Perhaps it was sunset’s golden glow peeking through the giant canopy of trees on the lawn of Magnolia Hall in Natchez, the gallop of the horse-drawn carriage rounding that poetic block carrying the radiant bride and her father, or maybe it was the beauty of the whole tableau. Southern weddings are fixtures in this enchanting old town near the river, very much like a welcomed friend on the front porch.
I was honored to sip sangria just a few hours before the ceremony as we opened the gallery doors off the veranda of the historic Eola Guesthouse parlor for just the right amount of lighting to put the finishing hair and makeup touches on Mollie Cieglo, the epitome of elegance as a bride-to-be. Attentive bridesmaids calmed butterflies as only old friends can do, and I wrapped lustrous strands of dark brown hair around hot rollers as hairstylists do. The close connection between her family and ours goes back much further than Mollie does, and I was honored to fill this role.
Together weeks before, we had designed the most glorious wedding chignon worthy of a fairytale bride. As I tell all my blushing brides-to-be, the hairstyle should be nothing short of extraordinary. Always a reflection of grace, elegance and Southern charm, it will be forever captured in the memory and in portraits. So, quite frankly, it must be utter perfection.
The relationship between a bride and her hairstylist is very much like a marriage. It requires an open dialogue of expectations, trust and patience. A short engagement doesn’t help, so I often encourage any bride to enlist the stylist who knows her best. The bridesmaids should fade into the background of the bride’s moment, and that means their hairstyles should be simple, classic and complementary. One of my favorite parts of the day was getting to meet “Nana” and polish her hairstyle, and I don’t think anyone at this festive event had more fun than she did.
Our bride said “I do” to her husband on the imposing steps of this historic mansion wearing her tresses brushed low into a loose chignon with ends tucked here and there, and finished with a polished side part. Her makeup was deliberately kept simple to accentuate her natural beauty. The rich brunette hairstyle was punctuated with a silver and diamond encrusted crown that rivaled the beauty of the couple’s smiles.
The band played on into the night lit by antique Victorian lamps reminiscent of her grandmother’s era, and for a moment in time, I fell in love all over again with one of my favorite old towns. Brides traditionally focus on spring and early summer weddings, but Mollie reminded us all that fall leading into the holidays lends itself to harvest colors and autumn decor that rival anything June has to offer and adds a note of individuality to this special moment.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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