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Hi Neonbible!  I’m back after a long absence which I blame on wedding madness.

So I thought that since I just had my wedding, I will share some of the beauty tips I learned along the way.

The Dress

So I know we’re all addicted to “Say Yes to the Dress”, and obsessed with $15,000 Pnina Tornai gowns, BUT you don’t have to go crazy to get a great dress.

I definitely took my time, went to 4 different stores, and probably tried on about 30 gowns.  For a lot of people, that’s small potatoes, but I found that if you overdose on gowns, it becomes more difficult to make a decision.  To help with your choice, I suggest bringing a couple of friends with you who have a good eye for what makes your body look good.  Try not to bring people who are overly critical, but try to avoid people who will just cry with happiness in every dress you come out in.

In the end, I bought a beautiful Demitrios gown for $1000 flat.  You can generally get the managers to lower the price a little bit if you ask, and sometimes they will wave the tax.  It’s also important to try and get the alterations cost included or a guarantee of the maximum cost.  For me, I was guaranteed to not pay more than $350 for alterations, no matter how much they had to change.

You should also get on this early!  Not only is it a nice way to get into the wedding mood, but the dresses must be ordered months in advance.  It took 5 months for my dress to arrive, which is fairly standard, so start your dress hunting about 8 months before your wedding to give yourself ample time.

The Shoes

I don’t have a lot to say about my shoes, because I wore $5 white flats that my bridesmaid bought for me at Target.

What I will say is this: no one really sees them.  You can definitely get away with shoes from Target or Payless, and no one will know the difference if your gown is long.It’s important to be comfortable as well.  Not just for dancing during the reception (though I suggest changing into flip-flops), but for the hours of photos before hand.Make sure you break your shoes in before the big day though, because wedding blisters are a big bummer.

The Hair

There are two ways to go here: up or down.

If you are going to wear your hair down this is what I suggest: do it yourself.  Get your hair trimmed a few days before to have a nice clean cut.  Then have one of your bridesmaids blow it out for you in the morning.  It will save you some money in the end, and will look just as good as if a hairstylist did it. 

If you are wearing your hair up: get it done professionally.  Your hair needs to stay in place for hours on end and this can really only be achieved by someone who knows what they’re doing.  If you are going with a professional, make sure you have a trial run first.  You don’t want to end up with crazy hair that you don’t have time to change and you end up hating.  Bring in some photos for your trial, and don’t be shy to tell they stylist if you don’t like something.  It’s your day, they’ll understand.

The Makeup

Now, I realize a lot of us are pretty good with makeup, but I did choose to have my makeup done.  Most makeup counters in department stores will do your makeup for free if you buy a certain amount worth of products.  My bridesmaids and I all went the Make-up Forever Counter at The Bay, and they did an amazing job.

I know most brides want to look natural, as did I, but I think it’s important to look different on your wedding day than you do every other day.  So, don’t ask them to do your makeup like you would normally do it.  Have them do an intense eye, or a bright lip color.  And don’t forget the waterproof mascara!

Since for most of these places, you do have to buy products to get your makeup done, I suggest buying things you’ll use for your wedding.  So get the lipstick/lipgloss they used and maybe the blush.

One of the most important things I bought, that the make-up artist recommended, was translucent powder.  After photos in the sun, dancing like crazy, and generally greasiness, having a good translucent powder really kept my shine down the whole night.  I bought the Makeup Forever Multi Use Powder, which retails for about $25, and it was amazing!  It helped keep my makeup in place all day, and was sheer enough it didn’t cover up my makeup, just controlled it.  I use it all the time now, and it is by far the best loose powder I’ve ever owned.

Your wedding will be amazing no matter what happens, but having a dress you love, great hair and the perfect make-up can’t hurt!

~ Roni