Wedding Hair – Do’s and Don’ts

*A contributing post by lead Hairstylist Victoria Kuzma.

In this day and age brides are bombarded with information about what their hair should look like on the big day.  Today I’m here to help sort out the do’s and don’ts of wedding day hairstyles…with my usual straight-up honesty.  Let’s get right into it!

DO collect images of hairstyles you like. Start collecting them in the few months leading up to your trial style so you can clearly communicate what you want.  Your hairstylist is not a psychic, otherwise they’d be making a living doing that instead…so be straightforward about what you like and dislike about each photo you picked out.  Then, be honest with your stylist once they are finished, what you like and dislike about the hairstyle, ask them to fix it if there is a major problem. If you don’t say anything, they can’t fix it!  The hairstylist should always take photos for their own reference on both the consultation and on the wedding day.  This will guarantee you get the perfect style.

DON’T let other people tell you how to style your hair.  Your wedding is all about how YOU want to look. Everyone has their own opinions on what “they would do”…  The only exception is if your fiancé prefers your hair up or down or some other particular way.  You want to look beautiful for him, so he’s the only other person whose opinion matters!

DO consider your hair type when selecting a style!  If you have fine, thin, shoulder length Caucasian hair, don’t choose a picture of a thick-haired Indian bride.  Consider what your hair can and cannot do, especially if it doesn’t hold curl or is too long and heavy to pile on top of your head.

DON’T deep-condition your hair for about a week before your wedding.  This is contrary to what you might think!  Deep-conditioning can make your hair too soft and shiny to hold an updo, or too limp to hold curl.  Oil treatments are out of the question for 2 weeks unless you have African hair.  The best thing to do is a protein conditioner (spray-in, rinse-out liquid type) 2 weeks beforehand, and the last time you wash your hair before the wedding day shampoo it TWICE and DO NOT use any conditioner or leave-ins.  Your hair will last for days!

DO think about how your reception hair is going to look.  If you are going to tear up the dance floor, you’ll probably need your hair up, otherwise it’ll frizz out and stick to your face.  It’s sexy at the bar (maybe?) but NOT in a $5,000 dress.  There’s no amount of photo-shopping that can be done to clean that up…

DON’T try anything drastic with your cut and colour before the wedding.  You might hate it!  It’s important to feel like yourself on the day-of, because if you don’t it shows in photos. This includes cutting of your bang area, if you are seeking a “swoop” style or lowered front style, you need to be sure it can reach far enough behind the ears to pin back!

DO book your mobile hairstylist for a touch-up during the day, especially in the summer months when humidity is at its worst.

DO think about planning a basic look for your bridesmaids.  They are not allowed to upstage you or look more pampered than you.  If you are wearing a classic chignon, it’s inappropriate for a Bridesmaid to go for an Amy Winehouse beehive.  Some brides opt to choose the same basic styling for all their girls, for example a simple bagel chignon or a low side ponytail.  I sometimes have to do “damage control” with this issue… Remember YOU are the star of the day!

DON’T change your mind about the hairstyle on the wedding day.  Go with what was done in the trial!  In my experience last minute “changes” always go wrong, mainly because the bride hasn’t seen the style on herself and usually it’s not what she really envisioned. Worse yet, you may not have enough time left to completely flip back to the original style! If you change your mind and want a completely new style, DO book a re-trial to make sure it will look great on you.  It’s worth the extra little investment, and again in my experience brides always come out happy from the re-trial.

DO have an emergency kit on hand, with a mini hairspray and bobby pins!

DON’T get bonded, fused or glued-in extensions!  They are horrifically bad for your hair and can cause traction baldness (Victoria Beckham and Britney Spears are examples of why even expensive extensions still look nasty). As an alternative if you are  looking for more volume or additional length, pick up some human hair clip-ins (worn often by Scarlett Johansson, Jennifer Lopez and Carrie Underwood) and have your hairstylist clip them in and style them.  You can even colour them to match your real hair!  Buy them before your trial so you can see the full effect with your desired style.

DO realize that red carpet hair is not the same as wedding hair; it only needs to last for the few minutes of paparazzi photos, while wedding hair must last upwards of 6 hours or more.  Celebrities have a pro stylist on hand during these events, and some (Taylor Swift you are SO guilty of this…) have multiple brand-new styles over the course of a couple hours!  Your hairstylist will blend the red carpet look with the necessary styling and products required for a wedding look.  It will not look the same as the frizzed-out ladies after the Grammy’s, but that’s OK!

DO enjoy your hair, wear it and work it for the photographer…be natural, be yourself and have a fabulous day!

Any further do’s and don’ts I’ve neglected? Email me at hairstylist@victoriakuzma.com

Have fun with your wedding hair!!