Mrs. Eggs Benedict, SeattleAge and Occupation: 29, AttorneyFiance's Age and Occupation: 35, AttorneyEngagement Date: December 5, 2009Wedding Date: February 2011Venue: IslandWoodAbout Me: I'm a Northwest girl who spends my time goofing around with Mr. Eggs Benedict and our dog, hiking, traveling, drinking wine and planning a wedding that will showcase the best of what the Pacific Northwest has to offer. I also love photography, beating Mr. Eggs Bene at Mario Kart, and watching the most ridiculous natural disaster flicks you can think of (seriously, how can you deny the awesomeness that is The Core or 2012?? That's right, you can't). We are planning our weekend wedding adventure at an environmental educational center, and I can't wait for the fun to begin!
I’m a pretty basic makeup user. As in, I don’t think I’m a total idiot and I usually wear some makeup when I go out, but I generally don’t wear very much, which Mr. EB loves. He still thinks I’m pretty when I put more makeup on, but he never fails to comment on it. In fact, I’m pretty sure that one of the first times I added more eyeshadow than usual, he said I looked weird. He meant it in a very loving way but, as he put it, he’s not used to seeing me that way, and it was odd for him. This has me slightly concerned about my makeup for the wedding because I really don’t want a heavy look. I’ve had my makeup done professionally several times, and generally I haven’t liked it. (Except for my engagement photos—I loved the way I looked, but it still felt a little heavy for me.) Mainly I don’t want Mr. EB giving me a weird look when he sees me for the first time, which I’m afraid might happen if I get my makeup done by someone else. So I’m thinking about doing it myself…
Now, the first thing I’ve learned over the years is that before using any makeup, you need to find a good cleansing routine. I have not always been consistent with my routine, and I can definitely see a difference with my face when I don’t do a good job taking care of it.
For the past several years I’ve been using the Clinique* 3 Step system.
Mrs. Elephant, Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 27, Financial Operations AnalystFiance's Age and Occupation: 27, IT Student/Store ManagerEngagement Date: March 29, 2009Wedding Date: April 2011Venue: The Tribute Golf ClubAbout Me: I'm a Philly native creating roots deep in the heart of Texas. I might be a little obsessed capturing those Kodak moments of anything and everything (mainly on vacations). I've become more of a gamer thanks to Mr. Elephant, who I met online and can't wait to spend the rest of my life with. We are planning a wedding based on our favorite colors, blue and green, with a travel theme for 150 of our closest friends and family. Hopefully our long (2-year) engagement won't kill me!
Or, it could be almost exactly what I envisioned! It’s makeup and hair trial time!
You may remember that I have actually had my makeup done once or twice (or three or four times, but who’s counting). You see, what had happen was…for the first set of engagement pictures we used the Clinique makeup counter, which was OK, but I knew that I really wanted airbrush for the wedding. The second set of engagement pictures required a last minute airbrush appointment with an artist who was lovely, but a little bit out of our budget. The 3rd trial was pretty bad, so the search continued.
As luck would have it, MOH Navy gifted hair and makeup to each of her bridesmaids for her wedding so I was able to get another trial for free. I loved my hair and makeup at her wedding, but sadly the company owner was already booked for our wedding date.
Me, MOH Navy, BM Cali and friend E
The good news was that Kelly (the owner) has a team of artists that are available for April, so we scheduled a hair and makeup trial with Vetty.
Mrs. Zebra, Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 24 Marketing/Costume DesignerFiance's Age and Occupation: 26 Management/Firefighter Engagement Date: December 12, 2008Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: The Providence BiltmoreAbout Me: I'm a small town New England girl with an affinity for procrastination, crossing the proverbial line, and putting her foot in her mouth. I'm a lover of history, all seasons, sewing and Incubus. I design costumes on the side for my old high school's theatre department, which is where I met my sexy man. Our motto for our Big Fat Lebanese/Portuguese/Irish near-300 person wedding is "the more the merrier"! We are marrying in a Catholic ceremony and are hammering out the details of our Victorian-inspired reception.
I have always had a strong passion for hair and makeup. Whenever I went to a bridal salon and every time I visit Adeline (my wedding dress) I do my hair and makeup in a sort of pre-trial trial. So, without getting too wordy on you here are two of my main contenders…
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
Ms. Sloth, PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 35, Account Manager and Fashion BloggerFiance's Age and Occupation: 30, Design AdminEngagement Date: December 25, 2009Wedding Date: May 2011Venue: Bartram's GardenAbout Me: I'm an internet junkie and music snob with a good eye for a bargain. I couldn't live without thrift store shopping, cheeseburgers, sushi, Coke Zero, websites devoted to silly photos of baby animals, Photoshop, and Mr. Sloth. Speaking of which, he and I are a pair of goofball homebody nerds who love our beagle (the most ridiculously adorable dog EVER) to an embarrassing degree. We're planning a low-key and intimate yet festive and quirky outdoor wedding with DIY details and deeply personal touches, and it's all taking place in the city where we fell in love and call home: Philadelphia.
Now that you’ve seen our amazeballs engagement photos, let’s talk about my face. I used the photo shoot as an opportunity for a makeup trial. There’s a very affordable salon right down the street from me, so I decided to splurge on airbrush makeup.
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
I know it’s a tad strange that I’m going backwards right now. You’ve already seen my finished and completed wedding day look (see above). So why the heck would I go backwards to show you my hair trial? Well, most of the photos I’ve seen from our wedding day doesn’t do my hair justice at all. J’adore my hair stylist, Kacee Geoffroy, but you can’t see her work. Even though my trial was a mere couple days from our wedding day, I took copious amounts of pictures to make sure I liked how it looked on all sides.
Mrs. Hippo, New York City/Dallas, TXAge and Occupation: 34, Event Planner for a Non-Profit Fiance's Age and Occupation: 35, Finance ITEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: March 2011Venue: Samuel Lynne Galleries and Marc EventsAbout Me: I’m a thirty-something bride living in New York City and planning a modern-ish wedding in Dallas, Texas. I love trashy reality television (Jersey Shore, anyone?), online shopping, Sunday brunch, Central Park, and random celebrity spottings on the streets of Manhattan. While I love NYC, I miss good Tex-Mex, my college friends, central A/C, and being in close proximity to a Target. I’m thrilled to finally be planning an event that’s not work-related and to be marrying my best friend in what I hope will be a unique and personal ceremony followed by a reception with plenty of good food, good drinks, and dancing (regardless if it’s good or not).
I mentioned here that I am planning to do my own makeup for the wedding. With my engagement session coming up next month, I thought I should go ahead and get my makeup trial/lesson/consultation taken care of so that I can be fully prepared to doll myself up when the time comes. I scheduled an appointment at the MAC store near me and showed up there last weekend, fresh-faced and ready to be transformed.
BEFORE: Hippo sans makeup
I showed the MAC makeup artist, Danny, my two inspiration photos and explained what I liked about them and what I was hoping to achieve. Read more…
Mrs. Plaid, AustinAge and Occupation: 26, Pastry ChefFiance's Age and Occupation: 34, Cabinetry CarpenterEngagement Date: August 8, 2009Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: Kindred Oaks, GeorgetownAbout Me: I am a Jersey girl born and raised but have since migrated to Texas and embraced its twang and Tex-Mex. I could probably eat chips and queso every day but instead I eat popcorn. I use the word “awesome” way too much but I just can’t seem to stop myself. I am addicted to all things DIY and am planning what I call a Texas-Chic wedding. I love snuggling with my two adorable dogs and of course, my adorable fiance. I can’t wait 'til I can call him my husband some day! October 2010, here we come!
As y’all know, I had a really hard time deciding what to do with my hair. Read more…
Mrs. Hot Wings, Chicago/San DiegoAge and Occupation: 28, ProfessorFiance's Age and Occupation: 32, InstructorEngagement Date: December 20, 2008Wedding Date: August 2010Venue: Ocean View Villas/Jasmine Seafood RestaurantAbout Me: I am a psychology grad student living in Chicago and planning my wedding to a fellow psych grad student. I am a Sunny So-Cal bred gal who trudged across the country to follow her love of psychology and ended up finding a partner in the process. I am overly passionate about anything I involve myself with. I am an activist, a foodie, a reality TV watching junkie, an over-analyzer, a photography obsesser, and am utterly cheesy to the core. This is a story of what happens when a boy and a girl meet, fall in love over academic dorkiness, and a shared love for life. We (mostly I) are planning our semi-destination wedding in my hometown of San Diego. We are excited to bring our families and friends together from across our lifespans to celebrate our future in a grand 400+ person culturally blended affair!
Mama Hot Wings insisted I try to keep my makeup a secret until the day of as well, so go away Mister. Read more…
Mrs. Locket, Ithaca, NYAge and Occupation: 25, Research TechnicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, former Banker hoping to become an Officer of the LawEngagement Date: June 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heron Hill WineryAbout Me: I am a little bit of everything all rolled into one: A girly gal with rough edges---I love to get dolled up just as much as I enjoy throwing on some sneaks to toss a ball with Mr. Locket. My love for crafting and creating is quite apparent and I've been referred to as a Wonder Woman/Martha Stewart/Stepford Wife hybrid (yup, I'll take that as a compliment). I adore sewing, photography, sculpture, good eats (mmm tapas), baking, snugging and oh, pretty much everything in between (there's not much I dislike). I am super excited to be planning our vineyard wedding and couldn't be happier to be marrying Mr. Locket. We are a quirky, fun-loving couple residing in our college town with our two pups Maple and Molly. We love to go on hikes, visit our local dog park and to bask in the beauty of many of the local falls and gorges. We are an indecisive pair, but together we somehow manage to make up our minds (it's the easy stuff that's tricky).
This past weekend I had my first hair trial with stylist Zhallena, and it was awesome! I found her via a Craigslist post I had set up searching for an affordable stylist in the area. (With budget cuts looming, I didn’t want to spend tons of money for a one day ‘do.)
Mrs. Thimble, NYC/PhiladelphiaAge and Occupation: 26, Actress & Costume Designer (+ day job)Fiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Lawyer & Techie WizEngagement Date: August 22, 2008Wedding Date: October 2010Venue: The Pearl S. Buck HouseAbout Me: I’m an easily inspired over-thinker delighted with the process of designing, building, directing and {dare I say} co-starring in the early-autumn affair I’ve been dreaming up. I’m a sucker for trendied-up comfort foods and old family anecdotes; I have an affinity for adjectives, alliteration, eyelet and earl grey; and I live for quality time with family and friends. I never guessed I’d marry my “high school sweetheart", but when it turned out to be my funny, techie, loyal Mr. Thimble I was committed for life. We’re both mid-career transition and ready to move back to small-townish TBD, PA in a pre-wedding flurry of all-good life changes.
Quick-N-Clean, really. I skipped that “day old hair is best for up-dos” step. My hair is on the oily side, so if I can wash it on the morning of my wedding I will be sooooo much happier by the end of the night.
On to the good stuff: I’m not going to share my hair-spiration with you because I found ALL of it right here on Weddingbee. I will however, refer you to an awesome thread saved in my favorites from the boards. Other brides did all the hard work and shared their inspiration pics and their own wedding ’dos so the rest of us could steal their ideas.
Inspire and be inspired, ladies!
Mr. Thimble’s aunt is a hairstylist, and lucky for me, she has agreed to coif my bridal ’do. Her specialty is cut and color rather than up-dos, so we’re working in a few trials before the big day. I have full faith in her, and I think we’re on to something already:
Mrs. Locket, Ithaca, NYAge and Occupation: 25, Research TechnicianFiance's Age and Occupation: 28, former Banker hoping to become an Officer of the LawEngagement Date: June 15, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heron Hill WineryAbout Me: I am a little bit of everything all rolled into one: A girly gal with rough edges---I love to get dolled up just as much as I enjoy throwing on some sneaks to toss a ball with Mr. Locket. My love for crafting and creating is quite apparent and I've been referred to as a Wonder Woman/Martha Stewart/Stepford Wife hybrid (yup, I'll take that as a compliment). I adore sewing, photography, sculpture, good eats (mmm tapas), baking, snugging and oh, pretty much everything in between (there's not much I dislike). I am super excited to be planning our vineyard wedding and couldn't be happier to be marrying Mr. Locket. We are a quirky, fun-loving couple residing in our college town with our two pups Maple and Molly. We love to go on hikes, visit our local dog park and to bask in the beauty of many of the local falls and gorges. We are an indecisive pair, but together we somehow manage to make up our minds (it's the easy stuff that's tricky).
OKAY, okay, you got me…I am not really vain, but I do love to play with makeup and check myself out in the mirror afterward (alright maybe just a teensy bit vain).
***Warning: this post contains narcissistic behavior. Viewer discretion is advised!
A couple months ago I decided to play with my wedding-day face and experiment with the look I want for my big day. Ideally, I would like a soft, romantic look with a little bit of vava voom in the eyes.
Something similar to these two looks (found here):
Mrs. Octopus, Boston, MA/Pittsburgh, PAAge and Occupation: 25, Grad StudentFiance's Age and Occupation: 26, Graphics Operator for TV NewsEngagement Date: May 6th, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: Heinz Chapel Ceremony, Museum Reception
About Me: When my best friend dragged me to a toga party in our freshmen year of college, I was not expecting to meet my future husband; but seven years later, here we are. I'm a crazy-organized planner at heart, and I am a great lover of random trivia, books, chocolate, blogs, new and exciting adventures, mockumentary-style television, and anything heavily flavored with bright orange fake cheese powder. We're planning a festive and fun mini-destination wedding in the place where we met: fabulous Pittsburgh, PA! I can't wait to marry the man I love!
Remember my first, disastrous hair trial? Where the stylist informed me that there was nothing she could do with my “too short” hair, put it in a ponytail, and charged me $35 for twenty minutes in the pleasure of her company?
The ONE good thing that came out of that experience was getting lots and lots and lots of recommendations from Pittsburgh hive members for more talented (and more ethical–yes I’m still bitter) stylists. Read more…
Mrs. Cardigan, AustinAge and Occupation: 21, Student/Soon-to-be Special Education TeacherFiance's Age and Occupation: 20, Student/Soon-to-be Accounting Systems AnalystEngagement Date: August 16, 2009Wedding Date: January 2011Venue: Vintage VillasAbout Me: I'm a native Austinite who was raised as a die-hard Aggie. Luckily, I'm a pretty persuasive girl because I managed to convince my high school boyfriend (now fiance!), Mr. Cardigan, to ditch his hardcore Longhorn ways and join me up at A&M, where we currently reside with our adorable dogs, Cullen & Ranger. We're currently planning a bright, cheery wedding with a ridiculous amount of DIY projects that I can't wait to tackle! I love crafting in any form, reading, and margaritas (I think I love them the most!). Organization is what keeps me sane and I love helping others, which is probably why I ended up as an education major. It gets a little chaotic sometimes when you're planning a wedding among all of the papers, projects, finals, and certification exams, but we're having the time of our lives and we can't wait to get started on our journey as husband and wife - and we're so excited to share our wedding with the hive!
I’m so proud of myself. I finally made a decision about my hair! If you’ll remember, I was having a hard time deciding what to do with my hair for the wedding. But y’all are pretty amazing and really helped me out on making my decision. After reading through all the comments, it was pretty obvious that the favorite was the gorgeous Serena Van Der Woodsen style from Gossip Girl!
I was really excited when I finally chose to use this hairstyle, partially because I love it, and partially because it officially resolves my “hair flower vs. headband” debate!
Mrs. Seashell, Chicago, IL / Providence, RIAge and Occupation: 28, Marriage and Family TherapistFiance's Age and Occupation: 31, Electrical EngineerEngagement Date: September 3, 2009Wedding Date: September 2010Venue: The Glen Manor HouseAbout Me: Fonts and fashion, stationery and Sundays, photography and french toast... the beauty is in the details for this fun-loving Chicagoan who loves to plan plan plan! The soon-to-be hubs plays "Mr. Fix-It" in our new condo while I swoon over beautiful, personalized stationery and choose shades of aubergine for my bridesmaids' dresses... and thus begins my new fairy tale! Skirting to the East Coast for our September nuptials where my home state of Rhode Island awaits with fall foliage, I'm just a few dress fittings and bachelorette party away from saying "I Do" to a very happy ending!
The more time that passed the more ambivalent I felt about my hair and makeup trial. Being so far from Providence, I was starting to feel anxious because I couldn’t simply schedule an additional appointment with my stylist (without hopping on a plane). What to do?
Even in the midst of getting ready to move she was willing to unpack her rollers and fire ’em up for a hair trial.
Nothing like being in the hands of a recent-bride-experienced-stylist to calm a bride’s nerves. Oh, and I brought her some nachos (and wine). It seemed appropriate. Read more…
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