Bridal Haircare Timeline

You’re engaged. You’re living your best life. You’re booking vendors. You are killing it with planning and getting things done! Awesome!! Now, what is your game plan for hair care from the time you get engaged up to your wedding or elopement day? Have you considered the necessary steps to make sure your hair looks and feels gorgeous during this most special day? Let’s dive in to the best bridal hair care timeline to set you up for a successful hairstyling session!

Book your bridal hairstylist

Once you have a general idea of what your wedding day vibe is, start researching the bridal hairstylist that best fits with your vibe. It’s never too early to reach out to learn how the booking process works and what you need to do to secure your date. Plus, you will be surprised how quickly bridal hairstylists get booked. Don’t worry if you don’t know how many additional ladies will need hairstyling or your exact getting ready location. You can always add additional ladies to the schedule, hire an additional wedding hairstylist for your crew and reserve an Airbnb/hotel. This is the first step to having beautiful hair for your elopement day.

Deep Condition Once a Month

This is the most vital step, just in case you miss all the other steps. Find a deep conditioner that works for your hair texture and apply it to the mid lengths and ends of your hair once a month after shampooing. Bonus points if you sit under a hooded dryer for a few minutes or apply a hair steamer to your hair while the conditioner is on. The heat helps raise the cuticle of your hair and allows the ingredients of the deep conditioner to penetrate deeper than if you just put the conditioner on without heat. No worries if you don’t have a heat source! Just allow the deep conditioner to sit for 15 - 25 minutes. Moroccanoil and Kerastase are some of my favorite brands to recommend.

Schedule Your Hair Color Touchups

If you get color retouches, clear glosses, highlights or balayage, work with your hair colorist to schedule your color appointments leading up to your wedding day. You want to have your hair color touched up no later than one week prior to your wedding day. This gives you a chance to make sure your hair color is on point and if you need to fix anything, you still have time. Please don’t try anything new with your hair color right before your wedding or elopement day. Please!! If you do something new with your hair color and hate it, that is unnecessary pressure on your hair colorist to fix it in enough time. Just. Don’t. Wait until after the wedding day or book it a few months prior to your wedding day. I digress! ; )

Keep Up with Your Hair Trims

You don’t necessarily have to be on a schedule for your hair trims during this time, since hair grows at varying rates for everyone. I would highly advise a trim one month prior to your elopement date. You’ll have healthy ends without the harsh line from a blunt cut. The haircut can be tweaked if needed in enough time. And if your hair cutter cuts too much off, you have time to order hair extensions if you want! As with the previous point, please don’t try a new haircut right before wedding day. I mean you can if you’re adventurous like that. But I don’t want you to look back at your wedding pictures twenty years from now like “wth was I thinking?”.

Have Your Bridal Hair Trial

Two to six months prior to your wedding, go in for your bridal hair trial. Talk with your bridal hairstylist about what to expect at your bridal hair trial. Come to your appointment with clean hair that you shampooed and conditioned the day before, your veil, bridal hair accessories, hair extensions, inspiration pictures, and realistic hair goals. If you aren’t feeling your bridal hairstyle, you still have time to reassess what other styles may work better for you…or find a new bridal hairstylist if things go all the way left.

Get a Professional Blowout

The day before your wedding or elopement, book yourself a blowout. It’s a treat to yourself to have your hair shampooed by someone else and blown out because it’s one less thing for you to do. Plus, this prepares your hair for the next day of hairstyling. It’s a win for you because you literally have to do nothing but show up!! And it’s a win for your bridal hairstylist because they don’t have to fight product build up or use a ton of products to style dirty, oily, or flaky hair.

Stay hydrated

This one is pretty self explanatory. Make sure you get enough fluids to ensure your hair is hydrated from within. You can slather as many moisturizing products as possible onto your hair, but if you are dehydrated…well, you are kind of fighting a losing battle. Just get one of those big fancy water bottles and do the best you can!!

If you do all the steps above, your hair will be shiny, healthy, and luxurious inside and out by the time your wedding or elopement day comes around. I know it can feel like a lot to do on top of your other wedding tasks and everyday life. Don’t beat yourself up if you can’t do them all. Even if you do just one, you’re already winning! If you are getting married in North Carolina soon and looking for the best romantic bridal hairstylist for you that is chill and patient with your beautiful hair, let’s connect!!