GREAT Wedding Hair Tips

Wedding hair tips to make your day beautiful!

Bridal hair specialist and author of The Business of Bridal Beauty, as well as creator of www.weddinghair.com, Gretchen Maurer has some excellent tips to offer. She is also a member of the Association of Bridal Consultants.

Bridal hairstyles need to reflect the brides' personality and personal style. The "natural" days are finally ending as today's bride looks for "more" from her wedding day salon services. More fun, more beauty, and more individuality are what brides are in search of. Theme weddings, museum receptions, and creative personal touches help originate a "signature touch" for the couples' big day.

Long Hair

If your hair is long and you wear it pulled back most of the time than an elegant Updo would be just the look. Incorporate a detail from your gown into your hair design. Details such as braiding or twisting of fabric can be duplicated into the hairstyle. Or look to the texture of the dress. A soft wispy hairstyle complements a full-skirted tulle gown. A smooth gown of a heavy weight fabric is complemented by a smooth, shiny hairstyle of knots or rolls. Do you wear your long hair down most of the time? Then try wearing some of it up away from your face and leave the rest to cascade around your shoulders. Let few tendrils escape to float around your face, they can be curled or left natural. Having it all down is just too casual for the big day.

Tip: Natural curls? Enhance them and work with them; keep your look soft. Straight hair? Don’t expect a set to last all day, wear it up. If the curls are pinned in place there will be less worry.

Medium Hair

If your hair is medium in length it can be curled and worn with a sparkly headband or tiara to dress it up. Or simply tuck some hair behind your ears and use one of the very popular decorative hair clips to hold it back. With the help of a talented stylist, your hair can also be worn up.

Tip: If your dream is to wear it up and you have a few months grow it out, go for it. Medium hair is versatile, try a few looks with your stylist at least a few months ahead of time. This helps to chart out the growing process.

Short Hair

Believe me there is lots that can be done! Dust off your curling iron and give your hair some fullness in the crown area and back. Don't curl the front, it won't look like you. Flatter fronts are in right now so sweep the hair off to the side and save the curls for the back area. Today's "curls" are for creating texture. Many hair products on the market are designed for "texturizing the hair" not necessarily for hold.

Tip: Don't touch the curls while they are warm, it will loosen them up too much. Once cooled run your finger through your hair with some hair wax and pinch and place the "texture" where you want it! Don't brush them out it will look too poufy, frizzy, and (Horror!) dated!! Top your do with a tiara or a few hair clips and you are ready to go!

Headpieces
Here is the best advice!

* Pick out your wedding gown first
* Decide on your hairstyle second
* Choose the headpiece and veil third

I have actually tore apart a headpiece on the brides wedding day and redesigned it because it did not go with the hairstyle she wanted. The best way of course is to have a couple of trial run appointments at the hair salon prior to the big day. This way an exchange can be made for a different style headpiece if necessary. Don’t feel pressured into purchasing a headpiece because it "matches your dress". Instead look for a detail from the gown you would like to enhance and find a headpiece that complements. It may be pearls, a flower detail, or the trim. Or match the flowers in your bouquet.

Petite? If you are finding that the headpieces seem to big, look at what is offered for first communion headpieces and ask the bridal salon to add a longer veil.

Second marriage? Having a veil is fine if you want one, but you may want to skip the blusher. A beautiful tiara is perfect or ornament your hairstyle. Try a hat, they are coming back!

New Trend!! Ornament your hairstyle! Look in the bridal section of the craft store for fun finds! There are also many beautiful decorative hair sticks, barrettes and bobby pins to add to your hairstyle! Simply attach a comb with netting to cascade down the back of the hairstyle, i.e. (easily removable at the reception.)

Bouquet Jewelry is THE Hottest New Wedding Accessory

Bouquet Jewelry is a hot new bridal accessory that is being used to accentuate and personalize bridal bouquets. They are also turning up in bridesmaid’s flowers, boutonnieres, centerpieces, and even customizing the wedding cake. The jewelry is usually inserted into the bouquet by a six inch post, but may also be attached to stems and hand-tied ribbons.

A popular choice is Swarovski crystal monograms using the bride and groom’s initials. They may choose to use the initial for each of their first names as well as the initial for the groom’s last name. Six mm faux diamonds can also be inserted into the center of each flower to give the bouquet a dazzling new look.

Besides monograms, most online companies have the same selection of jewels: pearl clusters, bows, snowflake, bee, frog, dragonfly, starfish, flip flop sandal, palm tree, butterfly and crucifix. The bee only comes in clear crystal and the frog and palm tree come only in peridot crystals. The flip flop sandal comes in blue or pink. Pearls come in pink, yellow, white, blue, green, lavendar, peach, champagne and platinum. The bows come in a wide range of colors with gold or silver plating.

The prices range from $12.00 (snowflake) to $20.00 (dragonfly) each. Some are sold individually while others have a discount if you purchase in groups of ten. The crystal bee sells for $18.00 each and $153.00 for ten. That would be a savings of $27.00. The starfish sells for $13.00 each and $110.00 for ten. That would be a $20.00 discount.

The bouquet jewelry should be chosen to reflect the bride’s personal taste or reflect the theme of the wedding. Starfish, flip flop sandals and palm trees would be perfect for a beach theme wedding. The crystal crucifix would reflect a more solemn and spiritual wedding and could also be used around the holidays.

The bride and groom can continue to use the jewelry long after the wedding for holiday centerpieces and floral arrangements. They should choose the colors carefully, because many online companies advise they are non returnable and non refundable.