Running of the Bride

Emily Werchadlo was blessed with a beautiful wedding day. She was also blessed with a free wedding gown of her choice! What?!? Emily was chosen to be SNE magazine's "Chatty Bride" to find her dress at Boston's Annual "Running of the Brides". 

If you don't know about the Filene's Basement event, it's a crazy day when thousands of gowns are available at dirt cheap prices. The catch, you ask? You must wrestle, tackle, and/or hip check other brides to get the gown you want.  People form teams, create strategic plans, but, hey, it's all in fun;-) For a free dress, why not?

To see more about the event, Emily's experience, and her DRESS, check out SNE's Chatty Brides.

Here is Emily undergoing transformation by the hands of Amy, our make up guru.

Pam is making Sarah, Emily's bridesmaid, look like an extra from Gone with the Wind. Can't you picture the big hoop skirted ball gown from the 1800's? Fear not...Pam would never leave her stranded. 

Ashley deep in concentration...

Ashley's focus paid off!

The rear view...

Jamie created this cute side braid for Emily's flower girl.

Phew! Remember Sarah's Gone with the Wind 'do? It has been updated to 2009! Beautiful.

Love the sparkly accent.

And here is Emily's Jessica Alba inspired "after". 

 I told Emily that I was totally going to brag to my husband that she is the editor for ESPN's blog. He was quite impressed and wanted to make sure I didn't pretend to be knowledgeable in the sports world. While I can carry on a very basic ESPN-related conversation, trust me, I know my role...stick to hair. 

So please, as a blogging expert, don't judge us Emily. I scored a few pointers...we are pretty new to this stuff:-)

Congratulations and THANK YOU!! You were so wonderful to work with!

The Luck o' the Irish

Kate Murphy must have a touch of the shamrock in her genes because she woke to blue skies and sun the morning of her wedding! Lucky girl because  she travelled from Burlington, Vermont to get married here in little Rhody.

Kate had 5 bridesmaids who were all so much fun! They all took advantage of the wedding party packages and came in on Friday for manis and pedis--very smart:-) Sometimes, if you have a big wedding party, trying to do all your services in one day leaves you feeling less than relaxed. 

Here is Kate before getting started........

Kate's girls...

(Please notice the button down shirts so no one ruins the hair! 

Like I said, these girls are pretty savvy:-)

Kate's mother went with a swept up style. Pam made sure it was soft and elegant, just like her. Awwwww.

All the bridesmaids went with all down or half up styles. Meteorologically speaking, it was a perfect day for being frizz-free. Al Roker would be proud of my vocabulary, right?

Amy making Kate look perfectly natural...

I was mildly obsessed with Kate's veil (okay, I wouldn't stop talking about it).  It was super long and had this rough lace edge. Very unique and very beautiful.

Kate looks like a model from a bridal magazine. Well, if she had a dress on. But I can picture it!!

Thanks to Kate and all her ladies. We hope you had a fabulous time, we sure did with your party! Congrats:-)

Principe Perfection

It's always very special when one of our New Leaf clients gets married. Joanna Principe and her mother, Marcia, have been faithful New Leaf-ers since the doors opened in 2001 so we were pretty excited when Joanna and Walter got engaged...

Joanna and Walter have been together for more than 11 years--whew! Patience must be Joanna's #1 virtue. Joanna has a big italian 'familia' so we knew her wedding would be a pretty big deal.

If you follow this blog at all, you might notice that I am slightly obsessed with the weather for brides. Needless to say, I was checking the 10 -day forecast for Joanna's wedding. I know, I know, overcast days are best for photos. But people are always in such great spirits when it's a beautiful day so who wouldn't want to be surrounded by all that happiness on their wedding?

Anyways, it was drizzly in the morning when they arrived, and sunny by the time everyone left...yipee! The New Leaf touch.

It was not a secret that it had to be a nice day for Joanna and Walter. Rain was simply not an option. You see, they were getting married at Blithewold in Bristol. It's an outdoor venue under a tent. The amazing grounds must be seen to be believed. 

Given the lack  of air conditioning, Marcia, Joanna's curly haired mom, was a tad concerned. As a curly haired girl myself, I understand the phobia of humidity. Humidity can make waves turn to frizz and fine hair fall flat. Fear not though, New Leaf will come to the rescue!

Here is the adorable Joanna with her birthday mimosa (yes, she got married on her birthday...neat, right?) LOVE that gorgeous grin!

Making sure the volume is just right....

Leah and Amy painting their canvases...

I love this shot of Joanna's bridesmaid! We promise that no one has to walk down the aisle like this:o)

Much better....

Meet Shade, pronounced Sha-Day. She was a major cutie-patootie. Ashley was in charge of making her a spotlight stealer...but I don't think Shade needed Ashley for that! 

Apparently, Shade told her mom that she was tired of people saying how beautiful she was and that she wished they would stop. We all agreed that it is a problem we all wished we had!

The 'fancy' Shade and her mom take a moment to relax.

This is a very hot style right now for bridesmaids. We can thank Jessica Alba and Jennifer Aniston for rocking the side-braid to red carpet events. Sometimes, a celebrity trend takes right off!

How gorgeous are all Joanna's ladies?!?

This wedding was extra fun because another loyal New Leaf-er was in Joanna's wedding. Michea and Joanna have been friends since they were in diapers. She is so pretty and has this amazing long, thick hair that she had never worn 'up' for anything before. I was up to the challenge!

We decided on a natural, bohemian kind of style with plenty of hair left around Michea's face. If you tend to wear your hair down a lot, having some softness around your face in an updo might make you feel more comfortable and not so exposed.

Finalizing Joanna's textured chignon...

Leah working her magic before the reveal...

And AFTER the reveal...Can you say gorgeous???

Everyone seemed to escape after their make up was done without us assaulting them with our camera (I know, again...we are going to have seriously consider holding our wedding parties hostage until their pictures are taken!) 

To see all the girls, you HAVE to check out our fabulously talented friends at Snap! Photography. They have the best blog, so fun to read. To see Joanna getting ready, check out  the snap! To see Walter and Joanna canoodling at Blithewold, click here.

Thanks Joanna, Marcia, Michea and all the ladies...such a blast! Congrats and hope you are having a fantastic time on your honeymoon. See you when you get back!

The Kaplan Clan

When Emily Kaplan first walked in, I remember thinking how beautiful she was...tall, thin, perfect skin, ballerina posture, and very well spoken. After talking with her for a few moments,  I realized she was even more beautiful on the inside.

Emily and her mom took advantage of the bridal and wedding party packages. They came in together on Friday to pamper their hands and feet and they had so much fun!

Emily's mom was absolutely hilarious. She had some of the best one liners we have ever heard. By the end of the day, we suggested she consider stand up as her next career path.

Amy 'beautifies' Emily's mom... 

The whole gang!

Emily's textured chignon. As an aside, I tend to really dislike the word 'bun'. I don't know why, it's just one of those weird hang ups of mine. I think I revert to being a kindergartner because it makes me think of a body part, and not pretty bridal hair. But again, I digress....

Emily's wedding was at the Glen Manor in Portsmouth and it seemed to fit her just right. Glamorous but not overdone. Classic, beautiful in it's simplicity.

I hope Emily and her family had a wonderful day...Congratulations and thank you for entertaining us all afternoon! I am sure Emily looked incredible in her gown, and as always, send pictures! 

Eileen Christens the Lounge

It was another New Leaf kind of day...sunny with a nice breeze. It was a perfect day for Eileen MacLean's wedding and a perfect bride to 'christen' the Bridal Lounge. What a fun group of girls! We really are so lucky, I swear we meet the nicest brides.

Eileen waits for Leah to get started and the Lounge comes alive!

Hairspray, bobby pins, curling irons, make up brushes, lip gloss...just a few things in our arsenal. 

How pretty is this style?

Ooooo.....and the back of Ashley's Jessica Alba inspired style.

Leah applies Eileen's make up while her hair sets...

A moment of solace.

So beautiful! I just love the half up style, it's so flattering.

A big thanks to Eileen and her wedding party for being such a great group to 'open' the Lounge!

Stay tuned for more...

The Bridal Lounge Unveiled!

The wait is over and it's finally ready...introducing New Leaf Hair Studio's fabulous addition...

The Bridal Lounge!

The Bridal Lounge concept was 'born' this winter and has been in the works ever since! We imagined a relaxed space, a private area away from the bustle of the salon.  We pictured a cozy sitting area where girls could gather, drink mimosas and watch the bride transform. The Bridal Lounge is a place where a bride can feel like she's at home getting ready with her girls, usually a favorite part of the wedding day. 

The Lounge accommodates wedding parties, large or small. It has plenty of comfy seating, 5 styling stations, and a Smashbox and Cargo make up area.

Here are a few snapshots of the Lounge...

We are so excited to introduce the Bridal Lounge to you!