raving about her. No one asked for changes (how unheard of is that with 12 bridesmaids and two mothers?) Everyone gravitated to her station to watch her work, myself included. She made the entire group feel at ease between her relaxed demeanor and her uncanny ability to listen and capture everyone’s beauty. For the girls who wanted a natural look, she achieved it. For those that wanted a more done up look, she made it happen while still making them look classic and elegant. She was and IS an absolute dream come true. To give more weight to my confidence in Shannon, I ended up paying extra so that she would stick around for almost the entire evening. I knew there would be a lot of happy tears shed and touch ups would be a must, and I was right. Every time I went back to the room for Shannon to re-glamorize me, she celebrated with me, told me to take in the evening, and sent me back out reminding me of just how perfect this evening was. And she was right. Hiring Shannon was easily the best decision that I made throughout this wedding planning process. Although I didn’t know it then, she was truly the glue that helped keep it all together. She allowed me to look and feel my best self, and because of this, I was able to not let anything else get in the way of what was certainly the start to a lifetime of memories. I cannot recommend Shannon enough. She is one of the most talented and delightful individuals, and I look forward to hiring her for every big life event I, hopefully, have coming my way. Thank you, Shannon!”
