Honor Studio…. An Experience of a Lifetime By Claire Weisse

07/27/2014

Before Claire left Mommy Connections Red Deer she had the opportunity to visit the Honor Studio. Here she shares her experience.

Have you ever flipped through a fashion magazine, admiring the impeccable style, beauty and grace of the supermodels within the glossy pages? Have you ever wished you could experience what it’s like to be thoroughly pampered, doted on and beautified- even if just for a day? There’s a local studio here in Red Deer whose sole focus is to do just that…. at Honor Studio, you’ll feel as though you’ve stepped out of your life and onto the set of a magazine from the moment you walk through the door.

Leigha Graf and Jennifer Swenson, two incredible local photographers, have teamed up to create Honor Studio- a place that is “Not only about transforming your beauty on the outside…but about helping you appreciate your true beauty within.”

The moment I walked through the door, the girls flocked to me, greeting me with warm, welcoming smiles and making me feel as though they had been waiting to meet me their whole lives. What a feeling to be the focus of such attention! They ushered me to a chair, where they handed me a steaming cup of tea to sip while their talented stylist, Natalie, brushed, curled, pinned and sprayed my hair to perfection. After a final nod of satisfaction, she got started on my makeup. I’d never seen so many different sizes of brushes, pots of color or variations of artificial eyelashes as I saw on her stand that day. Keep in mind, she didn’t allow me to see what she was doing, so the anticipation was killing me! I felt like a star every step of the way, especially when I caught sight of Leigha and Jennifer going through a rack of sparkles and rich fabrics from which they were selecting my wardrobe. The glass cases of high-end jewellery were being carefully scrutinized as they chose the perfect pieces for me. I really and truly felt a sense of confidence and sophistication that I had never felt before- and we were just getting started! I watched as they carefully went through their plans and ideas for the photo shoot in the studio area, notepad in hand. I couldn’t wait to find out what they had in store for my photos.

With a few final touches, Natalie studied my made-up face and proclaimed, “Damn you’re gorgeous!” To which she spun my chair to allow my first glimpse of the masterpiece she’d been creating in me. I was speechless…. My jaw dropped. I really and truly did not even know what to say…. I looked and felt more beautiful than I ever had before. I couldn’t cry though, there was no way I was ruining what she’d done! A few rapid blinks of my eyes to rid the tears of gratitude and I was up and moving to the next part of the adventure-
wardrobe. Leigha and Jenn had everything lined up in order in my fitting room, so I donned my first outfit and emerged to exclamations of appraise – they instructed me where to stand, how to place my hands and angle my head- it was so much fun! They were true professionals when it came to explaining each pose – it didn’t matter that I had no clue what I was doing, they led me through it all with such ease.

After 3 or 4 wardrobe and backdrop changes, an abundance of poses and what sounded like hundreds of clicks of the camera, the photoshoot was complete. I exclaimed over and over how grateful I was for this experience- there just didn’t seem to be enough of the right words to thank them for how they’d made me feel in those last few hours. Honoring my beauty, both inside and out, was a truly incredible feeling that every woman should have the chance to experience.

If you have been searching for the perfect way to honor a close friend, mother, or sister- this is it. They also do group sessions- I can’t even begin to imagine how much fun it would be to experience such glamour and excitement with a few of my closest girlfriends or my sisters. If you get the chance to do this for yourself, I promise you it will be worth every blissful moment. Thank you, Honor Studio…. for allowing me the chance to truly feel what it’s like to let my inner beauty shine.

https://www.facebook.com/honorstudio