DESTINATION WEDDINGS

How lucky are we to have the ability to splurge and actually travel to celebrate our special day? Although I have not had the opportunity to celebrate mine, I have been lucky to have been asked to do the hair and join in on the fun. From spectacular St. Johns to breathtaking Telluride and even in our own backyard Florida (no shoes and all). They were all so enjoyable and well planned. Speaking of well planned see, James Abel Events for a detailed, tasteful wedding planner and for flowers to die for.

back to hair baby! The idea of finding a hair stylist to do you hair for your wedding is hard enough much less in a strange City or a strange Country like Timbuktu. Yes there are great hair dressers all over the world.

If your wedding is in a major U.S. city, chances are you can find someone that can do a great job. Smaller cities are a challenge. Some "cultures" have different tastes. So, depending on where your wedding is in the U.S., you can end up with, well how can I say it, a hair style influenced by that city's flavor. Have you ever heard, "The bigger the hair, the closer to God?" You catch my drift.

You may ask, how do I even begin the process of choosing a hairdresser when
I'm planning a destination wedding? Here are some helpful tips on getting you going in the right direction. More and more, couples will visit several vacation spots before their big day looking for the right space that can accommodate their wedding. If the venue is chosen from a recommendation made by a friend or family member, it may be that most of the work is done. But if it's not, your first option will be to research a hairstylist in the chosen location.

So how do I do that?

Start by getting recommendations from your wedding planner. Then have your hair blow dried by he or she. This may sound extreme for just a blow dry but it will be the best test as to how much talent you are dealing with and if they can handle your hair texture. Take my advice: honey, desperate times calls for desperate measures.

If you end up looking like a "cockatoo on crack" well you know to grab your fanny pack and run!! If you like it, well you are one step closer to your "desired do" for the big day. The next step is to have the stylist do an actual trial of the hairstyle you want. Tthen take a picture of a style that you like to the consultation. If you are not too pleased with the outcome but can see a resemblance of what you wanted, don't stress. There is hope. We have a plan.

When you return home have your existing stylist do a trial of the style you want. Take photographs of it and get some helpful tips from your stylist to take back to your "destination hairdresser" to try and duplicate. This actually works!! I always do step-by-step photos as I style the hair so the other stylist has a guideline to follow. My tips will include products, tools and techniques with notes and recommendations. Trust me on this one, it happens all the time.






How lucky are we to have the ability to splurge and actually travel to celebrate our special day? Although I have not had the opportunity to celebrate mine, I have been lucky to have been asked to do the hair and join in on the fun. From spectacular St. Johns to breathtaking Telluride and even in our own backyard Florida (no shoes and all). They were all so enjoyable and well planned. Speaking of well planned see, James Abel Events for a detailed, tasteful wedding planner and for flowers to die for.

back to hair baby! The idea of finding a hair stylist to do you hair for your wedding is hard enough much less in a strange City or a strange Country like Timbuktu. Yes there are great hair dressers all over the world.

If your wedding is in a major U.S. city, chances are you can find someone that can do a great job. Smaller cities are a challenge. Some "cultures" have different tastes. So, depending on where your wedding is in the U.S., you can end up with, well how can I say it, a hair style influenced by that city's flavor. Have you ever heard, "The bigger the hair, the closer to God?" You catch my drift.

You may ask, how do I even begin the process of choosing a hairdresser when
I'm planning a destination wedding? Here are some helpful tips on getting you going in the right direction. More and more, couples will visit several vacation spots before their big day looking for the right space that can accommodate their wedding. If the venue is chosen from a recommendation made by a friend or family member, it may be that most of the work is done. But if it's not, your first option will be to research a hairstylist in the chosen location.

So how do I do that?

Start by getting recommendations from your wedding planner. Then have your hair blow dried by he or she. This may sound extreme for just a blow dry but it will be the best test as to how much talent you are dealing with and if they can handle your hair texture. Take my advice: honey, desperate times calls for desperate measures.

If you end up looking like a "cockatoo on crack" well you know to grab your fanny pack and run!! If you like it, well you are one step closer to your "desired do" for the big day. The next step is to have the stylist do an actual trial of the hairstyle you want. Tthen take a picture of a style that you like to the consultation. If you are not too pleased with the outcome but can see a resemblance of what you wanted, don't stress. There is hope. We have a plan.

When you return home have your existing stylist do a trial of the style you want. Take photographs of it and get some helpful tips from your stylist to take back to your "destination hairdresser" to try and duplicate. This actually works!! I always do step-by-step photos as I style the hair so the other stylist has a guideline to follow. My tips will include products, tools and techniques with notes and recommendations. Trust me on this one, it happens all the time.






Together with your hairstylist, you have created the style you like. You have photos, styling tips, and suggestions on the products and tools used. All of this information will be a huge help for the stylist in "destination land,” because they will have valuable guidelines to follow. So, it's time to hand over the information and recreate that look. As the new stylist creates your ‘do, don't be afraid to jump in and put in your two (or three) cents. Remember: it’s your hair on your day, so, “you run tings" (as we say in Tobago)!”

The other option to getting the right look for your destination wedding is to hire your existing hairstylist to go with you and do your hair. It will be wonderful if your stylist does makeup as well, so you can kill 2 birds with one stone. You may think that it’s too expensive, but there is no price tag on the comfort in knowing that you and your bridesmaids will look flawless. Think about it: you are offering a hairstylist the opportunity to go to a fabulous location, have a free hotel room, attend a wedding, and get paid too! Honey, if it was my wedding, I would chain that sucker to the bed post and have him do hair everyday!

The advantages of taking your own stylist:

A) He or she will know you and your hair like no one else

B) The trial would have been done at home so there will be no stressing whether it will be perfect or not… and no surprises.

C) You will have all the tools and products you are used to. Especially in very humid locations, you want to have the best.
Products to keep those frizzes at bay:

I remember doing a wedding in St Johns and the bridesmaids were looking for blond hair pins, and there were none to be found anywhere on the island. Antonio to the rescue!

I wish you great wedding hair!

Copyright © 2008 Antonio Gonzales, All Rights Reserved