Wedding Wednesday: "I Want to Look Natural, but Bridal" (Hair, Makeup, & Nails for the Big Day)

My last Wedding Wednesday post was obviously before I found out about my mom's brain cancer. Things are slowly getting back to a new kind of normal in my life, and I'm trying to bring my blog back to normal as well.

Considering how infrequently I wear makeup, and how little time I spend on my hair, I was surprisingly stressed out about my hair and makeup for my wedding day. Having a mani/pedi was a given--getting my nails professionally done is a semi-regular indulgence of mine. But how was I supposed to find time to:

• figure out what kind of bridal "look" I wanted to copy
• know what kind of products to buy to replicate that look
• learn how to create that look so it would last half the day
• know which hair tools to buy
• experiment with those hair tools to get just the right curls
• find the right hair products to keep those curls curly and not frizzy in humidity 

My anti-frizz oil is fighting a losing battle... pic.twitter.com/MQ0xYpw4Eh
— Belle Femme (@SaBelleFemme) March 21, 2014

I spent so much time on Pinterest and reading my favorite beauty blogs, but I was still so lost. 

Then my mother-in-law emailed me and the other women (my mom, my sister-in-law-in-law E, and my future sister-in-law C) to see if we were interested in manicures and pedicures the day before the wedding. She also offered to find a spa or salon and coordinate the appointment. 

I immediately said yes. She quickly found options, and the best one also did hair and makeup. This was not the first time I'd considered having those professionally done, but I honestly just didn't know if it was in our budget. When I mentioned this to my mom, she insisted that paying for my hair and makeup was part of what they wanted to cover in our wedding costs.

Burden. Lifted. Between my mom and my MIL, a huge stressful part of wedding planning was handled, and I didn't have to do a thing.

My week-old bridal mani is going strong! Please ignore my blotchy sunburn. pic.twitter.com/ICCAGhVELH
— Belle Femme (@SaBelleFemme) March 28, 2014

All of us except for E had mani/pedis at a fabulous salon and spa within walking distance of our hotel. I chose a very sheer pink for my hands and a hot pink for my feet. Then I had my hair and makeup trial. Normally this would be a sooner than the day of the rehearsal, but we obviously don't live in San Antonio. I explained to my hair stylist that I wanted bigger, more defined curls than my natural wavy hair, and I showed her the tiara headband I wanted to wear. I told my makeup artist that I wanted my look to be "natural, but bridal."

I was thrilled with how it turned out! 

Between the rehearsal and the rehearsal dinner

My appointment Saturday morning didn't go quite as planned, but I still looked beautiful, and the hiccups were minor in the grand scheme of things. 

This is a staged "first look" picture.

Clearly Beau thought I was beautiful! But then again, he always thinks I'm beautiful, even when I'm bare-faced with my hair all messy. That's why I married him! ♥ 

P.S. For a different perspective on bridal beauty, please look at my friend Carolyn's post on why she didn't wear makeup on her wedding day!
Linking up with Meredith, Nancy J, and Mary for Wedding Wednesday!