Bridal Style

When working with brides, Sam Villa ambassador Jamie McDaniel (@jamiemcdhair) believes that their hairstyle is just as important as the dress they wear. Why? Because the two elements must complement one another to tell the story. So, in order to fully understand that a bride will be wearing and what she envisions for her hairstyle, McDaniel has them fill out a bridal consultation form and share an image of the dress. “I think it’s super important to be as informed as possible about the styling a bride is imagining for herself; it’s the best way to ensure you can meet her expectations and support the theme and vibe of their look,” McDaniel explains. Her consultation form is broken down into three categories: 

1. Dress. Ask for a picture of the dress to see what the neckline and back look like. Are there sleeves or straps? Is it a one-shoulder or strapless? This really helps with suggesting looks that will complement the dress and promote either wearing hair up, down, or pulled to one side. 
    
2. Face Shape and Profile. Often, an inspiration image is a shot of the back of the hair. But on the day of the wedding, brides are photographed from the front, side, back, and every which way, so that must be taken into consideration. Face shape is important because it will be one of the primary features that’s focused on in nearly every selfie and professional shot. 
   1. If the inspiration photo is of a low chignon but the bride’s chin recedes, move the chignon higher to create a stronger side profile.
       
   2. If the bride has a heart-shaped face, suggest keeping the volume at the top of the head minimal.  
       
   3. For a triangle-shaped face, suggest adding volume up top, and pulling it away from the jawline.
       
3. Environment. Will the wedding be inside or outside? If inside, style away and don’t worry about a thing. If outside, things can be a bit trickier. During the trial, develop two options for the day of. There’s nothing worse than having a loose, beautiful, boho style be ruined by a windy day, or having a beautiful curl set and high humidity creating one big ball of frizz. Options and backup plans keep stress levels at a minimum for both you and the bride.  

McDaniel leaves a few grips and bobby pins behind just in case, and shows the maid of honor and bridesmaids how to insert them so everyone is in the know. “I strongly suggest stepping away from the hairspray. We've been conditioned to think more hairspray is better, but the opposite is actually true. Too much hairspray can be very wet and eventually weigh down or deflate curls,” she explains. Find a beautiful working hairspray to use when styling and then go in with a higher hold hairspray to finalize the look. Having a charged Sam Villa Pro Results Cordless Flat Iron on hand for touchups can’t hurt either.