“You may love your usual hair stylist, but be-cause your wedding day isn’t just any occasion, you should consider going to someone who specializes in bridal hair,” suggests Amy Johnson of Stella Nova. “If you’re unsure of where to look, event planners and photographers usually know the pros.” An expert herself, Johnson offers her tips on topics from selecting a stylist to doing your own ’do:
Stylist Scoop
When choosing a stylist, ask to see a portfolio and a contract; treat your hair appointments as you would any other aspect of your wedding—seriously.
Arrange a consultation with a stylist at least six months in advance, and bring along your veil and a photo of your dress to give a sense of your overall look.
Clip photos of hair styles you love; often stylists can combine different elements to create one hairstyle that is uniquely you.
Schedule a trial run to ensure that you love your locks when you say “I do.” (Coincide the run-through with your portrait day for flawless pictures and a night out with your fiancé—no need to waste a good ’do!)
Hair Dos and Don’ts
Do let your locks reflect the feel of your wedding. A garden or beach ceremony may call for a looser style, while an evening event is suited for a more formal updo.
Don’t arrange for a cut or color treatment the day of your wedding. Schedule these appointments two weeks ahead of time for optimum results.
Do increase your intake of water from the moment he drops to one knee. This will ensure shiny and healthy tresses.
Whatever you do, don’t crash diet! Many all-protein diets will often turn your hair brittle or cause it to fall out.
Do It Yourself
If you’re traveling to your destination wedding or are on a budget, many stylists will teach you how to do your own hair for a small fee. Here are a few tips:
Shampoo your hair the day before your nuptials, not the day of. Squeaky clean hair is much harder to manage.
On the day of your wedding, spray your tresses with hairspray, then hot roll them for 10 minutes to add body.
Pull your hair back in a low ponytail and pin pieces up with bobby pins.
Have a hot curling iron on hand to bring your ends some oomph!
Product Tips & Suggestions:
Give your hair a deep treatment every six weeks using Kerastase-Aqua Oleum; $25
Take-home deep treatments are available using Kerastase Masquintense; $36
Ken Pavés Flawless Red Carpet Firm Hold Repairing Styling Mousse is great for blowing hair straight; $5.99
Bumble & Bumble Classic Hair Spray is the best for keeping wedding ’dos in place; $17.50
John Frieda’s Frizz-Ease Glossing Mist finishes hair with a shiny gloss; $3.99
Apply Bumble & Bumble Styling Lotion to damp hair to volumize and thicken; $20.50
Neutrogena’s Triple Moisture is a deep-recovery hair mask for weekly use; $6.99
The Wedding Row: Tell us about how you met.
Rachel: It was in Nashville, and Shaun was there on weekend trip for a University of Georgia-Vandy football game. I was there on a whim, on an impromptu...
Ryan and Paxton chose Charleston for their engagement photos because the city holds a special place in the heart—if he hadn’t been a Citadel cadet, the two may never have met. Here’s how they came to...
Allison and Josh met at a two-stepping bar, so we would expect nothing less than a seriously Southern wedding from the two, and as you can tell from the photos, they did not disappoint. After Josh...
North Carolina natives Taylor and Bennett met when the two were sophomores at N.C. State. Five years after they had become an item, they were in Manhattan where, says Bennett, “The ring was burning a...
After going to the same high school in Spring Lake, New Jersey, Carly and Chris’s paths finally intersected long after graduation at a mutual friend’s house. “Late nights drinking and playing games...
Trust us when we say that you won’t find a more low-key pair than these two. Nashville, Tennessee couple Emily and Daniel wanted an intimate, family-only wedding for their Big Day, and they chose to...
OK, prepare yourselves—this is a sweet one. It began when Stephanie was working at the front desk of a chiropractor’s office in the Philadelphia area, one that Bryan’s father frequented. Bryan’s dad...
You really can’t beat Charleston’s sunset views over the water, and Katie and Zane’s nuptials at Harborside East took full advantage of just that with the gorgeous harbor as their backdrop. The...
Weddings are weekend-long affairs these days. Jump-start yours with a welcome party like this one, where far-flung guests fell fast and hard for the Lowcountry life
