Friends of hairstylists feel very fortunate when they get married. Why wouldn't they? They get to have their own personal stylists hang with them from start to finish--curling, pinning, and spraying any stray hair that might fall out of place.

Funny enough, I was feeling like the fortunate one...I (Courtney) was lucky enough to beautify my best friend Christine for her very beautiful wedding in Boston. We were college roomates/friends for 12 years so I had been waiting to do this for a really long time!

Here is Christine, just relaxing and enjoying the pampering. Christine has VERY fine hair so we used extensions to achieve the volume and longevity we needed for it to last all day.

Style Tip #1: Extensions are fantastic for fine hair or hair that loses its curl easily. They are easy to work into any style, lightweight, 100% natural and always support the style you want.

Mirror, mirror on the wall, whose the fairest of them all?

Voila!

Style Tip #2: When curling, hairspray EACH section. Your curls will not last if you skip this step. We love and recommend Bumble & Bumble CLASSIC HAIRSPRAY. Great hold/memory, workable, brushable, and no icky hairspray 80's Aquanet smell:)

Style Tip #3: To get the most natural looking waves, use a PROFESSIONAL curling iron (we love Hot Tools). Wrap the hair around the iron--DO NOT open the spring clamp and wrap the hair inside.

 I know we've said this before, but one of the best parts of going 'on-location' for weddings is we get to experience the special moments...The flower delivery, the embarrasing old stories, the dress, the rehearsal night drama, and moments like this one...Christine reading the sweetest card from Steve.

 Maria, Christine's neice, is like any true New England-er...a girl needs her Dunkin Donuts fix before getting ready in the morning...

 DISCLAIMER: There is only milk in the 3 year old's cup. Please, no shameful judging on poor mom;-)

Maria sat patiently while I curled her hair and made her look pretty. Using a hot metal iron near a 3 year old can be pretty scary. Nothing works a little bribery with lollipops, although Maria sat like an angel even before she knew of the secret candy stash I had!

For all you soon to be brides out there who are blog-stalking for wedding ideas, let's take a break from hair and check out these flowers...peonies, roses, calla lillies...simply gorgeous!

Here are Sarah and Allyson, also some old college roomies...excuse me, not literally 'old', old as in friends for a long, long, time!

Sarah went for the loose side chignon and Allyson wanted some beachy waves with soft braiding. Check and check. It's easy when your friends totally trust you and let you do what you want!

Sarah showing off her do'...she was in a wedding 2 weeks later and needing some reference photos for her New Jersey hairstylist...Speaking of Jersey, have you SEEN Jerseylicious? Holy cow. That's all that can be said.

Karen, Steve's sister wanted the hottest trend right now...the top knot! If you follow the blog, the top knot was our prediction for the 2010 do'. Karen is channeling our favorite SJP...very Sex in the City!

It was a little (understatement) rainy that day, so all the photos were done inside beforehand. I think the hairstylist would have passed out from horror if the photographer suggested we brave the elements before the ceremony...I snuck a few of my own shots!

If you like wedding 'stuff' you probably like shoes..any girl can appreciate this hot little pair...You see, Christine's troubled by having size 4 feet--try finding shoes  in this size that aren't in a children's department! Luckily Jimmy Choo came to the rescue!

Aww...the bride groom!

 Christine took out her veil before the introductions into the reception and we put in these orchids...you can't go wrong with odd numbers...1, 3 and 5 are usually good numbers to go by when trying to decide how many flowers, pins, etc. to put in your hair. 

Look at the curls...I told you the extensions helped hair last and last...This is after 8 hours, a rainy day,and  a photosession outside (GASP)!

The Lighthouse Room at the Seaport Hotel in Boston....amazing!

 Thanks Christine for letting me be the 'boss' on this one...you made my job easy by being beautiful from within. Congrats to Christine and Steve on their wedding...Cheers to a lifetime of  happiness, health, and love!

We really do love the bridal lounge. Every time we have a wedding at the salon, it's like we are suddenly hanging out in the middle of a big old fashioned girl party (well, sometimes dads and brothers  crash...but whatever).

Music's playing, mimosas are  flowing, friends are in abundance and well, getting married is pretty happy stuff. It doesn't matter if the parties are big or small, wild or tame, as long as they are as fun as Kristen Appleby's entourage!

Kristen was an organized bride who booked New Leaf over a year ago. Brains AND beauty? Wow.

Pinning in the last few pieces are really the most important...

And of course, the lethal weapon, the most important tool in our beauty arsenal bag...HAIRSPRAY! A girl can't get married without it!

Kristen wanted a polished, but textured look...She found her beautiful comb on, you guessed it, Etsy, every brides wedding addiction. Etsy takes the "Yourself" out of D.I.Y., and it's fantastic! Etsy saves brides (and cooperative fiances) all over the country probably  thousands of hours of slave , er, I mean "crafting" labor;-)

Jenn curl, curl, curling away...

One bridesmaid was just as pretty as the next....

There's that potent can of hairspray again! Spray away Danielle, spray away...

The view from the back....

Amy G working her usual beauty wonders...

Amy G and Ashley making the world over, one person at a time...

These groomsmen aren't going to know what hit 'em!

SO Kristen is lucky enough to have younger sisters...who just happen to be twins! Can you imagine the kind of trouble that must have occured in the Appleby household?

We could never get them both in a photo together (wonder if Mom had that problem too....)

Blonde hair, blue eyes, great hair...what's not to love?

Pay no attention to the fire alarm...these girls are hot stuff (bad pun, we know).

All the flowers you see in the girls hair were found in therapy. boutique inside New Leaf Hair Studio. They double as clips and pins which can be worn again (on your shirt, handbag, belt, a little creativity goes a long way!)

The lovely Kristen...aren't her eyes just amazing? Amy G kept her make up dramatic enough for a wedding but soft and natural because let's face it, Kristen doesn't need much help!

The veil....

The whole gang...Thanks to Kristen and her ladies for inviting us to be part of your special day!

Some may say that the New Leaf girls might be a bit  'vertically challenged'...this was glaringly obvious when runway ready Jessica Long and her beautiful entourage of ladies breezed through our front door. Jessica and her  friends probably measured up at an average 5'9" (right in line with Tyra's Next Top Model requirements)...We aren't usually too insecure about the height issue at New Leaf but stand us next to these gorgeous stylish girls and we were feeling a bit on the short side;-)

Here is Jessica...Amy G 'enhanced' Jessica by keeping her skin flawless, her lips neutral and a just a bit glossy, and by playing up her exotic blue eyes. Just perfect.

Pam wove Jessica's hair into a smooth, sleek textured chignon that has a braided feel but still totally classic. A bride can NEVER go wrong with a simple white flower. Please notice the photo that looks like it was taken from a seated position...it wasn't.

Here are all Jessica's ladies, including Lorna (second from left), a New Leaf and Skincare by Yadira regular...Don't they all look beautiful enough to be walking down a runway in New York some place? Compliments of Pam, Amy G, Yadira and the New Leaf crew...

Jessica wasn' t working a runway, she was heading down the aisle at Bel-Mer...Natural and Newport, coastal cool and chic...the kind of bride that would make Tyra proud. Luckily, we don't think we are as ego-centric as Tyra, and we were just happy Jessica chose New Leaf to beautify her!

 Thanks Jessica, Lorna and all the girls for being such a breeze to work with!

Over the years, there are 'things'...wedding type tid bits we have learned from working with so many wedding parties. Here are 3 things NOT to say to a bride on her wedding day as she's getting ready...

1. "Well, your sister definitely got the great skin gene, didn't she?"

2. "God, your hair is just so fine and so FLAT."

3. "Don't worry, honey, it's good luck if it rains on your wedding day."

None of these things were said to our lovely and sweet bride, Erin Burns. It might have been raining, but a little drizzle didn't stop Erin and her parade of  fantastic ladies from having tons of fun and feeling pretty in the Bridal Lounge!

Meet Erin...

Wow, we just love the classic chignon and the naturally dewy, fresh make-up. Erin is so pretty, she looks like she belongs on theknot.com ( F.Y.I, a favorite for wedding hair ideas for brides and bridesmaids alike). Props to Pam and Amy G...Erin looks fab!

If we could sum up this bridal party in one word, it would be...NATURAL...(totally hot stuff is 3 words but would also work). Please don't judge the amateur photography while perusing our gallery of natural 'dos and fresh faces...

Um, yes, this is Erin's sister, in case you were blind:o) Wonder how many times these two were confused growing up?!?

Working the asymmetry...

Nothing says natural like some good ol' fashioned TEXTURE...you just can't go wrong! We hope soft and pretty is a trend that never fades...

Erin and her girls are proof that you can wear make up AND still look natural for a wedding. We understand you want to look like yourself, but who wouldn't want to be 'enhanced' a bit?

Erin's gorgeous look is already perfectly classic so how can it possibly get any better?

By adding two beautiful handmade flowers!

We could tell that Erin didn't need any help from the rain on her wedding day for good luck. Judging by her bridal party, she's already lucky. Besides, that's just an old wives tale to make brides feel better...but it would be fun to study wedding day rain vs. marriage success, right?

We thank our 'lucky' stars when a bridal party is this wonderful to work with...thank you, thank you THANK YOU to Erin and all her girls!

Are YOU afraid of heights? Well, you shouldn't be....

Meet Carly Sokol. She discovered Bristol during her days at Roger Williams Law School and decided to return to her roots to get hitched. A lawyer bride? Hopefully she loves her 'look'...We wonder if there is a law protecting brides from horrible hair on their wedding day...if not, there should be. Carly, get on that;-)

Isn't she so pretty? Carly is obviously smart, she survived law school and passed a bar exam, for pete's sake. But what sets someone apart in the smart department is always the ability to listen and take advice. What do we mean? Read on...

We created tons of texture for Carly's very fine, very straight hair. We wanted it to look like it was naturally wavy. Done.

We were all insane for Carly's accessories. Check out those earrings! There are many accessory junkies who work at New Leaf...some are worse than others but we all fall pretty hard on the spectrum.

LOVE the bracelet...so different, right? J. Crew!

Feather and sparkles, oh my!

Ooooo, another fun accessory! Carly's bridesmaids all wore fun hair ornaments in their hair...there were some black satin headbands, black flower pins and this fun black headband with it's pink cabbage rose...can YOU guess what Carly's colors were?

All these fun hair accessories were conveniently courtesy of therapy. boutique at New Leaf. Filled with fun stuff--everything from affordable jewelry and handbags, to tunics and flip flops --everyone should check it out!

Back to the original question...are YOU afraid of heights? You shouldn't be, and Carly is evidence. Check out the volume in her 'do...

Carly was very smart (and equally as beautiful) because she listened to professional advice. We  understand wanting to feel like 'yourself' on your wedding day. Yet, we are always promoting some more VOLUME on the big day. Why? Because  without enough of it, you might put on your wedding dress and feel too 'every day'. It's your WEDDING--if there is any time to go for it and feel a little more glam, it's now!

Here is Carly's trial photo from several months back (less volume)...

And here is Carly's wedding day (more volume)...

Va Va Voom, right? Hot stuff. I promised Carly that I would not steer her wrong on going for some more height. Height is always a plus, if it's in the right places, with the right amount of texture. Since every bride looks different, volume should be different--wavy, smooth, lots, a little, well, you get it....Amy G paired her soft, glowy (not glossy) skin with dramatic eyes and pink lip color. Carly's look is clean, natural, and sexy. A beautiful Blithewold bride:-)

Carly listened and it totally paid off. Now if we could only see that dress....

Thanks Carly for choosing New Leaf...you set a great example for all brides to follow!