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We're adding on to our archive of wedding hairstyle tips with these ways to ensure that you aren't obsessing with your style all day long. Apparently we unconsciously think about our hair many times a day, and I'm thinking your wedding day is going to be on hair-fussing overdrive.
Protecting from the elements, having a backup plan, and going with what you know are all going to help make you feel more secure that your style will last. Let's talk wedding hair tips for all your offbeat wedding hairstyle needs.
Your hair, only better
Epic hairstyles for the discriminating offbeat groom
We received a request for some offbeat groom's hair ideas and I thought that sounded easy enough. Surely there's a shit load of inspiration for... Read more
Wedding hairstyles can absolutely be clean and simple, but you may want to take it up a notch to match your theme or just look a little more fabulous for photos. Don't stray too far from who you are so that your partner doesn't recognize you. But don't let that stop you from rocking a fun style or color if you're excited about it. Don't feel pressured to abandon your own style, either. Rock your victory rolls, purple hair, or mohawk.
A professional stylist or do your own?
Short hairstyles for hottie brides
I'm not sure how short you mean by short (inch-long pixie cut or chin-length bob?) or whether you're curly or straight or wavy, but regardless... Read more
A professional can definitely up your hair game and help it last the full day. They can also give you some backup tips in case it falls or you want to pull it back or up for dancing or late night shenanigans.
Friendors can be awesome with hair since they probably know and respect your style already. If you're going with a friend, have them do a dry run just like a professional would. Make sure to do a trial run or two at least two weeks before the wedding day. Our directory of hairstyle vendors is a great resource if you decide to choose a pro.
Choose a pro who gets your hair
More natural black wedding hairstyles to lead you towards hair bliss
This isn't the first time we've featured some natural-haired beauties, but there are some gorgeously textured, kinked, and waved ladies in this photo haul. We're... Read more
Have natural black hair? Naturally curly hair? Brightly colored hair? Try to find a stylist who gets your style.
Feel free to ask to see some samples or a portfolio if you're nervous.
Bring examples
Like with makeup, feel free to bring loads of photos of celebrities, other brides, or whoever is rocking amazing hair to your stylist for inspiration.
Also bring along a photo of your outfit and/or decor to give them a feel for your theme and style.
- Tip: Have short hair? Don't fret, my pet! We've got lots of ideas for you here.
Bring your hair do-dads
Don't forget your veil, birdcage, headpiece, headband, fascinator, flowers, or whatever accouterments you'll want in your hair so the stylist can accommodate for it. Also bring along any other tools or backup accessories for your late-night ‘do, if you need one.
Be product-free on the day
On your trial day and wedding day, have clean, dry hair. Avoid using a lot of conditioner and stay away from any silkening/shine/moisturizing products that weigh your hair down. If you're doing your own hair or having a friend do it, have some dry shampoo on hand to get it into a good texture for styling.
Have bangs? Have a plan
If you've got bangs, plan to bring a clip, bobby pin, headband, dry shampoo, and some tissues for when they inevitably get unkempt from rain, sweat, or wild dancing.
- Tip: Add these to your to your “oh shit” kit: hair clips, bobby pins, tissues, hairspray, dry shampoo, an umbrella, hair ties, and a scarf (especially for a winter wedding when it might snow).
Brighter colors need prep
Get ready to swoon at Lizzy & Derek's rainbow hair and mohawk at their gorgeous wedding
It's not going to be hard to entice you to look at this wedding when the bride looks this glorious. Rainbow hair, a fabulous purple... Read more
If you plan to rock some red, purple, blue, pink, green, or rainbow hair and aren't already a pro at dying your hair, you'll want to test out some non-permanent color first.
Make sure you test your hair while sweaty/wet and while wearing light colors to make sure you don't ruin the fabric. You may want to leave this to a professional if you're not already a veteran.
The Big DON'Ts
Things not to do regarding your wedding hairstyle:
- Don't cut your hair too close to the wedding day. Do it well before your hair trials to avoid last-minute disasters
- Don't change your hair color too close, either. This can be really hard to fix if it goes wrong
- Don't try any new hair products or color near the wedding day: allergies can crop up and cause skin irritation
Where are you getting your hair inspiration? Tell us about it in the comments!
About the Author: Catherine Clark
Catherine Clark loiters at her local library, makes art, watches movies en masse, plays video and tabletop games, poorly cooks healthy things, cuddles with her feline fur babies, and blogs at BijouxandBits.com.
This is great! I had my trial this weekend and to start with it was a massive challenge. I had sent photos, but as someone who can just about brush her hair and tie it up I was a bit surprised to see “padding” out ready. I didn’t really have any idea what went into those hair styles. Also I found it really hard to articulate what I wanted and didn’t know what she was doing until it was too late, and then I had to have lots of back combing brushed out – ouch. I did think at the time, I wonder if offbeat bride has an article on how to talk hair and figure out what goes into the pintrest hair styles?
My advice would be to watch a LOT of hairstyle tutorials so you know exactly what goes into making the more elaborate pinterest styles. You can screencap the process step by step if you want/need to.
My personal favorite tutorial-maker on youtube is Sklemina Tatiana at womenbeauty1:
https://www.youtube.com/user/womenbeauty1/videos
Just throwing this out there: if you Google the Long Hair Community, you’ll find a forum full of wonderful people who love deconstructing hairstyle photos and coming up with ideas for similar styles. I particularly love them because they’re always finding ways around teasing and other hair-damaging styling techniques while still getting the look you want.
Ultimately you just need to have a real conversation with your stylist about your desires and expectations, and you should ask directly what is involved in the style they intend to do before they get started. It should only take a few minutes, but it gives you a chance to discuss options and you’ll be much more prepared for the results.
P.S. These are things I wish I had known years ago. You don’t know pain until you’ve tried to brush hair-sprayed tease balls out of knee-length hair after being in a friend’s wedding.
Great tips here! My hair is a very different color, so we’ve got plan ahead to make sure roots are touched up before (but not too close before!) my wedding day. Thanks for sharing!
Great tips! I’ve been told, though, that a “don’t” of wedding hair is to wash it the same morning. The advice was that day-old dirty hair holds its shape better for things like up – dos and curls. I wonder if others have gotten this advice, or if it’s specific to hair types (fine/dry versus thick/oily)?
As a hair stylist, I always prefer clean hair. I can “dirty” the hair with styling products as necessary with out risking over greasing from natural oils that are there before hand. That’s just my preference, ymmv with your stylist.
I think it depends very much on your hair type and what you want to do with it. You should know better than anyone how your hair behaves.
For example, my hair is thick and wavy and tends to frizz. Just after I wash it (the same day or maybe the following day too if I’m lucky) it looks great, as I let it dry naturally and it goes into ringlets that aren’t frizzy. If I haven’t washed it for about a week it settles down and is also less frizzy and looks better. But the few days in between it puffs out more, with the curls less defined and more frizzy. So in that example it’s best to either be just washed or not washed for a few days.
Other people’s hair will be different – I imagine with finer hair it would be more manageable clean, while coarser hair soaks up the natural oils more and acts better with them.
Great tips! I have long hair that is a different color. Not sure what I’ll do with it for the wedding. So the idea is to change nothing before the wedding. I am supposed to meet with a stylist in a few weeks and we’ll figure out what I want to do. I have been thinking about cutting my hair, we’ll see.