how i chose my hairstylist

This an an updo! But it's not mine.

It may be Monday, but -- boy! -- is it an exciting day here at the JGM offices. Why? We (royal we) have a hairstylist! 

Also: KATE MIDDLETON IS PREGNANT! I'm still getting a little verklempt every time I think about it. Also, new life plan: have babies that marry Kate's babies. 

Okay, so, back to the topic at hand: hair! You may remember I've been on the hunt for both a hairstylist and hairstyles for a few months now. My job has afforded me the luxury of doing two (free!) hair trials through various events, but neither really resulted in my dream 'do. To be honest, I didn't really know what I wanted, but what I didn't want became instantly clear the moment I saw it on my head. In short? Bigger isn't always better. When it comes to my hair, I'm finding I'm much more conservative than I thought. I had pictured these sort of massive, wavy curls piled up behind my head, but, um, I'm not from Texas. It didn't look so hot. But this is why trials are so magnificent; you can refine and refine until you find what you're actually happy with. 

This brings me to hair tip #1: Don't be afraid to tell your stylist what you don't like. It's your wedding, it's your hair and it should be exactly what you want. What if this means taking down your updo and starting from scratch? Look, you're paying it for it, so you might as well walk out of there with your head held high (especially if your wallet is also walking out a few pounds lighter). 

So is my hair stylist? His name is Ryan B. Anthony and this is his website. Ryan and I met during a Fashion Week event this fall and I basically instantly fell in love with his style. He's just got that magic touch, the way any gifted artist does. He knows what looks good on a woman, but is also more than willing to work with you to make you feel your most glamorous too. He's just fantastic, so if you haven't booked your stylists, ladies, please look him up. 

Ryan came over to my apartment yesterday for our trial and we actually tried about three different variations on the same updo before finally landing on the ONE. And yes, I took full advantage of tip #1 and told him when I thought something wasn't working. I'm a definite people-pleaser, so sometimes I neglect to do this, but I'm so happy I did. Now I'm in love with my hair and I can't wait for everyone to see it in July. 

As for pictures? You'll have to wait, but you can see a lot of my inspiration on my Pinterest page.