A Napa Fairytale: Hair & Makeup

When Luke arrived, we were in the middle of bridal beautification. Raja wasn't into all the excitement and after a quick puppy shot, my dad shuffled him off to another room to save us all from his barking. He's not usually a barker and my nerves were not up for dealing with a wound-up pup. He sure does take a cute photo though!

John and I took turns with my makeup. The talented Amy Strozzi, a makeup artist in John's posse, loaded a make-up kit for me to use and we played with colors for 10 minutes before determining our approach. We decided fresh-faced was the way to go and I even put away my Russian Red. Today was not the day for my normal red lipstick. In fact, the lips needed to be kept to a minimum. Mr. Barrettes is not a fan kissing lipstick, lip gloss, anything gooey or shiny. This was his day as much as it was mine and I didn't want him to think twice about kissing-- I just wanted him to do it.

My hair was a constant work in progress. We never did a hair or makeup trial and we just let it happen organically. I'm not really a "trier" and I typically don't stress out about those things. You have what you have and you work with the tools at your disposal. If you keep an open mind and come at it with fresh eyes, you will end up unlocking your own beauty secrets! I have to admit that I never tried my shoes with my dress, nor my jewelry with my dress. I had an idea of how it would all look together, but I suppose I didn't want to see myself as a bride until I truly was one. It really was a moment when it all came together.

I still hadn't seen Amy or Lisa, who were finishing up their hair appointments, but my other ladies were preparing as well.

John and I continued with hair and Mom Barrettes put the finishing touches on the wine lists.

Meanwhile, the men were also hanging out at the salon, getting fresh cuts and causing trouble.

(photos by Luke Snyder Studio)

I definitely started to feel bride-y as the transformation took place. With hair and makeup mostly done, save last minute touch-ups, the unease of my morning became a distant memory. This was the day of the show ya'll!

I took one last look in the mirror before we added the white dress, the reflection of my absolute happiness staring back at me. I didn't look like my "stage" self, which was my goal; I looked like me, just... glowier. It's not a word, I know, but sometimes the right word just doesn't apply in unique circumstances. Next, the dress-- there is no bride without the dress...