DOs and DON'Ts for Bridal Hair

We want every one of our brides to look and feel amazing on her wedding day, and hair plays a huge part. Here we talk to Laura Meredith from Hairtrade, who shares her  expert advice on getting picture perfect locks. 

From experimenting with colour and styles ahead of the big day to handling whatever the weather throws at you, this guide will help you avoid any wedding day hair disasters.  

“There’s so much to do and think about when you’re planning a wedding. The dress will always be the number one priority and making sure your hair works with it is really important to your overall look," advises Laura. 

Here are Laura's DOs and DON'Ts for having pretty silky soft tresses on your wedding  day whatever the hairstyle:

DON'T  go for a drastic new style 

Chopping off your gorgeous long locks in favour of a chic pixie cut just weeks before your wedding might not look like you imagined and it gives you less options for updos. 

If you do decide to go for a different look, there are a few things you need to think about: will your dress work with a different hairstyle? What about your hair accessories and veil? Have you taken advice from your stylist? And if you hate it, is there a way you can rescue your hair before the wedding?

DO have a hair rehearsal

Whatever you do, don’t forget to book at least one rehearsal with your stylist well before the big day. During wedding season stylist Saturday appointments are like gold dust - you need to book your appointments for the actual day and the practice run at least four months ahead.

Practice runs are vital. Your stylist can try out a few different looks with your hair accessories and veil and you can agree on the one that works best. That way, on your wedding day, making sure your hair is picture perfect will take no time at all.

DO protect when heat styling

Blasting out your hairdryer or using straighteners every day can damage your tresses. So invest in a good heat protection spray to guard your locks against damage or lay off the styling a week before the wedding. 

DON'T experiment with colour

Trying out completely new colours is a big no – if you do want to experiment with colour, then do it three-six months before the big day. That way you’ll have time to decide if it works for your wedding day look and if you love it, simply refresh it a few weeks before the wedding.

DO prepare for all weather

The one thing you can’t control on your big day is the weather – but you can be prepared for it. If it’s going to be windy make sure you have plenty of extra hold styling products, if it’s humid, keep those unruly locks tamed, and if it’s pouring with rain, invest in a gorgeous see-through umbrella!

DO plan washing your hair

Believe it or not, it’s best to avoid washing your hair on your wedding day. Your style will hold much better if hair is washed the day before.

DON’T forget the hairspray

Remember to have hairspray close at hand for the reception so you can freshen up your look and make sure your do stays in place. There’s nothing worse than stray locks, so keep them under control!

DO remember your bridesmaids 

Throughout all of this, don’t forget the wedding party – your mum and gorgeous bridesmaids. Make sure their dos work well with yours and emphasise their outfits.

For some inspiration on wedding hairstyles, check out our Behind the scenes post here.  

The Bridal Room Sample Dress Sale

The wait is over! Now you can find your dream dress at a fraction of the retail price at this one day event. On Sunday 10th May The Bridal Room is holding a unique sample sale between 10am to 3pm with many dresses reduced by up to 70 %. 

You don't need to book at appointment, simply head over to The Bridal Room in Westbury-on-Trym on Sunday and enjoy exploring the selection of dresses from top names in bridal design: Sophia Tolli, Mori Lee, Alfred Angelo and St Patrick, to name a few. With new collections arriving in store, the boutique is selling some of the ex-display gowns from as little as £50 - a bargain too good to resit!

As this is a unique event, all purchases will need to be paid in full and collected on the day so you can take your dress home straight away! Brides can also chose to have the gown dry cleaned or altered at an additional cost - just ask in store for more details.

Contact
The Bridal Room
Address: 40 High Street, Westbury-on Trym, Bristol, BS9 3DZ
T: 0117 908 9010
W: www.thebridesroom.co.uk

Have a dream dress in mind or still searching for 'the one'? Come over to our Twitter and Facebook pages and tell us about your experience so far. And don't forget to check out our Behind the scenes post with photos from our spring photoshoot.

Bridal Designer Event at Special Day & Appletons

Brides, get ready to fall in fashion love with the most beautiful dresses of the season! SpecialDay & Appletons are holding a very special Donna Salado designer weekend on Saturday 31^st January & Sunday 1^st February. You’ll also get the unique chance to meet the designer in person and find out what inspires her astonishing designs.

Image from Donna Salado website , dress style Babette 

DonnaSalado is a talented British bridal designer, four times nominated for Designer of the Year. As exclusive stockist in Bristol and South Gloucestershire, Special Day & Appletons are proud to bring you the 2015 collection of Couture designs – combining luxurious fabrics and beautiful silhouettes with attention to detail.

The event is free to attend, yet by appointment only, so make sure you call to reserve your spot! Don’t forget to visit our Twitter and Facebook pages and tell us which style makes your heart beat faster!

DETAILS

Special Day & Appletons

12 High Street, Keynsham, BS31 1DQ

T: 0117 9860 303

W: www.specialdayandappletons.co.uk/

Miscellaneous Monday: Entertainment Tips for Weddings

At this time of year we all enjoy throwing a few shapes and pulling off some moves on the dance floor. But how do you ensure you and your guests have the time of your lives on your wedding day? Wondering how to find a good DJ for your big day and how much of the budget it will require? Find the answer to these questions and some interesting wedding-related facts from this infographic created by the Rated DJs team. 

Who are Rated DJ?
Rated DJ is an innovative concept that helps connect talented DJs with music loving people looking for great entertainers that can create a rocking atmosphere on every occasions, especially wedding receptions. For more information, visit the website: http://www.rateddjs.co.uk

If you're anything like us, then you probably can't get Bruno Mars' latest hit out of your head these days. Why not come over to Twitter and Facebook and tell us us what songs you're adding to your wedding playlist. 

Fashion Friday: Get Your Wedding Accessories Right!

When it comes to planning a wedding, the devil is definitely in the detail. Despite having multiple focal points throughout the day, from the dress and colour scheme to the location and menu, many brides underestimate the power of accessories – not to mention the worry of getting it wrong. We talked to the experts from The Real Effect about the 10 common mistakes that brides make when buying their wedding accessories.

1. Upstaging the dress

It is all too easy to get carried away with draping yourself in jewels, and this does work for some looks, but no matter what style you go for, remember to never upstage the dress. In years to come the questions on people’s lips will always be ‘what was your dress like?’ not ‘what was your jewellery like?’ So, take note and find accessories that will become the support act to your dress’s lead role and not the other way around.

2. Buying accessories before the dress

Most wedding planning starts months if not years before the big day and it can be tempting to impulse buy in those first few months of being engaged. Keeping self-control in the early stages is one of the biggest challenges for a bride-to-be, but buying the jewellery before the dress is a risky business. For many brides that we have spoken to, the dress they end up buying is often completely different from the one they thought they’d wear on their big day, so buying accompanying accessories – whether shoes, tiaras or jewellery – before you know the style of your dress could leave you with an overall image that looks incomplete.

3. Not considering coloured accessories

You can easily default to the classic gold or silver jewellery with a clear stone, but don’t rule out coloured accessories. Adding a pop of colour with jewellery is a subtle way to liven up a neutral colour scheme without it being too overbearing. Alternatively, if you have a themed wedding or a prominent colour, accessories are the perfect way to continue the theme throughout the day to complete the overall look. For example, a ‘winter wedding’ lends itself to a deep ocean blue colour scheme and picking accessories to echo this could finish the overall look off better than a clear stone choice.

4. Forgetting about what suits your skin tone

By the time you get married you will most probably have at least an idea of what suits you and what doesn’t, and your wedding day isn’t the day to get it wrong! Different skin tones are suited to either gold or silver jewellery and if you’re not sure then ask for some expert advice. The same rule applies if opting for a coloured stone, depending if you have a fair complexion or olive skin for example, find out which colours suit you best and stick to them.

5. As if one isn’t enough!

Pick gold or silver – not both! This may seem obvious, but we have seen this fashion faux pas happen on a number of occasions. Most brides have a colour scheme of choice and opting for gold and silver jewellery on top of that can make things look a little less classy.

6. Buying trendy accessories

After what is sometimes years of planning the big day can feel like it’s over in a flash, but that’s why photographs are so important – it’s no wonder the wedding album is pulled out at every family get together. With this in mind, you want to make sure that your choices aren’t too trendy or your photos will look dated really quickly. Opt for timeless classics instead and your photographs will always look fashionable and glamorous.

7. Having everything matching

Not everything has to match - the key thing to remember is that this is your day and you need to bring your own flare. Brides often get given jewellery by family members to wear on the day and this should be embraced but finding accessories to match can be difficult particularly if it is an old family air loom.

8. Forgetting that sometimes less is more

It’s common for brides to go mad with accessories, particularly as this is a once in a lifetime day. However, on this occasion less is certainly more, and it's not a must to wear them all – tiara, veil, necklace, earrings, bracelets and bag – not to mention the must-have flowers, dress, shoes and ring! Picking just the right amount of accessories is sometimes a hard balance to achieve, but there is nothing worse than a bride looking too over the top. Be sure to try on all the accessories you have to wear together well ahead of the big day and don’t be afraid to scale them back. You will feel just as much the bride even with half of the accessories!

9. Getting carried away with the price tag

A wedding can put huge financial pressure on a couple and buying accessories that break the bank just isn’t necessary. With the huge array of choices out there you are sure to find accessories that look stunning and are in your price range, just make sure you shop around before you make your final decision. There is sometimes little difference between what jewellers call ‘wedding jewellery’ and their other items, apart from the price tag of course! Don’t feel pressured into buying only wedding collections; the normal jewellery sets can be just as glamorous.

10.  Not thinking beyond the wedding day

It is so easy to get tunnel vision but there are some things that can be used beyond the wedding day and accessories are one of them. Let’s face it, you are unlikely to wear your wedding dress to the shops or your wedding shoes on a night out, but why not choose jewellery that will look just as good afterwards as it did on the day?  Choosing jewellery that is versatile will ensure you can use it again and make the most of your budget. After all, if you’re going to get good wear out of them, then you can really afford to get exactly what you want!

For some inspiration on choosing your wedding day accessories, check out our previous post here and check out The Real Effect website. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and like us on  Facebook and share your wedding accessories ideas with us! 

Miscellaneous Monday: Bridal Lingerie for a Flawless Figure

Bet you there isn’t a single bride out there who doesn’t splash out on the prettiest lingerie for their wedding day. Therefore we’ve decided to bring you some expert advice on getting the best out of your bridal underwear this Miscellaneous Monday! Whatever your dress shape and style, it’s important to get the right support and structure so that you can look and feel fabulous as you say ‘I Do’. 

We talked to Shirley Kelly, owner of Aria Lingerie, who share her top tips for picking wedding lingerie. Navigate your way through the variety of designs and shapewear available – it’s easier than ever to feeling sexy and sophisticated!

• Probably my most valuable tip is to have a proper fitting. Most women unknowingly are wearing the wrong size bras and, as a result, are not getting the most out of their underwear. The nerves throughout the planning process will affect your weight. Arrange to have a professional fitting, it doesn’t take long and it’s a worthwhile investment before choosing your underwear. 

• Don't scrimp when it comes to buying wedding lingerie. Your wedding dress is probably one of the most expensive things you will buy for your special day so ensure to spend time looking for the perfect style and fit to complement your body and dress.

• Contrary to what you may think Ivory lingerie is not always a great choice and bright whites are often best avoided under certain fabrics as they will show through. Think about the colour of your skin tone, perhaps a pretty nude (dark or light), or blush might work best with your dress and be more invisible than ivory or white.

• Comfort is absolutely the key. Keep in mind the fact you will be on your feet and on show all day, so your lingerie should support and stay in place for the duration without needing adjustments or feeling like you are wearing it.

               

                      

• When wearing fine fabrics consider seamless or control underwear for the perfect finish, as some materials such as lace may show through and also feel uncomfortable if you are not used to wearing them.
• Why not slip into something sexier in the evening when you take your wedding dress off? The reality for most of us is that we have to wear something a little more practical than we were expecting on our big day. But you can indulge in something spectacular for your evening reveal!

              

• Make sure you choose your bridal lingerie before the final fitting as this allows you enough time to find the perfect fit for you and your dress.

AriaLingerie is an independent boutique that has been trading for two years, based in the beautiful city of Bath. They stock a range of top designers including Simone Perele, Mimi Holiday, Chantelle-Palazzo, and Fantasie in sizes varying from A – H cups. Relaxed and friendly, this small boutique offers a truly personalised experience and has private evening events available upon request, so you and your bridal party can enjoy private fittings, champagne and a range of luxurious lingerie in a unique and private setting. 

Aria Lingerie

3 George Street, Bath

T: 01225 447700

W:www.arialingerie.co.uk

Now pop over to our Twitter and Facebook pages and let us know which of the above tips you found the most useful.