Hair Products To Use And Avoid For Wedding Hair

Choosing the hairstyle is only step one in the wedding hair process, the next step is ensuring that style will stay put for the duration of the day. Well-chosen hair products will give you the power to secure your hard work and ensure it stays put all day against the elements, and lots of partying! With the hair product industry brimming  with choices, it can be overwhelming trying to choose the best ones, today we’re here to simply that process and run through our top products that we recommend every bridal hair stylist should have in their kit bag to ensure long lasting, beautiful bridal hairdos. From the lead up to the wedding to the big day itself, Cliphairs got you covered!

Wedding Hair Prep Leading Up To The Big Day

Preparation is KEY. Some hair products should be introduced to your bride’s haircare routine before the big day to make styling smoother and ensure the hair is in the correct condition for your desired style.

When Should A Brides Hair Be Dyed Before A Wedding?

Interestingly, most people prefer their hair colour a week or two after its done, this gives them time to get used to it if it’s a drastic change or for the natural root to grow through slightly giving a more natural appearance. We’d advise against colouring the bride's hair any sooner than 2 weeks before the wedding unless your covering white regrowth with a very dark dye. If the worst was to happen and the colour goes wrong, this gives you time to fix it without causing an almighty panic to you and your bride ahead of the wedding! The same applies with haircuts, aim to have this finished a week or two in advance. If using hair extensions, its best to match to the final colour to ensure a perfect blend, check out our 70+ shades here for inspiration.

How Many Trials Should A Bride Have Before The Wedding?

Typically, brides will have between 2-3 trials before the wedding. The first trial usually consists of testing a number of styles to narrow down the favourite and decide if there is a need for hair extensions to achieve it. The second is to perfect the style and trial any hair accessories your bride may want to include, we have a blog dedicated to bridal hair accessories with tonnes of inspiration and product recommendations here. Treat the third trial as though it’s the big day, this is when you will really be able to gage how long the hair will last, which products worked well and which didn’t. Use the trials to assess your bride's hair condition and guide them on which products to use in the months leading up to the wedding such as restorative masks if their hair is damaged.

How To Wash A Brides Hair Before A Wedding?

Soft, silky hair is what dreams are made of right? Not today I’m afraid! Silkiness makes the hair harder to style and more importantly will reduce the staying power and remove much needed texture for certain styles. You’ll want to instruct your bride to avoid certain products such as oils, deep conditioning masks and leave in conditioners the day before or few days leading up to the wedding as this can make the hair hard to work with, especially if it's fine. Its best to ask for the hair to be washed the night before with an everyday shampoo and conditioner such as Cliphairs quench the thirst collection and rough dried with a hair dryer without smoothing or adding any extra products.

What Hair Products To Use For Bridal Hair By Style

There are 10 products every bridal stylist should have in their kitbag that work for most styles but some hair dos require extra reinforcement. We’ve listed some popular bridal hair looks and explain which products are best.

Best Products For Textured Buns

The clue is in the name with this hairstyle, “Texture”. More and more brides are opting for a bohemian aesthetic in their styling which means imperfectly perfect, tousled hair that looks as though it's not been professionally styled. Medium hold finishing products such as texture sprays are crucial for messy buns or chunky boho braids to lock in the texture and protect against wind. They are also workable meaning you can still move the hair once applied unlike strong hold hairsprays that remove flexibility from the hair once used. Our favourite is the ‘Dry Volume & Texture Spray’ from Living Proof which works like a dream on any hairtype!

Best Products For Half Up Half Down Hairstyles

The best of both worlds. Half up half down is a firm favourite amongst many brides as they can have an interesting updo whilst still showing the gorgeous length of their hair or Seamless clip-in extensions. Drying medium hold mousse into the hair before curling will prolong the staying power of the curls or waves and prevent them from dropping out too quickly. If your bride has particularly straight hair, opt for a firm hold such as strong or extra strong. Our favourite is the ‘Silhouette Mousse’ from Schwarzkopf which is very reasonably priced and loved by professionals.

Best Products For Neat, Sleek Buns

Classic and classy, nothing screams glamour more than a sleek bridal bun or chignon. This look requires sleekness, shine, volume and zero pesky flyways getting in the way. You’ll want to start by adding some subtle movement and volume to the hair but not texture, this is achieved with a voluminous blow-dry before the updo process starts.

Next use a volume powder on the roots whilst building your bun, our favourite is the ‘Got2be Volumizing Powder’ by Schwarzkopf. Dust the hair between each backcombed section to lock the volume in, leaving the very last layer without powder. After the bun is built, finish with a multipurpose hairspray that has firm hold but adds luminous shine like the ‘Cult Favourite Hairspray’ from Colorwow.

Best Products For Hollywood Waves

This vintage style took the world by storm back in 2020 and it's shown no signs of slowing down since, becoming one of the most requested styles by brides all over the world. Patience and a fantastic hairspray selection is the key to this stunning look, for a full guide check out our ‘Hollywood Waves Hair Tutorial’.

A lot of heat is used in this style so its super important to use a heat protection spray before styling, after curling each section the hair is sprayed with a soft hold hairspray and pinned to allow it to cool and set into shape. The curls are then loosened with a wave comb and shaped into the famous waves; this time sprayed down with a firm hold spray to lock the style in. The Schwarzkopf Max Hold Hairspray is our go-to for this style as its super strong but keeps the flexibility in the hair to prevent it looking and feeling stiff, it also smells gorgeous! To finish the look, give the hair a small spritz of moisturising shine spray to prevent frizz and add a dazzling shine.

Weatherproof Your Bridal Hair

Humidity, wind and rain can wreak havoc on a beautifully, intricate bridal hairdo. It's important to consider the likelihood of being exposed to these elements when planning the style with your bride, for instance, if you know they have super frizzy hair effected by heat and humidity and they are getting married in a hot climate, consider an up do to reduce the risk of frizz and plan your products accordingly. You may want to up the strength of your mousse or hairspray if the weather is particularly bad on the day and you can even suggest the bride keeps a travel size spray on hand after you leave to tweak her hair throughout the day!

Let's Wrap It Up

Creating the perfect bridal hairstyle starts way before the special day! Allowing yourself and your bride time to prepare and perfect the hair condition in advance makes for a stress-free morning on the day of the wedding and a beautiful long-lasting hairdo. Now you know which products are best for specific styles why not check out which tools and accessories our bridal stylists wouldn’t be without in our dedicated blog.