When it came time to tell my hairstylist how I wanted my hair on my big day, well, I was tongue tied. I had photos I liked and an idea of what I didn’t want… but struggled to find real words to describe these looks. Our talented friends at Janelle on Location are here to save the day for all you other beauty bumbling brides out there. With pics and proper vocabulary, they’re sharing essential info to ensure you look and feel your best on that walk down the aisle.
From Janelle on Location… Hair can be extremely difficult to describe – even for professionals! There aren’t many hairstyles that have been named, and even for the names we do have – chignon, French twist, braid, etc, there are literally millions of options and variations for bridal parties to choose from. Coming from a stylist, it is extremely helpful when ladies describe their everyday styles, what they’re most comfortable with on a day-to-day basis.
“I usually wear my hair up in a high top knot for work” can help us know that you like your hair up, so you’re probably not interested in a lot of volume framing your face, and it might be helpful if your updo was visible from the front, on the top of your head, because that’s what you’re used to seeing. Or, “I wear my hair down every day no matter what but I wanted to do an updo for my wedding to show off the back of the dress.” This tells us that you need a lot of softness in the front. Perhaps a few pieces hanging down, with a more “accidental” look to how it’s pulled back. Perhaps like this style –
I’m excited to share descriptions of hairstyles and the words we suggest using as you work to articulate your wedding day look with your stylist. Photos can be great in general, but at Janelle on Location, we really like to ensure our ladies achieve their own, individual look – even if it’s inspired from a photo.
This low, structured style (above) is clean, classic, traditional and absolutely timeless. With big movements of the curls specifically placed, all the ends are tucked in and the bride looks so polished!
All of these (above) styles are updos with structured curls.
This romantic unstructured look (below) has some pieces that were given total freedom. Intentionally left “out” select ends of curls were not pinned to give movement and an effortless look. Like, “Oops, I’m beautiful.” Think #iwokeuplikethis
Another example of an unstructured curl placement is when you can’t see where one curl ends and another starts. Take these two styles for example – on the left, definitive movements are obvious – especially if contrasted against the style on the right which is perfectly “haphazard.” The left would be considered “structured” and the right “unstructured.”
In regards to a half down or all down style, a basic rule of thumb: the softer the “s” shape, the more of a wave you want. The more definitive, you’re hitting “curl” territory. If there’s more definition, you’re likely a curl kind of girl. Whereas, if the hair is all moving the same direction, you’re looking for wave. This is a great example of a soft wave (left) contrasted next to a bit of a tighter curl (right). See how the right style has so much more definition of curl close to the root?
Don’t forget: you are NOT interested in a loose hairstyle. You want it to look soft. And you want that soft look to stay in throughout the entire reception as you dance the night away!
If you’re not sure what vocabulary would be most helpful as you communicate with your stylist – show her your SMP Vault photos and ask, “How would you describe this look?” Pay attention to the words she uses for various styles and combine the ones you think best represent you for your own, perfect look. You want something that accurately represents your personality and makes you feel like yourself at your very best.
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Photography: Lauren Fair Photography | Photography: Ashley Errington | Hair Advice: Janelle on Location