Bridal Hair Preparation: Top Tips For Getting Your Locks Wedding Day Ready

Wedding planning can easily become one of the most stressful periods of your life, from diet worries to table plans and budgets, there’s always something to coordinate in your mind.

But while you’re busy stressing about your big day, your hair is taking a bashing from stress hormones, meaning your usually luscious locks will be limp and fine by the time you need it looking amazing.

Most brides start trialing their wedding day hairstyles months before their big day and hair preparations should be equally as important – especially as hair works in tri-monthly stages, meaning what ever might be causing it to thin or go limp now, happened three months ago.

Even if you’re not planning any drastic changes to your locks, getting them in top condition ahead of wedding day stresses and strains is as important as getting the style right.

Anna Baker, Head of Bridal at Errol Douglas Salon, says: “The styling demands on the day may be slightly out of the norm from how you usually deal with your hair, so investing in quality products, cuts and colour is vital to ensure your hair looks impressive!”

First things first, get yourself some hair care vitamins, all that dieting and calorie counting is likely to leave you lacking in certain vitamins.

If you can splurge a little, invest in a Viviscal Max Healthy Hair Kit, £215, and start taking the tablets and using the products three-six months before your big day.

Mark Woolley, Celebrity Hair Stylist, recommends getting a lengthy headstart with Viviscal.

He told us: "I would recommend brides start taking Viviscal supplements as soon as they can, preferably three months before the wedding.

"Viviscal’s supplements nourish hair from within, making the hair feel healthier and look shinier, allowing you to really notice the difference on the most important day of your life."

If you just want a little something to help you along the way, Protein World’s Luminous tablets, £20, contain all the vitamins you need for healthy locks (as well as lovely nails).

Naturally, the products you’re using on your hair are equally as important as what’s fuelling it to grow; Anna recommends investing in salon quality shampoos and conditioners to make all the difference.

Anna’s top tips:

- Splurge on excellent shampoos, conditioners and masks.

"Relying only on styling products to mask dry or tired hair will only give you slight results instead of full results from great products. Investing in salon quality shampoos, conditioners and masks will care for your hair from its foundation level."

- If you’re prone to dry course hair, use a moisturising range, but if it’s down to chemicals, use a mixture of a protein mask followed by a moisture conditioner.

"Protein repairs the bonds in hair to strengthen but the moisture seals cuticles so hair is soft and tangle free.”

- Cutting

"Think little and often. Consider how you wish your hair to be styled on the day and don’t be tempted to go for a drastic restyle, your wedding is demanding enough getting used to a new style may be too much! Maintaining good condition with 8-12 weeks trims will pay dividends instead of holding onto tired ends just for the sake of length."

- Styling Prep

"More products may be needed to hold your hairstyle for your big day, so ease yourself into this process by using good moisture balms to aid smoothness with your blow dries, or volumising mousses or sprays to add oomph to your roots. Gentle introduction to styling products will prevent your hair feeling alien on the big day!"

If you’re big on bold colours, make sure you’re not going too dramatic and get your timings right.

Jasmin Allen, Senior Colour Master at Errol Douglas Salon, says: "I always advise my clients to avoid anything too dramatic colour wise in the run up to the big day, you want to really look like your best self and instantly recognisable to your groom!

"The pre-wedding colour journey ideally starts months before, so the base look and hue match both skin tone and the detail of the wedding. Tone flattering base colour work will really ensure that freshness and bridal glow is enhanced."

Jasmin’s colour tips:

- Get your colour done 10 days before THE day.

“I also ask bridal clients to see me 10 days before the big day for final maintenance tweaks (root highlights or tints commonly).”

- Get a clear colour gloss treatment after your colour.

"This will lift existing colour with a great condition and shine in the finish.”

- Only wash your hair TWICE between your final colour and your big day.

"This will keep your gloss and colour looking perfect, but it gives your hair time to settle too. I advise just two washes between the last salon visit and the wedding using a Revlon Nutri Colour Cream Conditioning Ball."

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