Breathtaking Bridal Portraits

More Than a Simple Choice

The big question gets it all started and soon enough, you find out that the wedding process involves tons of questions. When should you walk down the aisle, what kind of wedding dress will give you the "belle of the ball" status, and where should you host the big day? It doesn't end there, you also have to figure out makeup and styling choices.

Even with the styling choices, you'll have to go through a process of elimination. Should you buy the dress first and use it to guide your hairstyle choice? Should you enlist the services of a hairstylist or handle it yourself? What about members of your bridal party, would you prefer if they wore similar hairstyles?

It's clear to see that you'll be caught up in making endless lists of decisions leading up to your big day. The process becomes significantly easier with a point of reference to work with.

A Guide to Choosing the Best Hairstyle

Should you wear your hair in an updo or wear it in curls? Would you prefer to wear a floral crown as well or stick to a veil-friendly style? Just like the decisions you'll make when choosing a wedding gown, millions of questions will run through your mind when figuring out which hairstyle to wear for the big day.

Borrowing inspiration from what wedding experts and other brides had to say about the whole matter, here are a couple of tips:

Work with an inspiration board

There are lists of wedding boards online that can get you started on conceptualising the vision for your big day. You'll be able to see what works and what doesn't from a bridal inspiration board.  Soon enough, you'll also realise that you are drawn to a certain style and that in itself should help you narrow down your choices.

Use your wedding dress as an inspiration guide

If you've already found the perfect dress, use it as a guide for your styling choices. Take note of how the designer styled their models for editorials or their lookbook. In the grand scheme of things, it helps get rid of the noise when it comes to bridal hair overload. In general, an updo would best favour a gown with a low or detailed back as well as a strapless dress.

Book a hair trial

Booking a hairstylist is a similar process to going for cake tastings. It pretty much involves reaching out to several hairstylists and booking hair trial sessions. Go armed with photos of the looks you like as well as accessories like earrings and headpieces. Also, move away from your natural styling preferences. Above all, aim for comfort.

Go with your intuition

It's fine to ask for opinions but at the end of the day, let your intuition guide you. You'll look and feel best with the style you choose yourself. However, be open to a stylist's opinions about how a certain look can pose challenges, particularly when pairing the look with veils or headpieces.

Know Your Wedding Hairstyles

When curating a vision board, it's also important to have a better understanding of popular wedding hairstyles. The two main choices are wearing your hair up or down.

Updos

Updos are a classic wedding hairstyle but again, there are vast creations available. Depending on the styling, an updo can lean towards the formal style or exude a whimsical feel. For instance, you could go for a ballet bun or a messy bun.

The list of updos also extends to chignons and upsweeps. You won't have to worry about your frizz or your hair falling with a sleek, styled updo. Besides being the perfect choice for a formal affair, it also works for summer weddings when you'll definitely want your hair off your neck. There's also plenty of room to incorporate bridal jewellry into the mix to play up the hairstyle.

Wearing your hair down

Most brides feel more comfortable wearing their hair down. It adds a hint of playfulness to any wedding style and it's also the most versatile in terms of styling choices. Popular down hairstyles include soft waves and blowouts.

Sleeker options include behind-the-ear tucks and half-up half-down styles. There's also the option of wearing your natural hair for the day or adding some hair extensions for volume or a sleeker outlook.

Curls can glam up your style and you can pin them up for a romantic look. Beach waves and loose curls exude a relaxed yet gorgeous aesthetic. Ponytails are fun and flirty, and you can also make the style look chic by adding some loose curls and waves.

If you have a short hairdo it falls under this category because more than often, you'll wear your down. Depending on the length, you can curl your hair, wear it in waves, or sleekly style it with pins or hair jewellry.

Getting Your Hair Wedding Ready

Once you've settled on the perfect hairstyle, the next step is to get your hair wedding-ready. Here are a few tips that might help.

Work on your hair health

If your hair could use a pick-me-up, consult an expert and consider taking daily vitamins. The inside-out approach is tried and tested, and with just about three months of consistency, you should see visible changes. Overall, focus on hair treatments and reduce exposure to heat.

Touch up your roots

Touch up your roots, if need be, or fine-tune your hair colour. It's risky to colour your hair a different colour especially if you are weeks away from the wedding. If you must, colour your hair at least six weeks before the wedding so that you have some room for changes.

Trim your hair

Your hairstylist should advise you on this but if needed, trim your hair ahead of time. If you do choose to cut off several inches of hair or even go for the big chop, do it several months before the big day.

That should give you enough room to grow it out in case you change your mind somewhere along the way. However, always remember that your wedding isn't the time to experiment with drastic changes.

Wind in Her Hair: Breathtaking Bridals

Bridal portraits just don’t get any prettier than this!

Today’s ‘wind in her hair’ inspiration shoot from photographer extraordinaire Anastasiya Belik so perfectly captures the bliss, joy, and expectant excitement of a bride to be. Each exquisite little detail styled by Peony Art Studio adds up to a perfect portrait of a bride.

Somehow this shoot manages to capture the last bits of summer warmth and the first cool winds of autumn all at the same time. It’s breathtaking!

Credits: Photography: Anastasiya Belik Photography // Styling, Design & Ideas: Peony Art Decoration Studio // Novia D’Art Wedding Dress: Aleda Bridal Salon // Location: St. Petersburg, Russia.