Editor’s Note
IT’S SPRING,
GET READY FOR
THE WEDDING SEASON
S
pring has finally arrived. Here in the DC metro
area, we know for sure spring has come when
the cherry blossoms adjoining the Potomac
River are in full bloom. Along the arrays of
beautiful cherry blossoms, brides-to-be with groomsto-be pose for playful photographers to get the best engagement photos. The scenery of these happy couples
is nothing new this time around, suggesting that the official wedding season has kicked off.
The wedding industry generates about $55 billion
annually in the US. As the first wave of baby boomers
2.0 is hitting the average marrying age, the industry is
expected to grow bigger and faster, and as a result more
opportunities will be available for beauty professionals.
Whether you have already tapped into this lucrative industry and work as a wedding hairstylist or makeup artist, or you are probing into the new field of bridal hair,
our feature stories - Bridal Hair & Beauty (page 45)will bring you a depth of valuable information. Hair extensions have become staples for brides and hairstylists
to pull off a desired look for the big day. Read TEAM
Bridal Extensions’ story of how they became experts
on bridal extensions and created their own line of extensions exclusively for brides (page 68). Check out the
10 Do’s and Don’ts on Your Client’s Wedding Day Hair
Extensions (page 46), an introduction to bridal extensions. The natural hair trend is spreading fast and bridal
hair is no exception; remember Solange Knowles’ natural wedding hair in 2014? If you’re looking for inspiration on natural hair for a wedding, look no further
than Natural Wedding Hair (page 48). We also bring
you fresh ideas for wedding day hair and makeup from
Spring/Summer 16 runways (page 52) and for wedding
hair accessories (page 56).
Lastly, I’m excited to feature an interview with David
Yoon, CEO of Ben’s Beauty Supply, Inc. Ben’s Beauty
is one of the largest multi-cultural beauty distributors
in the US and has been around for almost 30 years. The
company carries over 10,000 items to satisfy diversified
customers’ needs. Yoon has been at the heart of Ben’s
Beauty’s growth for the past 25 years and is one of few
people who understands the beauty industry from both
the manufacturer’s and retailer’s perspectives. He himself was one of the pioneers of OTC stores in Texas in
the 90s and led the OTC boom since then. Compared to
the golden times of beauty supply in the 90s, he agrees
that the current business environment is not favorable
to retailers. Collapse of hair prices due to stiff competition and competition with online sellers are some of
the biggest challenges that beauty retailers are facing.
Yoon, however, stated that some beauty supply stores
are doing very well in spite of these obstacles because
they are checking inventories thoroughly, striving to
improve customer relations, and diligently attending
educational seminars to learn about new products,
which leads to selecting better products and ultimately increasing sales. His candid interview about Ben’s
Beauty and its relationship building with retailers and
manufacturers is featured on page 32.
Happy spring and enjoy reading!
Top 2014 Wedding Statistics
Average Wedding Cost: $31,213 (excludes honeymoon)
Most Expensive Place to Get Married:
Manhattan, $76,328 average spend
Least Expensive Place to Get Married: Utah, $15,257 average spend
Average Marrying Age: Bride, 29; Groom, 31
Average Number of Guests: 136
Average Number of Bridesmaids: 4 to 5
Average Number of Groomsmen: 4 to 5
14
COSMOBIZ SALON APRIL 2016
Most Popular Month to Get Married:
June (15%) followed by October (14%)
Popular Wedding Colors:
Ivory/White (44%), Blue (37%), Pink (28%), Metallics (26%),
Purple (23%)
Percentage of Destination Weddings: 24%
Source: The Knot 2014 Real Weddings Survey