Hairstyling Tools That’ll Save You Time

Wandjell Browning KEEPS FAMILIES CONNECTED

by Zondra Victor

Wandjell Browning, CEO of The Freedom Child Foundation, is a bride who has more than just a wedding in her view. Growing up, Wandjell experienced life as a child with incarcerated parents. She was able to see, rsthand, the lack of funding available to help families and children pay for necessities like food, stationery, and transportation for visitations.

Now, Wandjell is trying to make that experience better for others. She and her groom, Marty Browning, research, supply materials, and organize transportation services for eligible applicants.

“When I was younger, I was severely impacted by parental incarceration because both of my parents were incarcerated, ”says Wandjell. “I just remember, profoundly, the emotions, the lack of resources that I had to stay in contact with both of my parents. ”

The Freedom Child Foundation serves minors between 5 to 17 years old and is open to children who have one or both of their parents incarcerated. Not only does Wandjell’s foundation provide stationery supplies for children, they provide transportation if a child has to travel an hour or more away from their home.

“Most correctional facilities are like hours away from home, ” says Wandjell. “And so it can be very hard trying to get on a train, or get a rental, get gas. Or maybe even once they get to visitation, the food is very expensive. ” Wandjell and Marty are creating a positive and lasting experience for children that will benet from being able to hold on to their relationship with their parents, even during the incarceration period. The Freedom Child Foundation works to solve several issues that may keep children from maintaining those relationships. Wandjell and Marty are providing a community of support for children so that both they, and also the parents, have a chance to keep their connection.

“Children may seem forgotten or they get lost in the system and that’s one thing we don’t want…” says Marty Browning, Wandjell’s husband and COO of The Freedom Child Foundation. “When you don’t have that parental structure in the home, you lose a lot. Our parents are very important and we do want children to know that no matter what your parents went though, you don’t have to go down that road. ”

During this year’s pandemic, Marty and Wandjell have had to change plans for how they operate business. They’ve gotten to hear many different stories and learn about the backgrounds of their applicants from all over the nation through their website.

V i s i t Wa n d j e l l a n d M a r t y B r o w n i n g a t www.freedomchildfoundation.org or on Facebook and Instagram.

Learn more about The Freedom Child Foundation in a special video interview with Affinity Weddings by visiting us on YouTube, Roku, or Amazon Fire Stick.

Wandjell Browning,

CEO of The Freedom Child Foundation

Hairstyling Tools

That'll Save Your Time

By Chantel Smith

For many of us, nding love is a journey of vulnerability and a seemingly endless search for the one that completes our puzzle of life. However, when we nd that missing piece we then cherish that moment and every second after, knowing that the union created brings forth love and excitement for the future. The same can be said for nally nding the hair tools that create the perfect hairstyle, especially for the big day.

Throughout this journey we will share three tools that will help you style and maintain your crown and glory while saving time and hassle.

Our rst pick is great for adding volume to your strands. Wave irons are the new “it girl” of styling tools. With three heated prongs you can easily create luxurious body waves in an instant! Part your hair into four sections (a cross shaped pattern is a great method), spray each section with a heat protector, clamp down and repeat until the nished look is accomplished.

If you are a heat conscious naturalista exi rods give you the ability to create a variety of waves, curls and coils without the added damage of intense heat. After detangling and moisturizing your hair, make one-inch sections to wrap around your preferred sized cushioned rod and secure by curving the end of the rods up. These tools are soft enough for sleeping and can be protected with a silk based bonnet or scarf and easily removed by untwisting by hand with a light hair oil to avoid frizzing. At last, we’re bringing attention to an overlooked classic in styling tools, the hot comb. Thankfully, there are now adjustable temperature options available instead of the renowned stove top original comb. Hot combs are perfect for straightening hard to reach places such as roots, nape, and areas around the ears. The results to this day are still unmatched.

These amazing items can be found at your local beauty supply store and select drugstores at affordable prices. May your explorations lead you to perfect your styling and give your tresses the love and attention they deserve!

Production credits: Photographer: Libra Scale Creative Venue: BienVenue Model: Sara Chau Makeup Artist: Pink Ladies Texas Hair Stylist: Mercy’s Hair Designs Bridal Gown: Impression Bridal Florals: Fauxtastic Floral Creations

Innovativ Ide

for a Dessert Table

By Jocelyn Sauceda

Think of your dessert table as an opportunity to be creative. Weddings are often formal and thought of in a serious manner. An innovative dessert table can alter the entire feeling of a wedding. These fresh ideas will inspire and get you excited. First off, many people don’t love the idea of having a table dedicated to sweets.

If sweets aren’t exciting to you, consider a fruit table instead. Fruit is colorful and can be beautiful to look at. Experiment with cutting fruit into different shapes. There’s a number of ways to execute this. The rst way is to have a large bowl of fruit salad. Guests will simply walk up and serve themselves. This method requires the fruits in a large preferably clear bowl. A clear bowl will allow the colors of the fruit to show.

The second method is to separate the fruits. Having everything in separate bowls will give guests the chance to select only the fruit they want. This will also give your dessert table a fuller look. The next idea is interactive. Display at least two cupcake avors. Make sure the cupcakes are bare. Have a variety of icing, sprinkles, and any other toppings you can think of. Guests can make their own cupcakes. This is a great way to keep people entertained. The act of making their own desserts often brings nostalgic feelings and memories that will make everyone smile.

Finally, instead of cake go for pie. A table lled with a variety of pies will look beautiful and draw attention. Pick a variety of pies that all look different. For example, a banana cream pie will contrast an apple pie. The juxtaposition of appearances is fun and gives guests options. If you prefer a cohesive table choose pies that have similar appearances. This will assure your table is just as formal as a wedding cake but incredibly unique.

Production credits: Photographer: Libra Scale Creative Venue: BienVenue Models: Ayesha Love, Ivanka Garrett, Sara Chau Makeup Artist: Donyale MUA, Mama Bear Beauty, Mercy’s Hair Designs Hair Stylist: Mercy’s Hair Designs, Pink Ladies Texas Bridal Gown: Impression Bridal Decor: Grand Events Party Planners Florals: Fauxtastic Floral Creations, Frankie + Flora

Production credits: Photographer: Libra Scale Creative Venue: BienVenue Models: Ayesha Love, Ivanka Garrett, Sara Chau Makeup Artist: Donyale MUA, Mama Bear Beauty, Mercy’s Hair Designs Hair Stylist: Mercy’s Hair Designs, Pink Ladies Texas Bridal Gown: Impression Bridal Decor: Grand Events Party Planners Florals: Fauxtastic Floral Creations, Frankie + Flora

Unique Floral Ideas By Sofia Gonzalez

Showcasing you and your husband-to-be’s unique personality is important for the perfect wedding day. You might be asking yourself, “How can I differentiate this wedding from anyone else’s?” An easy way to do so is through unconventional oral ideas.

If you are an old soul and have a knack for rustics or antiques, try hanging lanterns off of an arch oral design. This can be done for any outdoor or indoor wedding. However, if rustic isn’t your style, then you can stick with the arch design and colorcoordinate the owers to your wedding.

For those who don’t just want an altar or plain background—have a orist design the perfect altar for you instead. To get this look, use a lush greenery implemented with either birch or again, owers of your choice. This will give a very organic, yet serene feel to the ceremony, making it that much more romantic for you and your partner.

Now, here is one for all of the couples debating whether or not they should have an indoor or outdoor wedding—why not try both? You can hold the ceremony inside but ask the orist to place grass onto the oor of the venue. This can make the ceremony feel informal, yet personal. It’ll be as if the wedding is taking place in your own backyard.

If you’re interested in sprucing up your bouquet, you can customize how it’s wrapped. Ask your orist for help when doing so, but you can wrap around it anything with sentimental value, from a grandparent’s watch, to your own watch, or even an old friendship bracelet. Whatever it is you choose to do, it’s guaranteed that that bouquet will be one-of-a-kind.

Other ideas for bouquets are the ones for bridesmaids. For those brides that are more laid back, olive branches are perfect. They are very s i m p l e - l o o k i n g a n d a l s o s y m b o l i z e peace—bringing serenity to the ceremony.

Cocktail hour is also something to think about in regards to oral ideas. This is something that can be fun. Instead of having just a normal bar, consider having a oral backdrop for the bar, or just greenery. This will create a statement bar, bringing it to life.

Along with a bar, cocktail hour entails having small tables set up for guests. If you are wanting to add onto the oral idea of the bar, have the tables’ legs intertwined with a oral idea. This will also bring them to life and add more personality to the wedding.

As for the reception—you want to stay budget friendly, but also have the perfect centerpieces for y o u r w e d d i n g . T h i s o n e i s e x t r e m e l y unconventional, but also has an elegant look to it w h e n exe c u te d co r re c t l y. Fl o r i s t s h ave experimented with tumbleweeds to resemble chandeliers. They go above the tables and are added on as that extra “oomph”for a centerpiece.

Whatever route you decide to take with your wedding, ask your orist for advice when taking an unconventional idea and run with it. If you want to stand out from every other bride, don’t be afraid to be yourself and immerse your personality into any of the oral ideas for your wedding.

Venue: BienVenue Events Florals: Frankie + Flora Decor: Grand Events Party Planners