Two Wishes

Getting Pretty at the Beauty School

When I first started researching the cost of professional hair and makeup for weddings, I was SHOCKED!  For a girl who usually gets her hair cut at the Aveda Institute for $18 a pop, prices in the hundreds of dollars were awe-inspiring.  And that was just for the bride -- bringing my mother and bridesmaids along for the ride would cost, roughly, one gazillion dollars.

But then I realized there was a budget option: my friends at the Aveda Institute.  You never know which student will be assigned, but my many haircuts have run the gamut from adequate to great.  And the price?  $10 for a makeup application, $15 for a short-hair do, and $40 for an updo!

 

At least, I think that's the updo price.  I paid for my mother's short-hair style but never had the chance to pay for my own beauty .... BECAUSE A STRANGER PAID FOR IT! 

A note to the anonymous person who paid for my hair and makeup on my wedding day -- I can't tell you how much your generous gesture meant to me.  The enormous smile that was pasted on my face all day had its start in the amazing warmth I felt from your act of kindness.  I pray the good karma comes back around to you someday.

As far as tips go, (1) I highly recommend bringing photos of the style you're looking for.  Even though I had no personal history with the stylist or makeup person, it's easy to say "I want volume in front and a sort-of-simple bun" or "I like a natural face with some color on the eyes and lips" if you have illustrations of exactly WHAT those terms mean to you.  (2) If you go the Aveda Institute route, you're in luck if you're a late planner -- when I first tried to make an appointment, they told me to call back a month before the date.  (3) And if you're not an early riser (as I am not), be prepared!  We had to arrive at 8:30 to be sure there was no rush with travel/clothes/etc. before our 2:00 ceremony.

Also?  What a great place for funky photos.  Here are a few more of my favorites.  (All photos by Punam Bean.):

Aveda Institute DC

713 7th St NW, Washington, DC 20001

(202) 824-1624

(If you're not in DC, you may still be in luck -- there are Aveda Institutes in 20 states and several countries.)

And for any DC gals or gus who aren't comfortable with the beauty school idea -- I also highly recommend my new haircut and highlight guru: William at Salon Ava.  He's great with hair, totally knows his stuff, and believes what matters most is that YOU like the results.  (Mr. T got his wedding haircut from William, and now he's started going back regularly as well.)  Their makeup artist, Andre, has done the makeup for TNT's "Christmas in Washington" for several years.  And best of all, their prices are quite reasonable for their level of service.

Salon Ava

225 Pennsylvania Ave SE, Washington, DC 20003

(202) 544-5111

 

Fun at the Hotel Monaco

While planning our wedding, I loved the idea of staying at a nice hotel the night before the wedding (by myself) and on the wedding night (joined by Mr. T).  Unfortunately, we couldn't spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars for the privilege.  Originally, my plan was to bid on Priceline a few days beforehand and see what came up.  But then my favorite travel discount site, Travelzoo, shared the great news that a new Hotel Monaco had opened in Alexandria, just 3 blocks from our ceremony site, and they were having a $99/night special.

And it turns out, staying there was a fantastic decision -- they made the wedding weekend an absolute dream!

(Taking a pre-ceremony break on the world's most comfortable bed) 

First, when I returned from the rehearsal dinner and afterparty the night before -- absolutely exhausted from socializing and 40+ hours without sleep -- I found the most AMAZING thing waiting for me on the hotel room desk.

There was a card whose front said "For your last night as ... Ms. Maidenname", and inside it explained that the gifts were something old (an old quote on a bookmark), something new (a book called Autobiography of a Fat Bride, by Laurie Notaro, which turned out to be hilarious!), something borrowed (a pack of cards), and something blue (a blue journal).  Plus a couple of super-tasty heart-shaped chocolates.  It was the most unexpected and most charming thing I'd ever seen!!  [And here's an Internet shout-out to wonderful, wonderful Joanna at the front desk, who put it all together and wrote the card....] 

The second night, there was wine and cheese (next to my bottle of wedding perfume):

We felt genuinely welcomed by everyone at the Hotel.  They put a note about our wedding on their computer system, so everyone we spoke to knew about the Big Event and congratulated us repeatedly.  And of course, once we starting walking around in wedding finery, there was no keeping secrets!  Everyone from the other guests to the valets to a housekeeper passing through the lobby stopped us to offer the warmest of wishes. 

We took advantage of the beautifully decorated lobby for a quick pre-ceremony photo session.  Here, I was cracking up because a tiny elderly lady in a tweed hat was peering shamelessly through the windows from the sidewalk outside:

For anyone planning a visit to Alexandria, VA (or to DC itself -- Alexandria is very close, extremely charming, and joined by Metro), I can't recommend the Hotel Monaco highly enough.  It was a special experience for us because of our wedding, but even as a normal hotel stay it ranked very highly.  We spent ages at the day-after brunch raving about the hotel with other wedding guests who stayed there -- the beds! the decor! the location! -- and all agreed it was a genuine treat.

(The bathroom wallpaper was the coolest.) (1st and last 2 photos by Punam Bean)

Oh, and P.S.: The last morning of our stay was Easter.  They put a chocolate egg on our bed the night before, and hid Easter eggs all around the lobby the next morning.  How cute is this?

Where will you spend your wedding night?  Splurge or budget??

We're Baaaaaack!

Well, it's official.  We're back from our honeymoon.  Let the long years of married life begin!

Our honeymoon started in San Francisco.  We took a few days to see the city (best tips: ride the city's 1940s streetcars, and check out the food stalls at the Ferry Building) and met with several friends, including the lovely and talented Mrs. Eggplant. 

Unfortunately, I was under the weather part of the time, and Mr. T had to go to one dinner without me.  He took this pic to show to the other couple, lest they accuse him of having made up the whole wife thing:

After picking up our one-way rental car at the Oakland airport -- oddly, much cheaper than if we'd picked it up at SFO -- we headed down the coast to Santa Cruz.  Which was mostly a one-night stopover for 2 local attractions that I wanted very badly to visit:  First, the elephant seal rookery at Ano Nuevo State Reserve (not a super-telephoto lens; we were really that close to the elephant seals!):

...and then the giant redwood trees at Big Basin State Park:

Our next 3 nights were spent in Monterey.  Actually, in the next town, Pacific Grove -- a charming little town with a dramatic rocky shoreline.  Mr. T and I are trying to figure out how we can relocate there ASAP!

We're nuts for animals (says the person with 5 pets), so of course we adored the famous Monterey Bay Aquarium.  The Aquarium is justifiably well-known for its otters and its penguins, but just about every exhibit was memorable.  For example, the jellyfish were psychedelic:

And this huge tube of anchovies swimming in a circle was oddly mesmerizing (and tasty!):

We tried to go whale watching one day -- a longtime dream of Mr. T's -- but sadly the boat had to turn back because of HUGE waves in the bay.  But on our way south through Big Sur, we fulfilled one of my own longtime dreams -- riding horses on a beach:

As for Big Sur itself, nothing to say except SPECTACULARLY GORGEOUS!  By the end of the day, we were actually blase about stunning vistas.  ("Oh, hm, another dramatic green cliff dropping into the turquoise sea?  Been there, seen that.")

(Bixby Bridge, built in 1932)

(McWay Falls, in Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park -- the waterfall path was closed, but there is this dramatic view from the highway above)

There aren't many many places to stay -- at least many affordable ones -- in Big Sur, so we overnighted in Cambria, just south of Hearst Castle.  The next day, we toured the Castle itself.  I'm not usually big on "fancy building tours," but everything from the setting to the house to the decorative details were absolutely amazing.  I'm now fascinated with William Randolph Hearst and can't wait to read his biography.

Last stop, L.A.  We didn't do much city touring, but did spend an afternoon wandering Santa Monica and attended a taping of Real Time with Bill Maher.  (And we finally got to try the famous In-N-Out Burger, but I've got to say these outsiders didn't understand the hype.  DC's own Five Guys is so much better!!)

In a world with unlimited time and funds, my dream honeymoon might have been Bali or the Greek Isles.  But all in all, we really enjoyed our time in California.  It was beautiful and relaxing, we didn't have to travel halfway around the world to get there, and it didn't cost a fortunte.  Which is not to say we can't go tropical someday, but I'm rather glad we tackled something a bit lower-key just after the wedding....

Is anyone else staying in the US for your honeymoon?