A No-Stress Guide to DIY Bridal Beauty: Hair
Styling your wedding hair yourself is easy to do if you are armed with a few simple tips, plus some do’s and don’ts for the day.
Browse through wedding and hairstyling magazines to get an idea of what you like. Make sure that you choose a style that you feel reflects your personality. Some brides get carried away with their hair. While it’s good to get carried away about your wedding, don’t end up choosing something that does not reflect who you are.
Consider a few things besides just what you like. Consider the theme of your wedding. If you are having a garden wedding, you may want to think about wearing flowers in your hair. If you are having a very elegant wedding, you may want to wear a tiara. Also consider what your dress looks like. The wrong hairstyle can stand out badly with a certain type of dress. If you are wearing a long, formal dress that expands over layers and layers of chiffon, you probably don’t want to wear your hair tight behind your head, especially if you’re not wearing a veil that will add volume. This will appear disproportioned and the guests will realize something is out of place.
Once you have settled on a hairstyle that you like, practice it well in advance of your wedding. Make sure you practice with any hair pieces in place. You may not want to wear your veil or your tiara during the entire reception and if you wind your hair around the bands, you may ruin your hair when you take it off. There’s nothing more frustrating than getting your hair just right and not knowing how you’re going to put your headpiece in.
Practicing gives you a good amount of time to fix any problems. Once you have done your hair perfectly, leave it in for a while. Look at how long the hairstyle stays put, if it starts to droop or goes flat, or if it just falls apart in general. Do this weeks before your wedding to allow you to come up with ways around any problems or choose an alternative style. Remember to keep your hair the same length as the practice runs or you may have some unexpected problems on the day.
Upon perfecting your style spray with caution. Spraying too much at once can give you the helmet look, definitely not what you want for your wedding day. It’s much better to spray, let it dry, and re-apply another layer if needed. Never get hairspray on your veil. This will cause it to discolor and turn a horrible yellow very quickly.
On the day of your wedding, wear a robe or button down shirt when doing your hair. Obviously you don’t want to get your hair done only to have to pull something over top of it. Put your earrings on once you have done your hair so that these won’t get in your way while you are styling.
Although you may be eager to get your hair in shape as soon as you get up on the morning of your wedding, avoid doing it any more than a few hours before the ceremony. It’s going to be a long day and you need it to stay in place for as long as possible. There’s no point in having a fabulous hairstyle at home only to have flat, droopy hair for your reception.
Always shampoo and condition your hair before you begin to style. Don’t use any products that you have not used before. You don’t want to risk an adverse or allergic reaction to anything on your wedding day.
Be careful about your hairstyle in the months leading up to your wedding. Don’t make any drastic changes to length or color. Hair takes a long time to grow out and if you do this before your wedding chances are, you will not be giving yourself enough time if you end with something that looks bad on you. Stick to what you know. While you may be anxious to look like someone completely different on your wedding day, fight the temptation. Know that you are going to look glamorous just the way you are.
