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!

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!

Theresa's wedding day at Linden Place was what people call a "Chamber of Commerce Day"--heavenly weather. Seemed fitting for Theresa...her dress was a Grecian goddess style gown that was so dreamy in a photo, we can only imagine was this long-legged beauty (she stood 5'11") looked like floating down the aisle toward her groom that day..

Grecian goddess hair means fantastic things for stylists--loose waves, ethereal texture, undone. Love it all.

Braids are big right now. The side braid is still a HUGE trend. I will preface this suggestion by saying, on the record, we love braids. Sincerely, we do. We rock them all the time at New Leaf. That being said, if you are a bride, just be careful. With Theresa, we incorporated a small, loose braid around her face to offer the Grecian feel, without screaming 2010. We all remember enormous, gigundo veils and french braids in the '80s right? Riiiiight.

P.S. Bridesmaids, go for the braid ladies, because you don't have to worry about staring at the photo on your mantle for the next 40 years. If Jennifer Aniston's doing it, so can you!

Theresa also had this fantastic sparkly comb and feather spray. Lots of brides bring hair ornaments--feathers, fancy combs, beautiful brooches, flowers. Confused on where to place them? We always ask, "Are you having a 'traditional' ceremony?" (The word 'traditional' is used very lightly, of course)...Does that seem like a weird question when discussing hair?

For most ceremonies, the bride stands on the left, with her RIGHT side exposed to her guests (and photographer). That being said, the hair ornament should go on the RIGHT side of your 'do. And well, because darn it, it just always looks so pretty in all the pictures from the ceremony. The important things, right;-)?

Thanks Theresa for letting New Leaf be part of your very special day! You and your mom were so sweet so stop by  any time!

Stay tuned for lots more...

A little rain never hurts, right? Well, it usually does for Newport brides considering they usually picture themselves looking out towards the Newport bridge watching the sun set. But this rainy Saturday didn't bother Kristi Williamson. Not one bit. She figured any expectations of a perfect day in April would be pretty lofty anyways.

New Leaf's  wedding team headed off to Oceancliff to beautify Kristi and her girls...We got to the room to find a California-kinda calm bride. We love that! Isn't she cute?

Amy G. makes sure all the girls are looking perfect...

Our rising wedding team star, Jenn, pins her half-up style...

We love when Snap! Photography shows up...They always capture such stellar shots, plus, their blog is a blast to read...Here is their version of Jenn making sure Delaney's hair looks juuuuust right!

So there is this game we play when we go out called "Celebrity Search'...it's fun to do while you are having a drink at the bar, waiting for your table at dinner, in a long line at  the grocery store or anywhere really. You scan the crowd for anyone who looks like a celebrity and say "Celebrity Search (insert name here)". Everyone decides if they agree or disagree and the person with most 'agrees' wins. It 's the honor system, okay?

Anyways, if we saw Kristi across the bar, I would say, "Celebrity Search KATIE HOLMES"! You can totally see it, right? Put Kristi's hand in Tom Cruise's tight grip, throw Suri in some sparkly high heels, and place them in a fancy mall and you have yourself a celebrity couple!

P.S. We're pretty sure Kristi is happy to be marrying James and not Tom Cruise....James seemed much more stable;-)

This Snap-periffic shot captured all the girls, their pretty dresses, flowers and, of course, hair and make up...Love how Delaney is laughing!

Kristi went with a soft half up style that still showed off her beautiful sapphire earrings...

Snap! Photography does this really cool photo booth at weddings...Guests 'snap' their own photos and then take the images home with them as favors. Genius, right? Glad the hair and make-up held up through all the drizzle!

Just love this photo...Plus it shows the delicate white flowers the florist surprised Kristi with. The flower ornaments aren't just for brides!

To see more of Kristi's wedding, check out Snap!'s blog...a big thanks to Kristi, her mom Jackie, and her entourage for spending the morning with the New Leaf crew. You made our jobs fantastically enjoyable that day!

Stay tuned for more wedding fun...

Tune in Sunday evening to the show Platinum Weddings on WeTV 9pm EST. Michelle and John's "Platinum Wedding" was styled by the New Leaf team this past summer at OceanCliff in Newport.

Watch the sneak peak below and make sure to keep your eyes peeled ... you might catch Ashley or Courtney working it in the background!

http://www.wetv.com/video/70079700001/platinum-weddings-raina-the-newport-wedding

As we have said before, there really is no such thing as a wedding "OFF SEASON". During the cold winter months while our brides are laboring over every last wedding detail--choosing between calla lilies or hydrangeas, tea-length or floor length bridesmaid dresses, white or ecru table linens, etc,--we are fine tuning our wedding details--WEDDING HAIR! 

There is nothing wrong with winter weddings--we love them in fact. It just seems that most brides biggest fear seems to be the weather, and by weather I mean S-N-O-W, the powdery white stuff which is falling as I blog. (Maybe even more feared is being left at the alter, understandably, but hopefully that doesn't happen and that is just a scary old urban legend, right?)

Anyways, with our kickoff to wedding season being in April, we keep seeing the soft side-swept ponytail on celebrities, in this case, Kristin Cavallari (Hills fans--lover or hate her:-) and Emmy Rossum. I thought it would be a great (and fun) class to teach so without any more babble, here are some snapshots from the class...

The scary mannequin...we were all in agreement, that with all the advancements in both technology and the hair industry, why can't the mannequin companies create some prettier heads? I mean, come on! 

This head still stands in our bridal lounge, and succeeds in scaring every single employee who walks in there and forgets. I even know that it is there and I still jump!

Here is Allie in the curled, backcombed and pinning stage...

Jenn getting her loose waves ready...

And voila! 

It was Jenn's model's birthday and I think she just nabbed a fancy style for her b-day dinner:o)

From the right...

I

And the left...LOVE that texture--no basic, boring side ponytails from the 80's at New Leaf!

And Allie's hard work paid off...

Isn't the roping detail beautiful?

Close-up...

Thanks Allie, Jenn and their beautiful & patient models! This class was so fun to teach. Stay tuned for some more "off season" training to come...

New Leaf's 2009 wedding season closed out this past weekend with two fantastic brides. Danielle Bassi called last year to book herself, her mom, and 2 sisters. Her winter wedding at Linden Place was to be a destination for our Pennsylvania bride. Little did I know that I would be reminded of how small of a world we live in!