On December 3rd, just three short months before the big day (wild, I know!), I was joined by my co-maids of honor and mom at Make Me Fabulous Salon and Spa for my hair and makeup preview session. Let me start by saying we had an absolute blast! I knew I'd be in great hands after reading many outstanding reviews and looking at stunning photographs of previous clients on their social media pages. The salon comes highly recommended and I had no doubt that I'd leave looking fabulous. What really stood out to me, however, was how Alayne and the others had us feeling right at home immediately! As an introvert, sitting in a chair for hours while your loved ones stare at you sounded quite daunting, but Alayne had us telling embarrassing stories and laughing up a storm in no time. We even got some cool bridesmaid hairstyle ideas from braid enthusiast, Osman. His five strand braid was absolutely amazing! My sister, Allyson, was a very willing test subject!
The women of the Harlem Renaissance embodied strength, glamour, and class. I really wanted to pay homage to the time period's beautiful style. I've been browsing Pinterest for Harlem Renaissance inspired looks for quite some time and settled on long glamorous curls with a dramatic eye. I loved the luscious finger-wave inspired styles that I came across on my search, and I was amazed when Alayne blew out my tight curls hair; I didn't think it was possible. There were several "oohs" and "ahhs" as Alayne seemed to shape shift my curls with the strokes of her brush. She also provided some advice on different ways that I could slightly vary my hair style throughout the day of the wedding if I liked. Having my makeup done was also a really great experience and I'm in love with the outcome. Fun fact: the underside of my eyelids are quite ticklish!
The preview was such an important piece of the puzzle in allowing me to envision my overall look on the big day. I tend to worry a lot and really wasn't sure if my hair could even do some of the things that I had envisioned. For me, having a hair or makeup mishap on the day of could've had a huge impact on my overall mood and comfort level. Only happy tears allowed March 2nd 2018! The preview session also gave me the chance to spend some quality time with the team. Alayne's personal attention and interest in getting to know me, and those close to me, was really important. We can't wait to hang out with her again the day of! I feel so comfortable in her competent hands and feel like I can relax a bit more as we move forward. We're moving into the home stretch!