Wedding Hairstyles

Shiny, glossy and beautiful hair is a must for your big day. Once you have decided on your dress, the next biggest factor for the perfect look is your hair.

When you visit the salon to discuss your hairstyle for the day, have a good idea about the style of your dress and any head wear to work out the perfect style to complement them.

Ideally you should make your first salon appointment between 12-16 weeks before the wedding. If you come to the salon armed with pictures, it gives your stylist a much better idea of the sort of styles you like.

This season’s trends make it easy to create perfect wedding hair. ‘Brides want to look like they’re walking down the red carpet at the Oscars, not down the aisle.’ The focus is on glamour, romance and a timeless elegance that will not date.

Alice Bradley, wedding hair specialist at Morgan and Morgan advises, ‘If the wedding hair is too stiff, too done, and too radically different from how she wears it in real life, the bride may feel awkward and artificial…half-up, half-down, versus a really perfect, ‘done’ effect, looks fantastic and makes the bride feel more relaxed.’

When it comes to colour, you want to make changes at least 12 weeks before the wedding to give you time to get used to them.

‘Wedding colour is tending to be softer,’ says colourist Jennifer Morgan. To get delicate hues she opts for Luocolor from L’Oreal Professional. If time allows, book yourself in for a series of conditioning treatments as well. ‘At Morgan and Morgan we have the best reconditioning technology available,’ says Jennifer.

Having beautiful, glowing, blemish-free skin on your wedding day is what every bride hopes for. Many factors should be taken into consideration, like eating lots of fresh fruit and vegetables and drinking plenty of water. Exercise, which is a great stress buster, is important too. Last but not least, a skin care plan is essential for good results.

At least 12 weeks before the wedding visit a skin care centre for an analysis of your skin.

Once you have the canvas in the best possible condition, the final touch will be your make-up.

If your wedding is in the morning, try for a more natural look. Evening weddings usually require slightly stronger colours. ‘Don’t do anything dramatically different or that might not look great in picture, ‘says make-up artist Trina Courtier.

If your gown is simple and classic, your hair and make-up should be too. Make sure your dress colour doesn’t clash with your make-up colours.

Waterproof mascara is a bride’s best friend, if you happen to shed a few tears of joy.

Foundation, concealer and powder will ensure that your skin tone looks smooth. Even if you don’t normally wear them, consider trying it out.

You will like what you see! Make sure they match your own skin tone as naturally as possible. You will be a radiant and beautiful bride!

Here are three frequently asked questions and their answers about wedding hairstyles.

What would you suggest brides keep in their hair emergency kit?

Buy one of those tiny cans of hairspray and have a bridesmaid carry that and some spare bobby pins. If the bride is going to take her veil off at the reception, I’ll show the bridesmaids’ how to get it out and also how to fix anything with a bobby pin.

Does the bridesmaids’ hair need to match the bride’s?

Not really, but I try to ensure all the styles complement each other. To make the bride stand out, she can have high hair while all the bridesmaids can wear their hair low.

Or quite often the bride wants what everyone else has, but perhaps something a little more elaborate, so adding a veil or tiara makes her stand out.

As a bride, how can you make sure you get exactly what you want?

If you’re going in for an initial consultation, take your tiara, hair jewels or veil, and even pictures of styles you like. Don’t be afraid to say if you don’t like something. It’s better to make sure you feel comfortable, so if you’re not happy, speak up. But most stylists will ask for your opinion every step of the way. After all, it’s one of the most important days of your life and a good stylist will understand that.