Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Top 10 tips on Bridal Hair from Stacey Lyn Weinstein, Celebrity Stylist and Owner of "Once Upon a Bride"


Every bride is different, and every bride’s hair should capture her own individual style. So there are no “rules” for bridal hair—but there is some advice that can help you get the perfect look. Here are my top 10 tips:
1.      Show and tell. On the day of your hair trial, bring anything you think will help your stylist understand the looks you love or the style of your wedding. Have a friend take a photo of you in your dress at a fitting. Bring a swatch of fabric if you think that will help. Bring pictures of brides, celebrities, models—anyone whose look inspires you.
2.      Enhance your unique beauty. When you’re finding pictures to show your stylist, try to find ones that don’t stray too far from your own look and style. If you are the kind of girl who loves having her hair down and flowing, maybe you don’t want to go for a sleek up-do—and vice versa. I think it’s best to go with the look you normally go for when you dress up for an occasion, and then glam it up a notch for your wedding day.
3.      Be open. Your hair trial gives you the chance to live with a look and discover whether you feel comfortable with it. If your hair stylist suggests looks that you hadn’t considered before, don’t feel pressured to follow their advice—but while you have their expertise at your fingertips, you may as well give it your consideration.
4.      Accessorize. There are so many great hair accessories available now to add a gorgeous accent to your wedding hair. It will depend on the look you’re going for. For a more classical look, you might want to wear a tiara. Jeweled barettes can be great. Some of my favorites at the moment are bird-cage veils, and feathers, which go beautifully with more unstructured, flowing, playful gowns.
5.      Extend yourself. If you or your stylist are worried about your hair holding a particular style all through your wedding day, you might want to consider hair extensions. Even if you own hair falls, the extensions won’t.
6.      Keep having regular haircuts. Even if you are trying to grow your hair for your wedding, keep having regular haircuts. If your hair is very long or unlayered, it can be difficult to manage and style, limiting the looks your stylist can show you at your trial.
7.      But don’t get your hair cut just before the wedding! It’s better to be safe than sorry, so avoid having a cut too close to your wedding. Especially avoid a radical change of style.
8.      Look after those locks. Pay special attention to hair care in the weeks before your trial and wedding, so that your hair is shiny and healthy. If you’re unsure of the best products for your hair type, consult with your stylist.
9.      Be product free on the day. On your trial day and wedding day, go to the stylist with clean, dry hair. Avoid using a lot of conditioner that morning, especially a leave-in one. Stay away from silkening products that weigh your hair down and make it slippery to work with.
10.  Don’t make any last-minute changes. The hour or so before you walk down the aisle is not the time to be experimenting with looks. Have someone take photos at your hair trial, so that there won’t be any confusion or stress. A marriage is a joyous occasion, and at Once Upon A Bride, we believe that the preparations should be too!

      Stacey Lyn Weinstein is owner of "Once Upon A Bride", one of New York's premier Bridal Hair and Make-up firms and  "Loft 26" a full service Salon in the heart of Chelsea with the ambience of a day-spa.

Thursday, July 22, 2010

My Favorite NYC Spots



New York City is full of fabulous places. That is what I love about this city, there are so many places to go and always new things to do!

Here is a list of some of my favorite spots in the city, and in no particular order:

1.   Governor's Island – Great NYC getaway only moments from the city. Just like a quaint New England fishing village steeped in history and it’s FREE!
2.   Central Park – Too many good things to talk about! Go, enjoy & explore!
3.  River Walk along the Hudson River – There are so many interesting parks & things to do! Free kayaking and free museums you’ll never know what you find!
4.  Sailing on the Adirondack - Take the sunset cruise with your honey and see Manhattan at night. A romantic experience like no other!
5.  Ardesia - Can't get enough of this Hell's Kitchen wine bar! Great wine, great food and happy hour from 5pm to 7pm Mon-Fri!
6.   Best Mexican - Arriba Arriba! The BEST margs and salsa on the planet!
7.   Favorite Burger - "5 Napkin Burger" Too many good things to list, but you MUST try their sushi…yes, they serve that too!
8.   Favorite Grocery Store - Whole Foods, and in particular the cheese section. LOVE wine and cheese!
9.   BLT Steak....as a matter of fact, any BLT Restaurant. LOVE the popovers!
10. Limelight Marketplace – it’s just cute!
11. Crate&Barrel and CB2 (but I do have to say, very disappointed to see Z Gallery go away here on the east coast)
12. Sushi Samba – Amazing sushi platters that feed an army! Watch out their cocktails are potent!
13. Who doesn’t love pizza? Run to one of my all time favorite spots Johns Pizzeria.  It’s a great Times Square spot that offers a quality meal for a quality price. Perfect for before or after the theater.
14. Another favorite walk – The High Line.  Walk where trains once operated. Also steeped in history this walk offers a look at New York States indigenous plants and trees all year round.
15. My favorite Meatpacking District eats – Son Cubano and Fig & Olive. To die for!
16. One of my all time favorite Italian restaurants, Il Vagabondo is a hidden gem on the east side.  Directly out of “The Godfather” with a full Bocce Court, this place has the most amazing lasagna you’ve ever tasted!
17. If you like paper and stationery run to Paper Presentations.  It’s like the Baskin Robbins of Stationery!
18. If you like Red Velvet Cake and fresh baked bread like I do, go to any of Amy’s Bread locations throughout the city.  They have the best fresh baked goods you’ve ever tasted.  Perfect for the holidays! Get your order in early because the good stuff goes fast!
19. Like cupcakes…Forget about waiting in line at some of the other places check out CupCakeStop.com and taste some of their amazing flavors such as French Toast with Maple Syrup and bacon…AMAZING!
20. Looking to have a cocktail with a view? Go to the Mandarin Oriental Lobby Lounge. Fantastic drinks with a fantastic view of Central Park.  Perfect anytime of the year!
21. Who knew you could have cocktails in the library?  Well you can at the Hudson Hotel's Library Bar.  The perfect atmosphere after work or before hitting the town!
22. Nothing says Saturday morning like walking through Union Square Market.  Fully stocked with fresh produce from the Hudson Valley, New Jersey and Pennsylvania, this is a must stop if your looking to make a meal with fresh produce.  The market is also open Friday’s!
23. Like chocolate? Run to Le Masion du Chocolate.  They have the MOST exquisite chocolates I have ever tasted here in the city!
24. Although it’s name doesn’t do it justice, the Frying Pan located off of 26th Street and the West Side Highway is a “hot spot” of sorts.  An old light ship (now converted to a bar) that is on the registrar of historic places, is something fun and out of the ordinary.
25. Looking to relax and decompress after your non-stop tour of my favorite places? Go to DownTime Massage and Skincare located in Hell’s kitchen. They make you feel like a million bucks with facials and full body treatments.  They even do sugaring to make you smooth as a baby’s bottom. Check them out!

I hope you’ve enjoyed my tour and some of my favorite spots!  What are some of your favorite NYC spots?  Let me know on my Twitter or Facebook Fan Page! Would love to hear your thoughts!

Until next time, cheers!
Shawn

FABULOUS Cupcakes from Cupcake Stop!

On Tuesday, the wonderful Cupcake Stop came by my office with some samples of their fabulous cupcakes! So sweet of them!  I have to say, SO delicious and VERY hard to resist today in the office as the cupcakes are sitting on my desk staring at me just waiting to be eaten. They have some fantastic flavors including Red Velvet, Nutella Crunch, Oreo Crumb, Chocolate Peanut Butter Swirl, and my personal favorite, French Toast and Bacon! YUM!


Follow them on Twitter to see where the truck is today! 

Friday, July 16, 2010

To answer your questions....





Hi Folks!

As promised on my Twitter and Facebook page, please find all the answers to your questions below! This is just the first round, so keep the questions coming! I would love to answer them! 

To all my Facebook friends...

Tamika: 
Have you thought of ever using balloons or referring balloons to a client?
Although balloons make any party festive, my medium is flowers. 



Joanne: My question is: if we start a petition to Bravo for Shawn Rabideau to have his very own reality show - would you go for it?? p.s. LOVE Bethenny & Jason!!
ABSOLUTELY!


Christopher: Shawn , who did the flowers for Bethenney's wedding ? It wasn't Ron Wendt was it?
It sure wasn't! It was me, Shawn Rabideau! Check out my portfolio here


Katie: How did you get your start?
Check out my bio by clicking here!


Dina: Will you go to Wegmans with me if you come back home to Rochester?
Seeing as Wegmans is one of my favorite places, and seeing as it is a public place, I don't think I have any concerns with you being a stalker, so sure I will go with you! Which Wegman's is your favorite? Chili is my favorite!!!


Chelsa: My biggest question for you is are you going to make any other appearances on the show? You are one of my fave characters! 

Will I be making a return? Stay tuned because Cookie is not done with me yet!

Scott: I'll be watching Shawn! Are you watching Cookie while Bethenny and Jason gone?
It is safe to say...HELL NO!

now onto twitter...

@prettypenstudio
Have you designed a wedding w/the colors red and yellow? 
Not yet, but I would be open to do it because it sounds beautiful!

@kay819
Any chance u can moonlight as matchmaker and find me a Jason?
Step in line sweety, step in line. But no, no mathchmaking skills here. But, I will get you Patti Stanger's number


@NinaBBT
Are you really truly not related to Buster Bluth? (ps - awesome wedding you pulled off!)
First of all, his name is not Buster. It is Tony Hale. And although flattering, no, I truly am not related to him. 


Here are some other frequently asked questions....

Why did I not have Bethenny taste the cake?
Because she was out of town and a full week would go by from the cake tasting from when I would see her again. So I would rather her not taste the cake than taste a stale cake.

How did I get the Four Seasons?
I honestly do not know. They called me one day and said, the day is available do you want it? and of course, I said YES!

How do I break into wedding planning?
My best piece of advice to all of you out there who want to get into the wedding planning industry, is to call or stop into a wedding planning business in your home town, and ask them if you can help out at an event for free and shadow them. That way, you can see what it is really like to put on an event and who knows, may turn into a job opportunity!

Well that's it for now! I hope you all got the answers you were looking for. 
Until next time, 

Cheers!