The Rhode to The Rest of Our Lives: Mismatched Dresses

After my hair was done, it was time for the girls to get dressed.  You may remember my posts about finding the perfect BM dresses, and how I wanted each of my girls to wear something that was comfortable for them.  I had seen the two dresses together, but not on their owners, so this moment was so great for me to be able to see them together and being worn for the first time!

My mom was kind enough to step in, and helped BM A get into her dress while I helped MOH E into hers.  

They looked so good together, but you'll have to wait for the full reveal.  

And with that, my two girls were ready to help me into my dress and get this show on the road!

All photos by Matt Ferrara Photography unless otherwise noted.

The Rhode to The Rest of Our Lives: My Hair Was Did

After the girls and my mom were all set, with the exception of their dresses, MOH E said it was time to get my hair out of the curlers and done up.  I had already taken off the "Elephant" to do my makeup, so the only thing left to do before she could start was to take out the curlers, getting rid of my "Muppet" hair for the rest of the day.

BM A helped me take out the curlers, and we gently finger-twisted the curls in the proper direction after removing them from the curlers, just to make sure that they stayed in their correct form.  

My scalp felt so good with all of the curlers out, and it was great to see how curly they made my hair.  I was already so happy with how it was turning out, and we had barely even gotten started!

BM A and my mom sat on the bed to watch my hair get put back, one of the best parts of getting ready for the day.  

MOH E took each section of curls, and lightly sprayed them with extra-firm hair spray, just to make sure that each one was defined and stayed where it was supposed to.  

She started pinning the sections back one by one, recreating the look that we had tried and loved.  I watched her carefully in the mirror, making sure that it was looking exactly the way I wanted it to. But, she ultimately decided that she wanted me to trust her, and to make me surprised when I saw it, so she took away my mirror.

This was the first time I actually started feeling nervous.  I actually started shaking while she was doing my hair. It wasn't because I didn't trust her, but it was more because I was freaking out that my hair was getting done for my wedding.  This wasn't a hair trial. This was it.  This was the way I was going to look on my wedding day.

My mom could tell how nervous I was, and came over to try to talk the nerves out. 

And with the final touches of hair spray, and the placement of my DIY Hair Flower, I was good to go.  I just had to put on my glasses and look in the mirror.  

Looking at the finished product, I was overwhelmed with how perfect it looked.  Tears of joy came over me, and I gave my sister a big hug, thanking her for helping me look so beautiful.

Finally, it was time for everyone to get dressed, and for me to finally see my whole ensemble together.  I couldn't wait to get my dress on.  

All photos by Matt Ferrara Photography unless otherwise noted.

The Rhode to The Rest of Our Lives: Putting on my Face

While the girls and my mom all were getting their makeup and jewelry on, I decided it was time to apply mine as well.  It knew that since it was a little more than my 10-minute daily routine, I wanted to have plenty of time to get everything set properly.  

To make it easier to put on, I took off the "Elephant" so I could see my entire face, and pulled the curlers right around my face back with a hair elastic.  

I started out with foundation, and I actually put more on than I normally do, just to make sure that my face looked as smooth and flawless as possible.  

After some touchups in some problem areas, I asked my mom to check and see if the coverage looked alright, and she gave me the ok to apply the setting powder.  

After my hunt for the perfect blush, I was more than excited to apply this to my cheeks.  Doing my makeup in front of the large window was perfect too, because it allowed me to see exactly how it was going to look throughout the day in the natural lighting.  

MOH E stepped in next, to help me apply my false eyelashes before putting on my mascara.  She put them in place with a pair of tweezers, and then let me fiddle with them a little to place them a little more comfortably.  

After letting the glue dry, she helped me cover up the seam of the eyelashes with a little black eye liner, something I never wear.  It was great to have such great help putting on my makeup from someone who knows what she's doing.  

I loved putting on my makeup on my wedding day.  It really made me feel extra pretty to see what I was able to accomplish.  But, you'll have to wait until I'm fully dressed to see the final product! Yeah, I know I'm such a tease!

All photos by Matt Ferrara Photography unless otherwise noted.

The Rhode to The Rest of Our Lives: The Girls and Mom Get Ready

After I had my "Muppet" hair up in the "Elephant," I sat over to the side and watched my sister do her hair and BM A's hair.  

My sister used extensions in her own hair to add volume, and BM A was kind enough to hold them out for her to style before adding them into her own hair.

MOH E then got to work on BM A's hair.  It was so great to be able to have a sister who was more than willing to help out by doubling as our hairstylist.  I don't think that I would have trusted anyone but her to do what I wanted on the most special day of my life.  

Since BM A met us at the hotel with her makeup already done, she just had to put on her jewelry before the final step of putting on her dress.  I loved the way that her hair came out.  It think it looked beautiful, and my sister did a great job.  

Making sure that BM A was all set, MOH E finished up her own hairstyle with my mom popping in a few bobby pins in the back.  The extensions really helped to give her volume in the side-swept pony style.  I wanted this to be about them as well, and I loved that my girls chose different styles that really fit them and their personality.  

MOH E laid out all her makeup on the bed and got to work, but it didn't take her too long to get ready.  Just a little foundation, some blush, and some mascara on her eyelashes, and she was good to go.  Such a natural beauty.  

And while my sister was doing her makeup, my mom was doing hers.  Another natural beauty, which explains where my sister got it from.  

Their makeup was so much easier than mine, as you will notice from the next post.  And with that, all they had left to do was put on their dresses.  I couldn't wait to see how the dresses all looked together!

All photos by Matt Ferrara Photography unless otherwise noted.