Some of the best parts of working in the wedding industry are the people you meet along the way - and Jennifer Kochenour of JKo Beauty is one of those people.
Jennifer is a luxury bridal makeup artist based in Philadelphia and the founder of JKo Beauty, an award-winning studio known for elevated, modern, and timeless bridal looks. After sitting down to talk (virtually), we were struck by how many parallels run between our businesses - despite working in completely different mediums. We’re both artists. We both build something beautiful for a bride on one of the most important days of her life. We both obsess over the details, care deeply about the experience, and understand the weight of working with something irreplaceable - whether that’s a bride’s confidence in the mirror or her bouquet in our hands. Different crafts, same heart behind the work.
That conversation sparked the idea for this Q&A - the real questions brides want answered about our services, what to expect, and the advice we’d give while planning the big day.
Here’s Part 1 of our conversation. Head over to JKo Beauty’s blog to read Part 2!
Q1: What made you start your business, and what keeps you passionate about it?
Jennifer, JKo Beauty: This year is JKo Beauty’s 10-year anniversary! In 2016, after regularly working with brides for over 20 years as a professional makeup artist, I decided I wanted to create something different. I wanted to provide an experience for brides. To me, it’s not just about creating makeup looks that help women feel beautiful, it’s about their experience leading up to the day as well. Weddings require so much preparation and planning and with all of that, everything comes together seamlessly on the Big Day. What keeps me passionate about my business is knowing that I get to be a part of something so special and meaningful.
The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: The Pressed Bouquet Shop started because we believed wedding flowers deserved more than a week in a vase. What began as a small passion project in Easton, PA has grown into a studio that’s preserved over 16,000 bouquets for brides across all 50 states. What keeps us passionate is honestly the reaction - when a bride sees her bouquet transformed into a piece of art she’ll hang on her wall or admire on her counter, that moment never gets old. Every bouquet has a story, and we get to be the ones who make sure it lasts.
Q2: What’s one thing you wish brides knew earlier in their planning process about your service?
Jennifer, JKo Beauty: I wish all brides fully understood how important it is to begin their skincare and body care journey asap! It can be anything from laser hair removal to facial treatments. Your makeup’s appearance is definitely affected by the condition of your skin, but so is the wear of your makeup - how it looks throughout the day. It seems that sometimes people think makeup can be used to cover anything. This is not necessarily true on a wedding day. For a bride, not only is your wedding day a long, full day but you’ll be together with people who will hug you, you will embrace and kiss your soon-to-be spouse, you’ll dance, eat and drink and so much more - all while wearing a white dress. All of the prep and self-care you do leading up to the Big Day will only enhance your look.
The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: That bouquet preservation is something you can (and should) plan for before your wedding - not just scramble to figure out the day after. When brides plan ahead, they can coordinate with their florist, choose their preservation style without the pressure, and make sure their bouquet gets to us in the best possible condition. We offer free consultations for exactly this reason. A quick conversation months before your wedding can make a huge difference in the final result.
Q3: How would you describe the experience you want every bride to have when working with you?
Jennifer, JKo Beauty: It is my goal for every bride to feel important, to know that I am completely invested in her and her entire experience. Everything I do is to support her and my goal is for her to have confidence in knowing that. I believe that every bride is beautiful and deserves to feel her absolute best on her wedding day.
The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: We want it to feel effortless and exciting - not stressful. From the consultation to the moment you unwrap your finished piece, we want brides to feel taken care of. You just had the most beautiful day of your life, and now you’re trusting us with the flowers that were part of it. That’s not something we take lightly. We want every bride to feel like her bouquet is in the hands of people who genuinely care about her story.
Q4: What does a typical “wedding day” look like from your perspective?
Jennifer, JKo Beauty: It actually starts earlier in the week with things like prepping my kit and also tailoring it a bit to best suit my bride’s day-of specifics, reviewing all of my notes and photos about my bride’s look and day - there’s a lot that goes into that for me. Once I arrive at her getting-ready location, it’s time to set-up and start makeup - YAY! Each person who sits in my chair is important to me and receives a consultation and personalized look. For my bride, it’s whatever it takes to support her and create the look that helps her feel her absolute best. Things like facial treatments can be very calming for her but there can also be little things that we hadn’t planned for that I may address. I’ve had brides wake up with reactions to something overnight, peeling spray tans, bruises, the list goes on and on - I am always prepared to do whatever I can to help her. Wedding days are quite intense and I give everything I have to each bride’s day. It’s incredibly rewarding!
The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: Our wedding day actually starts after yours ends! Most brides (or their maids of honor, moms, or planners) ship their bouquet to us within a few days of the wedding. That’s when our work begins - carefully unpacking, assessing the flowers, and beginning the preservation process. It’s always a special moment when a new bouquet arrives at the studio because we know exactly what it represents. From there, it’s months of careful pressing or resin work to turn those blooms into something permanent. Our part of the wedding story happens quietly, behind the scenes - but it’s the chapter that lasts the longest.
Q5: What’s a trend you’re seeing right now that you’re excited about?
Jennifer, JKo Beauty: A makeup trend that I am currently excited about is the 90’s supermodel-inspired looks. I love that the trend is glamorous and sophisticated, while still having an overall subtleness. Perfect inspiration touches for a bride!
The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: We’re seeing more brides think about their flowers as decor for their home - not just their wedding day. Brides are choosing bouquet styles and color palettes with preservation in mind, which is amazing. We’re also seeing a surge in resin pieces - coasters, serving trays, ring dishes - because they’re functional and beautiful. It’s not just a frame on the wall anymore; it’s a coaster you use during dinner parties that sparks the best kind of conversation.
That’s a wrap on Part 1! But we’re just getting started.
Head over to Jennifer’s blog at JKo Beauty to read Part 2, where we dive into our creative processes, our advice for wedding vendors, and the one thing we’d tell every bride the night before her wedding.
About JKo Beauty: JKo Beauty is a luxury bridal makeup studio founded by Jennifer Kochenour, based in Philadelphia, PA. Jennifer is known for creating elevated, modern, and timeless bridal looks that make every bride feel like the best version of herself. She’s been recognized with multiple Best of Weddings awards and is currently booking 2026-2027 wedding dates. Learn more at jkobeauty.com.
About The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element: The Pressed Bouquet Shop by Element is a women-owned flower preservation studio based in Easton, PA. Since 2019, the team has hand-preserved over 16,000 wedding bouquets and meaningful floral arrangements into heirloom-quality pressed frames and resin art. Learn more at pressedbouquetshop.com.