Wedding Hair- the WOW Factor

[Nightshade]

So in my journal today (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/blog.php?b=20048) I was discussing my upcoming wedding hair test run. Beldaran is being gracious enough to cart me around for the weekend and next Saturday will go:
Get up, eat brunch
Go and pick up my wedding dress, put the dress in the car
Go to the salon, have my hair done
Go to the seamstress who will do the first fitting for my dressThis way I get to see the whole dress/shoes/jewelry/hair combo a bit ahead of time to see if anything needs adjustment.

Now, having not had a full blown updo since Beldaran's wedding, which was more a loose French braid than anything, I had some questions, namely, if my hair needed to be clean or "dirty" (dirty being a day or two since the last wash).

She said "dirty" and then I asked if I should wear it up or down to the salon. To which she replied:


And honestly if it were me I'd wear my hair down, as the first thing you'll do when you get there is take it down anyway. But knowing you, you want it to be in some fancy updo so you can take it down and try to shock the stylists once its down. So wear whatever toy can survive in your purse once we get there. (I know my clips do better on the strap of my purse than a delicate stick would obviously):lol: Okay, so I can't deny I'm looking forward to the take my hair down thing, but is that so BAD??? :p

I was also planning to wear it up earlier in the day to keep it from tangling, which may mean less pulling later.

I'm not sure if any bun curls will be problomatic, though I'd think not.

So, weigh in, ladies and gents. Go to the salon with hair up, or hair down? :eyebrows:

[lora410]

ETA: I thought you meant to the wedding. Definetly wear it up to the stylist visit ;)

[HalcyonDays]

Up - it'd be so worth it to see the stylists face when you take it down and he/she discovers how much gorgeous hair you have.

That is, as long as the bun waves won't mess up the style - but that's what dress rehearsals are for:D

[Euphony]

Oh the shock factor is way too fun! It's marvelous to see their eyes get bigger as your hair gets 'longer' from falling out of the updo.

But I totally agree, comb, put up, no tangles for later.

[redtea]

Definitely up :)

[Shiin]

Up! Up! Up! :D

[Manako]

Personally I would wear my hair however I had styled it that day, I don't see a point in styling your hair to go see the hairstylist.

If its easier to go about the early part of you day with it up, do that, making sure that whatever hair toys you use aren't going to get damaged when stored after being removed.

So I vote up :D

[rhysiana]

I vote for up in something easy/loose, to allow for the shock value (and hair protection).

Also, I beg to see pictures! I'm doing my wedding hair test run this weekend, and I'd love to see what other people are doing. All the marrying people around me in RL have short hair.

[LeaM07]

I vote up. Since you'll most likely be running around taking care of this and that on the day of the wedding, you'll want it up and out of the way of the dress zipper, the nail polish, the car door, and everything else that's just waiting to cause trouble. Let your hair prep be as close as possible to what it's likely to be on the big day.

If bun curls, the amount of dirty-ness, the amount of dampness, or any of that is going to factor in to the hairdresser's ability to create the style, it's best for that to be discovered in the practice run. :)

And yeah, the wow factor will be a nice bonus. ;)

[Nightshade]

So the ups are winning :D I can't say I'm terribly surprised :p

And I promise to post pictures in my journal of "before" and "after" hair.

This is just the trial, not the real deal. That comes in October, which is not that far away :scared:

ETA: And if I do the "wear it up and take it down thing" and they don't so much as blink, that may be mightily depressing. ;)

[RoseRedDead]

Wear it up! Not only will you shock the hair dresser but it likely means less detangling you/she/he will have to do before they start.

[JessTheMess]

Up Up and Awaaaaaaayyyyy :)

[Tangles]

Aww, congratulations Nightshade! :)

[MountainGypsy]

A late contribution but I also vote for up!

[dorothea-brooke]

ETA: And if I do the "wear it up and take it down thing" and they don't so much as blink, that may be mightily depressing. ;)

I can hardly imagine that happening!!! :D

Definitely up. The WOW factor is irresistible. :cool:

[MeMyselfandI]

So the ups are winning :D I can't say I'm terribly surprised :p

And I promise to post pictures in my journal of "before" and "after" hair.

This is just the trial, not the real deal. That comes in October, which is not that far away :scared:

ETA: And if I do the "wear it up and take it down thing" and they don't so much as blink, that may be mightily depressing. ;)

Congrats on your upcoming wedding this fall.

Have fun shocking the hair dresser.

Whatever you do, I always like to go to the hair dresser with my hair already shampooed.

As for washed fresh or two days worth, I think depends on your hair. Whatever your hair looks clean in and holds the style you want the day of your wedding.

No matter what the style of dress, I think a hair style that is becoming to you and will withstand a day and night of dancing and running around activites is what you should go for.

For my wedding, I wore my hair up, it looked really good, stayed up etc. My husbands complaint (many years later), was he loved my long hair, I always wore it down, then for our wedding I did something totally different. I never thought of it that way before.

[Nightshade]

A late contribution but I also vote for up!

The thread's not even 2 hours old! How can you be late? :lol:

And thank you, Tangles! :flowers:

[Speedbump]

Definitely up. How can you resist? :twisted:

[prosperina]

Up. Shocking the hairdresser would be priceless.

How are you thinking of having it styled for the big day? Or is the hair dresser just going to show you a few different options?

[tuuli]

I vote for up, too. :)
Have fun! Cant't wait to see pictures.

[NurseMama]

Up! I'm not sure where you hail from Nightshade, but here in TX we are having some terribly hot weather. Going out of the house now with what amounts to a blanket hanging down my back is not very high on list of things that I want to do :cool:.

The look on their faces will just be a bonus ;).

[PseudoScot]

Wear it up when you go. And when you take it down, give Beldaran a cookie if she makes that heavenly "aaaauuuhhhhhhh" sort of sound and shines a flashlight on your head as if some sort of divine light shines upon you.

[Aqua Gal]

Up, up, up!! Go for the jaw-dropping effect!! Your hair is gorgeous. If they don't even blink when you take it down, they're faking it!!!

[Patrycja]

Wear it up when you go. And when you take it down, give Beldaran a cookie if she makes that heavenly "aaaauuuhhhhhhh" sort of sound and shines a flashlight on your head as if some sort of divine light shines upon you.

LOL I vote for this suggestion.If the stylist doesn't blink an eye and you get depressed-switch stylists :lol:


kidding.

[Nightshade]

Up. Shocking the hairdresser would be priceless.

How are you thinking of having it styled for the big day? Or is the hair dresser just going to show you a few different options?

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=9868&albumid=892&dl=1208961361&thumb=1 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=892&pictureid=9868) + (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=892&pictureid=9868) http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?pictureid=19581&albumid=1288&dl=1219696694&thumb=1 (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=19581)


The overall style of the first photo, replacing the sausage curls with the waves of the second photo. :) I have pictures of my headpiece and dress in my journal too. The headpiece is a silver ivy headband accented with peridots.



Up! I'm not sure where you hail from Nightshade, but here in TX we are having some terribly hot weather. Going out of the house now with what amounts to a blanket hanging down my back is not very high on list of things that I want to do :cool:.

The look on their faces will just be a bonus ;).

I'm up in the Great White Nort so, no worries about the heat. It won't be over 85F I'm sure.



Wear it up when you go. And when you take it down, give Beldaran a cookie if she makes that heavenly "aaaauuuhhhhhhh" sort of sound and shines a flashlight on your head as if some sort of divine light shines upon you.

:cookie: Bedaran, you still have a mag-lite in your car, right? :eyebrows:

[Beldaran]

Wear it up when you go. And when you take it down, give Beldaran a cookie if she makes that heavenly "aaaauuuhhhhhhh" sort of sound and shines a flashlight on your head as if some sort of divine light shines upon you.

I prefer double chocolate chip. :cookie:

And I think the maglight's batteries are dead, how do you feel about a road flare? :bigtongue:

[Nightshade]

I prefer double chocolate chip. :cookie:

And I think the maglight's batteries are dead, how do you feel about a road flare? :bigtongue:

Oh, even better, we can have you shine the headlights of the car in the salon, and redirect all the mirrors (sort of like in the Mummy movie) so they all cast illuminating beams of light :wannabe:

[taliarose]

Oh up is the only way. From what I've seen here in the NE most stylists don't see anyone with hair that length on any regular basis. You will definately get a reaction! :agree:

[HalcyonDays]

I can't see the first style :(
But the waves of the second style are gorgeous.

[Nightshade]

I can't see the first style :(
But the waves of the second style are gorgeous.

I think the first style may be linked from one of my private journals, which explains the problems :rolleyes: My bad, I'll see if I can find a new link :)

[getoffmyskittle]

Errr, am I the only one who'd wear it down? You know, on the side of practicality and all. Nothing to store, no worries about anything breaking...

[Beldaran]

Errr, am I the only one who'd wear it down? You know, on the side of practicality and all. Nothing to store, no worries about anything breaking...

LOL no you're not. The part where she quoted me I told her I'd wear mine down, but she should use a toy that can survive in her purse if she wears it up.

Great minds think alike and all that. :bow:

[Stevy]

Wow, that style looks gorgeous, and so elegant.

I don't think I'd put my hair up to go to the salon, but then I never go to salons anyway, so what do I know? ;)

[Nightshade]

Okay,..

So up wins, but HOW should I put it up? :confused: I'm thinking of wearing my Etta Mae lotus fork (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=19702)or a Ficcare (either my silver curvy (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=18390)or my new Nightshade one (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=18748)), any of which would be safe in my purse.

With a Ficcare I almost always just do a Gibraltar bun, as that's the most comfortable. The fork I could do, well, just about anything you can do with a fork.

So, suggestions? :eyebrows:

[ReadingRenee]

Are you going for remove a single hair toy and have cascades of it falling down or are you going for I had no idea you had that much hair!? If the former than probably a regular bun but if the latter, than how about a french twist? I love that style because it is the best length hiding style I have found and even I have had people be surprised when I take my hair out of a french twist at how much longer it is than they thought.

Im not a hairdo genius so hopefully others will be along soon to offer opinions.

Oh and that hairfork? major major drool.... wow.

[dorothea-brooke]

Okay,..

So up wins, but HOW should I put it up? :confused: I'm thinking of wearing my Etta Mae lotus fork (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=19702)or a Ficcare (either my silver curvy (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=18390)or my new Nightshade one (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=18748)), any of which would be safe in my purse.

With a Ficcare I almost always just do a Gibraltar bun, as that's the most comfortable. The fork I could do, well, just about anything you can do with a fork.

So, suggestions? :eyebrows:

I vote for the fork. Since we're going for dramatic effect here :eyebrows:, there's nothing like one swift movement (pulling out the fork) for that! With a Ficcare, I at least always have to do a bit of fussing to get it out: open hinge, carefully check that no hairs are caught in the end, etc., etc.

I also vote for some kind of swirly updo, either an Orchid Bun or some kind of knot or wrap. I just like the way they look with forks.

Hope we get pics! :)

[Nightshade]

Alas, I look like a mutant with a French Twist, though if I could pull it off (user error I'm sure), it'd be a great option :lol:

I think more for the cascade effect, but that's hard to get with my hair as when I twist it into a normal bun, it tends to unwind in a twisted tail, but I can just give it a good shake ;)

ETA: And I ADORE that fork. The workmanship is exquisite and Etta Mae specially chose the inlay pattern based on some direction I gave her. It's my favorite fork, even over my black widow ones (http://chatter.thebeautybottle.com/showthread.php?t=1287), which is saying a LOT.

ETAx2: I can do an Orchid Bun, so that's an option :) Knot buns don't fall out as easily on me, though :ponder:


And yes, I wouldn't start this thread and then deny you all pics. There'd be mutiny.

[ReadingRenee]

How about a wrapped bun? With no twisting I have found those to be excellent for cascade factor. :)

[Nightshade]

How about a wrapped bun? With no twisting I have found those to be excellent for cascade factor. :)

There's a few versions of this one... Can you toss me a link to the one you're thinking of? :flower:

[ReadingRenee]

Well, theres one I stole from Rae that she calls the wrap knot bun which works really well for my hair. But my hair is much shorter than yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zii8JtlWj4 ( I know for me that a fork works REALLY well with this one)

And then the other one I can do and know works for me is the Lazy wrap Bun.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=72

But I know there are cooler options for longer hair. I think Karenlynn had a neat one but Im not sure where it is. :)

[Nightshade]

Oh my, the second one does look very sophisticated :)

[dorothea-brooke]

Well, theres one I stole from Rae that she calls the wrap knot bun which works really well for my hair. But my hair is much shorter than yours.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8zii8JtlWj4 ( I know for me that a fork works REALLY well with this one)

And then the other one I can do and know works for me is the Lazy wrap Bun.

http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=72

Mini-hijack here, sorry!

ReadingRenee, I can't tell the difference between these two buns. :confused:

I pretty much do the second one (lazy wrap) every single day, but the first one is also nice. Since you've done both, can you explain the difference? I can't tell from the instructions. :flower:

Okay, sorry -- back to discussing Nightshade's 'do! :)

[/hijack]

[Anje]

I think those are both variations on the orchid wrap, which is what I was about to suggest. (I'm wearing one today, in fact.) Of all the buns I know, I think it's the one that falls out most dramatically when you pull out the stick or fork that's holding it.

Definitely my candidate for the discussed "Pull for sexy" hairstick.

[Islandgrrl]

I vote for the first of those two variations.....the way it falls out when you remove the stick is really very dramatic (of course I can just BARELY make this bun - my hair is too thick yet - but it still looks cool when it falls down). And I also definitely vote up. The wow factor cannot be ignored.

[dorothea-brooke]

Okay, never mind! I see now that the first version the wrap goes down and to the right, and in the second (the one I normally do), it's up and to the left.

I am not spatially dyslexic, I swear...! :silly:

[ReadingRenee]

Dorthea-Brooke its ok! I had to go back and rewatch those videos to figure it out myself! :)

I just watched these two videos and did the two styles again and I also think that the lazy wrap( the second one) has a different wrapping style? Like the hair goes over the thumb and and under the index finger and that loop is where you put the stick or fork? yeah I can't explain things very well at all but due to that variation I find the second one to be a bit more secure for me.

Here is the video link if no one saw that in the article

http://s296.photobucket.com/albums/mm169/savuinen/?action=view&current=j001.flv

Anje, those are variations on the Orchid wrap? I wonder if could do one yet. That would be exciting! :)

[Nightshade]

I just gave this a go and the fallout is amazing (I did the second one). It doesn't look quite right, at least not like the end of the video, but perhaps it's because I had to wrap my hair around my fingers twice to eat up the length, then tuck it.

This, or something similar, may be the winner :)

[dorothea-brooke]

I just gave this a go and the fallout is amazing (I did the second one). It doesn't look quite right, at least not like the end of the video, but perhaps it's because I had to wrap my hair around my fingers twice to eat up the length, then tuck it.

This, or something similar, may be the winner :)

Hurrah!

I think you should give the first one a try as well, Nightshade! :) I just did it, and I love love love the way it looks -- like a flower with the comb nestled in the center like a stamen.

For me, the second one (lazy wrap) sometimes comes out looking very messy if I'm not careful; something about the wrapping style causes the hair to tangle a bit and I often end up with "bird's nest" look unless I'm very vigilant. :twocents:

And thanks for the clarification, ReadingRenee; I think you're exactly right. :)

[ReadingRenee]

I just gave this a go and the fallout is amazing (I did the second one). It doesn't look quite right, at least not like the end of the video, but perhaps it's because I had to wrap my hair around my fingers twice to eat up the length, then tuck it.

This, or something similar, may be the winner :)


Hurrah!

I think you should give the first one a try as well, Nightshade! :) I just did it, and I love love love the way it looks -- like a flower with the comb nestled in the center like a stamen.

For me, the second one (lazy wrap) sometimes comes out looking very messy if I'm not careful; something about the wrapping style causes the hair to tangle a bit and I often end up with "bird's nest" look unless I'm very vigilant. :twocents:

And thanks for the clarification, ReadingRenee; I think you're exactly right. :)


Yay! Im glad my ideas were helpful! Although really the two people that should get the credit are Rae and Savi. Those are my favorite wrapped buns at the moment and Im glad that others can enjoy them too. :)

[JessTheMess]

I vote for the hairfork (which is gorgeous btw) and the lazy wrap bun... Have fun!!:cheese:

[rhysiana]

I'm also going to vote for the fork, but I readily admit that it's because I'm very partial to my own Etta Mae forks and am wearing one today. (I must get a lotus one now! I was just looking at them on Etsy.)

Maybe you need to take a whole camera crew with you for this. Now we all want to see the hair falling down action, the reaction of the hairstylist, the backlit halo effect (surely that's still an option!), and everything! ;)

[Nightshade]

I did the wrap bun (second one) several more times last night, and I think I have it down :D So it looks nice. I leave on the train tonight, so hopefully things go well tomorrow!

[JessTheMess]

Good Luck! I cant wait to see hair pics:cheese:

[Nightshade]

Well, just so no one dies of anticipation, I get my hair done tomorrow afternoon and come home on Sunday. Realistically, give me until Monday to get things up, unless I post them from Beldaran's house on Saturday night ;)

[almudena]

Well, just so no one dies of anticipation, I get my hair done tomorrow afternoon and come home on Sunday. Realistically, give me until Monday to get things up, unless I post them from Beldaran's house on Saturday night ;)

Please,please post them from Beldaran's house :pray:
I can't wait :D

[Blueglass]

I just can't agree with the dirty hair theory, thought my hair is always better freshly washed. I think that's true for everyone. Congradulations on your wedding

[rhysiana]

I just can't agree with the dirty hair theory, thought my hair is always better freshly washed. I think that's true for everyone. Congradulations on your wedding

Actually, the hairdresser I'll be seeing for my own wedding test run stuff over the weekend requests that women show up for wedding hairstyling with it dirty, because updos hold better that way. While I suspect it would be less of an issue with Nightshade's hair, since she actually has wave/curl, I can definitely understand what he means when considering straight hair. When mine is freshly washed, once it's completely dry it won't hold an updo without lots of ponytail/braiding/extra pins support until it's been about a day.

[dorothea-brooke]

Please,please post them from Beldaran's house :pray:
I can't wait :D

Me neither! :drama:

[Lady Godiva]

I'm replying to just your initial post, Nightshade. I wore my hair down for both my wedding and our outdoors, country reception eight months later. You bet your sweet bippy I did. Do what you want, Nightshade, but keep in mind that your wedding day is all about you and your sweetheart, so don't worry about shining to your max. Go for it. :sun:

OK, now for going to the salon: show off, sure! Work on the bun-dropping skill. Yup!

[Nightshade]

Despite the wave I have, the henna makes it annoyingly hard to put up at times, especially when it's fresh. I just hennaed on Tuesday night, so that should make it okay. Since it's a half-up at best with lots of waves, more of my concern is if they can get the waves to stay without reaching for the iron :scared:

I did tell the nice people at the salon that my hair didn't do with with curling irons, and that I'd prefer rollers, so we'll see how that goes.

LG- I was starting to feel more than a titch narcissistic, but this all did start out as a joke, now it's rather taken on a life of it's own :o :lol:

I'm really looking forward to our wedding. We're writing our own vows, and I'm not being given away, my husband-to-be and I are walking down together. :inlove:

[Anje]

I'm really looking forward to our wedding. We're writing our own vows, and I'm not being given away, my husband-to-be and I are walking down together. :inlove:

Best wishes for the wedding and for married life, Nightshade! My husband and I were both given away, which was a fun way to do it, too.

Post updates as soon as possible!

[CurlyNinja]

--hijack!--

I love that wrapped bun from the article! I've been doing it constantly lately because it makes my hair actually look decent when I take it out.

--end hijack!--

I am firmly (like almost everyone else who got here before me) in the wear-hair-up camp, what with its dramatic stick removal and ensuing jaw droppery. Good luck, and bring back pictures!! I definitely want to see the style you end up with, those two images you posted are lovely.

[Tressie]

Best Wishes Nightshade! I am looking forward to those pics as well! I agree with everyone else.........wear it up!!:D

[dorothea-brooke]

LG- I was starting to feel more than a titch narcissistic, but this all did start out as a joke, now it's rather taken on a life of it's own :o :lol:


Ah, welcome to the wonderful world of wedding planning! :D It always takes on a life of its own, no matter how small or casual the wedding -- but it's one of the few times in our lives when we're allowed (without becoming Bridezillas, of course :lol:) to wallow in the "superficial" things. The deeper things come naturally....

So enjoy! But don't enjoy so much that you forget to post pix for us right away. :eyebrows:

[morningstar]

I have nothing to add to this but it has been fun to read. I will enjoy seeing this unfold. :)

[Nightshade]

I return! First of all, I want to thank Beldaran for being amazing. She always picks me up from the train station late at night on Friday, and drops me off super-early on Sunday without complaint although that, and all the running around we do, is endlessly exhausting. She carts me all over, is upbeat, funny, and we always have a fantastic time. I also knew if this all went badly that she'd kick some ass if it looked like my hair was in danger.

Saturday morning came and we headed out to go pick up my dress, which fit very well, and looked amazing. We also decided I'd be making a one-pane very simple veil for the ceremony, but there was no way in hell I was paying $300 for the one I liked when it was so simple I could make it for about $10, tops. So that's on my to-do list. No pics of this for you, sadly, as they were all face pics.

After stuffing (no not really stuffing) the dress in the trunk, we headed over to the salon. It was in a very large, very beautiful building on the corner, which also contained a bookstore, a cafe, and a few other businesses. Hardwood and marble floors, high ceilings, molding, pillars, just striking. You don't see buildings like that anymore. Beldaran asked a nice lady in the cafe where we were supposed to be going, and it was a highly entertaining exchange but I'll let her tell that, as of course she'd tell that better than me.

Armed with instructions, we headed to the salon. At this point, I did have my hair up in a wrapped bun with my Etta Mae Lotus Fork (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=1288&pictureid=19702). The salon itself was spread out amongst a few seperate rooms. Entering a main lobby, the room to the left held thier product store and register, the room ahead went up a flight of stairs to the manicure/pedicure area (which had an amazing arched window backlighting the whole thing), and the room to the right had the waiting area and perming/dying area.

After checking in, Beldaran and I had a seat and very shortly thereafter James, my stylist appeared. He was VERY nice and he had us follow him. To my surprise we went past the perming/dying/cutting area, and down this wonderful wrought iron staircase to a lower level where the styling chairs were:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19992


James sat me down and asked what I had in mind. I showed him the pictures and then got picked on a wee bit for having no idea that one of the photos was of Hillary Duff, and then a bit more for having no idea who she was. All in good fun, I promise.

I expressed my concern about curling irons and James wrapped me up in the styling sheet cover thing (I'm sure it has a name) and said that he couldn't get the style curls/waves I wanted with those, but that he understood my concerns about electric irons. He then showed Beldaran and I something called a bumper iron. Just like the curling irons of yore, this one had no cord, and instead the curling end sat in a small ceramic kiln type thing for a bit, warmed it, and then he'd apply it to my hair. He also said that he'd be curling root to tip, so the more fragile hair on the ends would be exposed to heat the least. He compared them to the curling irons they used in the book Little Women and said they lasted much longer and it was much easier to control the amount of heat used.

I said I was willing to give it a go, and James said, "Wonderful! I think you'll be happy with the results," and then pulled the hair fork out of my hair and paused for a stunned second and said, "especially with all this hair."

Describing the bumper rollers is hard, but I'll try. First of all, they were NOTHING like normal electric irons. When Beldaran had her hair done for her wedding they used an electric iron. First they segmented the hair, hosed it with hairspray, rolled it up from end to root, held it, sprayed it some more, held it, then unrolled it and sprayed it even more.

With the bumper roller James wrapped my hair starting a few inches from the root (that had more to do with the style I wanted than with the heat factor) and did this amazing rolling technique where he was at once winding the hair into the roller and unwinding the top part. There was never the smell of burnt hair and he didn't apply hairspray either before or after each curl, which came out soft and only slightly warm...but they held like nothing else. Beldaran and I both watched in facination as he curled my entire head in less than 30 minutes, and neither of us could figure out exactly how he was doing what he did.

The curls were perfect, as they only made true sprials on the very ends, and were loose wave/curls the rest of the way down. With the half-up, I had spirals all down the length, but I didn't look like I had curly hair, so, in other words, it was perfect.

Here's my hair in the process of being curled:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19991


James, overall, was simply fantastic. Great to talk to, very understanding about my concerns and thought it was awesome that I hennaed. And here I am, fully curled:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19990


Then James set to work pinning up the top part of my hair. All told, he only used about 8 bobby pins, and later on Beldaran and I made a stop at Target to get some redhead-colored ones, as James only had black or brass, both of which contrasted too much. So here's the finished 'do from the top down:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19993


Once it was all done, I got the lightest mist of hairspray. Estatic with my hair, Beldaran and I headed upstairs after I thanked James profusely. As I walked into the cashier area to pay (and tipped James very well) the girl that had first checked me in walked past, stopped, turned, and said, "Oh my God! I didn't know you had all that hair! It looks great!" I beamed.

During our session with James Beldaran and I had asked if he knew what the building had been, as it was so unique. He said he thought it was a hotel of somesort, and that the pool downstairs was actually used to water the horses that used to be stabled there. It was a great spot, so we headed there for some final hair pictures:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19995


As we were heading out (don't worry, there's more hair pics, I know you can't see much here!) we stopped at the cafe. As we got our chais, Beldaran starts laughing and points to the old picture of the buliding hanging over the door. We were standing in Nina's Cafe, and the sign on the building on the picture said Nina's Brothel. So I guess it was technically a hotel of some sort.

After leaving the salon, we headed to the garden where I'll be getting married, as Beldaran hadn't been there yet. So here's a better shot of the hairstyle in sunlight (yes, in hindsight I should have worn a more contrasting colored shirt):
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19994


And then Beldaran and I together:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19996


And here is Beldaran getting nibbled on by the resident koi:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19999


Since we had some time to kill, we headed over through some of the other gardens (misting fern room, boansi garden, etc) and hit the butterfly garden, where Beldaran was further mugged by butterflies. She had three land on her, two at once! Here's one of the little guys:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19997


And after that, we headed to my dress fitting, which went fantastically well. Later on we went out to dinner and finished up the night in proper fashion with some girlie drinks:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/picture.php?albumid=1695&pictureid=19998


Overall, I had a fantastic weekend, and couldn't have more faith in James to do my wedding-day hair. The customer service was supurb, and I felt very listened to. Beldaran said she was watching, and through the whole process I lost about 4 hairs.

Moreso, we went through steaming tropical gardens, and my hair only wilted a bit, which means it should be just find in October.

I hope the pics were worth the wait!

[rhysiana]

Yay! That's fantastic!

(Working on getting my own pics up; we're remodeling our kitchen right now, too, and the electricity to the wireless router got turned off so the nearly-DH wouldn't kill himself while rewiring an outlet.)

[LeaM07]

Oh wow, what a beautiful, romantic style... love the pool pic! :inlove:

A simple veil will look very pretty, IMO. :agree:

[Gothic Lolita]

Too cool! Now I know how my hair should like like when I'll be getting married!

No, honestly, it's a very pretty style especially with those little spirally curls on the ends. I I love your color so much!

[KatKeRo]

Congratulations on your upcoming wedding.
Your hair will look beautiful looking like this.

[GlennaGirl]

Half-up. The "up" part can be intricate; lots of gorgeous tiny woven-in-and-out braids or masses of long curls.

What does your wedding dress look like? You can decorate half-up or all-down hair with a metal circlet or flowers if it's medieval-ish; or with a simple tiara.

[dorothea-brooke]

Hurrah! What fab pix! Your hair looks gorgeous, and what a nice encounter with a stylist you trust. :cloud9:

Thanks for posting all the lovely photos -- it's like a little bonus mini-meet thread! :)

[GlennaGirl]

Oh, shoot, I didn't see that you'd already decided...sorry! It looks gorgeous!

[NurseMama]

It looks beautiful! I love the shine that your hair has in those pics!

[ReadingRenee]

How beautiful! What a beautiful hairstyle! what beautiful hair you have Nightshade, its so wonderful to see some recent pics. And what a beautiful garden you will be getting married in. wow its going to all be amazing! :)

[lawyermom]

Your hair looks fantastic, great choice and what a beautiful location!

[Hue]

That is a really gorgeous wedding style. Looks like the henna has brought out a lot of shine. Smashing!

[Nightshade]

Awww thank you guys :flowers:

I had so much fun, and it was a blast to run around with princess hair for the day. Later one, I got to see my hair and the dress and my jewelry/headpiece all together, and I was thrilled with how it looked.

James was fantastic, and if this is how an Aveda salon trains all their stylists, they have my hands-down recommendation.

What I find neat in some of the pics is that you can see the ruby-red old dyed ends, and they actually make neat "highlights" down the length of my hair.

[cindy58]

Your hair and the photos are beautiful! You've definitely got the WOW Factor going on! The curling process sounds very interesting too.

[Nat242]

I LOVE that style, it looks stunning on you! :flowers:

I'm glad the staff at the hair salon reacted to your hair! After 8 pages of this thread, it would've been a real shame if no one said anything ;)

[bikerblue]

Nightshade - You have gorgeous hair so shiny, it will look lovely on your wedding day. I had mine in a half up do for my wedding day and loved it.

Best Wishes and Happiness for your special day.

[Nightshade]

I LOVE that style, it looks stunning on you! :flowers:

I'm glad the staff at the hair salon reacted to your hair! After 8 pages of this thread, it would've been a real shame if no one said anything ;)

Oh, no kidding. Talk about what a letdown THAT would have been :p



Nightshade - You have gorgeous hair so shiny, it will look lovely on your wedding day. I had mine in a half up do for my wedding day and loved it.

Best Wishes and Happiness for your special day.

Thank you so very much! I had so much fun!

After the day of, I was able to brush my hair without washing it, there was so little product it was easy. A shower and a bit of shea on the ends (more from having my hair down all day than anything) and everything is back to normal!

[GlassEyes]

O_O;;

The place where you're getting married is amazingly beautiful Nightshade. o-o So much so I had to comment on it before saying that your hair is really shiny. o-o;;

[JessTheMess]

Nightshade...your hair looks gorgeous!!! It's so shiny!!!! wow!!

[Nightshade]

O_O;;

The place where you're getting married is amazingly beautiful Nightshade. o-o So much so I had to comment on it before saying that your hair is really shiny. o-o;;

ROFL Thank you! It IS a beautiful garden. here's another pic of it, facing the opposite direction (http://lh6.ggpht.com/_IAjbqCRh230/SBkcQAuwglI/AAAAAAAAFK4/0J7y7Wsqf7I/0804-406+Spring+in+the+Sunken+Garden,+Como+Park+Conserv atory,+Saint+Paul+Minnesota.jpg).



Nightshade...your hair looks gorgeous!!! It's so shiny!!!! wow!!

Heh, that's just the henna talking! :p Thank you for the sweet compliment :flower:

[NormaRose]

Nightshade - Wow! Your hair is just beautiful.

Best wishes to you and your hubby-to-be! :)

[ZaBasDa]

Nightshade, your hair is amazing. The wedding hairstyle looks really nice.

[MotherConfessor]

You are my hair idol! If I was not feeling so happy for you I might have time to be jealous of you beautiful hair. Best wishes!!!

May your house be filled with smiles and laughter
And may you live happily ever after.

(with great hair)

[Nightshade]

Nightshade - Wow! Your hair is just beautiful. Best wishes to you and your hubby-to-be! :)

Why thank you! :flowers:



Nightshade, your hair is amazing. The wedding hairstyle looks really nice.

Squeee! It was a few days ago and I'm STILL excited over it!



You are my hair idol! If I was not feeling so happy for you I might have time to be jealous of you beautiful hair. Best wishes!!! :flower:

May your house be filled with smiles and laughter
And may you live happily ever after.

(with great hair)

Thank you so much for the sweet compliments! And I'm deeply flattered to be your hair idol! :blossom:

[pinkprincess]

I love your hair colour it's so pretty! And the pic that is now your siggy looks absolutely fantastic, I'm so in awe of your hair!

[Patrycja]

Well-good for you getting the reaction you wanted from the hair stylist. Like Nat said-it would have been a crying shame if noone even blinked an eye after 8(opps...now 9)pages of WOW wedding hair hype. Your hair looked absolutely lovely and you are going to have a wonderful dream fairytale wedding! :flower:

[Nightshade]

I love your hair colour it's so pretty! And the pic that is now your siggy looks absolutely fantastic, I'm so in awe of your hair!

Why thank you! :flowers: The color is getting there, you can see in the top-down pic of my hair that the scalp hair is more coppery than the length (which is why I didn't even consider a full-up, due to the contrast of ends to the top of my hair), but it's getting there!



Well-good for you getting the reaction you wanted from the hair stylist. Like Nat said-it would have been a crying shame if noone even blinked an eye after 8(opps...now 9)pages of WOW wedding hair hype. Your hair looked absolutely lovely and you are going to have a wonderful dream fairytale wedding! :flower:

For me it's only 3 pages as I have it loading a ton of posts per page ;) So not nearly so impressive.

I'm really excited for the wedding itself, it's going to be so pretty, and best of all, I'll be married at the end of it :cheer:

[WavyGirl]

Nightshade your hair looks beautiful in that style. The waves look so pretty and the colour, as always, is amazing. Are you wearing a light coloured dress? I know that your religion is a little different to mine and what's normal in a catholic church probably won't have the slightest similarity to what you have planned. :D It was real fun reading the report of your day out and seeing the photos. The place you've selected for the wedding looks so lovely. I also have to tell you how much I love your new siggy pic. The lighting and colours are eerie and yet you seem so at home in the setting. I know it sounds weird but I just feel it when I see the picture. I love it!

[Blueglass]

That style looks terrific Nightshade.

[nevercuttingit]

:) Hello. I just wanted to say your hair is really beautiful and if I had the choice I would want that color. Are you going to have flowers or beads strung through your hair? My hair is brown. N

[Nightshade]

Nightshade your hair looks beautiful in that style. The waves look so pretty and the colour, as always, is amazing. Are you wearing a light coloured dress? I know that your religion is a little different to mine and what's normal in a catholic church probably won't have the slightest similarity to what you have planned. :D It was real fun reading the report of your day out and seeing the photos. The place you've selected for the wedding looks so lovely. I also have to tell you how much I love your new siggy pic. The lighting and colours are eerie and yet you seem so at home in the setting. I know it sounds weird but I just feel it when I see the picture. I love it!

My dress is somewhat a "normal" bridal dress, though it's in ivory rather than white (my skin looked terrible in white). There's pics of it in my journal if you're so interested!

I'm glad that the picture makes you feel peaceful, the setting itself just emanated calmness, and it's cool it came through in the photograph!



That style looks terrific Nightshade.

Thank you so much! :flowers:



:) Hello. I just wanted to say your hair is really beautiful and if I had the choice I would want that color. Are you going to have flowers or beads strung through your hair? My hair is brown. N

I'm actually wearing a silver ivy headband similar to this one (http://www.medievalbridalfashions.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=56), but without the flowers and all the stones are peridots. I'm also wearing this necklace (http://www.medievalbridalfashions.com/catalog/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=47), but the central stone is peridot. The green stones tie to my ring, which has a demantoid garnet (http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/demantoid.html)on it :)

My natural color is medium brown. What you're looking at in that picture is henna ;)

[redtea]

I just wanted to be another one to say how awesome your hair looks in those pictures! I love the style you decided on! All the care you've put into your hair has really paid off and is very inspiring! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding :)

[soleluna]

I am so glad you found a great stylist. Yay! and congratulations on the wedding!

[misstwist]

Congratulations on the wedding, Nightshade.

A question. I'm going to be in the cities in January and am considering a trim/shaping if I can find a well recommended salon. Where does the wonderful James work?

[Nightshade]

I just wanted to be another one to say how awesome your hair looks in those pictures! I love the style you decided on! All the care you've put into your hair has really paid off and is very inspiring! Congratulations on your upcoming wedding :)

Thank you! It's been a lot of work getting it to come past all the damage and such, and I'm glad it inspired you a wee bit :)



I am so glad you found a great stylist. Yay! and congratulations on the wedding!

James is simply fantastic! It's nice to have 100% confidence in the person doing my hair the day of :)



Congratulations on the wedding, Nightshade.

A question. I'm going to be in the cities in January and am considering a trim/shaping if I can find a well recommended salon. Where does the wonderful James work?

Thank you so much! I've PMd you the information for the salon :)

[Ponytale]

I agree with everyone else here--that style is beautiful!!! Best of wishes!

[Jemoiselle]

Ok I feel so bummed! I can't see ANY of the photos Nightshade! The ones embedded simply aren't there and the links like the ones to the "head piece" etc don't work. Is it because of my newbie status? =.....( That's so sad.

I can only imagine you look unbelievably fairytale-happily-ever-after whimsical. If someone has a trick or tip for me besides keep posting lol I'm all ears. (for seeing the pics)

My biggest congratulations, friend.

Jemoiselle

[Nightshade]

Ok I feel so bummed! I can't see ANY of the photos Nightshade! The ones embedded simply aren't there and the links like the ones to the "head piece" etc don't work. Is it because of my newbie status? =.....( That's so sad.

I can only imagine you look unbelievably fairytale-happily-ever-after whimsical. If someone has a trick or tip for me besides keep posting lol I'm all ears. (for seeing the pics)

My biggest congratulations, friend.

Jemoiselle

Thank you so much! No worries, once you hit 25 posts you'll be able to see them, and you're almost there!! :flowers:


I agree with everyone else here--that style is beautiful!!! Best of wishes!

Thank you :blossom: I felt so... feminine :)

[Yeesha]

Congratulations and best wishes!! :D

I'm really looking forward to see the picures, at the moment I can only imagine, what it looks like from reading the text...
But I think (what I can see from yout signature - I really like the picture) you're going to be a very very beautiful bride. :)