Vendor Spotlight

Something Borrowed, Something True to You: Why Brides Should Start Their Wedding Journey with a Color Analysis

A Q&A with Ashley McCreary, Stylist with House of Colour Highlands

When I first met Ashley and heard of House of Color, I thought it was a hair salon, but I was so wrong! I was not even close! So the first and foremost question is: 

What is House of Colour?

Ashley: House of Colour helps clients discover the colors and clothing styles that naturally complement their unique features through two personalized services: Color Analysis and Style Analysis. Using a science-based process refined over more than 40 years, Color Analysis identifies the shades that best enhance an individual's natural coloring, including their signature "WOW Colors" and most flattering whites, while providing personalized makeup recommendations and a take-home color guide for future shopping.

Style Analysis builds on those insights by evaluating body shape, proportions, and natural lines to help clients choose clothing that fits both their physical features and personality. Together, these services take the guesswork out of shopping and dressing, helping clients feel more confident, look their best, and make more intentional wardrobe choices—including selecting the perfect wedding dress, bridesmaid colors, and overall wedding-day look.

Can you expand on why this service is so important for brides?

Ashley: Oh, this is my favorite topic. Brides are in such a unique position — they're investing so much time, energy, and money into how they look and feel on one very specific, very important day. And yet most of them are making major decisions — dress silhouettes, floral colors, and bridesmaid palettes — without ever having done a color analysis. That means they might be working against their natural coloring without even knowing it.

When a bride knows her season and her WOW colors, everything downstream gets easier and more intentional. She can bring her color fan deck to her florist and say, "these are the tones that will photograph beautifully next to my skin." She can choose her bridesmaid colors knowing they'll complement her, not compete with her. 

But here's what I really want brides to understand: book your color analysis before you book or buy anything related to your wedding. 

When you come to us first, you walk away knowing exactly which undertones flatter you, which lip colors make you glow, which eye shadow families enhance your natural eye color, and which foundations will photograph true to your skin. You know what colors to build your wedding around and what whites to look for in your dress. Then, when you sit down with your makeup artist or photographer, you're not guessing — you're collaborating. You can hand them your color analysis results and say, "Here are my true colors. Here's what works for me."

Makeup specifically can be really challenging. So many brides come away from makeup trials feeling like something was "off," but they can't put their finger on it. A lot of the time, the undertone is off, or the lip color clashes with their natural coloring. Color analysis eliminates that guesswork. Your artist gets to focus on artistry and technique because the color decisions are already made.

Ultimately, we help brides show up on their wedding day looking like the most radiant, intentional version of themselves — not a version of someone else's vision. And that's what every bride deserves.

Shannon: I cannot recommend this more! So many of my brides end up doing multiple makeup trials because they don't like their makeup! Doing this will save you money and time!

Final parting words, Ashley!

Ashley:  My mission has always been to help women — especially professionals and women in major life transitions — find confidence and joy through image consulting. Being a bride is one of the biggest transitions a woman will ever go through, and that's exactly why this work matters so much in that season.

To learn more about House of Colour and Ashley- go to: https://www.houseofcolour.com/stylists/ashley-mccreary-the-highlands-kentucky