The Ultimate bridal Hair timeline: When to Cut, Colour and Style for the Big Day

The Ultimate bridal Hair timeline: When to Cut, Colour and Style for the Big Day

When it comes to your wedding day, your bridal hairstyle is an essential part of your overall look, and getting it just right takes careful planning and preparation. That's why we have created the ultimate bridal hair timeline to help you navigate through the process of cutting, colouring, and styling your locks for the big day. 

Planning a wedding can be stressful as it is. Things can get pretty hectic and jam-packed leading up to the big day. The last thing you want is to leave booking all of your vital hair appointments to the last minute and no one can fit you in!

Don't worry, we've got you covered. Our guide below has been created to make sure you give yourself plenty of prep time and guidance as to when you should be thinking to secure your appointments in your diary! 

• Booking your appointments
• Trial and Triumph: Booking your hairstyle trial
• Considering extensions?
• Cutting it right: Timing is everything
• Colour me beautiful

Booking your appointments

Three months in advance is when you should be booking your appointments. It may seem a while away until your wedding but it's really important to have all of your hair appointments booked in the diary, for your peace of mind. You also want to be able to make sure your stylist has space to book you in for a cut, colour and hairstyle trial, especially if your wedding is in peak wedding season. 

Trial and Triumph: Booking your hairstyle trial

Something essential for you is ensuring you have a wedding day hair trial in advance, don't leave it until the day to decide on your hair! You want to look at booking your final hair trial about a month before your special day.

Gigi wearing our the shade: 1001 in the Flicky messy Scrunchie Bun

3 months in advance:

If you're a bit more indecisive or like to experiment with trends, maybe booking a few hair trials would benefit you. This means you can have more than one style tried on you and you can decide which you prefer or which style is more suitable to last all day. If you choose to have multiple trials you can work backwards, starting three months before your date, leaving your final one a month before your date. This gives you plenty of time to choose between the looks, maybe even consider which look complements your wedding dress. It's also important that your stylist becomes familiar with your hair type and how your hair holds different styles.

TOP TIP: If you know you're planning on having a haircut, make sure you communicate this with your hairstylist. They will be able to tell you if your style is still achievable after your hair cut or they can make small adjustments.

1- 2 months in advance:

If you have your heart set on a particular hairstyle, you may only need one hair trial. However, it is recommended that you have two hair trials booked. In your first trial, you can try your style of choice and bring inspirational pictures to help guide your stylist. Typically on the second trial, you can finalise any accessories you may want to add to your hair and make small tweaks. Remember to have your final trial booked a month in advance to avoid any last-minute rushing.

Considering extensions?

If your hair is on the shorter or thinner side and you would love to add some length or thickness, or even if you want big, showstopper hair, consider talking to your stylist about working with hair extensions. There’s an endless amount of styles you can create with hair extensions for example; fabulous up do’s, long luscious braids or gorgeous thick waves. You don’t have to break the bank by opting for hair extensions if you’re budget-conscious! Here at Stranded Hair, we have amazing synthetic extensions with our range starting at £15. Or you can choose real human hair extensions starting at £70.
Here’s a guide that will help you decide what extensions will be best for you!
If you think extensions may be the way to go for yourself, why not try our free colour match service to get your perfect shade match?

Ruqaaya is holding our One Piece Curly Clip In Extensions in 20" and 16"

TOP TIP: If you are thinking about having extensions then make sure to have that conversation with your hair stylist. That way can practice in your trial with the extensions and let you know if the style is achievable with them or not.

You could also opt for semi-permanent extensions if you like the idea of having hair extensions on a more long-term basis. Speak to your stylist about professionally fitted extensions, such as tape, wefts, bonds or micro beads.

Cutting it right: Timing is everything

Maintain your hair health. To keep your hair looking and feeling healthy it is recommended you get regular trims between 11 to 13 weeks. Though such regular cuts may sound daunting if you love your length, minimal hair needs to be cut off to keep on top of split and dry ends. If you use heat on your hair regularly, stick to an 11-week trim schedule. You will have healthy hair and little length will be needed to take off.

Simone is wearing the shade Sweetheart in our 14" Five Piece Clip-In Human Hair Extension

When to get the chop

Getting your hair cut before your big day requires some planning and thought. If you want to have a big change in your hair or have a decent amount cut off, have this done two months prior. This will give your hair time to grow out healthily, ready for your appointment before your wedding.

A month before:

If you need a little more than a trim, for your hair to look perfect on your big day, a month or three weeks before your big day is a great length of time. You still want your hair to look natural. This way the cut will look fresh and remain looking picture-perfect without having that blunt cut look. For those who have natural, virgin hair and don't use much heat, a month in advance should be a sufficient amount of time to get your cut!

A week and a half in advance:

If you keep on top of your hair regularly and don’t require a haircut and just want a trim, having it a week and a half before your wedding will tidy up any messy ends while giving your hair time to settle into the cut.

TOP TIP: If you have dry ends or just want your hair to reach its optimum shine potential, try oiling your scalp and ends once to twice a week, leaving it in for an hour before washing. Diluted rosemary oil has been known to prevent hair loss and to promote hair growth, thickness and scalp health.

Colour me beautiful

Whether you have short, long, straight, curly, wavy thick or thin hair depending on what you want, will depend on when to book your appointments.

Big change? 12 months in advance:

If you want a bigger change, for example, going from brunette to blonde the perfect time to start thinking about your transformation will be 12 months in advance. This will give your hair time to get used to its big change while still staying healthy, and having regular trims. Some drastic changes can take months to get to the desired colour and if you're going lighter, you need to give your hair a break in between lightening sessions. This also gives YOU time to decide if this is the change you’ve been wanting. Make sure you’re communicating with your stylist clearly and provide reference pictures. This will help to achieve your hair goals accurately.

Just a refresh? 2 Weeks in advance:

If you want to keep on top of your roots and highlights or just want a colour refresh, book your appointments for two weeks before your wedding day. This two-week period gives your hair time to settle into its new colour and have a few washes. You can even apply a deep moisture mask at this time to provide EXTRA moisture to your hair to ensure it's at optimum health and give it that shine for your big day. This also leaves time for any minor corrections if needed.

Recap:

• For multiple hair trials, start three months in advance ensuring your final hair trial is booked a month in advance
• Consider talking with your stylist about using hair extensions if you're wanting added length, thickness or just a WOW factor 
• When to get the chop: 2 months in advance for a big change, 1 month in advance for a healthy cut, 1 week and a half in advance for a touch-up trim
• Colour me beautiful: For a big hair colour change start 12 months in advance. If you just want a touch-up, booking your hair in for two weeks prior is perfect. 

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