Jo's Tips To Finding Your Best Wedding Hairstyles

I love browsing the web for hairstyles.
Brides.com has a great library of hairstyles, which was my to-go page when I started doing bridal makeup and hair. Here's a screen shot of their page, this one has tips for your trial session.

Read it? It is true - at least the bit about wearing your hair out after a trial. I always tell my clients to keep wearing their hair and makeup after the trial, and then tell me after how it went. We'll know then if anything went wonky, or they prefer certain things differently, or hey! that the false eyelashes are actually really comfortable (I use the Princess Lee eyelashes from Taiwan ;] )


Another thing I advise my clients to do, is to search out pictures online about what styles they like. Sure, I do give recommendations and suggestions, but when I meet my client for the first time, I don't automatically know their real style.
I am not psychic. I can't read minds, and I can't quite imagine the exact wedding dress from verbal descriptions (lace, tulle, ivory, princess, mermaid... ).
The best way to communicate with your makeup artist? Pictures. Hell, it actually is THE best way to communicate with any of your creative suppliers, be it your wedding planner, designer or florist.
Because "natural" may mean different things to different people, and so does "casual". There are 1038462 different "smokey eyes" - ok, i exaggerate, but really, if you can be specific, do be specific. It'll save you alot of time and also help us get straight to the point and give you what you want.

And if you still have no idea what you want?
You can ask me , or you can also check out ELLE's list of The Best Wedding Hairstyles, and then give me a call :)

Up Close: The Wedding Stylist

Happy 2012 everyone!! I had a fun Christmas and New Year, and I'm really looking forward to Chinese New Year when my family has chicken rice for reunion dinner! (we're Hainanese :D)

This year, I'm bringing a new feature to this blog, to give you insights for your wedding day. This "Up Close" section will bring you interviews, secrets, and tips on organising your big day while looking your polished best, straight from the professionals in the business!

To start us off, I scored an interview with Caroline Tan- Reed, wedding planner and founder of The Wedding Stylist. Also included are photographs of a wedding she had planned, taking us through from conceptualisation to the actual day.

Caroline Tan- Reed: Founder of The Wedding Stylist

What inspired you to become a wedding planner?

2007, I had a very good friend who asked me to help her with her wedding, and that sparked a passion for it. I got into it full time in 2008.

I did a Wedding Planning Diploma with a school in the UK, which helped me in terms of planning a wedding, such as managing the budget, timeline, and prioritising.
It was more detailed than what I did with friends.



Why the name "The Wedding Stylist"?

I did a focus group with some friends, and we were contemplating on 3 names, "The Wedding Designer", but it sounded too much like a fashion designer. The other was "Unveil Weddings", but they thought it was too boring. The Wedding Stylist was a little bit more American, I wanted to bring a western touch to Singapore weddings.

About 80 % of my couples have studied abroad, or are of mixed heritage, or live abroad, or their other halves are not Singaporean.


What are some of the misconceptions of the job?

The most common misconception is that it is a glamorous job, and it is not a glamorous job at all.

On the wedding day, while the bride usually wakes up about 4 or 5am, I wake up at 3am to prepare everything, and am the last to leave.
I also have to throw out the trash - definitely not glamorous.

Some demanding brides also expected me to book their honeymoon.
One of my brides insisted that I book tickets and plan the route through UK for her pre-wedding shoot and travels.



So what exactly is the jobscope?

I am there to only help her manage her wedding.
Part of our jobscope is also to come up with the concept and theme, to present different options for decorations, give them advice on things like dresses, food, and schedules.

Storyboard: The Wedding Stylist

We usually do up a storyboard, taking into consideration their personality and what they like. It has a floorplan, pictures and colour palattes of our recommendations.
(Other than that, I'm not there to organise their honeymoon.)



What's a typical month/week/day leading up to the wedding?

Month: Final details like flowers, alterations of dresses, suits, wedding stationery, design and fonts of the menus, type of music to be played, itenary for the day, car decor & flowers.

Week: Last minute scrambling for changes, forgotten details, picking up bits and pieces.

Day: Surprisingly, it is very smooth because you already know what you have to do, and it's a long day so you're so busy that you don't have time to think of anything else.


Time line: The Wedding Stylist


But also because you're there?

I hope so, haha.


How does a bride decide if she needs to have a wedding planner or not?

Usually if the bride is very busy, she will need a planner.
The other reason is that they need some inspiration, because they might not have the resources or knowledge to look for ideas, so they come to us to help them design the wedding and recommend our contact list, like you as the makeup artist for example. (Thanks Caroline!)



Have you had weddings where the couple brings you in to salvage their plans?

I had to plan a wedding in 1.5 months, they had only booked the venue and got the gown and the suit. We had to get everything in place - the food, flowers, band, itenery, Justice of Peace (JP). They didn't even register at the Registry of Marriages (ROM) yet.

(Usually the ROM booking opens up 3 months before your wedding, and you need to have your JP who has agreed to marry you, and there's an online form where you sign and pay. )


Where do you get your inspiration from?

Blogs, wedding magazines, friends, people I work with, like photographers. We discuss what weddings we've been to, and bounce ideas off each other.


How about when you got married ?

Mine was a very simple ceremony with only 100 people, a church wedding and a small dinner. I wanted something intimate and cosy.
In the morning we had a colour theme of yellow and pale coral, and we used orchids to incorporate some Singapore touches.
The evening was a small dinner at the Raffles.


Would you change anything if you went back to that?

No, as a wedding planner you lives your own dreams through so many weddings, so when it comes to your own, you know what's really important is the company and that you enjoy yourself and that everyone is there to share it with you.



What's the strangest thing at a wedding you had planned?

It's not weird in a bad way, we had a wedding in Chijmes and we brought in some ah kwas (transexuals) to perform, so that was quite a shocker, but the couple wanted something outrageous and fun.



Are Singapore brides and weddings too mellow or regular?
I think because we come from a culture that teaches us to respect and listen to our elders, a lot of the brides cannot have a wedding that they truly want, but what their parents want. That's really sad because it is their day after all and it is going to happen once in their lifetime.
That's one bit I feel quite sad about, because I know alot of it is planned by their parents, and they're doing it for the parents.

Other than that I've had some brides who are quite chill, and they just do what they want to do. These brides turn out to be the more fun and happy brides, because they give you alot of imput and they are so involved in the wedding.

Which was your most memorable wedding?

There was a couple who hired me 2 months before the wedding, and the bride had lots of ideas but they just didnt know how to execute it.
They wanted a garden theme for the church and reception.
Since she was on a budget, we went to Ikea and bought small vases, and did the flowers ourselves. It was very DIY and we used ribbon strips on the table and paper dollies to make it more garden feel for her. It was fun.
She had a dessert buffet and she made her own doggy bags where she stamped each of them individually.

There was a vintage typewriter so that people could write their messages to them on it.

Photo: The Wedding Stylist

Some things were difficult to find in Singapore, like a clay ring pillow where their vows were written on it, which was very cute.


It was very fun working with her because she was very inspirational.



Show us how your ideas became reality!


The Storyboard



The Venue : CHIJMES






Details:





The Entrance:





Photography: Aloysius, 39 East Photography
http://www.39eastimages.com/



The professionals are in: Caroline's Little White Book


Non-hotel ballroom wedding location:

The Marmalade Pantry at The Stables
http://www.themarmaladepantry.com.sg/
55 Fairways Drive, Singapore 286846
+65 64679328




Burkill Hall at Singapore Botanic Gardens
http://www.sbg.org.sg/visitorinfo/venueforrent.asp
+65 6471 7374
photo: 39 East Photography











Clifford Restaurant at The Fullerton Bay Hotel
http://www.fullertonbayhotel.com/dining-en.html
"With full height glass windows, you don't even need a lot of decorations"
Photo: Fullerton Bay Hotel



Food & Catering:

Asian: Tung Lok
http://www.tunglok.com/

Western: Marmalade
http://www.themarmaladepantry.com.sg/
"They've got great food and impeccable service"


Wedding Gown Designers (all by appointment only):

Louis from Amor Meus Design Studio
23 Purvis Street, #02-01 Talib Centre
Singapore 188613
+65 6336 6930
amormeus@singnet.com.sg


The Prelude Bridal
http://www.theprelude.com.sg/
21A Duxton Hill Singapore 089604
+65 6221 4982
"The Prelude brings in very sleek and modern dresses from the UK and US"

photo: The Prelude Bridal













Love, Yu
http://www.weloveyu.com/about/
8 Mohamed Sultan Road #03-01 Singapore 238958
+65 6235 7781
yu@weloveyu.com




















"Ee-Lyn is so accomodating. Her off-the-rack is a very different style from what people usually go for, but she has designed complicated things very similar to Vera Wang"
Photo: Love, Yu















Wedding Stationary & Cards:

Caroline's team of graphic designers and printers will whip up beautiful bespoke invitation cards if you have something in mind, but if not, pay a visit to
Craft Inc
http://craftincdesign.com/
402 Orchard Road, Delfi Orchard #02-16
+65 6734 1811




To have your wedding planned by Caroline, click here or read more about her work at http://www.the-wedding-stylist.com/
She also has a really pretty blog with ideas and photos

Your Tropical Beach and Garden Bridal Hairstyle Solutions

Getting married in a tropical climate such as Singapore (or Bali! LOVE! ) can be a beauty nightmare for most. Curly hair gets frizzier, straight hair refuses to curl, your makeup starts sliding off.. well, I've got some simple solutions for you to have the best hair(and makeup) day at your tropical beach or garden wedding.


1. Be practical
If you hair is really straight and heavy, and no hairstylist has ever made your curls last for more than the time you stick around in the salon, don't expect any different on your wedding day, especially if you're having your wedding outdoors.
The weather in Singapore can go up to 34 degrees Celsius during the day, so you are bound to sweat (unless your bridesmaids are fanning you ala cleopatra!). If your shoulders are showing and your hair is down, be prepare to have it stick to your neck and back. These things show in pictures- and they don't look good. Opt for a classy updo instead and you'll be keeping your cool much more easily.




2. Work with your hair texture
For those of us who have curly hair, work with this texture to bring out your luscious curls and waves.
Try KMS Sea Salt Spray to add texture to your curls for that beach babe vibe.


Spray it in, diffuse dry, scruch a little wax in at the ends and set it with hair spray.
Pop in a pretty hair accessory and you're good to go in less than 30minutes!
Also, you'll be the envy of your counterparts who are going for option (1) above.




3. Explore your options with beautiful tropical flowers
Flowers can make amazing hair accessories that bring you back-to-nature. They jazz up your hairstyle, and can even be used as a wreath for yourself or for the flowergirl. Here, we are blessed with the perfect weather for cultivating Orchids and Frangipanis, which i hear are cut-throat expensive temperate climates.
You can choose flowers which compliment your hand bouquet or theme in terms of colour, but choose a different species to avoid looking too matchy-matchy. Good quality fresh flowers can last between 5 to 8 hours. If the type of flowers you choose can be dried and kept (eg Roses or Forget-Me-Nots, they will last even longer). Keep them in their wrap or in a vase until you're ready to have them pinned to your hair.




4. And for the girls...
Your bridesmaids too will be wanting to look their best for your wedding. One great way to stand out from them is to have a completely different hairstyle. So, if you're having an updo, request that they leave their hair down, or at least in a half-updo. A simple yet pretty way to have them do their hair is to add braids, a little french braid across the crown or to pull back their fringe can add uniformity to all your "jie meis", or bridesmaids. It's quick and they can do each other's hair too if they don't have a hairstylist to themselves.
Here's one that I did for a photoshoot with Jeff Chen




Once your hair's set and you're ready to go, just SMILE and have a great time. Believe me, you ARE the most gorgeous girl at your wedding. :D