Bridal Hair: Do’s and Don’ts

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Wedding season is upon us. Although, does it ever really end? It seems like it comes in waves steadily throughout the year.

One of the things I miss the most about working behind the chair is doing bridal hair. Oh that was my favorite. 

I can’t even count how many weddings I’ve done hair for. It’s so exciting to be around for the all the wedding day buzz while working on the bridesmaids and brides’ hair. Plus, I get to hear all the little stories because there’s something about a hairstylist that just lowers your filter, am I right?

Given my experience doing wedding hair, I have a few tips to share if you are tying the knot anytime soon. 

1. Always, always, always do a run through. If your stylist charges for this, pay. It’s so important for you to get a feel of how your hair will look on that day, and equally as important for your stylist to get to work with your hair a bit. On that same note, if you live in the south and are having a bridal portrait taken, don’t rely on that day to be your run through. 

Show up to this appointment with the hair your stylists requests you to have. In other words, if your stylist wants you do have day old hair, don’t wash it. I always prefer clean hair (I can dirty it up with products) so I require that my brides have clean hair. Is your hair naturally curly? Ask your stylist if it should be straightened. Do you typically use a smoothing serum or root lifter? Make sure it’s okay to use those products on that day. 

2. When choosing a bridal style, make sure you pick something that you feel pretty in. And make sure you look like yourself. I can’t tell you how close I was to adding extensions to my hair for my wedding day. I did this beautiful updo on myself, that I loved, and kept it in for half a day. Only a few hours into wearing it, my head started to ache from the weight of the extensions. So, I opted to stick with my short hair and keep it simple. Justin loves my hair short, so it was a win-win. 

Do you prefer your hair down? Wear it down, but do something special. I once had a bride who only wanted me to curl her hair. I should have pushed her a bit and encouraged her to do something a little different. It was too plain and simple for a wedding day.

3. Don’t lie about how it’s coming together while your stylist is working. It’s much easier to tweak a style as she is working, instead of changing things once it’s completed. If a bobby pin is poking your head, or you wish you had a little more volume on top, tell the stylist right away. It’s not rude or annoying to be told to make subtle changes. Stylists would rather know how to fix it than to leave you unhappy right before you walk down the aisle.

4. Add bling. Whether it be a veil or a jeweled comb, take advantage of the opportunity to wear something in your hair! If you have a brooch that is particularly meaningful to you, your stylist may be able to “pin” it in your hair with bobby pins. Etsy is a great resource for finding hair bling as well.

5. Be creative! I’ve had a few brides wear one hairstyle for the ceremony, and switch to something new during the reception. Of course, it’s easiest if your stylist is attending the wedding itself! See if you can have it loosely pinned up for the ceremony, and then take out some pins to let it down a bit for the reception. That’s a fun way to change your look throughout the day!

6. Don’t do any tight braids along the hairline. This doesn’t tend to photograph well, and braids–although currently trendy–can be a little juvenile. 

7. If you are getting married in a humid, hot climate, don’t even bother wearing your hair down. Consider the weather! Unless your stylist is a magician, humidity and heat will melt a hairstyle with a quickness. Instead of forcing it and ending up looking hot and messy after the ceremony, sweep your hair off your neck so you don’t need to worry about it at all.


If you are married, were you pleased with your wedding hair? 

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Amber Hibburt says · 04.01.14

I got married in the fall (so thankfully low humidity). I have thick long hair that I almost always wear up. My venue was very vintage in style so my stylist convinced me to try weraing it down in a very loose “50’s style pin up waves” coupled with a bird cage veil. I was reluctant at first but once it all came together I can honestly say I never felt more beautiful. It photographed really well and pulled the look together in a classic way. I am so glad I trusted my stylist and didn’t just go for a typical up do. And I agree a run through is a must!

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Deirdre McCarvill says · 04.13.16

You are kidding, correct? This was a blog about hair.

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bridal hair says · 09.16.14

That’s exactly what I want for my wedding day! Something very glamorous and classic like that!

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Jessica Gobbo says · 04.01.14

I did probably a more tradition “up do” but I loved it. I did do a run through and I really liked what she did but I did end up changing it because I didnt feel it was fancy enough so im glad I did the run through. My actual wedding hair wasn’t a ton different than the test, just more volume and curls. I do have naturally curly and was married in August in Michigan so there was no way I was wearing my hair down! It ended up raining in the evening but my hair held up pretty well.

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by Caroline says · 04.01.14

It rained on my wedding day and I was thankful I did my hair the way I did. Always check the weather! We got married in the middle of December and you would think it would have been cold and dry but it was warmish (50+ degrees) and humid bc of the rain!

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Jenna Johnson says · 04.01.14

Perfect timing! I am getting married on June 21st. I actually just scheduled my trial. I will be doing some sort of up do with a comb. I was thinking of a braid that would wrap around my head and read another article that said something similar to what you said.

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Mallory says · 04.01.14

This comment has been removed by the author.

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Charlotte says · 04.01.14

I’m getting married June 21st too! 🙂

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TessaKaye says · 04.01.14

I wore a very loose, soft braids in my hair the day of my wedding – If they’re done right, braids don’t have to look juvenile 🙂 Mine didn’t! And my hair stayed perfect all day, too!

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Mandy says · 04.01.14

I found out my stylist was moving a month before my wedding. She used my run through to work together with the stylist she was handing me off to, and it worked out really well. I’d been going to her for a couple years, so she knew my hair and my personal style, and was able to convey them in “stylist-speak” to my new stylist.

Just wanted to add – I’m not a new mom (mine are 7 and 8 now), but I’m enjoying the way you’re incorporating motherhood into your blog.

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R2P2 says · 04.01.14

Meh — I don’t love my hair. I wanted it partially up, partially down — up for me because I have thick hair & was getting married in southern heat of June. Down because my husband prefers my hair down. But I didn’t go to a stylist I really knew & even though we did a run-through, it wasn’t exactly what I had pictured. But, oh well! The pictures are still beautiful & the wedding was lovely. For my bridal portraits, we didn’t do anything fancy — just let my mom gently curl the ends, and even though it’s less styled, it’s much more me.

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P!nky says · 04.01.14

YES! I was. I had a fabulous trial with my hair stylist and we had four or five styles to pick from. Interestingly enough, the style on my wedding day was different than one we did the day of, but looked amazing. I loved it!

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Smarshey says · 04.01.14

When I got married, it was kind of the current “trend” to just have your hair down and in curls….my husband loves my hair up though, so I opted for a classy updo…and am so happy I did looking back. It’s so much better to follow classy traditional styles than a current trend….you will look back and be happy you did! 🙂 That’s my advice to brides 🙂

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Kimberly says · 04.01.14

I didn’t really care for my hair, but my day was Great! non the less. I loved my hairstyle for my bridal portraits and wanted the same thing, but the girl was not available. I went in for a dry run with the hairstylist I choose and it was awful. We discussed it and another lady offered to help out on my big day. On my wedding day, it wasn’t that much better. They gave me a bunch of small hand curls on top fastened down with bobby pins. Nothing looked natural and there was no volume. I had grown out my short hair just so I would have volume and nothing. They tried to tweak it but it was still stuck to my head. Come to find out the hairstylist was fresh out of school and had no experience even though the shop owner recommended her as the best. Needless to say they didnt tell me the truth until afterwards. I was quite upset, but didn’t let it ruin my day!

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Tara says · 04.01.14

Love all these tips! I was planning on having my mom do my wedding hair, but she broke her arm a week before the big day. So we had to scramble to find a hairdresser that was available and I ended up not loving my hair do. Definitely wish I’d had time for a trial run.

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Brittney Long Braddy says · 04.01.14

I just got married last August and I did a low side chignon with a lot of volume…it was so me, I wear side chignons all the time! I bought a pretty flower with some bling in the middle off etsy and after the veil came out post ceremony the flower went in!

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Kristen Biloki says · 04.01.14

My daughter is getting married the end of May. And we were just talking last night about we dont have a good stylist! Thanks for the tips. It came at perfect timing for us!

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Mallory says · 04.01.14

Great tips! I will be getting married in August and plan on doing a trail. I plan on doing an updo and have seen several styles I like. My problem will be just choosing one!

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Christina Storm says · 04.01.14

Great tips! My sister is getting married in May! I’ll share these with her!

The Style Storm
<3, Christina

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Britta Young says · 04.01.14

Have you ever thought about just doing bridal hair? It sounds like you are loving staying at home with David day-to-day but miss being behind the chair a bit too. Being a bridal only stylist could be the best of both worlds. I loved my bridal stylist and I found her because she was specifically marketed to being a bridal only.

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Nicole Peters says · 04.01.14

I just got married this past November. I was super pleased with my hair! I have pretty short hair, but I wanted a loose looking up-do. I think she did an excellent job achieving the look. I started with a veil – and then for the reception we took the veil off and put in a flower!! I loved it.

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Beth Gage says · 04.01.14

My advice would be to work with your face shape and the way your hair lays. I have a cowlick and a widows peak, so my hair naturally wants to part in the middle. I have tried to fight it for years with the popular side swooped bangs, but I would be so frustrated with them by the end of the day that they would get pinned back. I did NOT want to fight them on my wedding day. So, I had my stylist do a low updo, parted in the middle with a few pieces hanging down on the sides. It was perfect and I felt like myself!

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Claire Nettles says · 04.01.14

I loved my hair! I did a lot of searching on pinterest for ideas and did some mild run throughs at home with my mom. My sister-in-law ended up doing my hair…and her first time was the day of but it turned out GREAT! I fixed it in the front how I wanted and then she did all the pinning in the back. It was kind of funny at the end of the day making sure I had all the pins out!

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Emily says · 04.01.14

Im getting married next month (eeek!) and wish I could fly you to Chicago to do my hair! haha

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aliza says · 04.01.14

You CAN! I’m flying my stylist from Chicago to Philadelphia for my wedding. If you need a Chicago stylist, I can give you his info, he is the best! And so much fun to have around

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aliza says · 04.01.14

I am getting married in Sept, thanks so much for the tips! My stylist actually recommended I get some rhinestone bobby pins that he can put in my hair once the veil comes out after the ceremony.. Do you have any that you have seen on Etsy that you recommend??

Thanks!

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valentinegirl says · 04.01.14

see my note below…..

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valentinegirl says · 04.01.14

I was trying to reply to Aliza above, but couldn’t. That is a great idea to have some bling to add to your hair when you take your veil off. I removed my veil for dancing and there was a dent in my hair from my headpiece…..I really didn’t care because I just wanted it off at that point. I just saw some cute hair pins online at LOFT ( I think!) Other than the dent in my hair, I was thrilled with my wedding hair. My hair is short, about jaw length and my stylist was able to get it into a fabulous french twist.

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aliza says · 04.01.14

thanks!

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AmieS says · 04.01.14

I was not thrilled with my wedding hair – at all. If I could have a do-over, I would. And it’s a shame, because not in almost all of my photos, that’s what draws my eye, my hair. My Aunt did it – who is a hairstylist and I just didn’t have the heart to tell her to change things. Plus, she lived out of town, so I didn’t get a run-through. I had sent her photos a month or so before but that was it. Plus she was doing it for free, so how could I be picky? Oh yeah, it was my wedding day, that’s how!! I should have spoken up!

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Tiffany Miller says · 04.01.14

I was happy with my hair even though it wasn’t exactly what I envisioned. If I could change one thing I probably wouldn’t have worn extensions. I did have a pretty
Bad headache by the end of the night and taking all the bobby pins out and then the extensions took forever!

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sandpaperandglue.com says · 04.01.14

great tips! I had such high hopes of wearing my hair down for my JULY wedding… when it was like 92* and humid. how silly!! haha. I do my hair myself and ended up with a last minute up-do and a broach that was my husband’s grandmother’s to throw on there and jazz it up a bit.

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Karlyn Beth says · 04.01.14

These are great tips! I agree that a trial is a must for both wedding hair and makeup. I got married in October and after my trial run, I decided I hated the makeup line that the salon carried, so I did my own makeup and was thrilled with it! I was happy with my hair through our ceremony and the important pictures, but then it started to wilt and fall out a bit. I’m sure this is natural (plus, it was rainy and humid the day of my wedding, so that didn’t help), but I was a bit disappointed when looking at pictures to see some hair sticking out in the back that had fallen out of pins. Oh well! Such is life. 🙂

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Ashton Barker says · 04.01.14

I did love my wedding hair!! I knew exactly what I wanted, and my stylist had done dozens of updo’s on me in my pageant days, so we didn’t do a run through. You should make a Facebook post for everyone to share their wedding styles!! 🙂

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Christa says · 04.01.14

I was not pleased with my wedding hair. My mother had given me a barrette to use in my hair that was broken, but I didn’t realize it until the day of and then we “made it work”. I also had a family friend do my hair and it wasn’t what I wanted at all. Between the barrette and the family friend’s lack of expertise, my hair fell out right after the ceremony. Luckily, when it all fell out it looked great, though, so in the end I wasn’t that upset. A trial is a must and paying for quality is also a must. Do not cut corners on how you or your groom look that day – and also do not skimp on photography. These are the three most important things to focus on that day, in my opinion. You’re not really going to look back and wish your nephew looked better – you’re going to wish your barrette didn’t fall out of your hair!

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Catherine Ray says · 04.01.14

I LOVED my wedding day hair. My dress was all lace witha keyhole back and this beautiful flower applique to the side of the sash. It was very southern and little vintage. I wore beautiful pins in my hair that mimiced the flower on the applique and the lace on them was almost the same lace as my dress. My stylist did this amazing updo that was very vintage but not crazy. I can’t really describe it but people said it was like art and also complimented me all night long. They said they loved looking at it during the ceremony since our backs were turned to them. Also my stylist was with me all day (he is a friend as well) and he attended to anything we all needed. He did a beautiful job on my bridesmaids as well. He was a blast at the reception too. A wonderful experience!

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Christie says · 04.01.14

I did a braid along the hairline- gasp!…my medium-length curly hair can be a bit unpredictable and unruly, plus I wear it up a lot, so to give it a more special, polished look and ensure it stayed off my face, we did a soft braid that went down into a low loose bun accented with a flower. It allowed my natural hair texture to show and I felt like myself.
For awhile I tried growing my hair out, thinking it would give me more options on the day of. I got so frustrated with it about a month and a half before the wedding, that I went in and had her chop it all off. She didn’t want to- she kept reminding me about the wedding, but it just didn’t make sense- why should I deal with all of that frustration when, if there’s any day that you should like yourself, its your wedding day, right?!

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Nicki says · 04.01.14

Thanks for the post, I’m getting married soon too. I want a polished looking updo with a lot of volume but a wary of the “shellacked” look. I don’t want anything that looks too sculpted but I do want a formal looking updo. Are these things contradictory? How can I explain this to my stylist? Also, what do you recommend in terms of highlights before the wedding day? I get highlights regularly and was planning to get them touched up a month or so before the wedding?

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JessieBeag says · 04.01.14

I love this post, my mum is a hairdresser so I showed this to her and she was nodding and agreeing with you all the way through!

http://www.jessiebeag.blogspot.co.uk

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Emily Emeneker says · 04.01.14

I got married last summer, and truly the worst part of the day was the fact my hairdresser completely spaced on my appointment. I went home and put some loose curls in my hair and that was it. In some ways, I agree with your statement on adding a little something extra to just curling, but on the other hand, my husband loves my hair when it’s just curly. I obviously didn’t put enough hairspray, because I dealt with the wind the entire ceremony. However, one of my absolute favorite pictures was just after we were pronounced and my hair is blowing wildly and I have a huge smile on my face! I definitely would not have had it any other way!

For those with upcoming weddings – I wholeheartedly agree with Kate – look like yourself!! Congratulations ladies!

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Emily @ ACanDoAttitude says · 04.01.14

I am getting married in August and have yet to pick a stylist. My normal one politely declined. Would you consider putting together a Pinterest board with you favorite bridal style. Please.

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Julie Arthur says · 04.01.14

Sigh, my hair is the one thing I regret from my wedding day… My sister did it, and I should have been more vocal about what I liked and didn’t like. It was a little too tight, the curls weren’t perfect, and I didn’t consider the humidity of being right next to the ocean, so it ended up frizzing. Everyone else said it looked great, but it wasn’t what I was dreaming about when I bought the dress. 🙁

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Melissa says · 04.01.14

Excellent tips! 🙂 I was very happy with my hair on my wedding day. It was all off my face and out of my way! LOL When it comes to special occasions where my hair needs to look nice for a long time, I am a big fan of pulling it back. My hair can be a teensy bit unpredictable.

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Kayla Fiorentini says · 04.01.14

I had a near wedding day hair disaster when my stylist had double booked herself the day of my wedding! She was running over an hour behind schedule…I had no choice but to literally run into the next open salon and beg them to make time to do my hair! Luckily, the stylist was soooo sweet and did an amazing job! Crisis averted! 🙂

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Ashley says · 04.01.14

This is good to know!!!! Thanks for sharing..

Xo Ash,
Sincerely Miss Ash

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Ashley Johnson says · 04.01.14

I got married 3 months ago and absolutely loved my hair! I have short hair (bob style) and always wear it down so I knew I wanted it to stay similar. I let it grow for a few months so it was a little on the longer bob side but still short for my liking. I had my stylist curl my hair and then do half of it poofed up for volume. I added a fancy headband and wore a birdcage veil to really compliment my short hair. It was absolutely perfect and looked like me!

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Sarah Reed says · 04.01.14

When I got married I had shoulder length bob and I actually used your Bouncy and Curled Under tutorial to style it myself for the wedding and the reception the following day. I added a little flower that a friend of mine had made with scraps the tailor had left over from my wedding dress. It was super simple and free! I loved it!

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Sarah Bonner says · 04.01.14

Thanks for the tips! I’m getting married in 2 months – so it’s definitely helpful! I’ve been debating adding “hair bling” so I think this post pushed me to do it!

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Laurie says · 04.01.14

and don’t forget to have the photographer take a picture of your hair…i have one photo that you can kind of see my hair in.

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Sara says · 04.01.14

I was pretty pleased with my wedding day hair. I wore it up, which is unusual for me, but I wanted something unlike how I wear it everyday. If I could go back though, I probably would have worn it differently.

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Megan Lyman says · 04.01.14

Yes! I went to Gadabout and loved the outcome! My husband wanted it down and I wanted it up so I decided to do half up with loose curls. Since my hair was above shoulder length it turned out beautiful! I also incorporated a pearl and diamond pin that was my
Mothers to help hold back my bangs! Let’s just say my hubby cried when he first saw me walk down the aisle. He actually had tears in his eyes for every wedding picture we took that day!

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Unknown says · 04.01.14

At the time I was…………………..but about 3 months later I discovered I could curl my hair so so much better using my GHD’s!!! Miriam

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Megan says · 04.01.14

I got married just over a year ago and had a picture for my stylist. She has always done a fabulous job of cutting my hair just the way I wanted it even when I didn’t know what to tell her so I was excited to see it. However it didn’t really look like the picture at ALL to me, there was no volume it was all pulled tightly up into the bun. I used the run through as the same day of a concert I was singing in. I ran home, fussed with it some to help it out and finally gave up and went on to my concert. When I mentioned to her what I didn’t like about it she told me that she would use extensions to help me get a little more fullness on top and that was enough for me. The day of my wedding we basically ended up with still the same problem, it was pulled tight. However I didn’t have time to sit there and ask for redos so I thanked her and left knowing my maid of honor is the QUEEN of Big Texas Hair. Sure enough, my doll of a best friend pulled and teased and got the fullness on top that was lacking without taking the hair completely apart and I was very pleased with it. One of the funniest memories to me though was at the end of the long tiring day, getting to our hotel room (which was a huge ordeal and another story!) and having my new husband help me pull out the FIFTY bobby pins (we counted!) that were in it before anything else because while it felt fine the first couple of hours it sure was beginning to poke and itch by 9 PM!

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Krista Earl says · 04.01.14

I adored my wedding hair! My stylist was amazing – she was new to me as I had just started going to her salon and my recommended stylist already had a wedding booked for my wedding day. Maria at Steller Salon in Minneapolis is the best. She has now been doing my hair for 6 months, and did both my sisters’ hair as well the day of. My walkthrough was invaluable! We did tweak my final hair on my wedding day and it held well through 2 hours of intense, sweaty dancing 🙂

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Esther says · 04.01.14

Out of curiosity, what is the reason that Southern girls should not count on their bridal portraits as their trial run?

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Kate says · 04.01.14

Only because that’s a photograph you probably want to keep forever and you should get a trial updo beforehand!

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Jenn Hall says · 04.01.14

I thought you meant that was something ONLY Southern girls should not do for some reason. I’m not from the South and we do bridal portraits up here too….so it’s probably not something anyone from anywhere should do : )

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Esther says · 04.03.14

Ahhhhh, that makes sense. Thanks! I’ll keep that in mind when my turn comes around 🙂

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Megan Karabon says · 04.01.14

I ended up really disliking my hair for my wedding. For some reason, my stylist refused to listen to me. I am very traditional and classic, and he got bored doing hairstyles like that all the time I guess. He kept pressuring me to do something different, unique because that’s what he wanted to do. The hairstyle was just not me, and I regret not putting my foot down…

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Volynicks says · 04.01.14

THANK YOU for posting this! I am getting married in 53 short days, and I really would like to wear my hair down. I didn’t think about the weight of the extensions that I bought. (Too late though they’re not returnable) I’ll give it a whirl, and if need be I’ll take your advice about doing something I can pin up during the ceremony and let down at the reception. Your advice is top notch 😉

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Madelein Larsson Wollnik says · 04.01.14

Lovely picture!

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Vivian Rose says · 04.01.14

My biggest regret from my wedding day was my hair. I knew something weird was going on with my hair dresser but I didn’t find out till many months later that she was a drug addict! I went in a couple days before my wedding so she could do my nails and practice my hair for the wedding. She acted strange and kept having to “go to the back to check on some things” while I was there. Turns out she was just getting high. I had never gotten my nails done in my whole life so I didn’t know what to expect…but I knew that they were not supposed to be uneven and have little black specks glossed onto them (from the black foam file she used). They looked terrible and I never had time to go get them fixed. My practice hair was just OK, but nothing wonderful. But I had faith in her because she didn’t used to be like this. (She told me she had a cold and would be good to go the day of the wedding.) On the day of the wedding she was worse. She couldn’t remember what we had done to my hair just a couple days before. I had a picture but it didn’t help her. My hair was a disaster…It looked like prom hair gone wrong. There was nothing soft and “bridal-y” about it. And it was so flat that it all hid behind the tiara I had on and photographed like I had no hair at all! I was SO happy on that day that it did not bother me until I got the pictures back and had a chance to see how stupid my hair looked. And now every time I look at the pictures I get upset all over again. I only found out she had a problem because I ran into one of her co workers a few months later and she told me that they were all sitting there feeling bad for me that day. I just wish one of them would have stood up that day and told my stylist “I’ll do her hair, you aren’t feeling well!!” Even though it shouldn’t matter…all these years later it is still makes me sad to think about the beautiful hair I “could have” had.

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Des says · 04.01.14

My hair is actually the only thing I would change about my wedding day. I loved my run-through ‘do, but let some friends talk me out of it for the big day. What a mistake!

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Martha says · 04.01.14

Absolutely! I loved my wedding hair. It was a loose up do that rested on right at the back of my head (not low against my neck) but with volume on top. The only thing I wish I’d done is add a clip or headband for sparkle at the reception after I took my veil out. I had a test run done the morning of a dress fitting, which worked really well to see how my hair looked with my dress.

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Evelyn says · 04.01.14

Yes! I loved my hair, it was exactly how I wanted it!

At first I envisioned a half up-do, but my dress had a beautiful open back, so it made more sense to wear it up. Also, my hair stylist suggested that because of humidity and because people hug you and in the end your hair is all greasy!hehe

So it was like a curly bun, lot’s of curls up, with a bang perfectly in place with hair spray!

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Jessica and Aaron says · 04.01.14

I loved my hair. Until my mom accidently stepped on my cathedral veil right before my ceremony and it yanked out of my hair and my hairstyle fell apart. Thankfully, my stylist was already at the church for the wedding (she’s a friend) but she didn’t have the tools she needed to make it look like it did before. Basically, my veils got pinned to the outside of my hairstyle instead of being incorporated into my hair. I hate the pictures from the ceremony from the back because all you see is veil. Oh well! My mom and I laugh now about how horrific that 20 minutes was a half hour before my ceremony!

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Kate W says · 04.01.14

I was pleased but a few of your tips would have been good to know then! I got married on the beach, so I would add to your tips, keep the wind in mind! Bridal hair down is a pet peeve of mine so I did have my sister ( a former stylist) put mine up, with a fresh flower as a special touch which worked out well. It stayed out of my face and looked beautiful in the photos. My only regret was that I had bangs cut a few weeks before because I thought that they would frame my face well, and they did, but they were hard to tame in the wind on the beach!

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KellyAnn says · 04.01.14

I agree with if you live in the South or a humid place, don’t do your hair down. I got married in August in Texas and it was 107 degrees. I opted for hair up, even though I prefer my hair down, and it was one of the best decisions I made. I can’t imagine what I would have done if I had left it down. Gotta agree with your climate 🙂

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Katherine Salinas says · 04.01.14

I actually didn’t like my hair for my wedding. We got married in the town where my parents and sister live, but not me. So, I ended up using their stylist (they have blond curly hair like the stylist, and I do not). I wanted a classic chignon but for some reason it didn’t look great on my hair. Couple of things I would do differently: Remember that my hair looks way better pulled UP away from my face rather than DOWN away from my face. For some reason it really pulls the rest of my face down making me look tired and almost dowdy. Second, I would try to find a couple pictures of styles I like with the same color hair as me. I must wish I was a blond because all my inspiration photos were of blondes! Third, I would speak up more to my stylist. My mom ADORES this girl so I really didn’t want to complain too much even though I wasn’t really happy with the trial run.
In the end my hair was fine, up and away from my face but nothing to write home about. To honor my grandmother who had passed away I was going to put a gardenia in my hair for the reception but it got thrown away at the church. So, one of my bridesmaids ripped an orchid out of her bouquet to shove in there instead (because of course my style was set up for a place for the flower). Word of advice: Just remember, the goal of the day is to be married at the end of the day. Period. Plan ahead, hope for the best, but also be prepared to be flexible because ultimately some things will be different than you expect or plan.
Great post! Thanks, Kate.
PS. Your son is adorable! I love his name, too…my husband’s name is David and our 2mo. old has David as his middle name. Congrats!

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Mama Fuss says · 04.01.14

My wedding hair was nice, but it wasn’t what I’d imagined. The stylist talked me out of what I asked for (I have no idea why as I knew exactly what I wanted and had worn the style before) and I let her because she’d been cutting my hair for 20 years (since I was 5) and I just felt like arguing would be pointless. And my veil went missing on my wedding day, so I didn’t have it for the wedding. At the time, it didn’t really make a difference, but when I look back, I wish I’d insisted.

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Eva-Karin says · 04.01.14

I paid a lot of money for my hair for my wedding and it was pretty bad. I was constantly having to repin the hair as it fell out. It looked pretty bad in pictures and my bridesmaids hair looked better than mine. In retrospect a trial run is a MUST!

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Astin says · 04.02.14

I did my own hair for my wedding. My hair is naturally very textured but has a hard time holding a heat curl. I did a wet set the night before using perm rods and did a half up, half down deal. I loved it. It turned out really well. My only regret was that I was scared of a little volume at the top of my head, so I have all these voluminous curls cascading down and the top is pretty much slicked back. Not tooooo bad, but I would change that if I could.

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Lisa P says · 04.02.14

I had mine done, short with big curls, and big! But it was 1994, very Princess Diana. Loved everything about it! Celebrating 20 years in June and have finally grown it out. I love the hairstyles you have taught me Kate! Thank you!

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claudia b says · 04.02.14

I knew exactly what I wanted for my wedding look and I was very happy. It was on June 21, in California, so definitely warm. My husband loves wispy tendrils but those would have just ended up stuck to my neck and face sweat, ummmm, not something I want him to remember our wedding day by!!! I wanted big curls, up high, I had a tiara and veil, took the veil off at the reception and my hair was perfect until we went home. Then he spent the next 3 hours taking the 1,000 bobby pins out of my hair 😀

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Gigi Katz says · 04.02.14

what a great and honest post! I will send my brides to read it. I’ve seen too many melt downs while doing wedding makeup. xx. gigi. http://www.gigikkitchen.com

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Liz @ iheartvegetables says · 04.02.14

I just scheduled my hair trial for next week!! These were awesome tips 🙂

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Alyssa says · 04.02.14

Hi Kate! How much should a trial cost? I’m be totally willing to pay between $50-75 for a style on my wedding day, but I struggle with paying the exact same amount of $$ for just a trial (which is what my current stylist charges. Is that something I should just get over, or do trials typically cost a bit less?

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Hollie Lambert says · 04.02.14

Hi Kate, thanks to your tutorials, I did my own wedding hair!! I just got married 2 weeks ago, and I agree. I wanted to look like myself. Every time I went to a salon, I always left looking not myself. So I did a few practice runs, bought some Living Proof products, put a few flowers in my hair and whoolah! I looked fabulous. I got so many compliments. Thank you so much for giving me the confidence!!

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MistyBen says · 04.03.14

I did my own hair for my wedding and it turned out perfectly (I’ve been doing hair for about 10 years but not professionally). I did a trial run on one of my off days and wore it the whole day just to make sure my thick hair was secure in the loose side updo. That same day I had a trial run with my make up so I got to see what the whole picture would look like. I didn’t wear a veil but added handmade chiffon flowers to my do. I agree that wearing your hair up is the best way to go in the South. The only issue I had was finding and removing 43 Bobby pins afterwards! Not kidding about having ridiculously thick hair!

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Beth says · 04.03.14

thanks so much! getting married in june and this was very helpful!

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Christina says · 04.03.14

I was married four years ago and my hairstyle is one reason why I cringe when I look back on my wedding photos 🙁 I emailed a photo of the hairstyle that I just fell in love with, to the stylist several weeks before, talked on the phone with him and he had previously cut my hair, but we never did a run through… I didn’t know of that option. On the day of my wedding he opened up his shop just for me (and charged a pretty penny to do so) but I was so let down when he finally turned the chair around and I saw that my updo was *nothing* like the picture… Unfortunately I had my future sister in law with me who immediately exclaimed over and over that I looked beautiful, and so I didn’t have a clear enough mind to ask that it be redone, but looking back, I should have.

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Leonora says · 04.03.14

Hey Kate! I have a quick question for ya! I am getting married next year (HOLLAAAAA!!) and I agree with the whole “you should totally look like yourself” mantra! My hair is super long (like, almost butt crack long) (promise to never say “butt crack” ever again) I wanted to do curls kinda like how the kardashians do, you mentioned that you had a client do curls and you wish you had convinced to do something “more” with it since you thought it wasn’t formal enough. This got me to thinking maybe what I wanted to do wasn’t formal enough…? Any suggestions on how to rock your hair down with curls but still make it bridal appropriate? Thanks hun!!

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Kelley says · 04.07.14

I LOVED my wedding hair… it helps that my cousin was one of my bridesmaids who also happens to be a super talented stylist. 😉 (You’re the best and I’m really grateful you were there for me) 🙂

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MeetMrs.Robinson says · 04.07.14

I loved my wedding hair. I did a lot of research for my look for that day and was confident of my first choice. Half up, teased. The down part curled to accentuate my hair’s natural wave. It was perfect and lasted all day and the next! My sister was my hairdresser. I am so lucky to have her!

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jona reynolds says · 04.08.14

You have shared nice tips that we should consider before choosing Bridal hair makeup artist. Wedding is a big day and no bride miss the chance of getting all the limelight.

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Steph01924 says · 04.08.14

Great tips! I definitely agree with the last one. I live in Florida and got married this past November, and I had no idea what the weather would be like. I tend to get warm very quickly, and knew that in a giant dress I would be taking a gamble if I went with my hair down. My updo ended up looking amazing; my neck was never sweaty or too warm (the weather was also PERFECT that day, bonus), and one big upside is that my hair looked the same in every picture. No awkward, ‘adjust the hair over this shoulder or that way’ type things. One less thing to stress about.

Also second getting the hair trial! Mine went well but the trial wasn’t exactly how I wanted my hair to look, so on the day, when we already had that original style in our heads, I asked the stylist to make it bigger and more romantic. She made it look better than I had ever dreamed, but if we hadn’t had that first run-through, she wouldn’t have known what was ‘too flat’ for me.

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Lauren Alexis says · 04.10.14

I absolutely LOVED my wedding hair. I grew it out a bit (as much as you can in 4 months) and colored it just a little darker and wore it up. So happy with it! And I definitely did a run through! Great tips 🙂

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siva says · 04.22.14

How To Get Your husband Back & Avoid Divorce,Love Spells That Really Work Fast

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siva says · 04.22.14

How To Get Your husband Back & Avoid Divorce,Love Spells That Really Work Fast

My Name is Vicky Lorimer, I am From United Kingdom.i am hear to give testimony of how i got back my husband, we got married for more than 9 years and have gotten two kids. thing were going well with us and we are always happy. until one day my husband started to behave in a way i could not understand, i was very confused by the way he treat me and the kids. later that month he did not come home again and he called me that he want a divorce, i asked him what have i done wrong to deserve this from him, all he was saying is that he want a divorce that he hate me and do not want to see me again in his life, i was mad and also frustrated do not know what to do,i was sick for more than 2 weeks because of the divorce. i love him so much he was everything to me without him my life is incomplete. i told my sister and she told me to contact a spell caster, i never believe in all this spell casting of a thing. i just want to try if something will come out of it. i contacted Dr Brave for the return of my husband to me, they told me that my husband have been taken by another woman, that she cast a spell on him that is why he hate me and also want us to divorce. then they told me that they have to cast a spell on him that will make him return to me and the kids, they casted the spell and after a week my husband called me and he told me that i should forgive him, he started to apologize on phone and said that he still love me that he did not know what happen to him that he left me. it was the spell that Dr Brave casted on him that make him to come back to me today,me and my family are now happy again today. thank you Dr Brave for what you have done for me i would have been nothing today if not for your great spell. i want you my friends who are passing through all this kind of love problem of getting back their husband, wife , or ex boyfriend and girlfriend to contact [email protected]. and you will see that your problem will be solved without any delay.

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Caleb says · 06.16.14

Please make sure you do a run through. Waiting till the day of could end up in disaster.

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Colleen says · 07.03.14

I absolutely HATED my wedding hair. When I got married 7 years ago, my (fine) hair was cut to just below my chin and stacked in the back, and I wore it flicked out as was in style back then. I had previously worked at a hair salon and wanted one of the girls there to do it, but my husband’s friend was a stylist also and he told her, without even talking to me first, that I was going to have her do my hair. She got so excited and made all the plans for me and my bridesmaids and by the time I found out about it I didn’t have the heart to tell her I’d planned on using someone else. Besides, we were friends, she’d cut my hair before and I liked what she did, so I figured it would be okay. WRONG. With hair as short as mine was, there weren’t really very many options, so we opted for loose waves held back from my face with a little jeweled headband (I wasn’t wearing a veil). It looked really good at my trial. Not my dream wedding hairstyle, but again, with short hair I knew my options were limited. I felt good about it. However, on my wedding day, it was like I’d never even had my trial. She didn’t make my hair wavy – she flat-ironed it to within an inch of its life. She teased the back so much I looked like Tracy Turnblad. And she stuck the headband in the middle of my head, holding back maybe three inches of hair at my hairline, leaving two weird pieces hanging down and flipping out. No soft waves framing my face, no delicate little rhinestones peeking out. It was awful. She even came up to the dressing room at the wedding and tried to fix it after I told her my concerns, but there wasn’t much she could do. It looked awful. It would have looked better if I’d done it myself. I DID do my makeup myself, thankfully, because that looked perfect.

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Aliza says · 07.08.14

Kate
I am looking for some sparkly bobby pins to add some fun to a simple half up style for my wedding. Any specific ones you recommend?
Thanks1
Aliza

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Cara says · 08.02.14

I wish I would have read this prior to my wedding. I did the hairline braid and regret it. I thought it would be a nice way to secure my side bangs. At my trial, the braid had started under instead of over and I thought, well the day of we will get that corrected and it will be fine. A bridesmaid of mine had also wanted a braid and I said no, I wanted to do that. Looking back as my hair was being done, I should stopped the stylist and said, you know what, let’s just forego the braid and twist my bangs back. And then just let my bridesmaid do her hair that way. I also wish I wore my veil over my hair do. I was concerned about not being able to see the curls and ruining the ‘do, but really I would have felt more bridal and even ethereal. I could have changed it and I had time! Everyone says, oh you looked beautiful don’t worry! Thanks, but I didn’t feel like how I wanted to…

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Katie says · 10.06.14

This is a great post! When I got married my hair looked nothing like what I imagined – everyone still thought it look gorgeous, but it didn’t really have the depth or flow of the photo I had brought in. Although the hair stylist was a professional and did do a great job (she really did – I got a lot of compliments), I was thinking this amazing hair on pinterest would be my hair! I think brides should remember that pinterest photos are generally taken from really amazing wedding photoshoots where the hair may have taken 3 hours from a top stylist – most likely you didn’t hire a top stylist, just an average salon stylist – which is not a diss at all! But just a word of caution (kind of) – you are not a pinterest bride, try and find styles or models with hair like yours to really get a feel for what it might look like before the trial. ALSO, if you brought in a photo, make sure to bring that photo in AGAIN and NOT the photo of your finished trial hair – trust me, my hair looked much more like the original photo after the trial than it did on my wedding day because I made the mistake of just showing the finished product vs the original photo.

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wedding hair says · 02.25.15

I completely agree with Katie. It’s really important to keep your expectations reasonable. Plus, there’s only so much a stylist can do with your particular type of hair.

The best thing is though, this is your special day and no one else’s. No need to worry about having the exact hair you want because it will be special no matter what!

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Lisa says · 04.27.16

I just got some Clipins from Onesa Hair. Thank God I had a Skype consultants on with them. The custom made extensions that look like my natural hair. So the day of the wedding my stylist straighten both my extensions and hair. So if humidity kicks in I won’t be stuck with straight extensions while my own hair starts forming wringlettes.

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Hannah Adams says · 07.06.16

Great tips. Thanks for posting x

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NParekh says · 08.25.16

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Sue says · 06.18.17

I really regret not wearing a flower in my hair on my wedding day. I had plaits each side held with plain grips and i couldn’t find the cream flower i had which would have gone with my dress. I wasn’t organised enough as my was seriously ill and didn’t make it to the wedding and passed away just 3 weeks later so the whole wedding over shadowed with this … And all i keep doing is fixating on the lack of flowers in my !!

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Sue says · 06.18.17

Some words missing from my email …”My MUM was seriously ill …” and “lack of flowers in my HAIR”!

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Cleveland Bridal Hair says · 08.22.17

This is such great advice for all brides!

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Lari Manz says · 07.03.18

I can’t agree more with #1 and #3. I’m also a bridal hair and makeup stylist and I can’t tell you how often I either a) get brides who don’t want to do a trial run and wind up being unhappy with their results, or b) do the trial run but aren’t comfortable or willing to express when they’re unhappy with the results. Why do the trial if you’re not willing to say what you want or don’t want?! The dynamic between a bridal stylist and a bride is a relationship… that means it requires communication and relaying from one to the other what the bride wants and what’s possible on the stylist’s end given the bride’s hair. Communication is key.

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