■ Plan ahead when it comes
to wedding-day hairstyles
By Christopher Arnold
For the Emerald
It’s a Saturday morning. A local
hair stylist receives a call from a
young woman asking to make an
appointment for that afternoon.
She explains that she has a wed
ding to attend. Also, she’s the bride.
Procrastination — what an ugly
thing.
“You should be thinking about
your hair as soon as you know
what type of gown you’re wear
ing,” said Sandy Metteer, a stylist
at the downtown London Hair
Studio and Day Spa. “We design
at the
■ Studii
the hair around the dress. ”
“I’ve had brides call the day of
their wedding,” Metteer said. Af
ter 30 years in the business, she’s
dealt with her share of stressed-out
brides.
It’s important to check out sa
lons early on, she added. Knowing
a stylist you’re comfortable with
can relieve a lot of last-minute
stress.
Edna Ornelas is preparing for a
May 19th wedding with fiance
Randy Bruntz. She made arrange
ments for her hair nearly six
months in advance.
“It’s very important to me,” Or
nelas said. “I’ll be wearing my hair
piled up, with lots of curls and a
tiara.”
This is just one of a wide array
of styles to choose from.
Michael Primrose, a photogra
pher who specializes in weddings,
has photographed a variety of
gowns and hairstyles.
“I recently worked with a bride
who chose a 16th-century style
gown,”hesaid. “It’s that kind of va
riety that makes every wedding
different. There’s so much room
for personal taste, each bride can
find a style unique to her. ”
Hairstyles are largely dependent
on the gown. According to Met
teer, the more elaborate die dress,
the larger and fuller the hairstyle.
A simpler dress works best with a
smoother, sleeker style. Recent
trends suggest brides prefer this
simpler approach.
“It’s not like it was thirty years
ago,” Metteer said. “Brides seem to
like quicker ways to put their hair
up, pony tails or barrel curls, in
stead of starting from scratch with
shampoo and rollers. ”
A wedding style rarely takes
longer than an hour to achieve and
prices can start at $35. Yet some
brides want the luxury of having
their stylists at the ceremony. Hav
ing a stylist travel, even to a local
wedding, can cost at least $45 per
hour.
Metteer has traveled to several
ceremonies. “It’s fun to be with the
bride at her wedding,” she said.
“We usually make a party of it, get
everything perfect, maybe start on
the champagne. Afterwards, if it
looks like it’ll be fun, I’ll stay and
party with everyone. ”
Ultimately, planning ahead is
the key to looking great on your
wedding day. Sleek or full hair,
simple or extravagant headpiece,
nothing is more important than
knowing how you want to look.
Brides often visit the salon in ad
vance for a manicure, a skin treat
ment, a massage, or a practice up
do. It’s great to know that things are
taken care of, Metteer said.
“I see so many young brides
stressed out on their wedding day
when it should be a day to enjoy.
You shouldn’t be running around
town wearing a veil and
jeans.”
Luuiia .
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to innovative levels
■Moreand more,couples
are personalizingtheir
weddings rather than sim
ply going by the book
By Kendall Larsen
For the Emerald
From having ponies as brides
maids to playing the MGM theme
as recessional music, today’s
weddings are all about personali
ty. Individualization has become
a trend in marriage ceremonies,
and it seems that even the most
traditional weddings can portray
a couple’s character.
Tracy Evans, who works at an
outdoor wedding facility, has
.seen more and more couples
[adding a touch of unique flavor to
their special days. But, Evans
said, “die good old traditional is
still popular.”
Birdseed and rice are out; bub
bles and sparklers are in. Many
brides are choosing to create
handmade, eclectic scrapbooks
of their weddings rather than just
putting their photos in a tradi
tional album. Others make their
own paper for programs or invita
tions, or make bridal favors such
as fragrant soaps, Evans said.
Creativity can go in many di
rections. One bride even made
the program paper and embed
ded it with flower seeds so her
guests could “plant her program”
in their yards.
While some choose the handi
craft route for personalization,
others opt to return to their roots.
Karyn Smith, a self-employed
wedding coordinator in Tigard,
said she has seen a number of
couples include their cultural tra
ditions in their weddings.
Adding the heritage of one’s an
cestors, whether Polynesian,
Asian or African, has become
very popular, Smith said.
Some personalization can start
with the minister. Stephanie Go
ertzen, a wedding coordinator for
the Gray Gables Estate in Mil
waukie, had a couple who
planned with the minister before
the wedding. Each of them wrote
a “Top-10” list of why they loved
each other, and the minister in
corporated these into his entire
delivery.
“It was'all abb® them, instead
of just a dry servicef^Goertzen
said.
The father’s traditional escort
ing of the bride doesn’t have to be
the only role family members
play in a wedding. Evans wit
nessed a wedding in which the
bride walked down the aisle
empty-handed. Her family wait
ed at the altar, every member
holding one flower. Each of them
then kissed her and handed her
the flower, completing her bou
quet.
For the more extravagant and
romantic wedding, the bride can
make her entrance more notice
able by riding in on a horse
adorned in flowers. Or, for a racy
twist, she could zoom to her
groom on a motorcycle.
Lorraine Hubbard, who works
at the Broetie House in Mil
waukie, said that she’s seen many
people include their dogs, horses
and even cars in their cere
monies.
Another idea to consider is
holding the wedding at the
bride’s, groom’s or a family mem
ber’s home. This cuts costs and,
although it takes extra effort, can
be more private and meaningful
than a standard church wedding.
Whatever couples choose to do
with their weddings is their, and
only their, decision.
“What I encourage people to
do is pick the things they like,”
Smith said. “Everything is proper,
ifyoulikeit.”
like,” |
J
Jdenis <§- Cynthia Overiandmiller
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