Are you on the look-out forthatONEplace that does EVERYTHING in the beauty realm?!
Well, look no further because Forever Bride got a chance to sit down with Alana, co-owner of Accolades Salon Spa,located in St.Paul,MN.It’s right nearthe Highland Park area and you won’t miss it becausetheir buildinghas thecoolest, most unique exterior you’ve ever seen!
This interview touches the history of Accolades, how it allstarted, some fun-facts that justmay surprise you, and of course what exactly they have to offer foryou loyal Forever Bride members out there.
And to the men, before you assume this is just for the ladies, keep reading…there’s a little something in here for you too!
How did Accolades Salon Spa come about? What is the inspiration behind it?
Alana: My dad and I actually own Accolades together. He has been in the industry for a while now, so I grew up around it. When I graduated high school, I wasn’t sure yet what I wanted to do as a career. He convinced me to go to beauty school, just to give it a shot, and from there I could decide if I wanted to stick with it or go to college for something different. After going through beauty school though, I fell in love with the industry even more. I’ve also always been into art, so makeup and hair is just another form of art in my eyes.
*FUN FACT*This building actually used to be a gas station! It must have taken some serious Chip + Joanna Gaines skills to transform it into this stunning, edgy salon. Just wait until you see the inside!
How did you and your dad come up with the name Accolades?
Alana: There really is no crazy story behind the name. Accolades means to give good to others or to give them special honor so he just thought it would be a perfect fit because that is exactly what we do here. We truly are great at what we do and our main goal is for our customers to enjoy every single second of their time here.
What type of services do you offer?
Alana: We do everything and have a variety of different styles here. We of course cut/color/style hair, but we also do makeup, manicures, pedicures, waxing, massage, and facials. We’ve even done some fashion shows and photo shoots which have been really cool. What some people don’t know, is that we also own Mens Spa Salon which is right down the road. They specialize in men’s grooming. We offer the same exact services there as we do at Accolades, but for men.
Are there any challenging and/or rewarding parts about being co-owner of a salon & spa?
Alana: Honestly, they go hand-in-hand. This industry is so much fun; a lot of the time it doesn’t even feel like a job. All of us here at Accolades have become so close and work so well together. I think that’s where the challenging part comes in. We are such good friends that sometimes it can be hard to separate work life from personal life.
What are you able to offer for brides? Are you willing to travel to them?
Alana: We do a hair and makeup for a lot of bridal parties and absolutely love it. We are a very passionate group of individuals and our main goal is make the brides wedding day the best day of her life! We use airbrush makeup and include lashes. Also, since we do offer so many services, the brides can let us know what it is that they would like and we put together personal packages just for them and their party depending on what they want. We also do on-site and offsite hair and makeup so we will go wherever the bride needs us to be- whatever is most convenient for them!
How much more convenient can this salon get?!
Now you know of ONE place that offers not only hair services, but makeup, manis/pedis, and so much more. Accolades Salon Spa is the perfect place to for you and your bridesmaids to get pampered and ready for the big day AND your groom and his guys can get all cleaned up at Mens Spa Salon. Everybody wins!
If you are a Forever Bride member (if not, you should probably go sign up for FREE) and book with them, you will receive a free full size Clean Enhanced Organics Product AND if you book more than 5 people for your wedding party you will receive 10% off your makeup consultation!
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Here are their Forever Bride listings:
photography // RaeLyn Nicole Photography
