After finding the right dress, the hunt begins to find the perfect hairstyle to complement the total look. Just as important as the dress you wear, the hairstyle helps frame your face and neckline to enhance both. Jamie McDaniel, Sam Villa Ambassador @jamiemcdhair, works with brides often and agrees that their hair is just as important as the dress they wear. Why? Because the two elements must complement one another to tell the story. In order to fully understand a bride and what she envisions for her hairstyle, McDaniel has them fill out a Bridal Consultation Form and share an image of the dress. “I think it’s super important to be as informed as possible about the style a bride imagines for herself, it’s the best way to ensure you can meet their expectations and support the theme/vibe of their look,” she explains. Her consultation form is broken down into three categories:
Tips For Bridal Consultations
- Dress - Ask for a picture of the dress to see what the neckline and back look like. Are there sleeves, straps, one shoulder, or strapless? This helps suggest looks that will complement the dress and promote wearing hair up, down, or pulled to one side.
- Face Shape & Profile – Frequently, an inspirational image is a shot of the back of the hair, yet on the day of the wedding, brides are photographed from the front, side, back, and every which way, so that needs to be taken into consideration. Face shape is important because, let’s be honest, it will be the main thing the bride will be focusing on in every selfie and professional shot.
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- If the photo is of a low chignon but their chin recedes, move the chignon up higher to create a stronger profile.
- If the bride has a heart-shaped face, suggest keeping the volume minimal up top.
- For a triangle-shaped face, suggest adding volume up top, pulling it away from the jawline.
- Environment - Will the wedding be inside or outside? If inside, style away and don’t worry about a thing. If outside, it can be a bit trickier. During the trial, develop two options for the day of. There’s nothing worse than having a loose, beautiful, boho style and then it being crazy windy, and the hair is flying every which way in their photos. Or have a beautiful curl set and the humidity is high, and it becomes one big ball of frizz. Options and backup plans keep stress down for both you and the bride.
McDaniel is a smart cookie, she leaves a few grips/bobbies behind as a 'just in case,' and shows the maid of honor/bridesmaids how to insert them so everyone is in the know. “I strongly suggest stepping away from the hairspray. We've been conditioned to think more hairspray is better, but the opposite is actually true. Too much hairspray can be very wet and eventually weigh down or deflate curls,” she explains. Find a beautiful working hairspray like Redken Brushable Hairspray to use why styling and then go in with a higher-hold hairspray like Redken Max Hold Hairspray to finalize the look. And, having a charged Sam Villa Pro Results Cordless Flat Iron on hand for touchups can’t hurt either!
Shop The Top Bridal Product Picks:
Redken Brushable Hairspray
Redken Max Hold Hairspray
Sam Villa Pro Results Cordless Flat Iron $179
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Credits: Hair/Jamie McDaniel; Dress/@signaturebridalstl; MUA/@ali.armstrong4; Photographer/@deekeimphoto
