How to Prepare Your Hair for Your Wedding

If you want your hair to look it’s best when you get married, you’ve got to put in a little effort beforehand. Read on to discover all my tips for preparing your hair for your wedding day, including a handy countdown to get your started…

Growing Your Hair for Your Wedding

Even women who have had their hair short for years can get sucked into thinking they need long hair on their wedding day, especially if they want to wear their hair up. This isn’t the case at all – there’s a lot we can do with shorter hair. However, it’s true that the more hair you have, the more there is to play with, giving you more style options to choose from.

If you decide you want longer locks, put down the straighteners, read my tips for looking after your scalp, and make sure you’re still getting regular trims. This is important even if you’re not growing your hair. Dry ends are very noticeable when your hair is curled, and no one wants a frazzled looking up-do. Have your final pre-wedding trim six weeks before your wedding day, and preferably before your hair trial.

Adding Hair Extensions for Your Wedding

If you don’t feel your hair is long or thick enough for your desired style, there’s always hair extensions. I often recommend adding a few clip-in extensions to a half-up-half-down style. They’re great for adding thickness and volume. They’re also helpful if your hair simply doesn’t want to hold a curl.

You don’t need to spend the earth, but clip-in extensions do need to be colour matched, of good quality and, most importantly, heat resistant. If you have some already, bring them along to your trial.

An up-do is possible with bonded extensions, but they will limit your options. If you have never had bonded extensions before, I recommend having a consultation with your extensionist to explain your reasons. You should also discuss it with your wedding hair stylist to see if they think they’re necessary. Personally, I would always suggest trialling extensions up to 6 months before your wedding. This should help you establish how comfortable they are and if you’ll be able to cope with them on your wedding day.

Colouring Your Hair for Your Wedding

I’d encourage you to think about your hair colour sooner rather than later. If you’ve been colouring your hair dark and want to be blonde, you need to start this process at least six months in advance. In some cases, the change could take place in one appointment, but it depends on a lot of factors. Is your hair salon coloured? What’s the condition of your hair? How much are you willing/able to spend? Your answers to these questions will determine how long it takes to achieve your desired colour without causing any damage.

Even if you don’t want a radical transformation, existing highlights may need a little TLC. Do you want to stick to the same shade or go a little lighter? If you normally have a half head of highlights, do you need to lighten up the underneath colour for an up-do? Either way, I’d make sure you get them sorted 1-2 weeks before your wedding day. If you’ve been colouring your hair dark, book in to have your roots done at least a few days before.

Read Everything You Need to Know About Caring for Coloured Hair for more tips and advice.