I want to look like this!

With the crazy hurricane blizzard walloping around outside, I thought it would be a good time to update our blog with some inspirational celebrity pictures. I surfed the internet to find some of the popular  photos that we see. We often see these photos multiple times a night when we are doing a trial run. We love photos for inspiration! We also have to explain to the brides that come in that many things factor in when looking at these photos and trying to recreate them. First, there is the actual color of the hair. A blonde, brunette and redhead can all have the same exact style, length and texture and they will still look different. Blondes tend to show more detail. Brunette's with highlights will also have a different outcome. This is the ideal situation for us. We love highlights because it really shows off detail both in person as well as in photos. Brunettes have the least amount of depth in their hair color and therefore will see the least amount of detail in their hairstyle. Someone who is looking for a very simple, elegant and traditional style will want to keep their haircolor simple. Most brides that want this look already have a natural color and tend to stick with it since it is who they are. We see girls come in with really fun hair color wanting a really fun, out of the box, creative hairstyle! Luckily, we are great at working with both ends of the spectrum. 

When Up-Do's For I Do's first started in 2004 the trend was primarily an up-do. Very few brides and bridesmaids wore their hair down. The next few photos were the top inspirational pictures we saw over and over at trial time!

Every bride had a tiara! We saw thin headbands to 3-4 inches high tiaras! Traditional fingertip veils were in! Typically placed under the curls piled up high. 

I remember when I was planning my wedding in 2004 that this was one of my top photos for my hair trial! These styles stuck around until about 2007 when we started seeing looser, messier and less structured styles. 

Fast forward to 2008, the Golden Globes and Red Carpet looks took over. Center parts, hair in the face and an almost windblown mess was the new style! It's a great and gorgeous look if your hair can hold it. These styles are a little more challenging for someone who can not hold a curl. Most people actually think it is less work for us but in reality the perfectly pinned styles that were in before were actually more secure. As we embraced the new style, we were able to give soft waves,  and looseness while keeping the security with proper pinning. Although these styles appear extremely soft, they were ready for a night of dancing! During this same time we saw less traditional veils. Brides kept is simple with almost no hair accessories! 

In addition to the soft waves swept up, we saw something from my grandmother's past! Vintage hair is back! Pin curls and finger waves became super popular. I remember when I was in beauty school we had to do hundreds of these and I kept thinking to myself that no one would ever wear their hair like that. I was wrong and thank you Ms. Taylor for making me complete my assignment of pin curls and finger waves. This is one of my favorite styles to do! 

Birdcage veils match perfectly with this style! As soon as Katherine Heigl's wedding photos hit stands I had brides emailing me after we did their trial that they wanted to changed their style to this instead! Even this year we continue to see more birdcage veils than the traditional tier tulle veils. I love birdcage veils as they allow for so much personality! Each birdcage veil is completely different from the next!

Now onto the most current trend! Long hair all down or partially up! Several years ago when Carmen Electra's wedding photos appeared, we were overwhelmed with requests for this style! Isn't it so romantic? This style is great if your hair can hold a decent curl or wave and you aren't getting married in July outside. The humidity would kill it. Luckily, since we are good at what we do, we can still make it happen so if your hair doesn't hold curl, it's not long enough, and you are getting married in July, we can do extensions. There are so many options that come with different pricing so it can fit any budget. We can pin or glue in extensions the day of the wedding. This is a temporary style and will last for a few days. The other option is to have them "fused" or "locked" in. We prefer the "locked" version. For more info on the type of extensions we work with check out hairlocs.com  We are certified with this company! Feel free to email us any questions regarding this!

Jessica Simpson! Who doesn't love her hair? Well now that she has teamed up with Ken Paves and admitted she uses extensions, it has made my life a lot easier! A bride once brought me this photo and said, "I want to look like this!" My response, "Me too!".  Another thing that is usually not publicized about these photos is that they are highly edited and any pro photographer would agree with me. In fact, several photographers have shown me what has been touched up from the coloring on their skin to reducing the frizzies in their hair. I promise that celebrities really aren't that perfect although many are naturally gorgeous without their dream team! I feel so special when my brides tell me they wish they could have us come over every morning to prep them with hair and make-up for their day! 

So here it is! Jessica's famous hair! 

I couldn't resist throwing in a little Carrie. She is adorable and looks amazing all the time no matter what style she is wearing. I would have to say that she is our all-time top celebrity for inspirational pictures! I couldn't agree more with our brides! Her style screams romantic and bridal. I can't wait to see photos from her upcoming wedding! This is a make-up shot that we see often!

We have more bridesmaids request this than we do brides! I'm a bridesmaid later this summer and I think I'm going to with this for my style! I love the height, softness and the fact that it will last! This is a great alternative for someone who has the length but their hair will not hold the curl. By pinning a good portion of it, the style will last!

This is our #1 celebrity inspiration and photo! 100 times over we see this every week when we host trials at our studio in Catonsville. Absolutely gorgeous!