In the weeks leading up to the wedding I had some major pampering done... something I don't normally indulge in, so I thought I would share some of my experiences.
I had my trial hair and makeup appointment at
Swink Style Bar about three weeks before the wedding. After I looked into having someone come to the hotel suite to do my hair and makeup on the day of the wedding and finding out it was way out of my budget, I did some online research and found Swink. They had really great reviews and the salon was located right across the street from our hotel, plus the could accomodate my entire bridal party on the big day which I thought would be fun. Plus I loved the idea that in addition to the appointments for my wedding hair and makeup for the bride they include a trial appointment so you can test things out and make sure it's what you want. I brought a lot of inspirational photos and magazine cut outs to my first appointment and left feeling super confident that this very important piece of the puzzle was going to turn out right.
About two weeks before the wedding, courtesy of my maid of honor, I had an amazing "Sweet Treatments" organic facial at
Sugar Sugar. I've only ever had one facial before but loved it, so I was really looking forward to a relaxing morning appointment at the spa. Sugar Sugar has customized facials that are personally designed to suit individual skin needs. The esthetician asked me all about my skin and how far out the wedding was and then used handpicked pure certified organic ingredients to get my skin into its healthiest condition. I left feeling hydrated, rejuvenated and glowing. And for just a little while I was actually able to relax and stop stressing about the wedding, so thanks Erin!
I bought a Groupon a while back for
Duque Salon in Ballard, somewhere I had not gone before. I went for the first time about two months before the wedding so I could start catching up on my waxing before the honeymoon, and I also decided to try getting a brow wax which was new for me. The girl who worked on me was amazing, super friendly and not awkward at all considering what she was doing, and I just have to say that I think waxing is FAR less painful than sugaring for your lady bits. She also did a fantastic job on my eyebrows although warned me not to touch them again before my pre-wedding appointment. They had grown out quite a bit by the time my final appointment rolled around a few days before the wedding and she was able to make them absolutely perfect. The prices were also quite reasonable and I'll definitely be going back for future maintenance.
Lucky is the girl whose best friend is a hair dresser. In the morning two days before the wedding I headed over to Bellevue's
Salon Cerchio so Crystal could cut, color and style my hair for the rehearsal dinner. Months before I had decided against going back to my natural hair color for the wedding, so I had a full foil done which Crystal made extra perfect for the big day, and we decided on a fun "old Hollywood" hairstyle for that evening to go with my flowing purple dress. I absolutely loved how my hair came out and it was wonderful to sit and chat with Crys for a while about last minute wedding details before things really got into full swing.
One of my bridesmaids kindly took over doing research to find a fun place for the bridal party to go for mani/pedis the day before the wedding. She ended up choosing
Julep in downtown Seattle which was just a short walk from our hotel. I got a "Fab for 14 Porch Manicure" which included shellac french manicure polish which dries instantly to a high-gloss and chip-free shine and I loved how it turned out. I also got a super relaxing "Porch Pedicure" and while we were being worked on we all got to chat and enjoy the delicious treats and champagne the girls brought in. I thought Julep was perfect for this little girls day the day before my wedding, but their prices were pretty high so I probably wouldn't go there again unless it was a special occasion.
After my trail appointment at
Swink Style Bar I thought a lot about my hair and makeup, so I showed up the day of the wedding with a list of changes I wanted to make. My hairdresser agreed with my thoughts and said the changes would be no problem. It was so fun to be there with my mom and all my bridesmaids around me while I got pretty. I was so nervous but in the end everything turned out perfectly and I couldn't wait for the groom to see me!
I've got a lot of talented bridesmaids, so many of them stayed behind at the hotel on the big day and did their own (or one another's) hair and makeup. Don't they look pretty?
Okay we're really getting close to the wedding now, but I still have a few more stories to tell first...
