The hair and makeup... potentially one of the most stressful aspects of the wedding day. Unlike…read morethe dress, which you've tried on many times and can pretty much count on how it's going to look, the hair and makeup are subject to the vagaries of the weather and the good memory of your stylist from the "trial run". Scary stuff. You need to trust the person in whose hands you choose to place this responsibility. A lot.
I was shocked to see that the West End Salon & Spa did not have any previous reviews on yelp. This place is seriously fantastic. If you are getting married anywhere on the north shore, one of the first things on your to-do list should be to make an appointment with Angie at West End.
I recently got married in Gloucester , and waited longer than planned to address the issue of wedding hair. Since we are not from the area (and this geographic region is woefully sparse in yelp reviews), I relied on Google searches, and was relieved when I found the West End was willing to squeeze me in for a trial appointment 3 weeks before the wedding. However, i figured i would keep looking for other options until my appointment, because, really, what are the odds of finding someone great with such a quick search?
From the moment i walked into the salon, I felt that I had gotten very lucky. The decor is tasteful, homey and funky all at once. The staff seemed wonderful - not a touch of the snotty attitude you see in some salons. It kind of feels like everyone is family, but also not in the bad way that you see in cheaper places where they are yelling across the salon to each other all day. This truly feels like Newbury St at a fraction of the price - the holy grail of the spa consumer.
Angie, the owner, took a look at my Eva Longoria-inspired wedding 'do photo and got to work. Within 30 minutes or so she had perfectly executed exactly what I wanted. The girl is a genius with bobby pins and a curler! Anyway, it was perfect - I loved it as soon as she was done, and she even made suggestions for a few small tweaks that made me like it even better. It was clear that she understood the vision of what I was looking for.
The makeup was just as great... I was introduced to mineral foundation, which i worried would not give enough coverage for such a photo-intensive event, but it looked so flawless that I immediately went out and invested in my own to use everyday. Here again, it was clear that Angie understood that I did not want anything too over-the-top, and the palette and style she chose fit my personality perfectly.
On the day before my wedding, I was back at West End for a mani pedi. That was definitely the point where my stress was at an all time high, but the calming demeanor of Jan, who did my nails, proved to be just the thing I needed. She is truly a lovely woman and took her time to do a fabulous job on my nails. Two hours later, I emerged calm and relaxed (not the ideal for a lunch-hour trip, but in this case it was great).
On the day of the wedding, Angie came out to the inn with one of her employees (I wish I could remember her name, because she was also great). Angie recreated my earlier look just perfectly, and all four of my bridesmaids ended up with beautiful up-dos themselves. Just as I'd noticed in my trial, she never made us feel rushed (which means a lot on such a stressful day). I truly could not have asked for a better experience, and the wedding party agreed.
I enjoyed my experience with West End Salon so much that I am making the hour drive back there this coming weekend to try out their eyelash extension service. I've been interested to try this for awhile, and the prices here are incredibly reasonable compared to places nearer to the city. I will post an update!
Overall, if you live in the North Shore area, or are planning a wedding there, I would heartily recommend a visit - truly a place that deserves your business!