TREND: We’re Loving Rescue Rittenhouse Spa’s Bridal Nail Art

My new bridal nail art, courtesy of Sally Man at Rescue Rittenhouse Spa.

It seems like in the past year and a half or so, manicures, for lack of a more all-encompassing term, have really become a thing. What would have been considered crazy colors just a few years ago, I feel like, are now as common to spot on fingertips as Ballet Slippers. Many ladies will look at you as if you must live under a rock if you haven’t tried a gel mani yet. And a quick pop into Google or Instagram or any beauty blog will reveal nail art more intricate and eye-popping than some of the coolest, craziest wallpaper out there. So it’s no wonder the whole thing has made its way over into the bridal scene.

This morning, I happily plopped down in the chair of Sally Man, nail technician/artist/most patient concentrate-er ever at Rescue Rittenhouse Spa, that she might treat my nails to a sampling of her nail-art whimsy—specifically, the kind she does for brides. She agrees that in the past year and a half, she’s seen a major uptick in brides wanting to do something a little extra like this for their Big-Day mani (and in a ‘something-blue’ pedi, which we’ve talked about before).

At Rescue, nail art is just treated as an add-on to whatever mani you’ve scheduled (they’ve got a Classic and an Ultimate), so after I was trimmed, shaped, exfoliated and moisturized, Sally applied two coats of a very pretty, very bridal, very sheer Zoya white to my nails, then started with my ring fingers, which would, of course, be the ones you’d want to jazz up if you were headed down the aisle. A little swipe of some gold-glitter polish at the tips, a free-handed floral pattern—and then some teeny-tiny flowers on my other nails, just so they wouldn’t feel left out—and voila! So much more interesting and modern than a Frenchie, and the right amount of subtle and sweet to make it perfectly bridal. (That’s it, pictured above.)

If you book with Sally, she’s got tons of ideas—she’s a bride-to-be, herself!—but girls most often bring print-outs of things they’ve seen online that they want to try. Thing is, if you’re going to do something like this for your Big Day, it’s probably a good idea to add a nail trial onto the hair and makeup trials you’ll already be doing, just so you—and your technician, for that matter (Sally swiped off the first design she made on my ring finger with a disapproving, scrunched-up nose)—aren’t trying to figure out what you want moments before you walk down the aisle. But it’ll be totally worth the extra time when that new bling on your hand isn’t the only thing you can’t stop staring at on your wedding day.

Nail art, starting at $10 for two nails or up to $30 for all 10, at Rescue Rittenhouse Spa.

Were you thinking of jazzing up your manicure for your wedding? With what? Share your ideas and links in the comments!

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