The first stop on our mini series of weddings around New England is Studio Vogue Salon. A salon which is working to make brides dreams come true with a touch of color, a shiny manicure and tease of the comb.
BY MICHAELLA LESIEUR
The hair, makeup, nails and natural beauty of a bride is just as important as picking out the dress, and Studio Vogue Salon of Fall River, Mass. works closely with the bride and her party to make her day extra special. As the website proclaims, get ready to “enter the ambiance of comfort, style and relaxation.”
If you are ready to put a ring on it you may be looking for the perfect manicure. Or possibly you are looking for the effortless curls, which will bounce as you glide down the aisle. Brides and their girls can expect a whole line of services to choose from, which will make the final “I do” even more extravagant.
Salon owner and Paul Mitchell Educator, Lina Sousa has been in business for twenty-five years come this October and has worked closely with the bridal party to create the picture perfect look.
“We offer hair, make-up, skin care, body waxing, laser hair removal, pedicures, manicures and massages,” says Sousa. “We offer several packages or you can customize your own. The bride can come in with her bridal party for a full day of pampering and relaxation. Some packages even include lunch.”
To make sure the bride’s ideal look is captured, a trial run is a must. It gives everyone an idea on how the look will come together.
“Typically the bride comes in a few weeks prior to the wedding. They usually try to coordinate it with their last fitting so they can see the complete look,” says Sousa. “This is the time where changes are made. We then take pictures of her hair and makeup so on the wedding day it all goes smoothly.”
If you’re looking to release the stress of having to travel back and forth, the salon will pack up and come to you. They’ll even ensure that an adult friendly beverage and treat to pair will be served.
“We offer off-site for the brides that want us to come to them. Especially for out-of-town brides,” says Sousa. “On-sight, we open at whatever time necessary to accommodate the bridal party’s needs. We also offer mimosas, coffee and pastry.”
Over the years the owner established the building blocks to her business from the ground up, her inspiration coming from a simple bridal boutique.
“When I opened my business I was located upstairs from a bridal shop,” says Sousa. “I built my bridal business by volunteering to do hair and makeup at their bridal shows, which in turn gave me lots of exposure to the brides. Bridal shows are a great way to showcase your work and your product.”
After completing a wedding and giving all of yourself into the bride’s dream day, the feeling afterwards is like a perfect ending to a fairy tale of which you brought to life and Sousa would not change it for the world.
“When you’re done with a wedding party, especially the bride, it sends chills up your body,” says Sousa. “It’s one of the happiest days of her life and as their stylist you’re so fortunate to share it with them and make what they’ve envisioned themselves to look like come to life.”
Dedication, training and a hard working staff is what makes the show happen. You have to keep up with the season’s hottest trends and offset the highest of standards to deliver to your guests
“I am blessed to have an amazing team of talented stylist, who are all very creative,” says Sousa. “We have in salon, hands-on trainings and attend trade shows to keep us current. We also rely on social media to see what are the latest trends.”
Sousa has served and pampered many parties and one memory she will never forget will be a simple act of love from a brother to his sister.
“I have done hundreds of bridal parties in the twenty-eight years as a stylist, it’s so difficult to pinpoint one. They are all special and meaningful in their own unique way but there is one that I’ll never forget,” Sousa says proudly. “That morning, as we were all working on the wedding party, the bride’s brother came in and brought her a bouquet of roses with a card. It was the sweetest thing ever, it made me cry.”
Now it is time to get all glammed up and take your next steps into forever. If you would like to make a consultation or reservation you can call the salon at (508)-677-0866. Enjoy the “you” time you deserve.
Be sure to stay tuned and check back for the next installment of this series where we will be visiting Beautiful Things in Westport, Mass!
Photographer Sarah Pudlo talks to Engaged about her classy and tech-savvy photo booth option.
By Viki Panteleakis
Sarah Pudlo, of Sarah Pudlo Photography, never intended on tying the knot with wedding photography. Her beginnings were rooted in babies and portraits, and the thought of working a wedding was incredibly daunting. It was not until a friend asked her to photograph her wedding
that she dipped her toes in the business and fell in love. Weddings became the bread and butter of her business, and it wasn’t long before she began to notice one thing: the photo booths were always an eyesore. “A lot of them were pretty ugly when I started out,” she recalls. “Here we were in the classiest venues of Newport, and the photo booths were made of PVC pipes and black curtains.” So if PVC pipes and black curtains aren’t on your bridal Pinterest board, we have great news: Pudlo has since taken matters into here own hands and created Rock Your Booth!
Rock Your Booth is a modern photo booth service dedicated to customization and class. Pudlo works out of Swansea, but the company largely serves Newport and other Rhode Island events. RYB is the baby of Pudlo and her husband, Mike. She dreams up ideas and he brings them to life. Customization is what the service most proudly boasts. Couples can choose from different backdrops, props, photo strip sizes and graphics on the final product. Looking like the booth “fits” at an event is the ultimate goal. The “booth” is open-air, so a lot more guests can join in on the fun! No more stuffy, enclosed spaces with traditional booths.
Wedding hashtag couples rejoice: RYB offers a social media kiosk where guests can instantly share their mini photo-shoot on their own accounts. Want to save the picture for a future Instagram post? A guest can e-mail or text themselves the image too. “The social media portion really prolongs the fun,” says Pudlo. Scrolling through the booth’s photos as honeymooners can be a great way to relieve some wedding nostalgia.
And let’s not forget the old-fashioned printed photo strip. Your guest gets one, and so do you to keep the memories for yourself. You’ll want to have every one of them, because this fun-loving booth is likely to crank out some gems. Want to book RYB for your big day? Find them at www.rockyourbooth.com!
By Angie Sarhan
Ever since David and I got engaged, it’s been a happy and busy time filled with planning, organizing, detailing, dreaming and counting down (only 9 more days!)
There have been so many memories created as we picked a date, chose a location, booked vendors, decided on a menu, went to our tasting… you get the idea!
But I have to say one of my favorite moments of the engagement so far was attending my bridal shower.
It was a beautifully planned and orchestrated day thanks to my mom and best friends. The food was delicious (thanks, Luigi’s)! Everyone was in happy spirits and it was a bright, sunny day.
I admit, it’s nice to go to a wedding related event that you didn’t have to think about—well, except for choosing a dress and shoes!
But really, the best part of the bridal shower is looking around and realizing how many wonderful women you are surrounded by.
I was overwhelmed by the love I saw all around me. Some had rearranged schedules, a few had driven hours to get there and others had helped plan this event for weeks.
Looking at each of their faces I was reminded of how lucky I am.
Whether they are parents, family or friends, all these women were there to tell me they are excited and here to support me—not just as I approach my wedding, but also as I enter my marriage.
That’s why I was so excited to see the pretty, little jar with the words “Advice for the Bride,” near the candy bar—yes, there was even a candy bar too!
As a bride-to-be, one thing I’ve enjoyed most is the advice (sometimes solicited, sometimes unsolicited) I’ve received from the women around me. Everyone has something to share!
There are those who opine on wedding planning and there are those who think long-term and share marriage advice.
I admit, I love knowing how a couple met and what keeps them together, so when I find myself in the presence of someone who has been with their partner for a fair amount of time,I am quick to ask what advice they have for David and me. Sometimes the words come tumbling out, as if they were on the tips of their tongues.
Other times, they have to think for a moment before an answer rises to the surface.
Their words have been filled with the do’s, the don’ts, and what to do for better or for worse. Mostly they come from experience and are always from a place of love.
My favorite conversations are the ones filled with honesty and thoughtfulness. I know I will always cherish one particular conversation I shared with David’s aunt. She was candid, funny and not afraid to be real. She spoke to me at length, giving advice for different stages of marriage.
I was so happy I thought to ask her and so grateful she felt she could share such an honest and intimate portrayal of her fifty-three year marriage.
That’s why seeing a jar for advice set up at the shower was really a perfect touch to an already perfect day.
Naturally, I couldn’t wait to get home and see what sage words of wisdom sat in my jar.
And so, on a fairly calm evening, not filled with wedding related duties, David and I sat together, excited to see these slips of paper that may act like an anchor at some point, settling a couple down if they ever hit rocky waters.
I thought I would share some of our favorite pieces of advice with all of you!
“Never go to bed angry.” (This was a popular one!)
“Always remember what you love most about one another and remember to laugh.”
“Make time for one another.”
“Make time for fun.”
“Trust your love.”
“Remember why you got married to begin with. Let your love grow with you.”
I hope these words of wisdom resonate with all of you. Even though each relationship is different, and no two people operate the same, I think it doesn’t hurt to see what works for the couples you admire and respect.
So my advice? Ask for as much advice as you can get. Listen carefully, cherish the words shared, take what you want and set aside the rest. (You never know what might resonate later, down the road.)
At the end of reading through each of the slips of paper, I felt reassured. Most of the advice we read are things David and I already try to live by. It made me feel like according to the people who love us most, we are already on the right track.
And with just days until we become husband and wife, that is the best message we can receive.
