Newlywed model Coco Rocha got hitched June 9th to James Conrad, and so far there is only one picture of her in her Zac Posen custom designed wedding dress. She looks totally gorgeous, of course, and very classic bride. Annoyingly though, we can’t see much of the bottom of the dress in this picture, and co-model (hee) Behati Prinsloo told Modelinia that is the most interesting part of the gown:
“It was tight over her body all the way to her knees, then it had this extreme mermaid tail at the bottom,” she said. “The straps were off the shoulder, and the material looked vintage–it’s sort of hard to explain, you have to see it.”
Coco got married in a castle in France, by the way, and they rented a flying dragon to ride to the reception! Wheeee!
So! I got my extensions today from the super awesome Jordana Lorraine at Dino-Clark Salon in Santa Monica. It was incredibly easy and fast. Jordana also did some highlights + lowlights on my hair, so the whole process took a little while, but the actually extensions part was a piece of cake.
Jordana used Hotheads Hair Extensions on me, which are in the category of “Taped Wefts” in the Guide To Types of Hair Extensions. They are super thin, flat strips or “wefts” of hair with little strips of adhesive tape at the top that are attached onto your hair. They are good for someone like me who has fine-hair because they lay really flat against your head and are good for filling in long but thin hair–which is exactly what I was looking to do.
The picture above is of all the hair–two different shades. The photo came out a little dark, but you can see the little adhesive at the top. Each thin weft of hair just peels off that stack. One thin weft of hair is sandwiched one on top of the other, over your natural hair. The end result is very natural looking. Jordana layered two different colors so there is a multi-dimensional look that blends with my own hair, with no weird piecey streaks. It looks natural, but kinda not natural because who has this much nice hair? Not me, anyway. (By the way, I can SO see how this is addictive.)
The extensions last a few months and then you have your stylist take them out and have them re-attached. The same wefts of hair can be re-used a few times, but it does not have to be consecutively so you can give your hair a break, if you like. Because you can re-use the hair a few times, this type of extension is more cost effective than other types. The main rules for Taped Weft extensions are that you cannot use products with alcohol or oil in them because it harms the adhesive and will cause the extensions to come off, but you can wash and heat style them like normal.
That is the “after” photo of the back. Looks good, right? You can still kinda see the f’ed up layers I am growing out at the top (or “bangs in the back” as Jordana lovingly referred to them. ha.) but it blends so much better now! And the color match is perfect! Also, she layered the extensions after they were put in so they didn’t lay too heavy. Major thumbs up. And I know I am not showing my face… Maybe my wedding pics? Thanks to Jordana for the pics, by the way.
Part II of my day: I also saw Kristen Gaby at Dino-Clark Salon today for a trial run on my wedding day hair. Kristen says the most requested bridal hair is down and wavy with one side pinned back, like the above shot of Marion Cotillard. And that happens to be kinda how we’re doing my hair. Kristen is a great stylist and super sweet and easygoing. I know she will put me at ease on the day of. Kristen curled my new extensions into a cool looking wave that is still going strong right now (which is amazing because my hair always drops curl!) Check back soon because I am going to interview Kristen about wedding hair stuff soon.
To book an appointment with Jordana Lorraine for extensions, Brazilian Blowout and more, you can go to her website, email her, or call her at 310-922-2645!
To book an appointment with Kristen Gaby, call Dino-Clark directly at 310-392-3951.
I said I’d post a wedding pic, so here it is! I know; kinda far away, but it is the first one I’ve seen and the first one I am sharing with my HOTB peeps. Of course, what I really want to know is, how do you like the hair? In my opinion, it turned out great. As did the whole night. I think I was in a pink bubble of wedding joy, but seriously everything went off without a hitch. And that is thanks in large part to picking the “A-Team” of Los Angeles wedding vendors. So, I thought I would do any struggling brides-to-be out there a favor and list all our great vendors because, seriously, you want to use these people! They were all amazing. Let’s run it down. First up…
Wedding Fashion & Beauty:
Extensions: Jordana Lorraine, of course!
Hair Styling: Kristen Gaby for me and stylist at Argyle Salon & Spa for wedding party peeps.
Makeup: (and spray tan, eyelash tint) by Sadie Wilson. She was fantastic and so calm on the day-of. I really loved working with her and will be going back for eyebrow shaping, eyelash tints, etc., in the future.
Dress: ‘Sasha’ Little White Dress by Amsale. Purchased at the Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal Department in Bev Hills. My sales assistant was Abegail Abellana and she was awesome. I highly recommend Saks if you’re looking for a bridal-y dress. They had all the top designers. I was a little overwhelmed because I was not looking for a big deal dress, but I lucked out with my little white dress. It was one of about four short dressed they had in the entire shop. Abegail totally helped me out, and I loved my dress. Super easy, breezy and comfortable.
Belt: Oscar de la Renta. This piece was seperate from the dress, obviously, and you want see it in the pic but I will have to post another picture of it later, because it was amazing and MADE the outfit. I bought it at Saks Fifth Avenue as well.
Earrings & Bracelet: Borrowed from Claude Morady, where we bought my engagement ring (more to come on that). Claude told us that I could borrow jewelry from him for my wedding back when we’d bought my engagement ring. Talk about good customer service, right? I got to pick out whatever I wanted to wear, which was awesome. I picked a vintage diamond bracelet from the 1930s to match my engagement ring and a gorgeous pair of diamond earrings. Heaven.
Shoes: Jimmy Choo CLUES in Champagne. I got a lot of compliments on these shoes, and they were actually very comfortable. I didn’t think about taking them off all night–even while dancing. And you can bet I am going to wear the hell out of them forever. Oh, yes.
Nail Polish: One coat of OPI You Don’t Know Jacques! and one coat of OPI My Private Jet. Sparkly and not nude.
WEDDING VENDORS (in alpha order):
Cake: Vanilla Bake Shop. The cake was delicious and pretty cute. We also has macaroons and mini cupcakes, which I heard were good too, but I never manged to taste them! I have to say working with them was slightly annoying based on a few miscommunications but not too bad.
Caterer: The Kitchen for Exploring Foods. The food at our wedding was incredible! Immediately after our ceremony, Rob and I got to go back into this little room to be together, and our day-of coordinator Ruby had made up a little plate of appetizers and two glassed and champagne. Well. I downed my glass of champagne in two seconds and started in on the appetizers. They were fantastic. HUGE shrimp and everything so fresh and delicious. It was great. I highly recommend them. They made everything very easy and were very professional and easy to work with.
Ceremony Music: Our friends Darren, Dave and Jonny played music and my friend Alison sang as we walked down the aisle and at the end of the ceremony. It was so great and added such a unique and personal touch to the ceremony. I could never thank them enough for that. Plus, it helped to look over and see Alison and Darren’s smiling faces during the ceremony, when I felt like I was going to pass out! The song they played was “I Got A Sure Thing” by Ollie & The Nightingales.
Day-of Coordination: TACT Event Coordination. Ruby was our day-of coordinator and Loop helped us with preparations in advance. Everything was perfect.
DJ: Nahchey. He’s a great DJ. Played fantastic, danceable music all night. He also was very cool and asked us exactly what we wanted in terms of talking/no talking. (We wanted no talking.) And then he totally didn’t speak the whole night. It was perfect and a lot of people danced.
Engagement Ring: Claude Morady. Claude has an exceptional selection of estate jewelry and he is extremely nice. I hope we can buy more jewelry from Claude in the future. Right, Rob??
Florist: Holly Flora. I think the florist was one of the first vendors we picked and met with–that meeting seemed SO long ago, but they totally nailed the flowers. I loved them! They were very easy to work with and I loved their aesthetic so I think I kind of left some things up to them… It turned out amazing and I couldn’t have been happier. (Picture by Bonnie Tsangwith her iPhone!)
SO MUCH MORE after the break!
Hotel: Andaz West Hollywood. Most of out guest were from out of town, so we booked a block of rooms at the Andaz Hotel in Weho. The hotel staff was incredibly accommodating all weekend and everyone loved it. It had a nice bar for hanging out and a great rooftop pool. Our ‘bridal suite’ (ew. that term!) was incredible! Huge and with a bananas view of Sunset… The scene there on Sunset on the weekends is pretty intense and not my thing, but for one or two nights, it’s ok. The service is phenomenal and the hotel itself is so gorgeous. For my own selfish reasons, I wish it was located elsewhere, but I guess I am in luck because they now have Andaz Hotels in San Diego, two in New York, and one in London.
Invitations: Urbanic Paper Boutique in Venice. We also got a ton of compliments on our invites and I recommend any one in the LA area to go to Urbanic. Audrey, the owner is such a sweetheart and the shop is adorable. She helped us out so much and made the whole experience super pleasant. We also used Urabanic for calligraphy, menus, escort cards, thank you cards–everything papery! Also, Audrey reads HOTB sometimes, so hi.
Movies: Marvimon has a large film screen right by the dance floor where you can project movies, which is such a cool element of the space. The first movie we played and the one that stands out the most in my mind is To Catch a Thief by Alfred Hitchcock. (We also played North by Northwest and Vertigo.) When we were seated at dinner, I looked over and saw my favorite scene with the Grace Kelly and Cary Grant and the fireworks! Her dress in that scene… amazing. And oddly, the movie and Grace Kelly’s look came up earlier in the day when Kristen was doing my hair and she told me it was also one of her favorite movies and we both have a love of Jimmy Stewart/Cary Grant. Check it out:
Officiant: Cathy O’Connell. She was so great and made our ceremony so unique and personal. Cathy and her partner Dorry Wynham are also wedding planners in the Palm Springs area. In retrospect, I wonder if we should have gotten a wedding planner because planning a wedding is a lot of work. Cathy & Dorry would be great to have as wedding planners too. They are awesome.
Photographer: Bonnie Tsang. I really cannot say enough good things about Bonnie. She was the ideal photographer. I barely noticed her all night. She takes stunning photographs but is really low key. And when taking family portrait style photos, she is so FAST. I loved her.
Room Gifts: Most of our guest were traveling from out of town, and were staying at that Andaz so we had lovely room gifts put together for them when they arrived by Sweet Delivery, a company owned by a friend of Rob’s mom, who was a guest at our wedding. Thank you, Margie!
Venue (for reception and ceremony): Marvimon. This place is amazing. I highly, highly recommend it! I would not have wanted to get married anywhere else. (Photo by Bonnie Tsang with her iPhone.)
Wedding Bands: Peter Norman. We had my wedding band custom made to fit with my antique engagement band. Our friend Courtney works at Peter Norman and helped us with that and with picking out Rob’s band too.
I think that’s everything! I hope that helps at least one LA bride out there… Let me know if you have any questions, of course!
Last week I posted about getting my extensions from Jordana Lorraine and my wedding hair consultation with Kristen Gaby. I mentioned that I would be doing an interview with Kristen about all things wedding hair. Kristen is super busy since we’re in the middle of wedding season, but she was able to answer all my questions about consultations, the best wedding hair styles, hair accessories, and more! I wish I’d known all this stuff way back when I started wedding planning… Actually, I joke with my beyonce that if I’d known everything that really went into wedding planning, I would have forced him to marry me in Vegas! Learn from me, peeps. (Lesson #1: Hire a wedding planner!)
Hair On The Brain: I know I did my consultation totally late. When should bridez really do their wedding hair consultation?
Kristen Gaby: A bride should be “stylist shopping” for her wedding approximately 2-3 months before her wedding date. It is important to at least book a consultation to get to know the stylist and understand their approach to hair, style, and availability. The consultation should include a ball-park quote and a trial run. A trial run is the stylist giving you a preview of how your hair will look on your actual wedding day. It also helps the stylist account for how much time they will need to work with your hair day of.
HOTB: What specific things should you ask your stylist?
Kristen: Ask your stylist if she has any suggestions for creating a unique look for you on your wedding day. Ask when a color and cut should be done and how soon before the wedding. Ask if the stylist has price packages to include your wedding party. It is always great to ask if the stylist can travel to you on your wedding day. It may cost a little more, but not having to worry about the commute or leaving the salon on time is priceless.
HOTB: I totally agree with that! You don’t want to have to drive around on that day, especially in LA traffic. Do you have any advice on how to pick the right hairstyle for your wedding?
Kristen: I find that many girls get attached to a certain hair style and forget that their hair needs to compliment and work with their overall look. Some things to take into account are the shape of the dress, your facial bone structure, and if you are wearing earrings or a necklace. Other things to consider are the neckline of the dress, the time of the wedding, and if it’s an indoor or outdoor ceremony. In your trial run with the stylist, don’t limit yourself to one look. Try several different looks. The one you pick might surprise you!
HOTB: It is good to be open minded when in the chair, especially when your stylist is just trying out different looks. Do you have any tips specifically for short haired women on their wedding day?
Kristen: Short hair brides do not despair! I have worked wonders with temporary extensions on the day of the wedding, especially with updos. If the hair is too short to wear up at all, consider a simple wave with an accent in the hair such as a beaded headband or a vintage jeweled clip. I would stay away from trying to do a “half-up” look with bob length hair, it tends to look school-girlish and not very sophisticated.
HOTB: Should you bring along any hair accessories and veils you will be wearing?
Kristen: Because you want the most accurate idea of the look you will get on your wedding day, I highly encourage bringing your veil and/or any hair accessories (no matter how silly or glittery you think they are), a picture of you in your dress, and any pictures of hairstyles that you like. Also, bring a digital camera and have your stylist take a picture of all angles of your hair so that you can see how it photographs. It is also important to bring the veil so that the stylist can anticipate what kind of hair comb they are working with or around.
HOTB: Oops. I didn’t do any of that! Any other tips for brides when working with hair stylists?
Kristen: Be sure to ask your stylist if they would prefer your hair washed the day of or the night before. That can sometimes make a difference. Be sure to relax and be patient during the trial run because your stylist is “getting to know” your hair. Understand that it is a creative process. Don’t be afraid to speak up if their is something that you don’t like: “Can we make this piece higher?” or “Can we make this sleeker?”
HOTB: I agree. Don’t suffer in silence, but please don’t be bridezilla either!
Kristen: Right. And if you do not have good energy with your stylist during your trial run, WALK AWAY! You do not need any negative energy around you on your wedding day, and you definitely don’t need a stylist with a diva complex. Find someone that calms you and is confident in their skills and it will be a great fit.
HOTB: Very true, Kristen. Not every stylist is cut out to do bridal hair. How do you make sure your curls/waves stay put throughout your wedding day and night?
Kristen: To ensure that your curl will last through your big day, is largely up to your stylist. For hair that is being worn down here is my golden rule: NEVER rake your fingers through your set curls! If you feel they are losing their bounce, simply mist with a light hairspray and do a soft scrunching motion with your hands to encourage bounce.
HOTB: Any tips for beach brides?
Kristen: I know beach brides just love the beachy wavy hair that’s worn down. It’s beautiful in magazine, but there are some things to consider. It’s usually very windy on the beach and the air is usually quite moist. If you don’t want to constantly be tucking your hair behind your ear or pulling it out of your mouth during your vows, then I suggest a happy medium. Consider wearing your hair half up and half down with the loose beach wave. I have seen even the most “curl friendly” hair fall out and frizz at beach weddings. If your ceremony is indoors after the beach ceremony, consider asking your stylist to style your hair in such a way where you can take out the half-up pins and give you head a shake and rock a beautiful all-down style for the reception.
HOTB: Do you have any specific hair products that you couldn’t live without when doing wedding hair?
Kristen: My updo/styling secret weapon that I am absolutely obsessed with is Bumble & Bumble’s Thickening Spray. It is a fantastic thermal product that ensures long lasting curl and great hold! I also wouldn’t go anywhere without hair powder/dry shampoo. Dry shampoo is my secret to long lasting updos that do not slip. It gives hair great volume, moldability, and hold.
HOTB: I can’t live without dry shampoo either–it’s amazing stuff. What’s your favorite wedding hairstyle?
Kristen: My current favorite style right now is a textured, loose, un-done updo. I find that look to be so beautiful. Braids and waves are very in too, and that gives a soft romantic look for any bride. Accenting this kind of updo with a vintage pin or small feather is absolutely stunning!
HOTB: Oh, that sounds so pretty! Any other wedding hair tips you would like to add?
Kristen: Some great points to remember for creating harmony between hair and dress: If the dress is very detailed, beaded, and ruffled, the hair should be more simple and sleek so that the eye won’t be distracted with all the bead work and a huge main of hair. If the dress is simple, smooth and sleek, try doing something soft and curled to contrast the simplicity of the dress.
Thank you so much for all this great advice, Kristen! I’m so excited to see you soon.
To book an appointment with Kristen Gaby, you can email her directly at kristen.gaby@gmail.com and check out her Facebook page.
So, guess what is happening in FOUR DAYS. I’m getting hitched! Whoa, I just scared the crap out of myself typing that!! Um, ok. But just think, after this weekend I can stop posting about wedding stuff! Yay for everyone.
So while I am in the home stretch, for Carrie Underwood and Emily Blunt, it is all over. The two lovelies got married this past weekend. Carrie Underwood wed Mike Fisher in Greensboro, Georgia, and Emily Blunt put a ring on John Krasinski in Lake Como, Italy. According to InStyle, Carrie wore a custom-made Monique Lhuillier gown of Chantilly lace. Emily Blunt wore Marchesa, and her guests included the mayor of Lake Como: George Clooney. Emily’s Marchesa gown was draped chiffon with sweetheart neckline and embroidered details.
Sounds good! I want to see Emily in particular; I love her style. But no pictures yet. Boo.
Hey! Married! I will write about the wedding and the great vendors we used and the amazing hair & makeup (and maybe post a few pictures!) at a later date, but right now I am just going to say that it was totally the best night ever and leave it at that for now!
Lena, a Hair On The Brain reader wrote in to tell me about a Ukrainian fashion line she is working on: X’U, designed by Ksenia Marchenko. Lena’s email was so sweet and the site super cool, so I had to tell you all about it. Plus, check out that model’s rad short haircut. So cool. Here’s a video from X’U’s fall/winter 2010/11. (The music in this video did not help my hangover though! Ouch.)
I am still looking for shoes to go with my wedding dress. (Shut up. At least the invitations went out today.) And I still don’t know how I’m wearing my hair either. Last week I entertained the idea of cutting it all off and dyeing it blonde. I thought it might be cool to not recognize myself in my wedding photos. I know; analyze that.
But if there is one thing about me: I hate being told what to do and that includes stupid wedding beauty “rules”. (My main piece of advice to anyone getting hitched, don’t read about it online or in magazines, that will only make you craaaazy. They say you need to get your dress like fifty million months in advance and other ridiculous things.) Anyway, there is something freeing in doing the opposite of what everyone says to do.
I plan to change it up and feel like myself day-of, which actually would include randomly cutting all my hair off last minute, but thankfully I’m old and wise enough to know that might also send me into a tailspin of panic, if it went badly. So, instead I am just definitely NOT going to wear neutral nails, I’m wearing a short dress, and probably going to wear colorful shoes too… If I ever find a pair!
The minute I start taking this whole thing too seriously, is when it starts feeling like a total pain in the ass, which is sad. It’s suppose to be a party! For us!
That said, I can’t wait to just be married already so I can stop think about what I am going to wear.
I met with Jordana Lorraine over at Dino-Clark Salon in Santa Monica yesterday to discuss my favorite HOTB topic: Extensions! Actually, I just thought of something. I wonder if Jordanna would rather do/discuss extensions or Brazilian Blowouts, as she is a whiz at both. Anyway, Jordana was super sweet in person, and I felt like I’d known her forever since I’ve interviewed her a bunch of times. (Check out Guide to Types of Hair Extensions, In-Depth Guide to Hair Extensions, and In-Depth Guide to Brazilian Blowouts!) It was great to finally meet in person, and it was exciting to discuss what type of extensions we were going to use on my hair… Oh yes, kids, I am finally going to get some extensions of my own, so stay tuned for that! I also met with Kristen Gaby to talk about wedding hair. Dun, dun, duuuuuuuun. Thinking maybe wavy with one side up in a clip of some sort? Which means that now I have to find a clip… So add that to my to-do list. I still need: shoes, bracelet, earrings, purse, and now hair clip. I am forgetting something, I think…
Guess who else got hair extensions? Kate Moss. Betch is totally copying me.
On June 5th she was spotted leaving the Ivy Club in London with just-past her shoulders hair, but then a few nights ago she was snapped leaving the Hazlitt’s hotel in Soho with super long locks! They’re a little messy, but I like them in a rock ‘n roll way… I think she’s cool enough to pull this off–ala not Lindsay Lohan. But what do you think? LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT?
P.S. If you want extensions of your own or a Brazilian Blowout OR just some all-around great hair, head to Dino-Clark:
Dino-Clark Salon 3110 Main Street, Suite 110, Santa Monica, CA 90405 (310) 922-2645
Newlywed model Coco Rocha got hitched June 9th to James Conrad, and so far there is only one picture of her in her Zac Posen custom designed wedding dress. She looks totally gorgeous, of course, and very classic bride. Annoyingly though, we can’t see much of the bottom of the dress in this picture, and co-model (hee) Behati Prinsloo told Modelinia that is the most interesting part of the gown:
“It was tight over her body all the way to her knees, then it had this extreme mermaid tail at the bottom,” she said. “The straps were off the shoulder, and the material looked vintage–it’s sort of hard to explain, you have to see it.”
Coco got married in a castle in France, by the way, and they rented a flying dragon to ride to the reception! Wheeee!
Thanks to Jordana for the pics, by the way.
Dress: ‘Sasha’ Little White Dress by Amsale. Purchased at the Saks Fifth Avenue Bridal Department in Bev Hills. My sales assistant was Abegail Abellana and she was awesome. I highly recommend Saks if you’re looking for a bridal-y dress. They had all the top designers. I was a little overwhelmed because I was not looking for a big deal dress, but I lucked out with my little white dress. It was one of about four short dressed they had in the entire shop. Abegail totally helped me out, and I loved my dress. Super easy, breezy and comfortable.
Shoes: Jimmy Choo CLUES in Champagne. I got a lot of compliments on these shoes, and they were actually very comfortable. I didn’t think about taking them off all night–even while dancing. And you can bet I am going to wear the hell out of them forever. Oh, yes.
Last week I posted about getting my extensions from Jordana Lorraine and my wedding hair consultation with Kristen Gaby. I mentioned that I would be doing an interview with Kristen about all things wedding hair. Kristen is super busy since we’re in the middle of wedding season, but she was able to answer all my questions about consultations, the best wedding hair styles, hair accessories, and more! I wish I’d known all this stuff way back when I started wedding planning… Actually, I joke with my beyonce that if I’d known everything that really went into wedding planning, I would have forced him to marry me in Vegas! Learn from me, peeps. (Lesson #1: Hire a wedding planner!)
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