When planning a wedding there aren’t a lot of things you can test run before the big day. Your hairstyle however, is definitely something you can experiment with before walking down the aisle.
Every bride’s beauty look – from hair to makeup – is unique, and it’s worth carving out the time to meet with your stylist beforehand to ensure everything is the way you envision before your big day. Most hairstylists offer wedding hair trials as part of their wedding hair packages, but if not, you can easily request one (or two).
In order to get the most out of your wedding hair trial, here are 10 tips to help you say ‘I do’ to your best look.
Angelika @angelika_fa is wearing Seamless Blonde Balayage Luxy Hair extensions. Photographed by Ulf Thausing @ulfthausing_weddings
Give yourself enough time
Book your stylist six months in advance of your wedding, especially if you’re getting married during peak season which typically runs from May to September. Schedule your wedding hair trial for at least three months ahead of your big day, this will allow you some wiggle room should you feel the need for a second trial. Avoid booking your trial too far away from your wedding, with a longer time gap trends may change and your style choice might too. Trial appointments usually run for 1-2 hours and it’s important to note how long it takes your stylist to complete your look. This will give you an idea of how long you should schedule for the day of the wedding, especially if your stylist (or stylists) will also be doing the hair for your bridesmaids and wedding party.
Discuss all the W’s
Will you go to the salon on the day of your wedding or will the hair stylist come to you? During your trial, make sure you cover all the who’s and where’s. Most stylists will offer you a schedule or timetable, especially if they’re also working with your bridal party. Discuss with your stylists if they’ll have other experts with them and how long it will take them to get your bridesmaids or other VIPs (like mom and your mother-in-law) ready. Ensure to coordinate hair time with makeup time if you have separate makeup artists. Planning the logistics of your hair stylists and makeup artists during the trial will save from headaches on the day of the wedding and will help you organize time, locations, dresses and accessories for yourself, your bridal party and your photographers and videographers.
Pia @piamuehlenbeck is wearing a mixture of Seamless Chestnut Brown and Seamless Dirty Blonde Luxy Hair extensions. Photographed by Jarrad Send @jarradseng
Wash and dry your hair the night before
To make the most out of the trial time, wash and dry your hair the night before or morning of, sans products. This will allow the stylist to dive right into experimenting your look without having to shampoo or blow-dry also. Wear your hair naturally to the appointment so your stylist can familiarize themselves with your natural length and texture and can plan accordingly for products or tools they may need. Leading up to your wedding, avoid any new haircuts or big coloring jobs, experts say getting a trim to get rid of dead or split ends will help keep the hair healthy before your big day, but any major changes should be avoided. Many brides will avoid cuts or trims to help their hair grow faster, however regular trims (every three months) can actually help to prevent breakage making hair look fuller and longer. Quick rule of thumb: A trim should be between half an inch to an inch, and no shorter.
Bring ample hair inspo
All that time on Pinterest and Instagram will certainly pay off. Gather photos of your favourite hairstyles – but not just from one angle. Ensure you have different views of different styles to give your hairstylist a full idea of what you’re looking for. With the right images, the stylist can have an open conversation with you on what will work or what won’t.
Pia @piamuehlenbeck is wearing a mixture of Seamless Chestnut Brown and Seamless Dirty Blonde Luxy Hair extensions. Photographed by Jarrad Send @jarradseng
Be open
Borrowing from wedding dress shopping advice, bringing photos of your fave examples is a must, but so is bringing an open mind. While you want to be true to your style, don’t limit yourself to just one type of look and be willing to step outside of your usual box – what’s a trial for anyway?
Don’t shy away from styles you think you can’t pull enough, especially if length or volume of your natural hair is holding you back. Hair extensions can be a bride’s best friend and hair stylists usually will recommend them should your chosen style require it. Luxy Hair Extensions can be easily incorporated into your look to help enhance the style and easily add length or volume. Whether you’re looking for a classic and elegant updo, a chunky Bohemian braid, or fuller, longer waves, hair extensions are made to help every bride achieve the hair look of their dreams. Talk with your stylist about whether they can supply hair extensions or if you need to source them yourself. Luxy has a variety of styles, colors and lengths to choose from and if you need more visuals, check out some of our before and after looks.
Details, details, details
In wedding planning, there may be too many details to keep track of, but for your wedding hair trial you’ll only need a few. Keep in mind the color of your dress and the neckline; what style would compliment these two elements best and does it work with your vision? This is something to discuss with your stylist and will help you marry your overall wedding look. Better yet, if you have a t-shirt or top of the same color as your dress, wear it to the trial. Bring your veil, headpiece or any other accessory to your appointment if you have it already, this will allow your stylist to play with the accessories and know exactly what to do with them on the day of. If you don’t yet have them, bring a photo or examples of what you would like to wear to help your stylist prep. Also, keep in mind how you’ll be putting on your dress, most brides opt for robes or button-down shirts to preserve hair and makeup, wearing something accessible and comfortable to your trial will also help.
Pia @piamuehlenbeck is wearing a mixture of Seamless Chestnut Brown and Seamless Dirty Blonde Luxy Hair extensions. Photographed by Jarrad Send @jarradseng
Wear makeup
Give yourself the full experience. If you can schedule your makeup and hair trial the same day, you’ll be able to really see and feel your wedding look come to life. This will also allow you to make any necessary tweaks or changes to ensure hair and makeup compliment each other. If both trials can’t be harmonized, no big deal. Give yourself some time before your hair trial appointment to give yourself a little beauty glam, this will help make your hairstyle pop and also give you ideas for your makeup look too.
Document the appointment
While the stylist doing your hair trial will likely be the same stylist at your wedding it’s important to document the steps taken to create the final look. Take note of any products like serums or hair extensions as well. For destination wedding brides who may have a different stylist on site, this will especially help to recreate the look. Take photos of your hair from all angles so you get a full picture of what your hair will look like. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or try different techniques, the trial is the time to get your concerns and inquiries out of the way.
Victoria @tori_golightly is wearing 220g Dark Brown Luxy Hair extensions. Photographed by Dana Richards @dana_ann_photography
Don’t bring your entire bridal party
While it’s always fun to have a day at the salon with your girls, it might be best to have just one or two of your trusted maids (or mom, of course) come to the hair trial appointment. Just like wedding dress shopping, the last thing you need is multiple opinions being thrown out there in a limited amount of time. Bring someone you trust and who knows your style, this will help make the experience far more pleasant and will help give you insight on your options.
Take your ‘do out
You can still have your bridal party be part of your trial, even if you don’t invite them to the actual appointment. Plan a day or night out with your girls, go for dinner and dancing or even shopping. Test your hair and how it will last throughout the day, this will give you a rough idea of what it will do during your wedding day. If you have naturally frizzy hair, take note of how your hair holds a few hours after your appointment. Or, if you have straight hair that doesn’t usually hold curls, make note of this too. Testing your hair and informing your stylist will help ensure steps are taken to make your hairstyle last from your vows to cake-cutting.
There is plenty to think about before you walk down the aisle and the precious hours before the ceremony are ones that should be enjoyed and treasured. A bad hair day on your wedding is simply not an option, these tips should help take the stress out of getting wedding ready and make the most of your wedding hair trial so you’ll only be occupied by your happily ever after.
