Stephanie - 10/31/2007 Awesome
If you are looking for an incredibly kind person who is also super talented with hair and makeup and also happens to be the perfect wedding coordinator, you must work with Maria Chang of Professional Makeup Artistry. Long review ahead, but I really want to describe all the fantastic services PMA provides for their clients.

I originally booked with PMA because I wanted to have hair and makeup done on location at my mom's house the morning of the wedding to cut down on the potential stress of getting ready at different locations for hair and for makeup (two moms, three bridemaids, and me). I read a bit about the "personal assistant" services PMA also offers, and everyone who has worked with PMA had only glowing things to say. I am no exception!

My sister (and matron-of-honor) and I met Maria a couple months before my October 2007 wedding at my hair and makeup trial. Maria was very responsive to the pictures I brought and the descriptions of what I wanted for my hair and makeup. She also studied the picture of my wedding dress and worked to bring the whole look together in a stunning way (if I do say so myself ;) Just kidding! I felt so beautiful on my trial day and even more beautiful on my wedding day, and it is seriously all because of Maria and PMA). We actually went over the alloted trial time because we were chatting and joking around and generally just having a great time. I was really struck by how kind and friendly Maria is, in addition to being very talented with makeup and hair. I normally never wear makeup, and she made me look fabulous without being overdone in person and in pictures. Working with her felt like working with a great friend who just happens to know how to make you look better than you ever thought you could!

Speaking of pictures, Maria emailed me my trial photos promptly after the trial, and mentioned that she had looked at the photos and noticed that one side of my hair was more stubborn to curl (I have very straight hair that usually never holds curls). On the wedding day, she took care to apply diffuse heat to the hot rollers before arranging my hair, and it lasted all day!

My husband and I had planned out our wedding day as well as we could have hoped for, and provided all of our vendors with itineraries, but it was Maria who made the day go so smoothly and made it so much fun. Although our contract had only mentioned one assistant, Maria brought two with her on the wedding day! And although the assistants left at the pre-determined time, Maria stayed with me far beyond the time we'd agreed upon in the contract. She worked with our photographer to arrange us in photos and blotted my sweaty face when the sun beat down a little too hard. Maria provided my husband and me with bottled water and a straw so we could stay hydrated, and she traveled with an emergency backpack that had everything from scissors to snacks in case we got hungry. Maria also was so thoughtful and left my husband and me to spend a little time together in between our wedding and tea ceremonies.

My and my husband's families could not believe how incredible Maria was. With any potential snafus, she was there to make it work. She reinforced a flower I had put in my hair with extra ribbon so the bobby pins wouldn't ruin the stem and cause the flower to droop. She pinned on our parents' corsages and boutonnieres perfectly. When my parents were ready to escort me down the aisle, she showed us the proper and graceful way to walk down the aisle together so I could hold my bouquet and pick up my dress when we came to some stairs.

It's been almost a month since we got married, and my sisters, mom, husband, and I still reminisce about how amazing Maria is. Even during the wedding day itself, during stolen moments with either my husband or my family, all we could keep saying was, "Thank goodness for Maria!" or "Can you believe how awesome Maria is?" It was so fun to share our day with Maria, and she really made it special. She is an amazing person, and she is so very talented. Her dedication, effort, and kindness are truly priceless, and made booking with PMA worth every penny. :)

Jessica - 05/02/2007 Awesome
maria is awesome makeupartist and hair stylist
I love her style and the kind of her.
thank Maria

Karen Quijano - 06/12/2006 Awesome
Booked with Maria Chang (PMA) 2 years in advance for my May 2006 wedding. Maria not only did my hair and makeup for my wedding but she also did my hair and makeup for my engagement pictures as well. It was awesome!

For the wedding, words cannot explain how grateful and thankful I am to Maria Chang. From the beginning of the day to the end she helped make everything run smoothly and most of all keep me calm.

She turned my silly and goofy bridesmaids into beautiful women. I was so happy to see how elegant each girl looked. PMA really brought out the natural beauty in each girl. It was really important to me that my girls looked and felt just as beautiful on my special day. It just made everything ten times better!

Maria made me feel and look like the most beautiful bride that day. Deep down inside I felt like a princess. My hair and makeup complimented my dress, veil, hair pieces, and even my shoes. She gave me the most elegant and classic look! She was able to fix my hair in an updo for the ceremony and a half updo for the reception. So I had the best of both worlds!

My favorite part of the day was getting ready with Maria and her team of girls. Not only that I had enough time to bond with my bridesmaids but I felt I had time to bond with Maria. My bridesmaids and photographer kept complimenting Maria throughout the day and even the day after.

The day after the wedding I was a little sad because I had so much fun and I didn't want it to end but Maria came to save the day again. She was so thoughtful and sent me pictures of my wedding the day after. Seeing the pictures for the first time truly brought me happiness. It gave me memories of an unbelievably perfect day.

If I had to give anyone a word of advice I would “HIGHLY” recommend working with Maria. She's everything all in one! Maria has the magic to turn any bride or bridesmaid into a lovely woman. She's super organized and detailed oriented which I LOVE!!! Details always count. :-) The best thing is that she always took care of me. She was like the sister I never had. Maria always made sure I was eating, drinking my water, taking me to the ladies room and asking me how I was feeling.

If I could turn back time I wish I were back at the Rose Hotel getting ready with Maria for the big day.

I thank her from the bottom of my heart for making my wedding day unforgettable.

Cindy - 04/24/2006 Awesome
I must say that out of all our vendors, Maria was my absolute favorite. She is worth every penny. She made me look and feel so beautiful at both the trial and on my wedding day. Also, I really enjoyed having her there with me to get dressed and get ready to walk down the aisle! It was great having a personal assistant, as she helped ensure that the day ran smoothly and on time. She was so much fun to be around, and she even gave little makeup tips and recommendations along the way. She definitely has an amazing talent. Book her and you will have no regrets.

Lucy Zhu - 04/06/2006 Awesome
Hiring Maria for my wedding was the best decision I made! By far, she was my favorite vendor! Not only is Maria a brilliant stylist, but she is so helpful and fun...all the girls and I just had a great time with her! We were all impressed.

My first impression of Maria was through her website and via email. She was very prompt and professional. When I met her for my trial, she made me feel so comfortable, just like a friend! She spent a lot of time with me and we discussed my ideas and concerns. She is very genuine and really understands the importance of this aspect of a wedding. She does everything she can to give you exactly what you want! I had so much fun at my trial it just made me more excited to have her be with me on my wedding day.

On my wedding day, Maria showed up with a big smile as always! Maria made everything run very smoothly. It was enjoyable getting our hair and makeup done...Maria was just like one of the girls! Besides doing a fabulous job on all the girls and myself, she went above and beyond and helped a groosman fix his pants, helped the girls and I get stains off our dresses, helped the photographer, etc. She was a total life saver, I really don'y know what I would have done without her! She also took some really beautiful pictures at my wedding and captured some special moments.

I also took Maria's makeup class after I got married. It was so helpful and fun that my only regret is that I didn't do it sooner. Maria is very skilled and experienced at what she does, she is a true professional in every way!

I can't say enough good things about Maria. I would recommend her in a heartbeat! I loved working with her and look forward to more visits with her in the future!

Elaine - 04/05/2006 Awesome
Having Maria be a part of my wedding was the best decision I made. My first time meeting Maria was at my makeup trial five months before my wedding. We worked together for four hours in figuring out what look and hairdo I wanted. She never pushed me towards anything I felt uncomfortable with and really listened to what I wanted. The final product was something I envisioned and was totally me. Maria didn't skimp on anything during the trial using all the products she used on me on the day off.

On the day of my wedding, Maria and her assistants arrived on time at the awful hour of 5:30 AM. She and her assistants made me, my bridesmaids, and my mom felt relaxed while they made us beautiful. I was done on schedule and had plenty of time to listen to my fiancee work hard at the door ceremony to get past my girlfriends.

A few hours later, Maria was at the church to retouch my makeup, hair, and help me put on my dress. After the ceremony, she retouched my makeup again. I expected her to leave as stated in our contract but she stayed to become my personal assistant. She helped me lay out the dress during family photos, reminded me on how to hold the bouquet and stand, organized my large family quickly and efficiently. Then after the madness, she touched me up one last time before leaving.

Maria is truly a special person who works hard to make brides feel and look beautiful. I'm so glad she was part of my big day.

Maria Fastidio - 04/03/2006 Awesome
I booked Maria Chang for my May 2005 wedding, and it was the best decision I made. Right from the beginning when I emailed her an interest in booking her I received an immediate response. Since I had booked her 9 months before my wedding we were in close contact with each other. She responded to my concerns and questions immediately.

The day of my trial which was 4 months before my wedding day was awesome. Not only did she make me a beautiful bride, but we had an awesome day chatting about everything!

The day of my wedding, she arrived at the hotel early in the morning as planned and got to work (with her assistant, Camille) immediately on my 6 bridesmaids and then me. ( My bridesmaids all still talk about how awesome , and how on time everything was!) Maria stayed with us until we got introduced at the reception, and made sure that we were all beautiful!!

I think the best story that my husband and I share is after the ceremony, I forgot that I had a train (I was just so excited) and suddenly I realized "Oh my gosh I have a train!" so I quickly told my husband to carry it, he was laughing and said Maria had been there the whole time! She was there for me to help me with my wedding but still allowed me to have that time with my new husband!

Since it's been almost a year since my wedding, I still recieve compliments about how my bridesmaids and I looked on my wedding day!

Saying thank you to Maria and her staff a million times cannot express the amount of gratitude I have towards them.

I still keep in touch with Maria today through email, and it is a freindship I treasure.