The “beautiful people” don’t just live in Hollywood, they are also our everyday neighbors, friends, sisters, brothers or cousins who are about to get married. They come alive when they style their hair to frame the face. Really anyone in the wedding party might enjoy a hair consultation to find a “new do” that adds pizazz  or style.

Not everyone’s face is designed to wear a short hairstyle. Just the same is true with long hair. The shape of the face, the height and color take part in creating an appealing look.

Let us begin with the bride and turn the page to the color and style of cosmetics used to match skin tone and wedding dress: the bride’s total bridal look has to be taken into consideration, everything must balance. The bride’s choice of wedding gown sets the tone for the entire ceremony, and the hair design has to evoke the same feeling.

Getting That Head to Toe Look

The wedding gown can also dictate the texture of the finished hair design. For instance, a smooth, shiny updo of curls or glossy slick straight hair complements a smooth satin gown. In contrast, a gown of sweeping tulle is beautifully accented by soft flowing curls.

Your look from head to toe also has a silhouette, either horizontal or vertical. A full skirt is horizontal and best balanced by a wider hair design and/or full veiling. A vertical look that is narrow and slim is complemented by a hair design of the same lines; it could be a bob tucked behind the ears or a narrow pile of curls on top of the head with loose curls flowing down the cheeks.

The head to toe look needs to have certain proportions to have a balanced effect. The bride with short hair who is wearing an ornate full traditional dress needs to remember to balance her look with the appropriate headpiece. Likewise, the petite bride with too much hair might think about wearing it up or pulled back to draw the eye vertically.

Theme Wedding Gowns

A specific Theme wedding such as renaissance, retro, or swing create a great opportunity to have certain accents make your hairstyle fun and innovative, a perfect attention getter.

Time of day set for your wedding also has a bearing on your hairstyle and headpiece you choose. For a day or morning wedding a more casual look is needed with less glitz and sparkle. Headbands, flowers, wreaths, and hats are perfect for day or morning ceremonies. Save the jewels, sparkle, and tiaras for more formal evening weddings.

We don’t want to leave the groom’s hairstyle out of the picture. Here are some tips for the groom to have that appealing look reserved for male movie stars such as Tom Cruise, Russell Crowe and Johnny Depp. They have medium length hair and keep a hairstyle that looks sophisticated and neat, while maintaining a carefree lifestyle look. You can combine the hairstyles of your favorite stars and create a perfect look that brings out who you are keeping the face shape in mind and the direction of the way the hair naturally grows.

Check Out 3 Beach Wedding Hairstyles

Thus, medieval wedding gowns were of the most expensive fabrics; velvet, damask silk, satin, fur, and fabrics woven with gold and silver thread. Colors were rich in hues, as only the wealthy could afford expensive red, purple, and black dyes. Skirts were full and gathered, the sleeves would sweep the floor, and trains were several yards long. Precious gems such as diamonds, rubies, sapphires, emeralds, and pearls were sewn into the fabric, so the bride would sparkle in the sunlight. Fifteenth century Margaret of Flanders had such a heavily laden wedding gown she had to be carried into the church by two gentlemen attendants.

White has always symbolized a bride’s virginity and innocence in the face of her imminent change of status, but it has not always been the favorite choice. Blue, with its associations with the Virgin Mary, is another strong symbol of purity, fidelity, and eternal love (hence the popularity of sapphire in engagement rings). Brides who wore something blue believed their husbands would always be true to them, a tradition which has survived to this day.

In our world today, most of us are too busy to give romance and elegance its due attention, but weddings have a way of transforming those of us whose standard attire are jeans and T-shirts into modern-day princesses draped in satin, silk, and lace with accessories such as pearls, glimmering tiaras, and a cascading flower bouquet. Men who cannot bare to wear a necktie stand gallantly as noble gentlemen decorated and adorned with ascots and French cuffs.

Jacqueline Kennedy’s Wedding Dress

When the time came to plan my own wedding I was fascinated with Jackie Kennedy’s style. Her sophisticated, simple yet elegant dresses always had me visualizing myself in a wedding dress that had empire lines, a lightly pearl beaded bodice, long sleeves, pleated in the back, and just wide enough at the bottom to attach a seven foot veil. I knew that if I found this dress, I would probably not be able to afford it. Much to my surprise, one of my very close friends who was a dress designer, told me she had been thinking of gifting me with creating my wedding dress!

The accessories were easy to pick: simple off white pearl earrings and necklace that would match the bodice of my dress. The bouquet was made up with white orchids and some tuberose often made into flower leis that had a haunting fragrance. The shoes were very affordable elegant satin semi high heels. The wedding went off without a hitch, and after the very large reception, I was off to a honeymoon on Kauai. A dream come true!

Choosing Your Wedding Dress

Even on a budget, brides can find a gown to compliment their figure. Even though I choose an empire style, there are a multitude of styles available, even if your budget is less than $1000, and the option of renting wedding apparel, from the wedding dress to the tuxedos and bridesmaid dresses, is also an option.

White satin is the most popular fabric, but beautiful wedding gowns are also available in tulle, chiffon, crepe, and silk shantung. If you must stay within a budget and have a wedding consultant, be sure to share this information with him or her. There are endless web sites that you can visit to select various styles that interest you, as well as magazines geared towards the bride to be. After selecting different styles, you can visit retail stores to select the specific style, color, and fabric for the dress of your dreams. Be sure to try on several different styles. This is the one day of your life that you want to look your very best. Does the dress accent your curves? Does it make you feel like a queen?

While the bride is the center of attention, the bridesmaid’s dresses are also very important. Their dresses usually complement the bride’s gown. Many brides choose bridesmaid dresses that are of the same fabrics and colors with shades of the main color that complement each individual person. Again, you can go online to view different collections and then visit retail stores to select the specific style, color, and fabric.

Don’t forget the groom. It’s his day, too. Even though the groom is not supposed to see what the bride is wearing until their wedding day, they can share information. The main factors to consider in choosing the groom’s attire are the formality of the wedding and the time of day of the wedding ceremony. If the wedding is after six, white tie and tails are appropriate for a formal wedding.

Ideas for a Beach Wedding Dress

“Hair”! What subject has produced more anxiety, fears, tears and rituals, bottles, brushes, and gossip than that of the almighty wedding hairstyle, the coiffure of the bride. Any bad hair day is cause enough for us to shutter, stutter and utter “what will I do with my hair”?

Brides are often confused about how to wear their hair – whether to leave it simple, or to go for an elaborate effect. The key is to balance simplicity with a style that highlights your face.

Bridal hairstyles want to reflect the brides’ personality and personal style. The “natural” days are coming to an end as the modern bride looks for “more” from her wedding day salon services. More fun, more beauty, and more individuality are what brides are in search of. Creative personal touches adding flowers or tiaras help originate a “signature touch” for the couples’ big day.

If you have a wedding theme, you might choose a hair style to go along with that theme. Will you want curls, bangs, braiding or add extensions to your hair. Your wedding gown may also dictate your hairstyle

You want the person who styles your hair to take the best care in making your beauty shine as you walk down that aisle. Your intent is to pick the right salon, one for your very special dressy affair. You want to be treated like a celebrity by the person who styles your hair and gives it that natural yet very elegant look.

There is a right way to style your hair be it thick, fine, tangled, long, short, curly or straight.

Hair styles depend on the length of the bride’s hair. Not much you can do with very short hair, except wear a wig, which most brides don’t want to do. Many brides get an ‘updo’, which refers to a high crown of hair. For a wild-child look, you could try a soft perm with a few strands escaping to caress the cheek. You also have to decide on whether or not to wear a jeweled tiara as an accessory and whether it will be a tiny center-piece, or a prominent one which spans the head like a band.

You could wear flowers in your hair, as was the original ancient practice and often a bride’s choice when in tropical weddings.

5 Wedding Hairstyle Tips

1. The time of day of your wedding will help you choose a style. Loose natural styles are appropriate for informal or daytime weddings, while up-do’s portray a formal, evening look.
2. Have a “test run,” walk around with the hairstyle you plan to wear to feel its comfort level. A good rule: the simpler, the better, since pins can hurt, and intricate styles are often delicate.
3. Remember that some hairstyles can add inches to a bride’s height, If you are short, you may want to use this to your advantage.
4. Hair color looks its best the first two weeks, so have your hair colored a week to two weeks before the wedding.
5. If you are going to perm your hair, have it done a month prior to the wedding.

But don’t forget about your jewelry for the day. The accessorizing plays an incredibly important role in creating the overall look for both brides and bridesmaids. The jewelry you select can either enhance or detract from the gowns worn by yourself and your attendants. The best choice of jewelry is complementary to your gown to create beautiful photos and a memorable ensemble. This becomes the icing on the cake, so to speak, and the end result is a unique look, all your own.

Whether glamorous or simple, tasteful or bold, wedding jewelry can be an unforgettable addition to any bridal party. And there are certainly lots of options to choose from, including headpieces & hair jewelry, earrings, bracelets, necklaces and more.

Tips for Selecting Wedding Jewelry

Use the dress as your guide.

You may fall in love with a particular piece of jewelry, but if it doesn’t enhance your gown, don’t wear it. Jewelry plays a supporting role, although a very important supporting role, to your overall look. Try to step back and get an objective view of how the entire outfit works together.

Keep the jewelry consistent with the theme or tone of the wedding.

Is your wedding style casual, traditional, eclectic, modern? Be sure that the jewelry you select effectively carries through the general theme and feeling of your wedding. A piece of jewelry that is obviously out of place will draw attention to itself instead of working together seamlessly to create the effect you desire.

Coordinate with other elements such as hairstyle.

For example, if you or your bridesmaids will be wearing your long hair at full length, the intended effect of intricate chandelier earrings may be lost. Hats are another accessory that will have a definite impact on which accessories will work for you. Try to have decisions made regarding hair and makeup before you choose jewelry.

Actually try on the dress and jewelry together.

Don’t just imagine that it will look great together. You’ll never know unless you try on the dress and jewelry before you make your final decision. This will help avoid any unpleasant surprises at the last minute and allow you to fine tune your look.

Both the bride and groom need to plan accordingly to ensure all facets of their personal appearance are taken care of prior to the day of the wedding. Many things need to be taken into consideration, ranging from attire to finger nails.

It is wise to book all appointment needs well in advance to ensure there are no delays. If you are planning a destination wedding, your coordinator can even help you with these items.

Tips on Preparing Yourself for the Wedding

Bridal Shoes: Matching your bridal shoes exactly to your wedding gown is not an easy task. The best way to do so is to use the exact fabric from the gown. If this is not a possibility, than you can have your bridal shoes custom dyed by a professional. In most cases professional dyers can get the color of your shoes close to exactly that of your wedding dress.

If you are planning on getting married on the beach, you may want to pack a bag with shoes for the beach ceremony, and shoes for the reception or after wedding activities.

Nail Care: In order to have the best looking nails as possible, don’t rely on a single manicure and pedicure before the wedding. Get manicures and pedicures periodically, starting at least three months before the wedding. That way when it comes time for the final preparation, your nails will already be in great shape. Most wedding photos include a picture of the rings so it is important to have well groomed nails.

Hairstyle: In order to avoid last minute foul-ups, always book hair appointments for both the bride and groom well in advance. It is not unreasonable to book your appointment six months in advance if necessary. Also, be sure to schedule enough time to allow for a lengthy hair appointment. Allow for at least three hours, you don’t want to rush things.

Fresh Breath: There is no worse time to have bad breath than on your wedding day. Most of the time, bad breath is caused by bacteria in the mouth which gives off foul-smelling gases. The best way to combat bad breath is to floss, brush your teeth thoroughly, and use a quality mouthwash. Also, bacteria can also reside on your tongue, so be sure to thoroughly brush your tongue as well.

Once you know you have taken care of all the appropriate beauty arrangements you will become much more relaxed. Now you can focus on your big day without having to sweat the details.

New York’s Nail Expert on Wedding Manicure’s