Chapter One: Finding My Way Home
If you've found your way here, welcome.
Whether you're a future bride, a fellow creative, or someone who simply loves a good story, I'm so happy you're here.
My name is Bridgett, and this is the story of how Briar & Bleu came to be.
Like so many stories worth telling, this one didn't follow the path I expected.
Ten years ago, I was eighteen years old and freshly licensed as an esthetician. Makeup artistry had captured my heart, and I knew I wanted to spend my life helping people feel beautiful. At the very same time, though, I carried another dream deep inside me. I wanted to perform at Disney.
Shortly after graduating and earning my license, that dream came true.
I was accepted to work at Disney, where I spent four incredible years as a performer. Those years shaped me in ways I never could have imagined. Disney taught me that true luxury isn't about extravagance. It's about creating unforgettable experiences. It's about paying attention to the smallest details, making people feel genuinely cared for, and turning ordinary moments into something magical.
At the time, I didn't realize just how much those lessons would one day influence my own business.
When my time at Disney came to an end, I moved back home to the Lowcountry. Life was changing, and I wanted to focus on building a family while exploring different career paths.
Over the next several years, I tried just about everything.
I worked in hospitality. I explored property management. I even became a notary. Every new opportunity felt like it could be the right fit, but no matter where life took me, something always felt like it was missing.
Without realizing it, I had drifted away from the thing that had first inspired me all those years ago.
Makeup artistry.
Then, everything changed.
While I was in the hospital waiting to welcome my daughter into the world, I was scrolling through Indeed when a job posting caught my attention.
Bridal Makeup Artist.
It almost felt like it had found me instead of the other way around.
My family encouraged me to give makeup one more chance. I wasn't sure what would come of it, but I decided to apply and leave the rest up to fate.
Just a few days later, my phone rang.
On the other end was Linda Burton, the owner of Hilton Head Hair & Makeup.
She invited me to meet her the following week and asked if I could do makeup on one of her models.
There was just one small detail.
I had a one-week-old baby.
My dad volunteered to help without hesitation. While I met with Linda, he drove around her neighborhood with my three-year-old and my tiny newborn in the car, making sure everyone was happy while I walked inside with no idea what to expect.
I was nervous.
It had been years.
But the moment I picked up my borrows brushes, everything came rushing back.
It was like riding a bike.
More importantly, it felt like coming home.
I fell in love with makeup artistry all over again.
I became completely immersed. I spent every spare moment studying new techniques, investing in education, rebuilding my professional kit, and learning everything I could. I couldn't get enough.
Just one week later, I worked with my very first bride in 10 years.
I still didn't know it then, but that one decision, made from a hospital room while waiting to meet my daughter, would completely change the course of my life.
Nine months later, Linda approached me with something I never saw coming.
She told me she was ready to step away from Hilton Head Hair & Makeup. She said she wanted someone who would care for the business, honor everything it had become, and continue serving brides with the same heart she always had.
She asked if I would consider taking it over.
To say I was honored would be an understatement.
Over those nine months, my mind had been overflowing with ideas. I saw opportunities to elevate every part of the client experience, not because anything was lacking, but because I dreamed of creating something even more immersive. I wanted every bride to feel like she had stepped into a luxury experience from the very first inquiry until the final touch-up before walking down the aisle.
So I said yes.
What I didn't realize was that saying yes to Hilton Head Hair & Makeup would eventually lead me to another difficult decision.
A decision that took months of reflection.
A decision that involved honoring a beloved name while embracing a vision that had grown beyond it.
The birth of Briar & Bleu.
And that's a story for the next chapter.
