Building OLTL’s Blushing Bride
“They built that wedding dress from scratch, and it fit me like a glove,” explains Kathy Brier (Marcie). “It was absolutely fabulous. It’s not white, which I love, because I’m so fair white would just drown me out. I love the idea that we went with something pink. The embroidery was so pretty, too. One of my favorite flowers, which happens to be Marcie’s favorite flower, is the daisy. All the embroidery on it was daisies.”
Susan Gammie, OLTL’s costume designer, adds, “I wanted the dress to just be simple, fresh and happy. You can see it’s not overdone. It’s not so much the girl who wants to look like the girl on top of the cake. It’s a lovely, honest dress, princess style with a scoop neckline. Her earrings are Swarovski crystal drops and the shoes are by Jill Stuart.”
As is often the case with soap opera weddings, the taping lasted many hours and, since the tornado began during the nuptials, it was a long day at the studio — and perhaps an even longer one for Brier in the gown.
“I have to say, as beautiful as the dress was and as comfortable as it was, after being on set for so many hours I thought, ‘If I get married, I don’t think I want to wear a wedding dress,'” Brier remembers. The cast tried to convince her otherwise. “Everyone was, like, ‘Brides aren’t always in their dresses,’ and I’m like, ‘Yes, they are. They have to stand in it through the ceremony and the reception.’ I’m like, ‘I don’t think I’m going to wear a big, poofy wedding dress.’ And we unpoofed it as much as possible. I was comfortable, but that was work getting married.”Though it was Marcie’s first wedding, it’s not the first time Brier has played a bride, though the actress herself has yet to walk down the aisle. “The first time I ever wore a wedding dress was when I did Funny Girl,” she recalls. “I played Fanny Brice, and she was pregnant. I’ve actually worn another dress on ONE LIFE TO LIVE, when Marcie had a fantasy where she got married to Joey Buchanan, but those dresses were just on and off.”
And what about Marcie’s hair?
“We always work with the fashion designers,” explains OLTL hair stylist Laurie Cacioli. “Especially on special occasions and weddings. After seeing her gown for the first time I knew right away that I wanted Marcie’s hair up. She never wears it up on the show. It’s always down in that cute little ‘do with the bangs. We still wanted to keep it like Marcie, so I kept the Marcie bangs. Marcie’s hair is very straight and very simple. I decided that a hairpiece and a veil would be too much for her. She’s very petite. She’s not even 5-feet tall. It’s a big dress, and a big head piece would be too much, so we decided on fresh flowers in her hair. We felt that was more Marcie.”
Brier wondered if she had enough hair to be put up. Cacioli had no such doubt. “I get it up,” she assures. First, Cacioli put a root-lifting product (Fresh Concepts Massive A-peel Volumizing Spray Mousse, $13.95) in Brier’s hair. “You want to lift the root of the hair close to the scalp,” Cacioli explains. “You want it to be away from the scalp, which, in turn, creates volume in the hair. If you don’t, you’re going to have flat hair.” Then Cacioli curled Brier’s hair. “I did her whole head with a small-sized curling iron. Hot rollers would have fallen down in no time. (Cacioli used Curly Sexy Hair 24/7 Curls, $17.95.) Then I pulled out the curls and put it back and away from her face. I used bobby pins and kept her trademark bangs so it didn’t look too much unlike Marcie.”
And, for a finishing touch, “I used one of my favorite products: Big Shine-Shine Spray ($10.95) from Sexy Hair Concepts,” Cacioli points out. “It’s not a hair spray, it just adds shine.”And as for the groom?
“Nathaniel (Marston, Michael) has a thick head of hair,” Cacioli notes. “We have a hard time controlling his hair. We use Hard Up Gel. We slicked back his hair to make it look formal with the tuxedo. Yup, it’s called Hard Up Hard Holding Gel ($13.95). We use gallons of it at the studio every day.”
Read MIchael and Marcie’s Wedding Vows >>All products mentioned are by Sexy Hair. Where to buy information is available on www.sexyhair.com or by calling 800-848-3383.
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