Mrs. Parasol, San Ramon, CaliforniaAge and Occupation: 25, Non-profit writer, editor, and bloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Law school studentEngagement Date: December 19th, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Bent Creek Winery (Livermore, California); Reception: Family Residence (San Ramon, California) About Me: I am a California girl at heart. I love the outdoors, sunny days at the beach, and hiking in the woods and mountains. I also love good books and am fresh from completing my Master's degree in English and Comparative Literature in New York City. Living in NYC was an amazing experience, and while I'm glad to be back on the West Coast, I'm also thankful that my two years back East gave me an opportunity to explore new places, make new friends, and indulge my passion for Broadway shows. Oh, and I received a pretty awesome proposal from Mr. Parasol in Central Park. Above all else, Mr. Parasol is my biggest cheerleader and my best friend. But even though I'm thrilled to be marrying him, I wasn't always totally on board with this whole wedding thing and at first, I wanted to run off and elope. I've finally been convinced to throw the wedding I never thought I wanted, and so now I'm busy planning an intimate September wedding filled with DIY details. Along the way, I'm slowly learning to appreciate, perhaps even love the wedding planning process.
It’s been a while since I’ve really talked about my wedding day look, but given that I finally had my hair and makeup trial, I guess it’s time I returned to the subject.
Remember how I originally wanted a loose, soft, curly updo for the wedding? Well the second I showed Mr. Parasol my inspiration pictures, he pointed to the one curly half-up photo I had and said, “Oh, I like that. You should do your hair exactly like that.” Boys. What do they know?
But when I listened to Mr. Parasol’s reasoning, I realized that he actually knew what he was talking about. In the first place, I wear my hair up all the time. Doing my hair requires a lot of work, and most days, I just don’t have the time or the energy to style it, so I usually throw it up into some sort of bun. When I want to dress up and look my best, though, I usually wear my hair down. So in Mr. Parasol’s mind, an updo=everyday casual hairstyle while a half-up=fancy special occasion hairstyle. Plus, he says he really likes it when I wear my hair down and curly. That was the deciding factor for me because, above all else, I want to look beautiful for Mr. Parasol.
I could have stuck with the original inspiration picture that Mr. Parasol really liked:
But I realized this isn’t quite what I want. It’s lovely, but I knew I could find something better. Read more…
Miss Ticket, Riverside, CAAge and Occupation: 25, Executive AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 24, HVAC TechnicianEngagement Date: November 14, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Crestmore ManorAbout Me: I'm a lifelong So Cal gal, a chocoholic, a closet gamer, and a television enthusiast (love me some Vampire Diaries!) who adores playing in the kitchen and lives in flip flops. Mr. Ticket and I are best known for singing and dancing in the car, our World of Warcraft addiction, adoring food, crane game playing, and our general homebody ways. Oh, and GO STEELERS!
Face paint, that is. More specifically known as makeup. Want to see a picture of Miss Ticket without makeup? Well, you have already seen quite a few of those, because I don’t wear makeup. I only wear it for very special occasions, and even then I don’t wear much.
Mrs. Snow Cone, Pittsburgh/Johnstown, PAAge and Occupation: 23, Public Health Graduate StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 23, EngineerEngagement Date: April 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: OMOS Church ceremony/Sunnehanna Country Club receptionAbout Me: I’m one of the lucky ones---I met my future husband at the ripe old age of 13, started dating him as a mature woman of 15, and have been enjoying the ride ever since. Here we are, 8 years later, living in Pittsburgh, planning a "homestination" wedding in the place our school romance began---Johnstown, PA. I thrive on talking a mile a minute, eating my weight in chocolate, and internet shopping. I love a lengthy to-do list almost as much as I love a healthy amount of chaos in my life. Mr. Snow Cone and I watch countless episodes of Friends and The West Wing on repeat, root for rival college sports teams, and make each other laugh each and every day. We’re putting together a small-town wedding with a big personality and a classically modern (or modernly classic?) look for 250 of our closest family and friends. It’s been 8+ years in the making, and sometimes I still can’t believe I’m finally getting to marry my high school sweetheart!
Now that the wedding is getting absurdly close, I’ve been doing my best to nail down my DIY makeup based on my professional consultation. I feel like I’m getting the hang of the application basics, but this recent stretch of scorching days has left me feeling a little less-than-confident about my makeup’s staying power. There’s probably a decent chance that our August wedding day will come with high temperatures and even higher humidity, so suffice it to say that I’m very eager to fight off the melting makeup mayhem.
Fortunately, I think I may have found my miracle in a bottle. Or, more specifically, my model in a bottle.
A few months back, I was asking a family friend who had recently gotten married if she had any general wedding day tips. Among others, she specifically stressed buying this “model in a bottle” stuff that is intended to lock your makeup look in place for the entirety of the day.
Mrs. Candy Apple, Princeton Junction, NJ/ Seattle, WAAge and Occupation: 26, Project EditorFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, AttorneyEngagement Date: May 9, 2010Wedding Date: August 2011Venue: St. Joseph's Parish, Seattle Tennis ClubAbout Me: I am a Pacific Northwesterner, born and bred. I have lived in many cities---Santa Clara, Durham (England); Florence; Boston; Princeton Junction---but my heart will always be nestled up near the Cascades and Olympics, which is why we are holding our wedding there. I am a bookworm and a History nerd: I love that my life consists of books, books, and more books, since I work in Publishing! Recently, all waking time not consumed by work and my daily commute has been overtaken by wedding planning. Well, that, and watching Premier-League soccer. There is nothing I love more than a good Tana French mystery, traveling to new places, Anthropologie shopping sprees, Iittala dishware, Kate Spade shoes, impeccable typefaces (think: Archer), and a nice English ale (hellooo, Old Speckled Hen!). Oh, and did I mention my obsession with wedding blogs? Yeah, there’s that too. Join Mr. Candy Apple and me as we prep for our wedding, and, more importantly, our marriage!
A few weekends ago, we trekked out to California for my sister’s college graduation. Why is this relevant to weddings? Well, luckily enough, Mr. CA’s Auntie also lives in the same town, so we were able to get together with her. Bonus? She is also my wedding hair and makeup artiste extraordinaire!
So, of course, we simply had to do a trial while I was down there, right? I mean, come on, who doesn’t love getting themselves done up all nice and pretty like? No one.
Armed with my hair-spiration, we set off. Unfortunately, due to terrible weather across the country, flights were delayed out of Newark, and we missed our connection in Phoenix. Which meant we landed in Phoenix around 1am. Meaning we had to sleep in the Phoenix airport to catch our super-early-morning flight. I was not pleased. Airport-sleeping does not make for a beautiful, fresh-faced Miss Candy A. Yep, I looked pretty haggard. Poor Auntie, she wasn’t going to have much to work with.
Once we landed, we met up with Auntie and Uncle CA for lunch, then the appointment. I dragged my mom along and pressed her into service as our photographer for the day. Mr. CA and Uncle CA also ended up joining us, so it was just a big ol’ Candy Apple party!
Get ready - lots of pics coming your way!
Me, fresh off the Phoenix airport floor with less than an hour’s sleep. Dehydrated. Tired. Sexy. Wait, which of those doesn’t belong?
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
This last weekend I had my hair and makeup trial, and even though I spent some time researching what I wanted, I was very nervous that my picks wouldn’t translate well with my hair and my coloring.
I stupidly didn’t get a before picture (you’re welcome), so you’ll just have to use your imaginations. I will say I looked like a hot mess (literally) because Papa Pony and I decided to go to garage sales in the several hours leading up to my late morning appointment. And the steam bath that was the heat wave last week was in full force, so yeah, I was looking good.
Despite putting my best face forward (ha), my makeup artist and hair stylist were able to come up with the following based on my inspirationpictures.
First up, the makeup (sorry for the crappy pictures, finding good lighting was hard and it was hot): Read more…
Miss Sweet Cream, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Public Relations Account ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Outside SalesEngagement Date: July 4, 2010Wedding Date: October 2011Venue: Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church / Rosebank WineryAbout Me: Born in the ‘burbs of Philly, it took some time living in the Big Apple to realize that I’m a girl who likes her roots. That’s why the mister and I bought a 1950s house on a charming street not too far from our childhood stompin’ grounds. This could also be the reason why our hometown is the scene where we are planning our super sweet, totally charming, BBQ-for-supper wedding that I never knew I always wanted. I DIE over DIY projects and live for vintage, heartfelt inspiration. I obsess over all things mid-century (from forks to furniture). Love is… cartoons and flea markets, and I am known to whip up a mean banana cream pie. I met the Mr. in grade school and after that boy took me for a spin on the handle bars of his BMX, I knew that things would never be the same again. Besides lovin’ my Mr., I also love to plan, sew and create, and that’s just what I’m doing as I navigate through the details, creating a laid-back day that oozes charm; one that will go down in (at least our) history as the Best. Day. Of all time.
I’m sure that in days before bridal blogs like Weddingbee, brides had their ways about finding a perfect photographer or place to get their dress. They probably heard through the grapevine about a wonderful photographer or a fabulous baker. Either way I’m a chick who loves hearing about people’s experiences and advice whether to pull the trigger on a purchase or not.
I love seeing how many stars a movie gets before deciding if I should really spend all that dough to see it. Mr. Sweets completely embarrassed me (by accident) when he told the guy at Best Buy that I am totally set on buying a printer based on the stars. And restaurant reviews? Enough said.
But sometimes the reviews surprise me! After waiting to see a flick when it gets to DVD, sometimes I wish I would’ve seen it on the big screen. And there have been plenty of times that I just had to try Restaurant X because of rave reviews, only to be left disappointed and confused about what all the fuss was about.
That’s why I highly recommend a test drive. Even if it is a little pricey. Enter my makeup trial. Read more…
Mrs. Pony, Bloomington, ILAge and Occupation: 25, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, AttorneyEngagement Date: March 22, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Mackinaw Valley Vineyard; Bloomington Center for the Performing ArtsAbout Me: I found my Southern counterpart in law school and since he popped the question last March, we have been busy graduating, job searching, bar taking, and wedding planning. My loves include must see TV, magnets, quotes, anything green, my car, fun socks, the Cubs, and my Mr. Together we love wine, playing outside, and exploring the world together. Stay tuned to see our Midwest wedding full of Southern charm, vintage flair, lots of DIY details, and a whole lot o’ wine.
This is my basic makeup look on a daily basis (yes, the crazy hair accompanies this look as do the tired eyes):
Powder, blush, eye shadow, and mascara.
I pretty much know how I want to look on our wedding day: I want flawless skin, the perfect amount of glow on my cheeks, and eyes that pop (in a good way, not a creepy, Lady Gaga-esque way). Basically, an amped of version of my everyday wear.
I know what I want, this will be so easy, right? Psh, what am I kidding, this wedding crap is never that easy. Read more…
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
I may have mentioned that I’ve never been much of a makeup girl. There are two types, in my mind: Ones that can apply makeup, and ones that cannot. And since I cannot, and don’t want to *look* like a girl who cannot, I tread very lightly on the face-paint side of things. It’s a lot for me to cover my ENTIRE face in Bare Escentuals makeup instead of just dotting it on my red marks, and to wear SHEER LIPSTICK and BLUSH, people. Blush. That’s a super big, like, “I have a job interview” kind of a day. We recently went to a black-tie wedding and I wore red lipstick, and Mr. Ladyfingers was a little surprised—he had a hard time looking for a few minutes. So bright!
So. Me and makeup = not really buddies. Sadly, I do have to wear it for the wedding, or else things won’t be pretty. Literally. I started gathering as much inspiration as possible, trying to stay within my coloring—which is a little difficult, since I have fair skin with some pink and some yellow undertones. First, one of my very favorite looks for myself.
Mrs. Bacon, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 26, Digital Advertising ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, IT Client ServicesEngagement Date: June 17, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Ravenswood Billboard FactoryAbout Me: I'm a Midwestern girl that can't seem to commit to staying in one place for too long and is constantly daydreaming about my next adventure. I am an aspiring foodie with a weak spot for the unusual and I love semi-reality food television. My other loves easily include laughing as a form of exercise, a book that I can't put down, summer baseball games, espresso with whipped cream, couch potato days and nights with the ridiculous Mr. Bacon, and our two kitties, Lincoln and Sawyer. We're planning a faux-destination wedding for 150 of our closest friends and family in the city we've both adopted as home that has a modern, yet whimsical twist and as many personal touches as we can manage.
I could never pull off a giant yellow ballgown, but I do love myself a guy with some unruly facial hair. The Baconator decided to give himself a mustache last week; I’m charmed, clearly. That is neither here nor there.
When I chronicled through the quest to find all of our wedding vendors, I left out the very special vendor that would make sure that I looked beautiful for the whole wedding day. That’s pretty much because I was torn and not quite sure what direction I wanted to go in. Read more…
Mrs. Macarons, TampaAge and Occupation: 26, Graphic DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Renaissance ManEngagement Date: September 12, 2009Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Lange FarmAbout Me: I'm creative at heart and a graphic designer with an unhealthy obsession with type. I love roller coasters, spicy foods, and a good glass of Crianza. We’re planning a soft and lovely vintage-meets-modern wedding in a state that’s known for its beaches, glitz and glam. I have a ton of DIY projects and lots of little details I’m dying to share and can't wait to celebrate with our closest friends and family.
Ms. Gazelle, Calgary/VancouverAge and Occupation: 32, EngineerFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, Technology AnalystEngagement Date: September 3, 2010Wedding Date: July 2011Venue: Brock House Restaurant, VancouverAbout Me: I am a marathon runner, cyclist, Ironman triathlete and beautiful shoe fiend who also loves kicking back and watching Glee. I grew up a bit of a nomad as I traveled around the world with my family, living everywhere from Australia to England to South America and Indonesia. I finally settled in Calgary a few years ago and met Mr. Gazelle who loves me even though we cheer for different hockey teams. We are planning a bit of a destination wedding in beautiful Vancouver, British Columbia and we can’t wait to share the day with our close family and friends.
Now that Mr. Gazelle and I are in Vancouver for the wedding it is time to take care of a few last details. I finally got to have my make up trial! I booked my make up artist, ML Makeup Artistry, on the advice on my photographer, and boy, did she make a great recommendation!
First up I had to scour the internet for a little inspiration for my makeup trial. I turned to Reese Witherspoon because she always looks effortlessly gorgeous and not overly made up.
I don’t tend to wear a lot of makeup on a regular basis. Meghan worked to make my make up beautiful but I still felt like me. Want to see how it turned out? Read more…
Mrs. Ladyfingers, Saint Petersburg, FLAge and Occupation: 30, Marketing ManagerFiance's Age and Occupation: 33, Sports WriterEngagement Date: December 24, 2010Wedding Date: November 2011Venue: Palma Sola Botanical ParkAbout Me: I hail from Oklahoma, he was born and raised in Long Island. Fate brought us together, and now we live in a cute little rental house with our nutty dog, and our aloof cat. We both love to read, watch movies, explore our town, and laugh like hyenas. When I’m not obsessively wedding crafting, I enjoy stalking style and decorating blogs, making collages and painting, napping, thrifting, rearranging our bookshelves, and being a total weirdo with my friends. Hi!
Ever since we started planning The Wedding, I’ve found myself concerned with things I never imagined I’d be concerned with. For instance: makeup. Up until like two years ago, seriously, I was all about department-store makeup. Only problem was, I had problem skin. So I finally made the move over to Bare Escentuals and, lord, let me tell you what a difference that made. Recently, though, I’ve found myself heading to Sephora on like a weekly basis, trolling the aisles and picking up all sorts of illuminating primers and lip stains and mascaras—mascaras! I never wear mascara! And you want to know the craziest part? I’m having my makeup done. By a professional. I don’t even need this stuff! But for some reason, it makes me feel like a bride. And this is why I hate commercialism. Well, love/hate.
Then there are the things I feel I need to line up in the months ahead. We are at just over four months and counting and, all of a sudden, I’m finding myself obsessed—I tell you, obsessed—over my appearance. This is not a very comfortable situation for me, as I typically think of myself as very un-vain.
The body
In January, I started working out. Like, for the first time ever. I started with Jillian Michaels’s 30 Day Shred and then moved to Banish Fat, Boost Metabolism. I swear, I started seeing results right away! I had been eating terribly—fast food three-plus times per week and sweets and salty stuff every day, all day. And I was totally sedentary. In February, I started doing P90X, and not only have I lost some weight in the past five months, but my arms are more toned and I feel better. But still, I’m a huge slacker, and I haven’t mastered the art of actually working out six days a week. Plus, I could still eat better. Boo. Read more…
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
I still can’t believe it, but that was the first thing I said after seeing the results of my makeup trial. Why so shocked? Well, much like my feelings going into my hair trial, I woke up on Saturday feeling apprehensive and (honestly) not expecting too much. Ever since a particularly bad experience before a sorority formal, I’d been dreading having someone else do my makeup again (“dramatic” does NOT mean the same thing as “scary raccoon eyes”). I just figured no one else really understood this face of mine, and I would be doomed to make myself up (poorly) for our big day.
Mrs. High Wire, DallasAge and Occupation: 23, Legal AssistantFiance's Age and Occupation: 25, Director of CommunicationsEngagement Date: October 9, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Clark GardensAbout Me: My loves include yoga, anything spicy, our eccentric cat, our rambunctious dog, and Mr. High Wire, of course! Like the steadiness act of the tightrope walker, this gal is busy balancing life while planning a wedding to the man of her dreams. We’re hosting a laid-back, vintage-inspired, bird themed wedding with heavy doses of love, good eats (did someone say tacos and margaritas?), and endless Texas charm. Mr. High Wire and I are so happy to have you along for the walk across the tight rope.
When we left off, I had given some tips about preparing for your engagement-photo session. Then I promised that I’d explain how I managed to get my makeup to look like this:
Side note: Look at Mr. High Wire’s cute kissy face! I die. Read more…
Mrs. Sparkler, ChicagoAge and Occupation: 27, Communications AficionadoFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, PublisherEngagement Date: July 21, 2010Wedding Date: September 2011Venue: Chicago Illuminating CompanyAbout Me: I’m a Southern lady living in the big city of Chicago. Well, lady may be a stretch, but I’m working hard to keep some Virginia charm in our sleek, urban, wedding-palooza! I’m addicted to marathons, not-so-famous bands, Chicago restaurants, and Mark Twain. I cry during SPCA commercials, and I think LOST was the best show to ever hit television. Mr. S and I met at a classy college mixer and, 7 years later, he’s still by my side. He’s the only child, laid back, free spirit... I’m the oldest of five kids, type-A, organizer. It doesn’t work on paper, but we’ve never paid attention to that stuff anyway. Somehow it works. And like they say, sometimes when you know…you just know.
I think the reason I’m so excited, is because I have never, EVER been good at makeup. I remember being so scared of mascara in middle school, that I would only wear the clear version while my friends experimented with bright yellow eye shadow and hot pink lips. The craziest I ever got was when I bought my own bronzer (and wore it only on top of my natural tan). Look out, boys.
Thankfully, as the years passed, I became a teeny bit more makeup savvy… but not much. The first time I ever felt 100% confident with my look, was just one year ago. I borrowed a friend’s eye shadow, and it happened to be the perfect shade for my coloring. As you may have guessed, I’ve been using it every day since then. Not exactly adventurous.
So for my wedding day makeup look, I don’t really want to look like I do every day. I know that goes against what many brides are looking for, but I want to look fabulous, you guys. I don’t want to look like “Miss Sparkler Goes to Work,” I want to look like “Miss Sparkler Gets Married and Freakin’ OWNS IT.”
Now, while I’m certainly not going for a RuPaul version of fabulous, I do have some ideas on how to jazz up my everyday look.
