clearly new at this. hair/makeup/nails?

gymbugmj2k · May 2011

Who are you using for you and your girls?

i'm trying to decide whether to find an all inclusive spa, or separate vendors/places for each service. any advice/tips/places to check out? any good deals to know about?

also, $40ish for makeup applications at spa/salons??? that seems high to me. are local makeup artists any cheaper?

Thanks for the help!

Aquarian342 · May 2011

I'm not sure what the going rate is overall, honestly, but I can tell you what my plan is so far. I am going to a salon for most everything-Salon Avanti in Kenmore on Delaware Ave. I go there to get my hair cut regularly and they always do a great job. They've got really good ratings online (I just checked lol), and have been in business for 14 years apparently, but for good reason.

A friend of mine who's a MaryKay consultant offered to do my makeup for free but she will be 8 months pregnant by then, and not sure if she will still be able to meet me at the hotel to do it before the ceremony (she still would charge for my bridesmaids).

If I got everything done at the salon:

-Hair (anything, incl. updo)- $60 ($40 for a trial run-bring a picture if you can!)

-Makeup- $35 (about what you said)

-Nails-I believe a gel (dries faster & lasts longer) french manicure is roughly $16, does that sound right? And similar for a pedi

So $127 NOT including tip...I suppose that isn't too bad, what does everyone else think?

Are you paying to have your bridesmaids' hair/makeup done as well? I personally am not because I don't have the budget for it, but that's also an expense you would add on. I think doing everything, or most everything, all at one place is prob less stressful honestly. You could go and get your nails done the day prior and then before pictures you would get your hair and makeup all finished at once practically. But I suppose if you did happen to know people who do that sort of thing and can get a great deal/free service I'd totally use it.

Good luck with everything, just heads up, if you're booking with Salon Avanti (or prob most salons like that), call approx 2 months in advance to make the appt., anything earlier their calendar isn't set up for apparently.

AeroStyle · May 2011

Keep an eye on groupons of nails. I just got one a few weeks ago for a gellish manicure & pedicure at the aveda slong in the Galleria for 25 bucks. It doesn't expire until aafter my wedding day so I'm saving it and I'll get my nails done a few days before.

For hair I am going to Jenny at Morcelle salon. I don't know what the special occasion pricing is but I've been going to her for years so I know I'll be using her no matter what.

LarissaB · May 2011

If you are going to want to have your WP get their nails done or they want to get them done, you'll want to check with the salon about how many stations they have as many places that are spas/salons can really only accomodate a few people at a time which might be able to work if you rotate people between hair and nails. I don't have a wedding party but my sisters, mom, grandma and FMIL would like to get their nails done with me so we are doing it the day before and the place that will be doing my hair can only do 3 manicures and 2 pedicures at the same time. Since I'd like to have us all together, I'm looking into find a nail place that can handle doing 5 or 6 mani/peds at the same time so we are separated into smaller groups

gymbugmj2k · May 2011

Good point Larissa...i think i'm going to do that -- nails the day before at a simple nail salon. their prices are usually pretty good, and i know the quality of work is good too. i'll definitely keep an eye out for coupons too.

so i guess i just need to worry about hair and makeup. i guess my main hesitation is that i dont have a regular salon. I used to go to Leon Studio because they had a student discount....but i got a REALLY bad haircut there once - id be afraid to trust them for my wedding. so, i've been on the hunt for a new salon in the last 8 months or so. i've been to Toscana salon a couple times. twice for a haircut, and once for a formal event (hair and makeup), and was pretty pleased with the result. that place seems to have some quirks on the business side, but the work is done well....i guess my hesitation with the whole thing is that i know i'm going to end up spending a lot with a hair trial, etc...so i want to make sure i pick the best place for the price....guess i'm just paranoid about making the right decision!

Aquarian342 · May 2011

I forgot about coupons, but most times coupons are only good if you're a new customer, from what I've seen. Gymbug-seriously try Salon Avanti. Do you live in the Buffalo area? The reason I started going there was cuz my FI's mom and sister have been going there for years for their hair and everybody is super nice and professional there. They've got a couple people who do up-do's and other hair styles for formal events, but I'm not sure how many stations they have for nails so you'd have to call.

shugamegan · June 2011

Aquarian- Thanks for the Salon Avanti tip! I'm thinking about hair places myself and they are right down the road from where I live!

Gymbug- I would first ask your friends and relatives for suggestions of where they go the most, the quality and pricing and if they could recommend anyone in particular. How often doyou get your hair cut? You have a good chunk of time so why not choose a place after getting suggestions and get a trim and chat with the stylist. Depending on how fast your hair grows, you may be able to do this a couple of times Or if you have a friend going to a salon, tag along if they don't mind.

clearly new at this. hair/makeup/nails?

Re: clearly new at this. hair/makeup/nails?

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