Those who live, got married or will be marrying in Napa...

[newbie124]

I''m still looking for a hair stylist and need recommendations!

I decided to go w/ Audrey Crandell of Glowing Bridal for makeup (at least I''ve booked a trial with her). But she doesn''t do hair, so I need to find someone else for that. I''m open to just going to a local salon, but of course I have no idea which are good.

I''ve tentatively booked a trial w/ It''s a Date (aka The Powder Room) in Santa Rosa, but I''m still open to other options (especially since I''ll probably be staying in Napa the night before the wedding and it''s a little ways off our route to drive into Santa Rosa, although I should have time...)

Halo and The Arrangement were both mentioned by my MUA, but I''ve only seen photos of 1 bride who used The Arrangement. Neither salon has a site.

Can anyone provide other recommendations (preferably w/ some photos to back it up)?

TIA!!

 

[Emeraldfan]

Hi Newbie. I had my hair and make-up done by The P Room. They travelled to the house we rented so you may want to consider asking whoever you hire to do that.

I thought they did a great job on my trial hair and make-up but then it didn't look half as nice for the actual wedding. There were 2 girls we hired to do my make-up and hair and then 5 other hairstyles. Well, they ended up getting up late and getting to us over 45 minutes late and that put everything behind schedule. My hair is curly and needed to be blown straight, flat-ironed and then recurled and pinned up - well they didn't have time for that so they just blew it dry running a brush through it quickly and then curled it with a curling iron which made the strands kinky and not very smooth. It was supposed to be put up in loose curls for the ceremony and then have me take it down for the reception. Well, I couldn't do that as it was not smoothed very well and instead of pinning all the curls individually like she did at the trial and like what I wanted she put all my hair in a rubber band and then pinned some of the curls up and around it. If I took it down I would have an imprint from where the rubber band held the hair so I ended up having to leave it up. I was very disappointed in as I wanted to wear my hair down to begin with but was convinced by them at the trial that doing it up was the way to go.

It definitely did not look as good and even my DH who never notices that stuff made a comment how it didn't look that good

. Also, she was in such a hurry to do my make-up that it also didn't come out as well either.

I was so upset about it that I going up there again in August to have our photographer take more pictures of us in our wedding attire with my hair and make-up the way they should have been by a different stylist yet to be determined. My DH thinks its silly as they won't we pictures from our "wedding day" but I don't care. I want to have some pictures the way my hair and make-up were supposed to be, if that makes sense.

If you end up going with someone you love let me know as I'm still looking for someone as well.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/18/2008 2:31:55 PM
Author: Emeraldfan
Hi Newbie. I had my hair and make-up done by The P Room. They travelled to the house we rented so you may want to consider asking whoever you hire to do that.

I thought they did a great job on my trial hair and make-up but then it didn''t look half as nice for the actual wedding. There were 2 girls we hired to do my make-up and hair and then 5 other hairstyles. Well, they ended up getting up late and getting to us over 45 minutes late and that put everything behind schedule. My hair is curly and needed to be blown straight, flat-ironed and then recurled and pinned up - well they didn''t have time for that so they just blew it dry running a brush through it quickly and then curled it with a curling iron which made the strands kinky and not very smooth. It was supposed to be put up in loose curls for the ceremony and then have me take it down for the reception. Well, I couldn''t do that as it was not smoothed very well and instead of pinning all the curls individually like she did at the trial and like what I wanted she put all my hair in a rubber band and then pinned some of the curls up and around it. If I took it down I would have an imprint from where the rubber band held the hair so I ended up having to leave it up. I was very disappointed in as I wanted to wear my hair down to begin with but was convinced by them at the trial that doing it up was the way to go.

It definitely did not look as good and even my DH who never notices that stuff made a comment how it didn''t look that good

. Also, she was in such a hurry to do my make-up that it also didn''t come out as well either.

I was so upset about it that I going up there again in August to have our photographer take more pictures of us in our wedding attire with my hair and make-up the way they should have been by a different stylist yet to be determined. My DH thinks its silly as they won''t we pictures from our ''wedding day'' but I don''t care. I want to have some pictures the way my hair and make-up were supposed to be, if that makes sense.

If you end up going with someone you love let me know as I''m still looking for someone as well.

Oh, wow, I''m sorry that happened to you on your wedding day! (Still, your wedding was beautiful!)

How did they react when you told them you weren''t happy with the results? Did they at least offer a partial refund for being late? That''s another reason why I don''t necessarily mind going to the salon directly...I''d be afraid of someone not arriving on time and then having everything else delayed. Although, I also have a small wedding party--only 2 BMs, so timing shouldn''t be s huge issue if we get a little off schedule.

But that is disappointing to hear that they did not at least arrive on time. Do you mind if I ask who worked on your hair? My appointment is with Deana.

I was also considering this girl, Julie Parks, at Studio Bellissimo who was recommended by someone on the knot. I saw pictures from the wedding and liked the bride''s hair and asked for the stylist''s contact. I called Julie a month or two ago just to get general info and she was good about responding. However, I recently tried to follow up to see if I could make an appointment, and I haven''t heard back. It is possible she''s on vacation, but I went ahead and made an appointment at the Powder Room just in case.

Alycia Brown is the person my MUA recommended. There''s a review of her and photos from one bride on ProjectWedding, but I''d like to see more than 1 person''s photos. Also, while I thought overall the styles were nicely done, I kind of didn''t like how obvious the bobby pins were in some of the BMs'' hair.

 

[Emeraldfan]

No refund and no apology at all. Honestly, I think they generally knew I was not happy but I did not discuss it with them in detail as it was my wedding day and didn't want to get into it when there was nothing I could do about it then and it would make me more upset on my wedding day. Also, I literally got done 15 minutes before 1pm for our 1pm church ceremony and my mother still wasn't finished yet with the other girl - she finished at 1pm and we were running like mad to put my dress on and my mom's dress on and get to the church. It was crazy hectic.

I was supposed to have Deana as well as I heard many great things about her from other brides. I think you will be fine if you have her. I booked her and was supposed to go to a hair trial with her and then right before it she called and said she had mistakenly already booked my wedding day with someone else (I think she was going to make more money from the other job). I told her I was not happy about that and thought I would take my business elsewhere. She assured me her other stylist was great and that I should use her. I reluctantly went along with it as it was getting too late to book someone else and I didn't want to have to search again. I thought the trial came out nice enough so I just stuck with them. I should have listened to my gut on that one but I didn't.

 

[newbie124]

Date: 6/18/2008 3:30:38 PM
Author: Emeraldfan
I was supposed to have Deana as well as I heard many great things about her from other brides. I think you will be fine if you have her. I booked her and was supposed to go to a hair trial with her and then right before it she called and said she had mistakenly already booked my wedding day with someone else (I think she was going to make more money from the other job). I told her I was not happy about that and thought I would take my business elsewhere. She assured me her other stylist was great and that I should use her. I reluctantly went along with it as it was getting too late to book someone else and I didn''t want to have to search again. I thought the trial came out nice enough so I just stuck with them. I should have listened to my gut on that one but I didn''t.

Hey Emeraldfan, do you happen to still have any photos from your trial that you wouldn''t mind sharing? I''d be curious to see how the style was supposed to look originally. TIA!