cover photo Twah Dougherty
makeup JFink Beauty
hair styling Ahern Beauty
hair care/cut Brushed With Honey
There is SO much to know when preparing your hair for your wedding day, as well as keeping it healthy and beautiful on a regular basis! I sat down with the amazing and fabulous Emily, owner of Brushed With Honey, to get some advice and tips from her on how to care for your hair throughout planning as well as daily, how to prepare for your trial, why you should keep your stylist for touch-ups and more!
P.S. Emily is my hair stylist and I don’t think my hair has ever looked this good before! You are definitely in the best hands with Emily when it comes to hair care and styling!
Q. How would you recommend caring for your hair the year leading up to your wedding?
A. Make sure you have an excellent colorist and stylist, taking great care of your hair leading up to your big day. My trick: The last wash prior to the big day, skip the conditioner or just kiss the ends and rinse well. Soft hair is the enemy for styling. Conditioner can make the hair overly soft and slippery, causing resistance to holding a style.
Q. What are your top products for hair care?
A. My top products are all health related. Monat Rejuveniqe Oil (which is built into their shampoos and conditioners but also used on its own) is the BEST gift you can give to your hair. Overnight oil treatments weekly, and using a dry oil on the mids to ends daily will help build strength from the inside out. It’s all natural, so be sure to check the ingredients in case you have any food allergies. If you do then I would go for Shu Uemura’s essence absolue nourishing protective hair oil. It’s super luxurious and has the same main oil as Monat, and helps get your strands healthy from the inside out, without weighing it down.
Q. Are there any products you’d recommend for hair growth and thickness?
A. I always recommend seeing a dermatologist who can get you on a personalized plan. Hair skin and nail vitamins daily are a MUST. They work! I try to stick with all natural lines that don’t use chemicals or silicones which build up and weigh your hair down. Hair will have way more volume when it’s healthy and not weighed down by the wrong products.
Q. How should you care for color treated hair? How should you prepare leading to the wedding day?
A. Have a plan with your colorist leading up to the big day. Depending on your color needs (roots only, highlights & what kind, etc.) your plan will be different. I would say never try something new right before the wedding. Don’t go blonde for the first time or color your hair darker if you never have before. I also recommend skipping the keratin treatment prior, if that is something you are thinking about doing. They can cause resistance to the hair holding your style.
Q. What do you suggest to a bride with very thin hair that has a hard time holding?
A. I use extensions on 99% of my brides. I typically have them meet me for a color match and I order them incredible custom extensions. Most people get confused and think that extensions are to add length, and while yes they can, they also do so much more. They really help to visually fill out the hair in dense areas and support the natural hair. Most of my brides only add maybe an inch or so in length and really get them to have more fullness all around. My tip to skip the conditioner the wash prior is a big savior here also. Additionally, make sure your stylist sets your hair. Setting the hair is key to having it last all night. Make sure you have this conversation at your trial and address all of your concerns with your stylist.
Q. How often should you realistically wash your hair per week? Do the same rules apply when conditioning?
A. This is a tricky question because everyone is different. I would say it’s rare that someone should wash their hair daily. I never say never, but it’s rare. The average is 3 times per week. I know women who have it professionally blown out once or twice a week and make it last. You can absolutely condition when you wash. I usually suggest just the mid-lengths down and a little goes a long way. I notice a lot of girls don’t rinse their conditioner out well or really overuse. Try to be aware of this and the hair should be totally rinsed of all product before leaving the shower.
Q. How often should you have a haircut leading up to the wedding day, as well as normally?
A. My clients average a cut with me once every 3 months. Your stylist should absolutely not be cutting length. The tiniest dusting of the length is sufficient if you have a good colorist (who isn’t causing damage), a good home routine and a great stylist. For some looks, 90% of achieving it is the haircut. The layering must be properly done. I will sometimes give my clients a haircut on the morning of their wedding. I will see their layers are way to long and I know that the look they want needs the proper cut. Make a plan with your wedding stylist leading up to the big day and they will guide you to the perfect timeline for you.
Q. What do you recommend to a bride who has had multiple trials and is worried about finding the right style for her wedding day?
A. I would say to find a stylist who you love everything they do and you just can’t decide what. Then you will know you have someone who can give you gorgeous looks and you can make the decision on your big day. I always say it’s great to love everything and then wake up on your wedding morning and go with what your mood is telling you that day. You may have an up look and a down look that you can’t decide between and when you wake up on your wedding day, it’s 100 degrees for your outdoor wedding. I would go with the gorgeous upstyle. Having options is so important because changing your mind is normal. Knowing you have a stylist that can achieve looks you love on hand is so important.
Q. Why is it so imperative to keep your stylist on site for touch ups on the wedding day?
A. I like to stay with my girls through first look and all pre wedding photos. I do final touches right before they walk down the aisle. Hair moves, as it should. Most girls are not professional models and don’t know how to work the camera. Having hair and makeup stay with you, you don’t have to worry about a thing. There will be no bad photograph because we are there stepping in, fixing your hair from the wind, and applying powder when needed. We treat each wedding like a photoshoot and make sure that you look perfect on your most important day. If someone opts not to have touchups and they are wearing their hair in a classic upstyle (chignon, etc.) I would say that’s ok to not have your hair stylist stay, as your hair shouldn’t move with that look. Realistically, when you are spending all of this money on a gorgeous event, this is not an area to try and save a few dollars. Your hairstylist, makeup artist and photographer are some of the MOST important decisions you will make. Have them stay and make sure you look (and feel) perfect.
Q. How should a bride prepare for her first hair trial?
A. You should arrive with clean dry hair (skip the conditioner.) The dress sets the tone for hair and makeup, so make sure you have your dress picked out prior to your trial and bring a photo to show your stylist. Have hair inspiration photos of looks you love in your own hair color. I say this because all hair photographs differently depending on the color. A blonde style can look very different from a dark brown style, so this is an excellent tip to help you get exactly what you are looking for.
