Top tips for natural wedding haircare from Tabitha James Kraan

Posted on by
Reply

Your wedding hair is the crowning glory of the whole wedding day ensemble, and while much of the gorgeousness of the look relies on what you decide to do to it on the day, your preparations in the lead up are equally important.

So we have asked Organic Haircare expert Tabitha James Kraan to give us her top tips for the run-up to you big day for gorgeous wedding hair on the day itself.

Tabitha James-Kraan has been pioneering organic hairdressing since 1999, and delivering high quality services for brides and their wedding parties. Her Stow-on-the-Wold salon has a private bridal suite that offers a niche organic wedding service – including hair, skincare and bridal make-up.

#1: Think Ahead
Most brides want to look their best naturally, so it pays dividends to start your wedding day planning well in advance, working up to the date with your hairdresser, and planning cut, colour, and condition so that everything synchronises perfectly.

Firstly, spend the time leading up to your big day doing everything you can to get your hair in gleaming good health, naturally. Three months of the following new hair care routine is enough to show good results, but the longer in advance of your wedding day you can start, the better.

#2: Ditch ‘frequent washing’
Hair has a natural layer of oil (sebum) that moisturises and protects the hair, and gives it its gloss and shine. But it can also build up at the roots and give the hair the feeling of being dirty. A natural response to an oily parting is to wash the hair using a detergent based shampoo which effectively removes the natural oil leaving it, temporarily, clean and shiny. But the hair follicles immediately start to compensate by producing more sebum, and we find ourselves in a never-ending cycle.

You can free your hair from the chains of frequent washing by using a small amount of organic shampoo that isn’t full of harsh chemicals, and by concentrating your washing efforts on the scalp, not on the ends. Give your natural oils a helping hand by also applying a hair oil. Apply a green pea sized amount to the palm of your hands, and warm it up by rubbing your palms together. Apply it to the mid-lengths and ends of your hair when wet, before using your chosen styling products. Your hair will be grateful for the help, and will reward you with natural weight, lovely condition, and will shine and bounce with joy! You will soon find that your hair needs washing less frequently, and looks more gorgeous between washes.

#3: Brush it clean
Glossy locks can be further enhanced by adopting a ‘brush your hair clean’ approach. You’ll need five minutes twice a day, a strong arm, and a good natural bristle brush. Start brushing right at the roots and finish at the ends. This distributes the natural oils all the way along the shaft leaving the hair glossy and bouncy. Within a few weeks you’ll see the volume of your hair increase dramatically, and you’ll acquire a positively lustrous mane! It’s great for growth and health too, and for helping increase the gap between washes.

#4: Don’t chop & change
Now for paving the way for your ‘look’ for the day. We like to build a relationship with our brides well in advance of the wedding so that, together, we can make a plan that comes together perfectly. Hair ‘mistakes’ in weeks or months leading up to the wedding date can mean dramatic rectification is required, so ‘gently does it’ is the best advice to avoid the necessity for damaging treatment. If you want to go for a change of cut or colour, do it well in advance so that there’s plenty of time to perfect the look, make subtle changes, or allow for re-growth.

#5: Practice makes perfect
If you stay with the same hairdresser in the lead up to your wedding, there’s lots of opportunity for trying out different looks, rather than just relying on a ‘trial’ immediately before the day. If you want an ‘up-do’, you may need to gain some length, so regular trimming can speed up the process. If your hair is slow-growing, taking a good hair supplement will help too. I recommend Florisene, a good natural food supplement, clinically proven to improve strength and make the hair grow quicker. And if you can’t achieve enough natural growth, there’s always the option of using hair pieces to give accentuation – some wonderfully subtle looks can be created, it’s really not necessary to look like someone off Big Brother!

For the big day itself, it’s often better for the style if the hair isn’t washed that morning. Just-washed hair is slippy and harder to manage, so the best results can be achieved on hair that hasn’t been washed for 24 hours. Your natural regime of less regular washing plus brushing/oiling will stand you in good stead.

Here’s to naturally fabulous wedding hair!

Tabitha James-Kraan

Tabitha & her team offer a fully Organic hair and make-up service for any truly Organic Bride from the salon, or can travel all over the UK, to any venue, to suit clients who are looking for an organic wedding day beauty service.(Contact Tabitha James-Kraan for travel rates   -   www.tabithajameskraan.co.uk   -   01451 831999)

Award Winning Ethical Wedding Dresses

Posted on by
Reply

Dresses made from milk, bamboo or newspapers which are luxurious and red-carpet worthy… You need to know about this bridalwear designer who is making waves…
At the recent Ethical Fashion Awards, the only bridal range to be recognised with an award, or even to get a mention in the shortlist, was the groundbreaking designs of Sanyuka Shrestha. As the announcement was made that her label had received a Special Commendation in the category for Brand Leader: Design, the petite figure of the designer, dressed in a stunning white suit, beamed from ear to ear.

I was so excited when I discovered Sanyuka earlier this year. The sustainability and ethical production of her gowns isn’t just an option for brides to choose, but is inherent to the designs and the company. Besides being artistically made and valued as collectible pieces, her high-end gowns and millinery pieces are ethically and ecologically sound without comprimising on styling or luxury.

The collection: The stunning range of vintage-inspired bridal gowns pick up on the best of 1920’s to 1970’s styling but with a real signature twist. The latest collection isinspired by the glamour of Wallis Simpson – who really knew how to dress to impress in the period of glamour. These dresses, like Wallis, are chic and sohpisticated, and ahead of their time.

Pushing the boundaries, for one of the more adventurous dresses of her 2013 collection, Sanyukta showcased a gown made of innovative and ground-breaking new fabric technology made predominantly out of milk. It is the very first time this has been used in bridal design making it an exciting exclusive for the industry; this will hopefully mark the start of a new direction for bridal wear.

Key pieces of the 2013 collection also included a gown made of newspapers that are over 30 years old. Like every piece of great art the paper dress symbolises its own story, its 30 years of history and its rebirth as a bridal gown. Giving new meaning to old style the gown is in-keeping with the love green ethos by using up-cycling methods that take something disposable and create a product of high quality.

The Ethical Story: Each gown tells its own truly ethical story, on how and where it’s produced and the crafts makers who made them. Most of the fibres  are wild fibres which are skilfully hand spun and hand loomed by village women in Nepal. Through blending sustainability with her ethical believes, Sanyukta intends to create opportunities for women in this area of the world, by merging and turning their traditional skills into delicate fabrics and exquisite designs.

The fabrics: Each wedding gown follows ecologically green guidelines, with fabrics from ethical and fair trade certified manufacturers. The making of each pieces is also equally considered, using beautifully tactile eco fabrics of soft hemp silk, 100% bamboo, 100% wild nettle, wild hemp, organic silk, soya, banana, 100% organic & fair-traded cotton, hand loomed in Nepal and handmade in the UK. Sanyukta’s decision to use these natural fibres in her collection underlines her commitment to environment and development.

This young designer is all set to revolutionise the bridal industry- one ethical thread at a time. Make these dresses part of your story by trying them on at one of these wedding dress stockists.

How to get beautiful skin for your wedding

Posted on by
Reply

If you are anything like me, you’ll be going through the usual early winter stages of dry skin that is taking a beating from the classic cold weather / central heating combo.
So if you’re planning your spring wedding, you need to start looking after your skin now to get it in tip top shape to be photographed for posterity.

Autumn has well an truly kicked in, and if the weatherman is to be believed, winter won’t be long behind. The brisk weather and indoor heating can take its toll on your skin, nevermind the effects of party excess over the festive period.

So we’ve asked Sharon Lowe from The Pure Emporia to give us her expert skincare advice to get you started. Here’s a few tips to help your skin to look its best.

1) The best tip we can offer is to drink water and drink lots of it. It flushes out your system to keep your body healthy inside and out. While we are on the subject, try to eat as much healthy food as possible. I know over the festive period most of you will drink alcohol, but to keep looking as fresh as possible, why not alternate water with you alcoholic drinks – you will look and feel better.

2) Moisturise. Find the correct moisturiser for you and use it. Use it lots if you have dry skin. You may need a thicker moisturiser in the winter than you do in the summer to help combat those winter stresses. Essential Care Superfruit Concentrate is a rich serum filled with antioxidants.

3) Exfoliate: Often! Regular exfoliation enhances your skin’s ability to absorb moisturiser. You may want to do this just on your face, but your whole body will benefit from a regular exfoliation after wearing all of those thick winter clothes. Award winning Suki Exfoliate Foaming Cleanser keeps your face looking smooth and wrinkle free.

4) Now if you’ve been following tip 1) then hopefully your eyes will be one of your best features. Keep them looking young by wearing sunglasses to protect them. If you need an extra bit of help with lines and wrinkles then a great natural hydrating eye cream is Kimia Precious Eye Serum an intense serum that penetrates the skin to reduce lines and wrinkles.

5) Last but not least are your lips. Keep them kissable for your wedding by stopping them getting dehydrated during winter months. To protect from dehydration always keep a hydrating lip balm close by. Look for balms made with Beeswax or Shea Butter such as Balm Balm Rose Geranium Lip Balm in a pot.

Hopefully you’ll now be ready for your Spring Wedding looking refreshed and vibrant.

Sharon x

The Pure Emporia was selected the Best Online Store for 100% Natural Skincare by Janey Lee Grace.

Wedding list inspiration: The Queen

Posted on by
Reply

Congratulations Liz & Phil – 65 years of marriage. I didn’t even know it is called the Blue Sapphire anniversary, so few people get that far.

I’m not sure may of us could boast a gift list of over 2,500 gifts, especially in such hard economic times. in 1947, generous members of the general public clubbed together their ration points to send to the queen for her dress, and community groups sewed linens to provide them with bedding and tableware.

We may be in hard times now, but in my experience friends and family are so generous when it comes to weddings. With only our meagre post-student belonging, we needed to kit out our new home from scratch. We thought we had gone crazy with the wedding gift list, and were very willing to buy what was left after the wedding, but we found that all the gifts were puchased, and we also received some off-piste offerings, and vouchers…

Read some top tips for creating your wedding gift list

A few of the highlights from the wedding gifts of Princess Elizabeth and Phillip Mountbatten include:
- A live turkey – apparently an American girl was concerned about the food supply in post-war Europe. If you have a garden you could ask for hens (great supply of eggs for the cakes that you’ll be making) or perhaps just a live tree to plant for the occasion. Try Tree2Mydoor.com

- Handmade gifts will always be the most personal and heartfelt gifts - a piece of lace made from yarn hand spun by Mahatma Ghandi earned some serious scorn from Queen Mary (but mostly because she mistook it for a loincloth). Without specifying too much, an open gift list can ask for things such as ‘handmade gifts’ or ‘a knitted tea-cosy’ etc, allowing your guests creativity without being too specific – it leaves some surprises for when you open the wedding gifts.

- A picnic hamper for 4 people from her sister, Princess Margaret – do you think she was dropping a hint? I love the vintage hampers kitted out by Life’s A Picnic using vintage tea sets, champagne glasses and everything you could need for a romantic picnic. The hand-made natural wicker baskets are lined with gorgeous fabrics and no two hampers are exactly alike.

- Cut glass vase from the president of the USA. I don’t imagine cut-glass would feature highly on the wedding gift lists of today, but it is worth investing in a few treasured pices, especially those which are made by skilled craftspeople in Britain. Try the Crafts Council, Made in Clerkenwell, or local studios and workshops to where you live to seek out beautiful pieces that you will hand down, and use!

 - The gifts that practically a daily workout… For the queen that is the double strand of Queen Anne and Queen Charlotte Pearls that she depends of for her classic look, and have taken her from wedding day to everyday (though the Queen’s everyday is never gonna be popping to the shops in her joggers, is it!?) – The everyday gifts we think of are more likely to be the dinner plates and bread-maker.

- The usual random gifts that never see the life of day – With the huge number of jewels that the Queen received, there were always going to be some that just didn’t suit her style. (For example, the Emperor of Ethiopia gave a “gold tiara chased in openwork with symbolic devices” which has never publicly been worn.) To make sure you don’t end up with gifts that only come out when certain people visit, or which head straight to the charity shop, add a range of prices, flexibility (such as a large vase), and store locations so that everyone feels they can contribute. Put the web address of your online gift list in the invites – it is usual now, so don’t feel it is rude. And check back nearer the big day so you can add more items in certain price brackets if necessary.

See a film of the Queen’s wedding gifts exhibition by British Pathe in 1947.

Keira Knightley’s Wedding Plans {or, The Basics of Wedding Planning}

Posted on by
Reply

On a US chatshow this week, Keira Knightly admitted exactly what many other brides are thinking – wedding planning can be pretty confusing. Speaking to Ellen DeGeneres, Keira said she basically didn’t ‘have a clue’ about how to plan her wedding.

So we thought we’d suggest what we think are the absolute basics for a proper wedding:

The couple
An officiant
A couple of people to sign the book.

Easy peasy, lemon squeezy!

However, for most people, the wedding marks a momentous day in their lives, so they see fit to celebrate it with a few friends, and record a few memories to pour over for years to come.

Unfortunately people in the public eye, such as Keira Knightley, who is admired (and envied?!) by many the world over, there are people asking her in numerous interviews how the plans are going, and ladening expectations on her.

So, without giving in to the ‘expectations’ of friends, family or trends, these are a few more things we suggest…

  1.  Congregate some of your favourite people to help you celebrate – this may include close family & bessie mates.
  2.  Try and look nice – people will be taking photos which you will see for years to come, so you may want to wash your hair & put on a dab of mascara…
  3.  IF you want the chosen people to stay a while, arrange for some food, or somewhere to go for a bite – and perhaps some light entertainment.
  4.  However much you may not think you do at the time, it would be nice to have some photos to look back on in years to come – so either a photographer, or a friend who REALLY DOES know how to take good photos… (though I recommend reading this article on Rock’n'roll Bride before you decide…)

That’s about it. Anything else is superfluous, so just choose to include the things that are important to you, and lay expectations by the wayside.

Ask people about their most memorable wedding, and they’ll probably either say their own, or one where the people mattered to them most. So focus on that.

I do feel sorry for Keira Knightly, however, as she has worn some amazing gowns for her films (Anna Kerenina, The Duchess…, Bend it like.., oh, wait, maybe not!), premieres and awards ceremonies. How do you top that?

For most girls, this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to wear the dress of their dreams… she does it every other week…
Though with her amazing svelt-like figure, that gorgeous Atonement backless number is the one to go for.

Win over £30 of Organic Surge skincare goodies

Posted on by
Reply

As we are all beginning to dispair about where our beautiful, glowing summer skin has gone, now it is being attacked by cold weather and central heating… we thought it was about time to give away a pamper pack of winter skincare wonders. Especially necessary if you’re trying to get your skin ready for a day’s worth of attention & photographs.

The lovely people at Organic Surge have a new Winter Wonders Skincare Bundle, worth over £30, ready to give away to one worthy recipient.

To be in with a chance of winning:
Head over to the post on our facebook page.
‘Like’ the Wedding Notebook page, and ‘Like’ the Organic Surge page
Share the post
Comment on why you most deserve to win the pamper pack (make your comment stand out…maybe make it humerous or heartfelt) by midnight on Sunday 2nd Dec.
The winner will be the ‘most deserving’, and will be notified by their reason being posted on our facebook page…

So… What do you get?:

  • Moisture Boost Shampoo – cleanses hair and scalp without removing natural protective oils. Seaweed extract works to smooth hair and boots moisture retention for shinier, more manageable hair
  • Moisture Boost Conditioner – gently smoothes and rehydrates combining grape seed oil and wheat protein to smooth and detangle hair
  • Spiced Lily bath foam – spicy, sensual patchouli and clove-bud essential oils help to de-stress body and mind while the gentle formulation cares for your skin
  • Sugared almond shower gel – cleanses without stripping skin of its natural, protective moisture.  Almond and palmarosa essential oils are blended with non drying skin cleansers to wash and care for the skin
  • Lavender meadow body lotion- organic lavender and geranium essential oils provide a natural fragrance whilst intensely moisturizing and improving skins texture and tone
  • Super-intensive daily moisturiser – intensely hydrating cream is packed with natural moisturizers shea butter, cocoa butter and glycerine. Enriched with skin soothing green tea and chamomile for a more radiant complexion

Head to Facebook to enter now…

Finding your wedding ring made easy

Posted on by
Reply

Ever since it’s launch on the Oscars red carpet on Valentines Day 2011, Fairtrade and Fairmined certified gold has been making itself known. Once a niche product that you had to really search out, jewellery made from fairly traded gold is now easier to find, including up and down the high sreet.

Over 30 companies and jewellery designers are licenced by Fairtrade to use the certified gold. Some just offer it as an option, whilst others such as CRED Jewellery, use exclusively Fairtrade and Fairmined gold.

The Fairtrade Foundation, who grant the licences, have made a really easy-to-search website so you can find the jeweller to create your wedding rings, engagment ring or bridal jewellery from Fairtrade and Fairmined gold, either selecting the style you like, or the local store to you at http://www.fairtrade.org.uk/gold/ or using the Where to Buy tool.

The future of wedding fairs

Posted on by
Reply

The wedding fair is a-changing… at long last!

Goodbye to the stuffy, boring walk aroung a few stalls by uninspiring businesses, with a token catwalk show. Hello to the wedding experience – new themed events, with interactive workshops, goodybags and sample-sale prices.

The Vintage Bridal Boutique on November 25th is more of a vintage experience than a wedding fair – a chance to be pampered and get tips on vintage hair and a make-up masterclass from the experts. You’ll also get tip on your wedding photography and a millinary masterclass – for your hat / veil questions.

It is an intimate event, (you need a ticket to get in) and held at the Green House Hotel in Bornemouth.

Book with your bridesmaids for a hen-party day out and for £25 pp you’ll enjoy a glass of bubbly when you arrive, Masterclasses in make-up, hair, millinary & photpgraphy, a classic afternoon tea and take a luxury goody bag with you as you head out on the town to show off your new vintage look.

For more details head to Dorset Vintage Wedding Fair, or to book your place, email anna@miss-dollys.co.uk

Shopping for ideas

Posted on by
Reply

Christmas fairs are a great way to go ideas hunting. They are often free to get in,or a nominal fee (unlike wedding fairs), and have a range of ideas which can inspire your gift list choices, help you find a new supplier who hadn’t thought of doing weddings before, or to pick up some crafty ideas.

Kill two birds with one stone – as you can p-p-p-pick up some Christmas gifts as you go round…

If you are planning on doing a lot of the details yourself, DIY wedding style, or are looking for a supplier for something different, then find a fair of designer-makers, such as the Crafts Central Made in Clerkenwell open studios event from 22nd – 25th November. From textile designers, gift ideas and jewellery workshops, there are plenty of ideas that can be used for your wedding – either to buy a piece fromthem, commission a creation along your theme, or just be inspired by their creativity.

A local fair is the ideal place to browse a range of local suppliers all in one place. Rather than having to trawl the streets looking for interesting stores, you have them on tap. Look in the loacl paper, local events listings or posters around where you live for notices of when things are happening.

If you are browsing for wedding list potential, then take your smartphone to take photos of things to add to your online gift list on the hop (tell the stallholder what you are doing and why before taking pics – then I’m sure they’ll be happy to be involved!).The Pretty Dandy Flea Market on Sat 24th November in Nottingham boasts a whole range of new designers, artists, vintage sellers and curiosity hoarders bringing together an eclectic mix of homewares and interiors products, inspired by the Brooklyn Flea, NYC.

For a particular theme of wedding or supplier, then have a browse online for fairs that may be happening. For ethical fairs, try the Fairtrade Fair at Arundel Castle on Sunday 25th November, with top names such as CRED Jewellery showing their wares. Or if you live slightly further north, head to the pop-up Ethical Chrsitmas Fair marquee on Edinburgh’s Castle Street from 8th-16th December.

If you know of any other fairs worth heading to, then pop a note below or on our Facebook page to spread the word.