So, your big day is approaching and you’ve already gone through hundreds of Pinterest and Google Image posts of the amazing hair you want. The problem— your hair texture or length just wouldn’t make your desired look possible. The solution— clip in hair extensions!
Many brides show us inspiration pictures of amazing, thick, luscious, long and layered hair they want for their wedding. Often times, her hair isn’t long enough or thick enough for the style she desires but, thanks to clip-in hair extensions, we can make her dream a reality.
What are clip-in hair extensions?
Clip-in extensions come in a variety of lengths, textures and colors. There is a difference in extensions available on the market and we never suggest you go into a purchase blindly. Synthetic extensions often look very similar to real hair extensions but you can’t apply heat to synthetic extensions. This means no curling iron, flat iron or blow dryer.
Clip-ins are super easy to use. Each piece of hair weft is attached to a small clip that, when placed on your scalp and draped with your real hair, looks like a fuller version of your own hair!
A professional hair stylist or someone familiar with them can put them in for you. Once you start using them often, you’ll get the hang of it and be able to do them yourself. It’s really that simple.
Budget wise–a good idea?
Real human hair extensions are very popular and, believe it or not, they’re incredibly affordable. Some opt for the best quality hair (this can be upwards of $1,200) which is often “virgin” hair. This means the hair has never been dyed or chemically processed. It’s naturally beautiful, thick and healthy. This hair tends to keep its high quality longer than more inexpensive hair. Basically, you get what you pay for.
You can still get great quality hair without breaking your bank, though. Real human hair extensions are available for as little as $160. If you aren’t sure you want to add extensions to your daily beauty regimen, Babydoll Weddings offers the option to rent extensions your big day. Available at a fraction of the purchase cost, our extensions are high-quality and available in an array of colors (specialty colors are not available for rental). Be sure to ask our Bridal Liaison about extension rental or talk with your stylist at your trial.
Who really uses them?
Extensions are seriously the biggest beauty secret ever. So many women sport clip-in hair extensions on a daily basis. Especially celebrities. Extensions often provide an additional layer of self-confidence as your hair is lush and voluminous.
Interested in a quick pick me up or style change whether for your wedding day or every day? Clip-in extensions are such a simple and affordable fix, it’s no surprise that so many women wear them. It may be the quick fix you desire for your big day!
Getting married is one of the biggest life events you’ll ever prepare for and becoming a bride is an incredibly unique journey for every woman. Your planning list seems endless and making sure that everything is done and perfect for your big day is often daunting and stressful.
How you look on the day is also paramount. All eyes are on you so it’s important that you choose what’s right for you and what makes you feel beautiful so that you have peace of mind as you walk down the aisle.
The Consultation and Trial
Your hair and makeup consultation and trial should ideally take place 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding. During this consultation, our stylist will ask you a series of questions to gain an understanding of the styles you like. Bring photos as we don’t always speak the same language! We will advise you about what will work best to accentuate your features and compliment your dress. Your role is to have an open and honest relationship with us and to tell us what you think!
Just like you would bring your shoes and the proper undergarments to a dress fitting, you need to bring all the proper goods to your hair and makeup trial. Bring your veil, headpiece, flowers or barrettes to your appointment so you can see what they will look like with your hairstyle. Come with your hair prepped as you would have it the day of your wedding: preferably unwashed with little to no product as possible. Same for your face. Show up with a fresh face (moisturizer is okay). We can provide makeup wipes if you are coming from work and applied makeup in the morning. As with the hair, your stylist will ask questions regarding colors you normally wear and how you want to look on your wedding day. Provide input and let us know if you don’t like something. We can change it.
Depending on the hair style, we may recommend hair extensions to provide extra volume – even if you are entertaining an up-do. We offer both rental and purchase options so that you can choose what works best with your budget.
What Does “Trial” Mean
It is important to note that a trial is just that – a time to see what you like and what you don’t like, what works and what doesn’t. We will take notes and photos so that we can review them on your wedding day and use the same colors we used at your trial. That being said, you may decide, upon getting home, that the red is a little too bright, or that you really do want the winged eyeliner your maid of honor decided is too dramatic. It’s ok. We are happy to make those adjustments to ensure you are the best version of you on this day!
On-the-day Preparations
We provide a tentative timeline with each and every invoice we send you. This provides a snapshot of the timeframe it will take on your wedding day to style those you’ve contracted us to pamper. We create this as soon as you secure your date so that we can catch any issues (i.e. you can’t get into the venue as early as we need to start) and adjust accordingly. The timeline is finalized 30 days before the wedding allowing you time to communicate it to your bridesmaids and anyone else receiving services. Making sure that everyone is ready to hop in the chair when assigned will ensure the day flows smoothly and keep us on track!
Remember
Wedding planning can become super stressful, especially as your day gets closer. Your wedding hair trial and wedding makeup trial is important, so kick back, relax, and be pampered! Go in with a positive attitude, bring a pal or your mom if you want to, and let yourself have a good time while you get beautified. Trust your inspiration and your stylist and you’ll leave nothing but happy!
Ready, Set, Eat, Drink, Party! This week Alan J. Tomasetti and Adrian Juarez sit down with us to dish about their reception so put your dancing shoes on because we are talking catering, cake and tunes.
Eat, Drink Party: Planning the Reception
Q: Let’s talk food. You are Italian and Adrian is Mexican. Was it easy to select a menu for your reception?
A: Food is the centerfold of any Italian or Mexican household and we knew that we wanted high quality food, and lots of it. Aldea has several catering options in their packages and the caterers come to the venue as part of Aldea’s open house at the end of each month. This allowed us the opportunity to taste a variety of options.
We chose a buffet over sit-down because we wanted to provide more options to guests. We narrowed our choices between Babbo Italian Eatery, and Mi Catering. Mi Catering had a lovely variety of different cruise options and the flavor was amazing. We didn’t like the fact that they have a staff member serving food from behind the buffet. We felt that would slow down the line.
Choosing the Menu
Q: What made Babbo a slam dunk option?
A: Guests are given the choice of one appetizer, two salads, two pastas, two main courses and focaccia bread. We were pleasantly surprised by the options and quickly scheduled a private tasting.
My mom flew in for a visit so Adrian and I each brought our moms to the tasting. We sampled six appetizers, five salads, seven pastas, and eight main courses and, as you can imagine, took food home! In the end, we chose mini meatballs in marinara and the pesto bruschetta for appetizers which are served during the cocktail hour, the roasted brussel sprout beet salad, Napa Valley salad, pasta primavera, three cheese mac and cheese, Tuscan chicken and asparagus fra diavolo.
The Bar
Q: That is a lot of food! How about the bar?
A: We opted for the beer and wine open bar option, mostly because it was more cost effective. Aldea offers several options and we chose chardonnay, pinot grigio, merlot and two domestic beers (Bud and Coors Light). We also added two specialty cocktails– the Mai Tai and peach margarita – both drinks we have enjoyed during our travels. Adding a specialty ‘welcome’ drink, to kick off the cocktail hour, allows us to thank our guests for coming in a unique way.
Something Sweet
Q: We love wedding cake! So, let’s talk dessert… Tell us about your cake.
A: Let’s face it…we are two guys getting married and we want our cake to be more masculine than traditional but we also wanted something impressive. As a result, we opted for the four-tier option. We designed two tiers in a navy quilt pattern accented with silver beads and the alternating two are solid with a dark grey ribbon at the base. Peach orchids will accent in four strategic spots.
Q: What does your cake topper look like?
A: We decided to have our cake topper in script, but we wanted to have our first names instead of our last names. We custom ordered our cake topper from Chicago Factory on Etsy. Since the top of our cake is 6”, we wanted topper to be flush with the size and chose the silver paint on birch. We also got the option to have the removable pegs so we can display it on our mantle in the stand the company provided us.
Kicking it into High Gear: Choosing your Entertainment
Q: Let’s get our groove on! Did you decide on a DJ or live music for your reception?
A: Adrian and I came to the conclusion that we needed someone that could bring people on the dance floor, keep everyone engaged, and make the evening a huge hit. Aldea has 2 DJ options, Push Play Entertainment, and Tony the Entertainer.
Push Play Entertainment has a lot of bells and whistles to make a reception look like a borderline nightclub but we didn’t feel like the DJ had the personality we were looking for. After speaking with Tony for a few minutes, his outgoing personality really got us excited. He’s very flexibly with modifying the reception schedule since we’re not doing a garter/bouquet toss and tweaking various other games to suit us more. He’s been extremely responsive and amazing to work with.
In this issue of Alan & Adrian Get Married, we find out about their creative design for the Save the Date and Wedding Invitation. Are you struggling with the overwhelming amount of choices? Here is how Alan and Adrian navigated the numerous options and found the perfect design!
Save the Date
Q: You mentioned earlier that you selected a wedding date over a holiday weekend so that your out of town guests would have more time to travel. Did you send Save-the-Dates to give them advance opportunities to make their travel arrangements?
A: We did. We felt that our out of town guests would appreciate receiving a Save-the-Date well in advance of the invitation.
Q: Did you go with a local designer/printer or did you use an online resource?
A: We found so many websites and ultimately picked a travel theme card from Minted to match the theme of our wedding. Minted was having a promotion during the time we purchased so we were able to come in a bit under budget as well.
Q: Did you add any special touches to your Save-the-Date?
A: We were sure to include our wedding website on The Knot so that the relevant information needed for travel arrangements was contained in one place. We also ordered a custom wax seal from Nostalgic Impressions. Adding that special touch to our envelopes made our announcement much more special.
Inviting Your Guests
Q: Tell us about your invitation.
A: We found the perfect invitation on Emdotzee. Sticking with our travel theme, we designed an airline ticket syle invite. The design included a folder that held directions to the venue, an abbreviated schedule, and information on guest attire, directions from the airport and RSVP info. The folder also included the ticket (invite) which included our details – date, time, location, and weeding website. We placed these in silver envelopes and sealed them with our wax seal.
Regardless of whether you purchase your invitations from an online stationery store or have a custom design created from a local designer, make sure that your invites reflect the feel of your wedding and the love you have for each other.
We are so excited to introduce you to our Ask Sabrina blog! As the premier on-location wedding hair and makeup studio in Arizona you can only imagine how many questions we receive from brides-to-be seeking tips for their wedding day. We are so happy to be be able to share those questions and answers with you as well. Ask Sabrina will publish the second and fourth Mondays of each month. If you have a question that you would like answered just email us at media@babydollweddings.com and we will ask Sabrina and answer you via the blog!
This week’s question (and our inaugural one) comes from Stacey K. in Chandler. Stacey asks:
What is the truth about a bride wearing more makeup than normal on her wedding day?
Stacey, and all brides-to-be, this is a great question! We know that you have concerns about feeling and looking overly made-up for your wedding but there are a few factors we need to consider – the length of your day and photography/videography.
First, we all get up in the morning, go through our AM routine and head out to work. I don’t know about you but my makeup looks wilted by noon (earlier if its 115 degrees in the blazing AZ sun – your makeup literally melts off your face, right?) and it never looks fresh when I get home after work. Your wedding day is going to be as long as your work day, and that’s just the ceremony and reception portion! Your makeup may look a little heavy to you but it will get you through your first look to your last dance.
Second, any photographer/videographer will tell you to make sure your features are a little exaggerated so that you don’t look washed out on camera. You can’t repeat this day and we want to be sure that it is perfect. As always, we take our cues from you so should you feel that your look is too heavy, we will talk with you about alternatives to ensure you feel natural and beautiful as you walk down the aisle.
Our stylists are frequently asked how to create the perfect wedding day eyes. These simple tips will insure that your eyes are bright and beautiful whether you choose a classic, romantic or dramatic look.
Erase Dark Circles
Did you stay up late dishing with your bride tribe? Dark circles are an easy fix with the right concealer. First, apply foundation and then gently pat your concealer in the corner of your eyes working outward. Gently press concealer onto your skin – never rub. To add staying power, top with a translucent powder.
The Brows Have It
Consider having your brows shaped the week prior to the wedding by a professional that uses tweezers. Waxing and threading don’t remove individual hairs and you want to make sure that your shape is clean and near perfect. To enhance your brows, select a powder with the same undertone as your hair color but be sure it looks natural in the daylight. Outline the natural shape of your brows with an angled brush designed for this application then lightly fill in with powder and pencil if needed. We love Urban Decay’s brow box.
Expert Eye Shadow
Create the perfect canvas for your shadow by applying primer to your eyes. This will keep your eyeshadow from creasing and extend the wear time. When applying color, opt for soft, subtle, neutral shades to enhance your eyes. A creme base, layered with matte powder, will extend the life of your shadow from your first look all the way through your last dance.
Liquid or Pencil Liner
Liquid liner can look heavy, especially in photos so our experts recommend a pencil liner in charcoal, navy or mahogany to enhance your eyes. While black is a popular go-to, you may find it is too severe. Consider amplifying your liner by applying a bit of shadow over the top (be sure to use a slightly damp brush to apply).
Bat Your Lashes
False lashes are popular additions to your wedding day beauty regimen but if you are a big crier you may want to rethink them. Shedding tears of joy will cause your lashes to lift. You can create a dramatic effect with your own lashes. Start by curling the lashes, starting at the lid to create lift. Follow this with a volumizing mascara (note, you can swipe a small amount of baby powder across your lashes to help the mascara grab thus creating more volume) but be sure it is waterproof! Now you are ready to face your groom and the camera.
Consider having your brows shaped the week prior to the wedding by a professional that uses tweezers. Waxing and threading don’t remove individual hairs and you want to make sure that your shape is clean and near perfect. To enhance your brows, select a powder with the same undertone as your hair color but be sure it looks natural in the daylight. Outline the natural shape of your brows with an angled brush designed for this application then lightly fill in with powder and pencil if needed. We love 
Liquid liner can look heavy, especially in photos so our experts recommend a pencil liner in charcoal, navy or mahogany to enhance your eyes. While black is a popular go-to, you may find it is too severe. Consider amplifying your liner by applying a bit of shadow over the top (be sure to use a slightly damp brush to apply).
False lashes are popular additions to your wedding day beauty regimen but if you are a big crier you may want to rethink them. Shedding tears of joy will cause your lashes to lift. You can create a dramatic effect with your own lashes. Start by curling the lashes, starting at the lid to create lift. Follow this with a volumizing mascara (note, you can swipe a small amount of baby powder across your lashes to help the mascara grab thus creating more volume) but be sure it is waterproof! Now you are ready to face your groom and the camera.