And Now I See Why It Takes Flo An Hour in Hair and Makeup

A few weeks ago on Mid-Morning we talked about doppelgangers. I've been told I look like Flo the Progressive girl. And in researching Flo for that show, I learned it takes her an hour in hair AND an hour in makeup to achieve her Flo look. I thought that was ridiculous...until....I got married. Y'all, it is not a quick thing to go from...well...what you see every day to bride material. Here's how it went for me.

After my great morning with Ryan, we parted ways for the last time before the wedding. I took a shower and then one of my bridemsaids, Sara, and I got in the car and headed to the salon for me to get my hair done!

I chose the Sassy Hair Salon in Siesta Key largely because they had a website and were open on Sunday. (Virtually no salons are open on Sunday down there!) Anyway. They were amazing. So warm, welcoming, accommodating, and genuinely seemed to want to celebrate with me on my wedding day! They offered me my choice of water, coffee, or wine (hello!!! Coffee!!) and then I settled in for an hour and fifteen minutes of getting my hair done!

Of course, I was busy texting the entire time. :) I had to text all the guests who were traveling south to get to the wedding to let them know to take a different route than what most GPS's would say to avoid the traffic jams....I had to check in on Ryan...and I had to check in with Facebook!

Sara and my sister, Lori. She got in the night before and said she would go with me to the salon if I'd pick her up on the way. So I did! My best friend, Lynnette, was there too - she'd gotten her hair done right before me, so she was there when I arrived. (She's taking the pictures...therefore she's not in them.)

A look at the back (and hey!! There's Lynnette in the mirror!) - the guy doing my hair, Greg, commented on how much hair I have. Tell me about it!!

Adding the veil, baby! I think this is when it started to feel real that I was getting married. Sitting in the chair at the salon with a billion bobby pins and half a can of hairspray on my head - and that veil crowning it all.

(By the way - I didn't really have a hair plan when I went in. I'd gone on Pinterest and chosen two or three pictures of loose curls with the hair pulled away from the face and took pictures of them on my phone. I thought it seemed a shame to get an up-do and then cover it with the veil. So this was my beachside curly do!)

The makings of a bride!!

After that, it was off to find some lunch! Sara commented later that she couldn't believe how calm I was - even driving the carload of us around town! Bride on board, baby!! Guess where we went to get some lunch? McDonald's!!!! Yep, this bride wanted a McChicken and a big ole iced tea on her wedding day. :)

As we got on the road, I had to drop my sister back off at her condo so she could get ready for the wedding, and I had to pick up my niece (who is all grown up and STUNNING) so she could serve as my personal photographer for the afternoon. We went back to my room, where Lynnette and Sara joined me to help me finished getting ready. While I worked on my makeup....Lynnette and Sara (best bridesmaids EVER) ironed my dress. It had gotten just a wee bit wrinkly in transit.

Meanwhile, I was concentrating SO hard on my makeup. My dear friend Marie taught me how to do my wedding day face, but do you think I took a single note on the class? No. So I was busy trying to remember the correct order for applying all the layers so that I had enough to look vibrant but not so much that I looked hoochie.

I tried to appear confident....

But I really felt more like this:

I was most nervous about the eyes - but Cassie said I nailed them! (Figuratively speaking, of course.)

Then it was time to apply the jewelry. I wanted to go barefoot during the actual ceremony and only wear my flip flops to get around the grounds for pictures and such. So Lynne Ford loaned me these little "beach sandals" to wear. It's essentially an ankle bracelet that has a part that covers the top of the foot and hooks around your toe. I learned those sometimes are not easy to get on when you're also wearing toe rings. Woopsie!!

Earrings...I'll have to take close ups of all the jewelry for you. The earrings were made by my friend Rachel, with blue stones (because it was one of our wedding colors), pearls and crystals (because they were both in the detail of my dress).

Sara put my bracelet on for me...it was my gift from Ryan the morning of the wedding. It had white and brown pearls in it - and the brown pearls matched the pearl in his tie chain. I LOVED it.



 Then all that was left...was the dress! How do you get into this thing???? :) (It really wasn't all that difficult. I was just trying not to give anyone too much of a view on the way in!)

And now the real test - will. it. zip?

Indeed it did - and much better than the last time I'd tried it on. (Guess skipping the cokes those last two weeks paid off!) I added the necklace (hand blown clear and blue glass, also made by my friend Rachel) - and the outfit was complete!

Final step: add some spritz and it was FINALLY time to go see Ryan in full wedding gear!