Rebecca and Thibault’s Classic Park Hyatt Wedding

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Rebecca is a former dancer, so not only is she absolutely gorgeous, she’s extremely stylish too! Everything about her and Thibault’s day was beautiful, from Rebecca’s dress to Thibault’s suit to the florals.

Stacey set Rebecca’s hair in hot rollers to achieve a silky smooth style with body & curls.
Once the hair was set, Rebecca went to work with Stacey’s friend Katie Nova (who glams the Ladies on BRAVO TV). After make up Stacey took her set down and added a full set of blond extensions that were pre prepped for long lasting wear.This style was glamourous and lasted all night on Rebecca.

Photos expertly captured by Brian Hatton Photography.

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Adrienne & Florian’s Perfect NYC Destination Wedding

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We love our Destination Brides!

Adrienne & Florian, who currently live in Austin TX, met at work and during a company Christmas party, sparks flew over one too many margaritas. Adrienne is from Iowa and Florian from Germany. Florian always dreamed of going to NYC. He had visted when he moved to the states and loved it. He knew then it was the perfect place for a wedding.

Adrienne chose a perfect dress designed by Sarah Seven.
The bride and groom chose the amazing photographer Steve Moakley, who does the photography for the Texas state capital, to come to town and shoot the big day.
Hair and Make Up is by our master team Deanna and Nicole.

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Maria and Peter’s Brooklyn Destination Wedding

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Maria & Peter live in England, where they have been dating for 13 years. After baby Flynn arrived they decided it would be lovely to get married in New York. Baby Flynn was one of the most adorable highlights, but another was Maria’s gown, which was custom-made by her brother, a costume designer in London!

This beautiful and fun couple chose The Diety in Brooklyn, which is a very romantic and special place. This unique venue has 5,000 square feet of exposed brick, and its industrial luxury was perfect for Maria and Peter.

Stacey was the perfect hairstylist for Maria, since Maria has curly hair and that is Stacey’s specialty! Using her favorite products- Hairstory & Phyto -Stacey created a more polished curl to glam her up. Daniella gave Maria a soft and natural make up look using her new favorite products by Tom Ford & Beauty Counter.

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Glam Hair and Makeup for a Glitzy New Years Eve Wedding

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It doesn’t get better than a New Year’s Eve wedding at GATO NYC, and Janna hired only the best hairstylist for her big night!

Janna desired a really sexy hairstyle to go with her gorgeous short wedding dress, so Stacey designed long flowing waves that enhanced her whole look. She first set Janna’s hair with electric rollers to make sure the waves lasted the whole exciting evening. Once the hair was set for 45 minutes, Stacey then added clip-in extensions and re-worked the waves with a curling wand to add texture. Extensions add volume and length and are a simple and effective way to get the perfect, sexy wedding day hair style.

Janna’s wedding was captured by iNsYnc and these photos are spectacular.

A special treat was Chef Bobby Flay helped plan the food options a for the first wedding at his Noho Restaurant!

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For a stress-free day, choose the right wedding hair and makeup artists

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Our goal is to make sure that every bride’s wedding day is stress free, enjoyable, and memorable for all the right reasons. Choosing the right wedding hair and makeup artists is a crucial part of that, so we loved hearing this feedback from our bride Allison:

“Working with Once Upon a Bride was one of the best decisions I made for my wedding. I worked with Karen and Angela. They were amazing! Karen and Angela made me and my family look absolutely beautiful. They both are extremely talented. Each of them was able to accommodate anything for everyone’s hair and make-up. They made the whole day go smoothly, which put me at ease. Karen and Angela made the day fun, exciting, and entertaining. I look back at my pictures and am so happy with my entire look! I felt absolutely gorgeous!”

And we agree that Allison looked absolutely gorgeous! Karen and Angela both used their favorite products to achieve Allison’s look. Using Nars, Mac, and Laura Mercier, Karen achieved a glowing, natural look that highlighted Allison’s amazing eyes. Angela used Oribe and Phyto products and set Allison’s hair using a wand to create her chic, long-lasting updo.

Allison’s gown was by Lazaro, her shoes were by Kate Spade, and the wedding was celebrated at the grand, historic Oheka Castle, on Long Island. Ronnie from Giovanni Photographic Artist was the wedding photographer.

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Rachel and Mark’s chic Tribeca wedding

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Our gorgeous bride Rachel and her groom, Mark, had a vision to create a New York-inspired wedding – modern, chic, and sophisticated. And thanks to the amazing skyline view from Three-Sixty in Tribeca, and the work of the some of the city’s very best wedding vendors, I think you’ll agree the result was everything they could have hoped for.

I styled Rachel’s lovely brunette locks into a loose, feminine side updo accented at the back with a jeweled clasp, while Nichole created a dramatic smoky eye. Brian Dorsey Studios did an incredible job of capturing the whole day — we always love working with their photographers, and the results are always fantastic.


Rachel wore a gown by designer Peter Langner. We think the choice of black for the wedding party is genius — such a clean, classic, stylish look. The bridesmaids each chose their own gowns, and the groomsmen wore matching Hugo Boss tuxedos and ties.





After dark, the venue was transformed by Frost Lighting — the effect was just magical. Keeping with the black-and-white palette, Cornucopia Flowers created stunning white floral centerpieces. And guests danced all night to the band Carnegie Hill, from Element Music.


Audrey’s Fine Baked Goods made the couple’s cake, which featured adorable Princess Peach and Toad figurines from the Super Mario games — a cute inside joke shared by Rachel and Mark.

It was a joy to create Rachel’s look for her big day, and also to work with all these great wedding vendors — truly among the best in the business.

To see more pictures, go to the full gallery on Style Me Pretty.

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Once Upon A Bride styles for Kleinfeld, the premier bridal gown salon

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We feel so honored! The legendary New York bridal gown salon Kleinfeld asked Once Upon A Bride to style hair and makeup for their latest shoot showcasing this season’s gowns. We loved every minute of creating beautiful looks to complement the work of the top designers across the United States and Europe.

Kleinfeld, now a household name because of Say Yes to the Dress, has been a top name in the bridal world for decades. It’s no wonder they sell more designer bridal gowns than any other store on earth — they are just so professional, have a huge selection of gowns, and the owners, Ronnie and Mara, really do treat their brides like family.

Their Chelsea salon takes up over 30,000 square feet, and it’s filled with stunning gowns, shoes, and accessories. And to make sure your gown looks perfect on you, they have 200 staff, including bridal consultants, custom fitters, sewers, beaders, embroiderers and pressers.






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Special invitation: 25% off wedding hair and makeup trials at Once Upon A Bride

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It is so important that you feel comfortable with your hair and makeup artist on your wedding day. You need artists by your side who make you feel beautiful every step of the way, giving you peace of mind from the early planning stages right up to when you walk down the aisle.

So we are offering a 25% discount on all hair and makeup trials at Once Upon A Bride until September 1. This is your chance to come in and meet New York City’s top team of bridal hair and makeup experts. Your hair artist will create two signature looks for you, plus a third variation as another option. Then your makeup artist will explore options, starting out clean and natural then moving on to a more smoky and sultry style, so you can see a transition and decide on the perfect look.

Call now and tell us about your wedding and we’ll set you up with an appointment to find the best artists for you. We have a whole team to choose from, depending on your needs and personal style. I’d like to introduce you to one of our top talents, makeup artist Karen, who recently worked on the wedding of Gillian and Noah at Brooklyn Navy Yard.

Karen is an expert at airbrush makeup. It guarantees a flawless look, because it covers imperfections while allowing the skin’s beauty to shine through. “For my brides I use only the highest quality brands, like Temptu and Kett,” says Karen. “It’s a godsend for brides who need to cover scars, tattoos, redness, very oily skin, or hyperpigmentation. And because it’s waterproof, there are never any concerns about tears or humid weather. Your look will last long through the day and a night of dancing!”

“I just have to thank Karen for making me look so beautiful the day of my wedding!” says Gillian.

“In this picture you can faintly see a rainbow. It started to rain while we were taking pictures outside, and when it stopped five minutes later, a rainbow appeared! We believe it was good luck!”

Gillian and Noah’s photographer was Frank Ammaccapane, Owner and Director of Natural Expressions.

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A romantic, magical beach wedding, NYC style: Christine and Jawad

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A beach wedding might not be the first thing you imagine when you think of tying the knot in New York City. But our bride Christine and her beau Jawad had both a romantic, magical beach wedding and a truly NY moment, exchanging their vows on Pebble Beach at Brooklyn Bridge Park, to the sound of J trains crossing the Williamsburg Bridge. Chris Gifford from Weddings by Two Photography did a fabulous job of capturing the day, as you can see from these shots.

We helped Christine create a suitably romantic, magical look for her wedding day. I used hot rollers and a curling iron to give Christine’s long blonde hair a soft, flowing curl. It worked perfectly with her amazing lace gown by Rivini and gauzy veil.



The style really popped with the addition of a bold jeweled hair accessory.


When it came to makeup, Sofia brought out Christine’s own natural glow, created a soft pink lip, and made her beautiful eyes a focal point.


The result was simply stunning . . .



Photographer: Chris Gifford, Weddings by Two Photography
Dress: Rivini, purchased at Kleinfeld’s
Shoes: Nina
Ceremony: Pebble Beach, Brooklyn Bridge Park
Reception: Galapagos Art Space

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Lisa and Jeff’s summer city wedding

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When our bride Lisa wed Jeff recently, a loose, romantic, and oh-so-feminine style seemed like the perfect look for her long brunette hair and classic veil.

To achieve this style, I set Lisa’s hair with electric rollers, used a set of extensions (so natural looking you would never know, right?), and used Oribe Volumista for extra luster and volume. Makeup artist Sofia brought out Lisa’s own glow with a natural blush and soft pink lip color, and accentuated her beautiful brown eyes with dramatic smokey makeup.

It was a team event for Once Upon A Bride, with Angela and Karen coming to help get Lisa’s big bridal party ready. By the way, we love the bold, chic black that the bridesmaids wore — very striking against Lisa’s amazing white sleeveless gown from Impression Bridal.

We also love the very cool backdrops Felix from Fred Marcus Photography used, like the bright graffiti on Houston St in SoHo, and the interior of the Soho Grand Hotel. And that view of the skyline is seen from Stage 6 at the Steiner Studios complex in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, where Lisa and Jeff tied the knot.




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Romantic bridal style: Ashley and Zach’s South Carolina wedding

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Our bride Ashley chose a classic, romantic bridal look for her wedding at the elegant Sanctuary hotel at Kiawah Island, South Carolina. Her gown was amazing, with a lace bodice and skirt with flowing, frothy ruching. A soft, romantic updo was the perfect choice to complement the dress and her veil.

A pearl brooch at the back of her hair teamed beautifully with her pearl bridal jewelry and the light, creamy tones of her bouquet.

On this October weekend at the South Carolina seashore, I knew humidity was likely to be an issue. So I went prepared with all my luxe Oribe products, especially the anti-humidity hair spray Imperméable, which prevents frizz in even the sultriest weather.

Ashley’s makeup artist was Veronica — you might know her better as “Rara” on “Bethenny Ever After,” as we work together as Bethenny’s hair and makeup stylists. Veronica went with a clean, fresh palette and light pink lip for Ashley, with a smokey eye for a bit of drama.

 

 

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Bright spring color inspiration: Nicole and Steven’s Charleston wedding

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I am a total New York girl and love the city in any season — but it was really a joy to hop on the plane for Nicole and Steven’s outdoor wedding on the waterfront in Charleston, South Carolina. Nicole had chosen to go with bold colors for her flowers and her bridesmaids’ dresses. It may have been February, but those splashes of red, pink, and orange made winter seem far, far away.


Style icon Blake Lively was the inspiration for Nicole’s hair. I used Ombré hair extensions to boost length and volume. With my favorite tool, the Sedu curling iron, I created a flowing, natural-looking wave. And then I styled Nicole’s hair into a side ponytail with a stunning bright flower accessory.

Airbrush makeup gave Nicole a long-lasting and flawless look. We went with a pink lip and light eye shimmer in keeping with the springlike colors of the wedding. False lashes added a touch of glamor.

There were a lot of laughs as we got Nicole and her gorgeous bridesmaids ready in their cute kiminos, in the elegant suites at Lowndes Grove Plantation.

And don’t you just love the photos, by Aaron Lockwood, of Lockwood Studios? I think he did an amazing job of capturing the beauty and happiness of Nicole and Steven’s day.

 

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Romantic bridal beauty: Megan & Bill, Rye, New York

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I loved the style of our gorgeous bride Megan, who wed Bill on a crisp late summer day, wearing a crisp white strapless mermaid-style gown. Using all Oribe products and my trusty Sedu styling iron to set her blonde hair, I created a romantic low updo — my softer, more playful twist on a classic bridal style. I worked fabric flower hair accessories into the back, to complement the pearls Megan wore and the delicate floral patterned lace overlay of her gown.

Makeup artist Nichole accentuated Megan’s stunning blue eyes with a light champagne smokey eye, dramatic eyeliner, and a soft, natural light pink lip. To create this look, Nichole used a combination of MAC, Armani, and Make Up For Ever products.


Photographer Kathi Littwin did an amazing job of capturing the day, from the moment Nichole and I began preparing Megan, right through to the waterfront ceremony in the gardens of the Wainwright House in Rye, and the reception where the couple danced the night away.

Congratulations, Megan and Bill. Nichole and I are so happy to have been part of your perfect day!

Stacey styles Megan’s hair into a soft, romantic low updo (Photo by Kathi Littwin Photography)

Nichole puts the finishing touches on Megan’s makeup

 

 

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Lynn & Jasen: Classic style at Capitale

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We love a modern bridal take on classic style, like our bride Lynn’s when she wed Jasen at a church in uptown NYC, followed by a reception at the Bowery’s Capitale, formerly a bank and now a grand, lavish venue.

The wedding was opulent and filled with vintage-inspired details. So it seemed fitting that Lynn’s hair should be a twist on a classic low chignon. Once Upon A Bride’s stellar makeup artist Sofia created Lynn’s smokey eye with glamorous false lashes, teamed with a clean, pale lip.

We incorporated a stunning birdcage face veil with feathers into Lynn’s hair style, echoing the rosettes in her simply amazing Monique Lhuillier gown.

We loved getting to know this gorgeous, happy couple and creating the look Lynn wanted for her wedding day.


The fabulously talented Cappy Hotchkiss took Lynn and Jasen’s wedding photos.



 


				

				
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Introducing Sofia Beskasnova — Once Upon a Bride makeup artist


						

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It’s so important to have a great relationship with your wedding hair stylist and makeup artist. You need artists you can trust to bring out the most beautiful you and make you feel fantastic on your wedding day. So you can get to know our artists a little better, I’ll be regularly featuring them here on the Inspiration page, so be sure to check back.


Sofia Beskasnova, wedding makeup artist, Once Upon a Bride NYC


First up is the amazing Sofia Beskasnova, who has more than a decade of experience as a professional makeup artist since starting out with MAC Cosmetics. Sofia, who is Russian and was born and grew up in Latvia, studied makeup at film and television school. She learned all the skills of glamour, red carpet, special effects, and film and TV prosthetics — but her real passion was women’s beauty.


“I love to see how wonderful and confident women feel when they have the right makeup on,” she says. “Bridal makeup will always be my favorite field in this fascinating industry. It is a very rewarding and happy job, because I make brides feel their most beautiful.”


Sofia is well known at the Paris, Milan, and New York fashion weeks, where she has been doing runway makeup for the past 12 seasons. She has worked with Diane Von Furstenberg, Oscar de la Renta, Marc Jacobs, Vivien Westwood, Reem Acra, and Monique Lhuillier. Sofia’s celebrity clients have included Lady Gaga, and her work has appeared on shows such as TLC’s Say Yes to the Dress and Bravo’s Miss Advised, Bethenny Ever After, and Project Runway. Her work can also be seen in GQ, Allure, and the Harper’s Bazaar runway report.


Every time I see a bride get to know Sofia during a makeup trial, the bride leaves our salon feeling absolutely confident and excited about her upcoming wedding day. Sofia becomes friends with most of her brides, and they often become lifetime clients.


When I ask Sofia what her approach is to working with brides, she says: “I always try to connect with my client first, then her face just speaks to me. I love doing wedding makeup! Natural, dramatic, sexy, extravagant — whatever fits the bride’s personality. And the biggest excitement for me is the moment when a bride smiles at me and says, ‘It’s exactly what I want!'”


When I shot my video for this website, I had Sofia do my makeup — she did an amazing job.


Sofia puts the finishing touches on a bride before she walks down the aisle


Sofia also loves doing makeup for our brides’ flower girls.


 


				

				
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Jennifer & Sean’s modern NYC wedding


						

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Chilly days are on the way, but summer brides are busy right now getting all their style ideas together for wedding hair and makeup. So here is our gorgeous bride Jennifer, who married Sean overlooking New York’s Hudson River. Makeup artist Sofia and I helped Jennifer get ready at luxurious Soho House, in the Meatpacking District.


Because it was summer in the city, I went with some free-flowing extensions for Jennifer’s blonde locks. A floral hair accessory accented the light and airy skirt of her gown. Sofia complemented this with a natural bronzed shimmery summer makeup look.


The look of the wedding was modern but a bit whimsical. Jennifer and Sean’s palette of black, white, and pink was stunning. And, really, who couldn’t love the fact that their pooch was part of the wedding party and got to wear a pink necklace that matched the bridesmaids’?


With photos like these by Jenny Ebert, using the amazing backdrop of the High Line, it’s no wonder The Knot magazine featured the couple. Thank you, Jennifer and Sean, for making us a part of your day.










				

				
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Fall wedding inspiration: Rachel and Zac’s Vermont wedding


						

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Our bride Rachel showed us that for fall weddings, it’s more than okay to go beyond an earthy harvest-time palette and opt for something striking and gorgeous . . . like sapphire blue, in her case. We love the amazing patterned Douglas Hannant gown with bold blue accents that she wore, not to mention those stunning blue jeweled Manolo Blahniks.


Rachel and Zac got married on a perfect fall day at the Vermont home of one their parents. The home has an old stone wall and stately garden, which inspired Rachel and Zac  to bring a touch of nature into their wedding style: it was English Garden meets Great Gatsby.


Once Upon a Bride stylist Stefanie worked with the organic floral patterns in Rachel’s gown and put her beautiful long hair into a classic low chignon. Stefanie gave it a modern twist by braiding the sides and adding a fabric flower hair accessory. This wedding hair style worked beautifully with the chic little fascinator Rachel wore for the ceremony.


Our makeup artist Sofia picked up the tones in Rachel’s gown and flowers and gave her a smokey blue eye, complemented with a soft pink lip, for a natural bridal makeup look with a touch of glamour.


The effect Rachel and Zac were going for with their wedding look? Understated elegance. Check out these stunning shots from Daria Bishop Photographers, and I think you’ll agree that they achieved that, and more.


For even more inspiration from Rachel and Zac’s Vermont wedding, go to Style Me Pretty’s gallery.


































				

				
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Classic Bridal Style: Meghan & Marc


						

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As inspiration for those who dream of creating a classic wedding hair and makeup look, I want to share with you the wedding pictures of our beautiful bride Meghan. With the Hudson Valley’s Wainwright House — which is modeled on a real 17th century chateau — as the backdrop for her wedding to Marc, it was only fitting that she went with a timeless, elegant bridal style.


We styled her lovely blonde hair in a soft, romantic updo accentuated with a jeweled bridal hair accessory. The effect was stunning with her simply amazing long bridal veil and the train on her Vera Wang gown. For Meghan’s makeup, we went with a natural look and soft pink lip color — so pretty with the roses in her bouquet!


So, enjoy these gorgeous images from Robert and Kathleen Photographers. On Style Me Pretty, they tell a beautiful story about how they witnessed Meghan and Marc’s love for each other on the wedding day, and you’ll also find more of the couple’s wedding pictures if you want to soak up more classic bridal style inspiration!








































				

				
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Cagney and Zack’s Southern style, Charleston, SC


						

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This past weekend, I headed off with my stellar makeup artist Veronica – you may know her as RaRa from Bethenny Ever After — to that most elegant of wedding destinations, Charleston, South Carolina. (By the way, girls in the Charleston area: Once Upon a Bride has just opened a branch in your beautiful city!)


We were there to style Cagney for her wedding to Zack at the amazing Lowndes Grove Plantation, an historic estate on the banks of the river in downtown Charleston. I love that Cagney had two different hair looks for her wedding day: first I created a classic Southern belle look using long hair extensions with a wave. And when Cagney walked down the aisle we went with a side up-do that complemented her sheer white veil beautifully.


Veronica brought out the bride’s own glowing beauty with a couple of different makeup palettes, especially accentuating Cagney’s eyes with a dramatic look including luscious eyelash extensions.


My new friends at Southern Protocol wedding planners did an incredible job of making this a wedding to remember. The color scheme was exquisite — love the bride’s magenta Queen Anne sofa on the lawn and the flower girls’ tutus! And Paige Winn did a phenomenal job of capturing the whole event.


Thanks for making us a part of your day, Cagney and Zack — you are the sweetest couple. Congratulations!


 


































































				

				
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