Bridal Beauty: Expert Advice for Wedding-Ready Hair

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The length and texture of your hair, design of your dress and choice of headpiece or veil are just a few of the million factors that go in to choosing a wedding day hairstyle. With entire magazines and books dedicated to finding the right look, the endless options can make the final decision more overwhelming than the actual "I do". No matter what you choose, having a strong, healthy and beautiful canvas is the secret to every showstopping bridal hairdo and that definitely takes a little extra preparation. By incorporating these tips and tricks from the pros into your beauty routine months, weeks and hours before the big day, you'll walk down the aisle with locks that are shiny, luscious and begging to be let down on the dance floor.

  • 3 Months Pre-Wedding

Try to limit damage to your hair leading up to your wedding by avoiding things like pool water, too much time in the ocean and extreme amounts of heat (curling iron, blow dryer, etc.) Sometimes it's not possible to avoid hot tools, so make sure to keep your hair looking healthy with a thermal protectant spray such as Kenra Classic Thermal Spray or KMS Free Shape Quick Blow Dry Spray.

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It can also be beneficial to add in shine and moisture with the use of hair masks in the months leading up to your big day-- I recommend the treatements from Joico's K-Pak. Coconut oil is another great product; simply pull through the ends of your damp hair, work the oil into the hair shaft, place a cap/towel over your head and leave in for 1-4 hours (if your scalp tends to be naturally on the oily side, avoid applying oil there). Rinse thoroughly with shampoo to remove the oil and voila! You've achieved the shiny, nourished hair of your dreams.  -Erica Beaukelman from 10.11 Makeup

  • 2 Weeks Pre-Wedding:

Prep for the big day with these upgraded DIY beauty treatments using the Don't Despair, Repair! deep conditioning mask from Briogeo Hair. With just a few convenient additions from your local grocery store, you can treat yourself to a spa-quality treatment in the comfort of your own home! bridal beauty, wedding hair tips and tricks, bride beauty advice, best wedding beauty products

Turn Don't Despair, Repair! into a gentle scalp exfoliant by mixing a walnut sized amount of product with a tablespoon of sugar and gently massage into the scalp for (at least) 3 minutes before rinsing thoroughly. Exfoliating your scalp is something we don't typically do enough of and it stimulates new hair growth while preventing flakiness or dryness on your wedding day!

You can also turn Don't Despair, Repair! into a miracle mask by adding fresh, healthy hair ingredients to the blend to really strengthen, fortify and enhance the shine of your strands for your big day!  Spoon a walnut-sized amount of product into a bowl and add 1/4 fresh avocado, a half-teaspoon of coconut oil, and a half-teaspoon of almond oil.  Mix gently with a spoon so that the concoction is evenly combined.  Apply to the hair (focusing on the mid length to the ends) and cover the hair in a plastic cap for added moisture retention.  Let the DIY mask sit on the hair for at least 10-20 minutes before thoroughly rinsing.  Voila!  Your strands will look super healthy, hydrated, and extra shiny for your special day! -Nancy Twine, founder of Briogeo Hair

  • 24 Hours Pre-Wedding:

Wedding day hair prep depends on each women's hair type. I generally suggest washing hair the night before and adding a mouse or sea salt spray then blow dry. Clean hair can have some slip when trying to keep shape so this is why adding texture with product before drying will help your hairstylist the next day with pinning and teasing. If you wake up on the day of your wedding and your hair is a bit more oily than normal, wash it before you go in for your style this will save you and your stylist time rewashing and drying. Clean hair over oily hair is always better for updo styling.

My go-to product for long lasting beautiful wedding hair is Oribe's Dry Texture​. ​This product helps by adding a little "grip" to the hair without a stiff hold; not to mention, the scent is luxurious and will leave your hair smelling absolutely amazing. -Katie Bergen, EDEN by Eden Sassoon