Wedding Season: Prepare Your Hair

Wedding season is in full swing, so whether you are starring as the bride, supporting the bride as a bridesmaid, or attending as a guest, check out these tips for stunning hair. Wedding photos last a lifetime, so be sure to get it right!

Three to Nine Months Before the Wedding
Hair care for the bride is generally a marathon, and not a sprint. Consult your salon and stylist to plan the evolution of your color and haircut. Many brides plan to grow their hair for some time before they walk down the aisle. The biggest mistake brides make is not getting regular haircuts (every 8 weeks) while growing. Beautiful, healthy hair must be trimmed to continue to elongate, or split ends will take over. 

Though the bride is the star, let’s not forget about the rest of the entourage! I work with many brides, siblings, and mothers of the bride and groom who are looking to evolve their hair color for the big day. This also takes many months of planning. Choose a goal hair color to work towards that is classic and true to who you are. Although many hair colors are trendy, you’ll want your photos to reflect who you really are. With the help of your colorist, choose a base color that suits your skin tone and may be reminiscent of your natural color. Soft subtle highlights around the face, and hand-painted dimension looks best. Stay away from anything new that you have not tried before, and nix funky fashion shades until after the big day. 

Two Months Prior to the Vows
Ask your stylist who they recommend to style your hair. Some stylists do not do special occasion hair at all, and many are comfortable only doing certain styles. It is ok to see the Bridal Hair Specialist at your salon even if it’s not your regular guru. Every salon has one, and trust me, your stylist will not be offended. They will most likely be relieved to know that you will get the gorgeous hair that you want and they won’t sweat over it. Plan a trial run for your style four to eight weeks before the wedding. This allows enough time for you to reflect on photos of the style and allow for changes such as adding extensions, accessories, veils, hair pieces, etc. 

Start doing moisture and shine treatments for your hair once or twice a month to ensure that your locks shimmer on the big day. I love Kerastase Paris’ In-Salon treatments; Oleo-Fusion for hydration and Pixelist for color protection and shine. They will only run you $30, and boast a month’s worth of conditioning in one shot. Kerastase also offers Conditioning Masques for a take-home ritual experience. 

Two Weeks Until Wedding Bells
It’s time for the final hair color and cut! (If you are more than 50 percent gray, opt for a root retouch the week of the wedding.) Coloring or cutting in the days prior to the wedding is a big no-no. Hair needs time to normalize after a chemical service, and the color will look more natural after a few shampoos. 

The Rehearsal and Groom’s Dinner
If you’re the bride: opt for an in-salon blowout the night before the wedding. This gives you gorgeous hair for the rehearsal evening, but it also saves a step for the morning. Day-old hair works excellent for the wedding day style, and the fullness is already worked into the hair to ensure for a gorgeous set. 

If you’re NOT the bride: Jump into the shower before you head to bed. Take care of any shaving or facial mask needs, and then do the “root shampoo.” This trick keeps your roots clean and perky, while allowing your ends to have that 1-day-dirty feel. Squirt a dime sized amount of shampoo on your fingertips and massage into your scalp area on wet hair. Make sure to hit your part line, crown, and front and nape hairlines. While the shampoo sits on the root area, massage a pea size amount of conditioner through your ends. Rinse the entire head thoroughly and towel dry well. Apply a volumizing mousse or gel through your hair and blow dry upside down for maximum volume. Head to bed and your locks will be ready for styling in the AM. 

It’s Wedding Day!
If you have an appointment at the salon, pop a shower cap on your head to keep it dry while you cleanse your bod! Grab your mimosa ingredients and get to the shop ON TIME! Do not critique your stylist on your hair while it is in progress. Wait until the style comes together for comments. Allow more volume than what you’re used to. The style is bound to fall a bit before the ceremony.

If you’re doing your own hair, follow my “Rehearsal Dinner Root Shampoo” tips for the night before. Then grab a curling iron, velcro rollers, and a backcombing brush. Start your style with some dry shampoo to give the hair texture, and don’t go overboard on the hairspray. Use the curling iron to create waves and volume, and then wrap them on the velcro rollers to hold the curl until moments before you walk out the door. Hair must be heated up to form and shape, and cool down to room temperature to hold the style. Let your hair cool on the rollers, spritz with a humidity-resistant hairspray like Sebastian’s ReShaper and backcomb each curl at the base. Shake out the curls and head for the party!