Black BeauTEA Talk is a monthly column especially for black brides to find inspiration for bridal hair and makeup hosted by one of the best in the industry, Brittney Taylor.

Black BeauTEA talk is a monthly column, and I look forward to bringing you ladies all sorts of TEA. No, seriously I'll definitely be sharing with you all what tea (as in the drink) I'm sipping as I write each post, as well as what tea (as in the latest news) I'm sipping as far aa beauty tips, tricks, and products for us.

Hi ladies and welcome!! I'm Brittney Taylor, the owner of Brittney Taylor Beauty and a North Carolina-based freelance makeup artist, a momma to three AMAZING babies, wife to my best friend, and food lover! One of my goals through my artistry is to empower women, and more specifically, Black women! I want to provide representation of us in places and in ways where there isn't much. Why Black women in particular? Well there is no group of people on this earth that I have such an organic connection with other than black women, no group that I understand or feel more obligated to—in other words I am my sister’s keeper.

Natural hairstyles for black brides Sean Junqueira and Brittney Taylor

Imagine my excitement when Liz contacted me and offered me a column on Catalyst Wed Co.—yes it was through the roof!!! She told me I could write about whatever I wanted under the umbrella of beauty and that I could write for whomever I wanted to.

So here I am, writing for my sistas. It was a complete no-brainer honestly, truly. Black BeauTEA talk is a monthly column, and I look forward to bringing you ladies all sorts of TEA. No, seriously I'll definitely be sharing with you all what tea (as in the drink) I'm sipping as I write each post, as well as what tea (as in the latest news) I'm sipping as far aa beauty tips, tricks, and products for us. So come back to join me every month please!!!

It's such a gloomy day here in North Carolina, so this tea is much needed. Lately I've been drinking Yogi Tea which I LOVE because you get these cute little quotes on each tea bag, and you know we love a good quote! The flavor is roasted dandelion spice and is a detox; I'm trying to lose some weight, y'all *insert eye roll*. The quote today says “Give love, get love,” which is fitting for this month's post about bridal hairstyles!

“I love these gowns, but I don't know if I wanna wear a weave for my wedding.” — This is what a potential client said to me after I sent her photo inspiration for her wedding. Since she didn't see any of the women in these designer gowns with natural hair, she couldn't imagine herself in one. This made me feel a number of things, the first being anger. I was angry that once again I had a black client that didn't feel like she was included. After searching and not being able to find many representations of black women, especially black women wearing their lovely natural hair, in the editorial spreads of wedding magazines, I decided to do my part. I contacted Candice, a stylist and the owner of Blush Bridal, to pitch my idea and she was all in.

So I decided to do a styled bridal shoot featuring black women with natural hair, but a range of curl patterns so we could demonstrate different bridal hairstyles. The team was amazing in helping me bring this to light. Candice Richardson is the owner of Blush Bridal and provided these gorgeous designer gowns, as well as styling. Sean Junqueira is the super talented photographer responsible for the images. Whitney Trujillo-Watson executed the hairstyles I envisioned so well. The beautiful burgundy satin headwrap is from Shop Fe-line. I did the makeup, and the models definitely wore these styles with such confidence and grace! If you all have any questions about the hairstyles, please do let me know in the comments below, and remember that your natural crown is a perfect match for any wedding gown you find—that's Tea!

Vendors

Bridal boutique // Candice Richardson, Love B lush Bridal // @loveblushbridal

Photographer // Sean Junqueira // @seanjunqueira

Hair stylist // Whitney Trujillo-Watson // @summer.tru

Makeup artist // Brittney Taylor // @brittneytaylorbridal

Floral arrangements // Jennifer Pate // @wildlycultivated

Headwrap // Felicia Moore // @shopfeline

Models

long wavy Hair // Jasmine Vines // @jas_vines

pearls in her hair // Sarah Majak // @sarahmajak

strapless dress w/lace // Reatta Smith // @thesandpaperdoll

with spaghetti strap gown // Kayla Smith // @lovecandace

Meet the author Brittney Taylor: I am a freelance makeup artist located in Cameron, North Carolina. I have been working in this area for three years doing event makeup, as well as print and some runway. This year I will be working to build a bridal artistry business that will be fully mobile. I studied makeup artistry at makeup artist studios in Richmond, Virginia, and from there developed my aesthetic. I spend a lot of time studying past artists, as well as trends today. I believe that everyone is beautiful, and my job is to enhance that!

Meet the photographer Sean Junqueira: I am a Raleigh-based portrait and editorial photographer that has been working in the RDU area for over five years. I started by shooting live music and festivals in Austin, Texas, before moving to the Triangle to pursue a career in photography. I have had multiple magazine covers for Midtown Magazine and work for several of the top modeling agencies in North Carolina. I also shoot social media for a local Moto Cafe in the heart of downtown Raleigh.