Wrap It Up Pretty + Winners!

You know we LOVE to wrap up the week with a big ol’ bang here on SMP – and today we have a little something special up our sleeves.  Yep, thanks to the oh-so-talented team of Ciara Richardson, Stephanie Brinkerhoff and ILY Couture, you’re Friday evening is about to take a few giant leaps up in the happy department… and all because of a fabulous bundle of oh.em.gee gorgeous hair trends, perfect for that Spring wedding, garden party or night out with your honey.  So, clear your calendars and call every single one of your friends.  This tutorial is PERFECT for a girl’s night in.

From Ciara Richardson… Every bride has a certain style she leans towards. Some brides may be more classic while others more boho. We picked a few of the top hair trends that each covers a different genre. For the boho we included a 5 strand braid with loose wavy curls. For something more romantic and whimsy we did a wispy updo. We did a classy side swept to keep things timeless. And for the more elegant we did a beautiful chignon. All styles equally beautiful and unique.

Boho Curls – Braids, twists and beachy texture are very trendy right now. This look is perfect for the laid back bride.

1. Take a small section off of your part and wrap it around a curling iron towards your face. For this type of curl you can use any size curling iron.

2. Without letting go of the piece you just curled, unwrap it from the curling iron and re-wrap it around the barrel again, this time wrapping the opposite way, away from your face.

3. Hold it until the hair just barely gets hot on the outside.

4. The result is a not quite curly, messy wave.

5. Proceed to curl all of your hair this way, taking bigger sections on bottom and smaller sections on top.

6. Once it’s curled, use your fingers to fluff it up and soften the wave. I also like to add a little spray wax for texture.

Airy Updo – A soft, airy, wispy updo is romantic, but also a little whimsical. High buns are also very trendy right now.

1. Start by loosely curling your hair with a 1 1/2 inch curl iron.

2. After it’s curled, backcomb it at the roots and use hairspray to add volume and texture.

3. Run your fingers through your hair to make everything nice and fluffy.

4. Loosely pin up the curls in the shape of a big, messy bun, high on your head and slightly off center.

5. Once it’s pinned in a shape that you like, add a big flower or another type of accessory to balance it out.

Sleek Chignon – Nothing is more classic for a bride than a chignon. No one will ever look back on their wedding and wish they hadn’t done a chignon.

1. Section out both sides and clip them aside for later.

2. Starting in the back, backcomb everything at the roots to add body and give the bobby pins something to grab onto.

3. Loosely twist sections of hair, some smaller, some larger, and pin them at the lower right side of your head by your ear, forming a chignon.

4. Once the chignon is formed, release the opposite side of your hair by your left ear, twist it across the back of your hair and pin it under the chignon.

5. Finish by releasing the left side, loosely twisting it and draping it on top of the chignon, securing with bobby pins.

Voluminous Waves – Curly hairstyles are still a really popular choice for brides, voluminous waves in particular this year.

1. Curl all of your hair with a 1 1/2 inch curling iron, securing each curl with a clip to let it set in place.

2. Once all of your hair is curled, take out the clips and gently brush your hair, forming the curls into big waves.

3. Do a small twist braid across the back of your head from left to right, ending just behind the right ear.

4. Smooth out the curls and add shine with serum or pomade.

Photography: Ciara Richardson / Hair & Make Up: Stephanie Brinkerhoff / Bridal Hair Accessories: ILY Couture

We’d like to extend a warm welcome to our newest Little Black Book members…

Verbena Floral Design

Mielle Boutique

Bella Sera Bridal

Roberts & Co. Events

Bella’s Desserts

Shannon Leahy Events

Bare Root Flora

123 Djs

SB Beauty

Julie Renee

To apply to become a member of our LBB click here. We’d love to hear from you!

An oh-so friendly reminder…

California brides, mark your calendars for Kirstie Kelly’s trunk show featuring her new collection from June 1st – June 3rd!  This is one event you don’t want to miss!

And last, but not least, we have some winners to announce!

Three winners were randomly selected for the Le Soirees Weddings & Events giveaway of a custom designed Love Logo/Wedding Monogram. Congrats to Mary CJoshua, and Laura!

Congrats to NY ReaderKristina, for winning a $100 voucher toward an album compliments of The Album Room!

Jalaina is the lucky winner of the stunning hydrangea brooch bouquet from Blue Petyl Bouquets!

SMP Australia hosted a giveaway for a free bridal bouquet from Petal & Pod. Congrats to Melissa! And Australia brides, Petal & Pod is offering a 15% discount off of the total purchase cost of your order through the end of June 2012. Use the code SMP Bride when ordering your flowers to receive this discount!

Liz is lovely that gets to claim the Bella Figura letterpress Giveaway!

Have a happy, happy Mother’s Day weekend, lovelies!  We’ll see you back here Monday morning! xoxo