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Happy December baby buttercups! I’ve got more wedding hair and makeup tips ready for you..today, I bring you the second half of the Bridal Beauty Bible – Hair Edition, zeroing in on probably the single most important hairdo you will ever adorn atop yo’ head, & one of the essential components to a glamorous bridal aesthetic – the bride’s hairstyle! Here’s some advice that was offered to me during my planning process that was proven successful in practice, & some other helpful tidbits of info that every bride-to-be should have in her arsenal.
**MAJOR update as of 01/11/22: The Bridal Beauty Bible is now an EBOOK SERIES! Since I had a ton of info crammed into this post, I decided to go ahead & expand it, strictly for the brides who want to seriously INVEST in looking glam af on their big day…
The sassy & unfiltered guide to being a bombshell bride 🔥
The Bridal Beauty Bible Part 1: Wedding Ready Skin & Flawless Makeup is available through Apple Books & Barnes & Noble!
(Disclosure: this post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you decide to purchase any of the products I recommend. For more information about affiliate links, please click here.)
1.) Book your damn trial.
I’m not going to go back through my rant from The Bridal Beauty Bible Pt. 1 because it was a drawn out yet impassioned rant that I don’t have the ability of replicating… but trust me: the TRIAL IS MUY IMPORTANTE. It’s a good way to plan ahead & see if you’re going to love what you see in the mirror the day of, with enough time to change things while you still can. Don’t skip this to save money – when it comes to wedding hair & makeup, t’s that important.. & you can cut corners elsewhere that don’t have anything to do with how YOU will look on the aisle.
2.) Have picture inspiration ready & available.
..whether it be on your phone or printed out. All ya’ll know how to use Pinterest by now – utilize the hell out of it for THIS imperative task! Make two new boards labeled specifically for your wedding hair & makeup ideas, & then choose the best as the day gets closer. I put together a collage of looks that I loved (see below, all were provided by many Pinterest searches) & ultimately chose the winner at my hair trial. While your stylist will know what you’re going for once you’ve attended the trial, it’s still helpful to keep those pictures nearby for the actual wedding day, in the event he/she needs a refresher, or God forbid your normal stylist calls in sick & someone is sent in his/her place.
3.) At the trial, ask your stylist to take photos of you when your hair is finished, so you can reference them later on.
It’s important to see how your hairstyle will appear in pictures (as you’ll be taking a ton of those at your wedding). It will also allow you to envision the COMPLETE picture – wedding hair and makeup, & wedding dress. If you don’t love it, you can always talk to them about switching things up prior to the big day. NOT the morning of.
^^ When I got home from my hair trial. I was IN LOVE with how it came out!
4.) When choosing a wedding day hairstyle, try to pick something outside of your norm – something no one has seen on you.
While this is optional, as some brides are babes who know what they want/like (& girl, you do you) allow me to elaborate. Speaking only from my personal experience – I wanted big curls, but I tend to curl my hair whenever I have a function to attend or an event that calls for a little more glam than usual. I found a curled hairstyle that I had never done before (mostly because I didn’t know how to do it) & asked my stylist what she thought. She was all for it, & worked literal magic on my hair. Not only did it look incredible, but since I had never worn my hair that way before, it felt even more special. Kind of like it was reserved FOR my wedding day. Idk, maybe that’s me sounding like a lunatic, but when it comes to wedding hair and makeup advice, there are no filters here.
A few different views of my hair on the wedding day!
5.) When choosing a wedding day hairstyle, remember that only you know what looks good on you, & what doesn’t.
For example, I don’t particularly care for how I look with my hair completely up (for an event/occasion, at least). I feel that when my hair is pulled all the way back, my neck is elongated, & I feel rather giraffe-like. So, I chose hairstyles that kept my hair down & somewhat out of my face. There were many well-meaning individuals who suggested fancy updos & buns & shit, but I did not waver from my path, & neither should you. If you know certain hairstyles look shitty on you, stay away from choosing them, or any from a relative category. Only you will have to live with the outcome (& the photos) if you don’t.
6.) When choosing a wedding day hairstyle, remember you & only you, know your hair’s personality.
Does your hair hold a curl easily, or do you have to dump an entire can of hairspray into it to maintain the slightest wave? Does your hair have the tendency to fall into your face all day long without assistance from bobby pins or hair clips? Is your hair damaged & incapable of enduring extensive heat exposure? We all know how our hair tends to have its own personality & agenda 99% of the time, so make sure you relay any of these specifics to your stylist so they can properly prepare.
7.) When choosing a wedding day hairstyle, make sure to consider your dress in the process.
If your gown has special detailing on the back or sleeves/straps that you want to be a focal point… leaving your hair down might hide those aspects. Consider things you may be TRYING to hide – like the tattoo on the back of your neck that Grammy may backhand you for if she sees it, wedding day or not (Grammy don’t play).
8.) If you’re coloring/highlighting your hair prior to the wedding, schedule it to be done at least two weeks before.
Whenever you dye your hair, the color always looks much more pronounced until it “settles” in. Two weeks is a perfect window to get your hair color looking as natural as possible. This will also buy you some time in the event you need to re-dye it, because you missed a spot or it didn’t come out the way you thought it would.
9.) If your hair is damaged/dry/problematic, institute deep conditioning into your hair routine as soon as possible.
I’ve used Aussie 3 Minute Miracle for as long as I can remember, & it’s rescued my hair from all abuse suffered at the hands of bleach, box dye, & heat (my poor hair has been through the ringer). If at all possible, hold off on blow drying for a bit just to give your tresses a break. If you can’t help it, at the very least, use a good thermal protection product, like this one by L’oreal.
10.) If your hair is damaged/dry/problematic, institute supplements into your hair routine, too.
Vitamin B Complex always makes my hair grow quickly, along with cod liver oil & collagen. If you’re not the best at remembering to take your vitamins, pour some of this collagen creamer into your coffee in the morning & call it a day. My hair grew three inches in two months with this stuff, so not only is that a win but it actually tastes GOOD, much to my amazement. Normally anything labeled as being “good FOR you” tastes like crap. Not only is collagen good for your hair & skin, but it supports your joints as well.. which is extremely helpful considering I am much more ache-y than I used to be.. which I can only assume is due to my turning 32, but who knows.
11.) Once you’ve chosen the perfect hairstyle: will your hair be voluminous/long enough to facilitate the look you’re trying to acheive?
If you’re leaning towards “no”, then adding in hair extensions might be your best option. A lot of salons have them & will place/style them for you, so start there first. If they don’t offer extensions, try visiting the site where I purchased mine – BFB Hair. They shipped my order quickly, the color matched perfectly, & I used Klarna to pay them off in installments. Their extensions are made from real human hair & they last forever – I’ve used mine three times since my wedding day. They’re the clip-in type, which makes them easy to place & remove when you’re done. I also love the fact that they’re extremely low maintenance – unless I used a crap ton of product in them, they don’t need to be washed often. When the time comes to clean them, you just dip them into a mixture of water & shampoo & allow them to air dry. Once they dry, you run a straightener through each piece & they all bounce back to their initial silky smooth texture.
^^ Before & after adding in extensions – they make a huge difference with both length, & volume!
12.) Will your hairstyle require any accessories or product?
Usually, salons/hairstylists will provide bobby pins/elastics & all the products (hairspray, etc.) you’ll need to achieve glamourous wedding day hair. If your hairstyle will require any of these things, I suggest purchasing or bringing some fancier pieces. For example, my hairstyle required one side to be pinned back – my hairsylist obviously had bobby pins to get the job done, but I brought my own little rhinestone embellished pins to add a little extra sparkle to the overall package. You can get pretty much any style pins you want through Amazon (click here for rhinestone bobbies similar to the ones I had in the picture below) for very little coin, & it’s a small yet elegant touch. You can also find pretty clips, combs, etc. For product, I would strongly advise picking up your own bottle of hairspray simply for scent purposes. While most salons will have variations of what they use, the majority of the hairsprays out there serve a purpose, but they smell god awful, & you’re essentially basking in it for the first part of your wedding day. My hairstylist used a Bumble & Bumble hairspray on me that smelled AMAZING, & it held up better than any of the ten million & one hairsprays I’ve covered my hair in over the years. I loved it so much that I bought a can of it myself after the wedding was over. While the price point is out of my normal price range for hairspray (after purchasing stuff like Aquanet for most of my life), $32 was worth it for me to have my hair smell incredible & the style hold up for hours, vs. having the style hold up but smell like ass. You shouldn’t have to choose between the two on your wedding day, either! Small splurges here & there on wedding hair and makeup items isn’t a bad thing, either.. this is the one time where you need to look & feel your best!
^^ For pretty pins like the ones I’m wearing, click here. For hair that smells like heaven, click here.
13.) To ensure your hair is ready to style, prep the day before the wedding.
Shower & wash your hair, & blow dry it the day before. (If you’re in the market for a new blow dryer or yours isn’t quite doing it for you, I bought the Revlon One Step Volumizer & Dryer Brush over the summer & I don’t know how I’ve lived without it my whole life. It adds so much more life & bounce to my hair than I ever thought possible.) When you wake up the morning of your wedding, DO NOT WASH IT OR GET IT WET, just spray some dry shampoo in your roots for texture & brush it out. Also, a small tip regarding the dry shampoo: buy one that will add more of a powdery finish, vs. the wet kind that are out there. Although many different brands state on their labels that the product won’t weigh your hair down, I find that not to be the case, & it’s better not to take chances for a big day like this. OGX Refresh & Revitalize is a great option, & so is Batiste Rose Gold (I love the way both of these smell, too.) If you find your hair to be extra greasy, you can also throw some baby powder into your roots & blow it out a little while using a round brush.
I hope all you unicorn princess brides found this helpful – & here’s to you slaying it on the runway.. I mean, aisle.. on the best day ever! If you have any wedding hair and makeup advice that helped you on your big day, as always, holla atcha girl. xoxox
