Purple and Pearls: Saturday 20th February - Hair, Make-Up, Breakfast and Bowie. Part 2

As I said yesterday my alarm was set for 7am, I awoke slightly before this as well as my 2 bridesmaids, we stayed in bed until the alarm rang just generally have a chat about how much we couldn’t believe today was the day I was getting married! I felt strangely calm.

I was the first to crawl out of bed and I made my way to the bathroom for a shower. As I was daydreaming about how the day would go while the hot water ran down my back I could hear lots of giggling and banging coming from the room. I assumed the girls where have a bit of a tidy up as fair to say the room had taken a bit of a beating being home to us 3 for the evening!

When I got out of the shower and put on my lovely skanky jeans and slouchy David Bowie top (not quite a bride yet) and headed out to the room the girls had tidied up and made the beds and both stood grinning at me like Cheshire cats I think they were waiting for me to either scream or cry but we all just had a bit of a jump up and down and put the kettle on!

Beth jumped in the shower next shortly followed by Moo and we were about ready for breakfast! We met the parents and headed downstairs for some grub!

I had to eat breakfast pretty fast firstly because I was starting to feel a little nervous and if I didn’t throw some cereal and toast down my throat I would have never managed any and secondly we were a little late already for the hairdressers! Believe it when people say the day goes fast! It was only 8:30 and it was speeding by! Our next wedding day stop was Perfexion hair stylists in Dorridge, it’s only about 5 steps away from the Forest Hotel and the staff there are wonderful!

I was keeping my hair pretty simple for the wedding – this was not the plan first of all!! I spent a good year growing my hair out so I could have a luscious elegant up-do, I’d had a couple of trials and thought I was happy. WRONG!! I decided in a crazy Suzie-like flash to cut it all off again into a funky bob and that’s exactly what I did! I was soooo happy with my hair on the day; I really had made the right decision. The hairdresser washed my hair and I was treated to a wonderful massage – I started to relax again and the nerves disappeared, she then gave me a blow dry with lots of volume and set it with hairspray. The hairdresser would pop up later to put my veil in.

The bridesmaids had quite simple styles, I had their hair lightly curled and platted at the sides. I was really happy with their hair, they looked gorgeous! My mum also had her hair done. Everyone left the hairdressers slightly more glam and feeling good!

We went back to our room and Beth started to do my nails, I'd opted out of the traditional French manicure and instead gone for a midnight blue polish. Once Beth had given my nails a good file and buff, slapped me a couple of times on the leg for not moisturising my hands better, attached one little false tip to a naughty nail that had the nerve to break off just the day before she started to apply the varnish and finished my nails off with some little clear and blue gems on the thumb nails and the all important ring finger! They were looking lovely! God only know what Beth would have done to me if she’d realised I picked all the gems off during the speeches leaving chipped varnish.... Eep! Sorry Beth!

The next stop on the itinerary was the make-up artist! I used Liz Burrows from Beautiful Day. Liz arrived at our room about 10:30 and started on my make up, I wanted to steer away from the neutral traditional style make up and wanted all out drama (what’s new there!). After the eyelash incident that we are not going to speak of again….Id decided to go with some adhesive false lashed, Liz attached these for me and started to build up my look, she evened out my skin tone and made my eyes sultry and dramatic, she finished off my look with a bright red lip stick! I was started to look like a bride now!

Just as I was saying my goodbyes to Liz my hairdresser returned armed with hairspray to fix my veil in place. She backcombed my hair a little so the comb would hold and put my lil’ burlesque style birdcage veil in place she popped 2 little bobby pins on to be super sure it wouldn’t fall off.

So let’s have a look where we are…

Hair - Check
Nails - Check
Make up - Check
Veil - Check

So basically from the neck upwards I was a bride! Unfortunately from the neck down I was still in skanky jeans and a Bowie top!

It was time to put on the dress, the dress I had chosen and fallen in love with from first sight, the 1 and only wedding dress I have ever had on and the last dress I would ever wear as Suzie P!! I stripped down to my black slinky body and the girls helped me in, there was a row of hook and eye fastenings and then a zip. My dress felt wonderful, it was quite a heavy dress as the netting underskirt was attached but I didn’t care I felt like I was floating!

I should have had some lovely barely black seamed stockings to wear but unfortunately I had forgotten to bring them so I had to go without! I wasn’t about to let something this small bother me, anyway knowing me I would have ripped them in the process of putting them on!

The finishing touch was my garter, handmade by my wonderful bridesmaid Beth, it was blue to match my dress and had an antique brooch borrowed from my Nan and pirate cutlass charm added by mum to remind me of my wonderful hen night! So now id got my Old, New, Borrowed and Blue! I was ready to go! The time was about 1:50 (well 1:45 actually – we thought it wise to put the clock forward 5 minutes as not to be late). We were all getting nervous and wondering why they hadn’t called us yet! Beth being the most impatient one called the front desk and they said it wouldn’t be long…..

Tick…Tock….Tick….Tock…..

We just stood there for a while not knowing what to do with ourselves feeling emotional and nervous – Beth suggested some music to ease the mood – she scurried off to the laptop and next thing I know we were all singing and prancing about to the legend that is…..David Bowie! This worked for about 4 minutes until ‘Let’s Dance’ had finished….

C’MONNN!!!

They finally called for us at about 2:05 and I almost sprinted from the room with bridesmaids in toe! We had a could of photos on the stairs where I met my Dad, I was starting to feel really nervous and emotional and seeing my dads face once he saw me in my dress I had to say something silly to lighten the mood…what could I say…..i quickly blurted out…if anyone feels like they are going to start with the waterworks just think about the fact that my pants are right up my bum and there is nothing I can do about it!!!!! Everyone burst out laughing – mission accomplished! I was then hurried off for my registrar interview, just to check over the final details and then it was time…..