Question from a bridesmaid: How should I do my hair?

[jstarfireb]

Hey ladies! I''m a bridesmaid in my friend''s wedding next week. It''s a formal church wedding with a reception in the grand ballroom of a fancy hotel. I''m not sure how to do my hair and was looking for some ideas. It will be professionally done along with makeup. The dress is attached (not the true colors, which are eggplant purple with an ivory sash). Shoes are your basic black pointy-toed heels.

Now for the hair...my hair is unfortunately fine, oily, and has difficulty holding a style. It''s mostly straight but not poker-straight, cut in long layers, with the longest layers reaching the bottoms of my shoulder blades. I also have long bangs that sort of blend in with the rest of the hair.

Somehow the style will need to hold from 9 AM (when we get it done) through 11 PM (4 PM ceremony, 6 PM cocktail hour, 7 PM reception). I look better with my hair down, but I''m thinking an updo will be much more practical for this requirement.

What do you all think I should do?

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Hey there, I have hair like yours and I was concerned about my hair as well. I think all up will be better than 1/2 up 1/2 down because it won''t be moving around and I find my hair falls flat if it''s left down. Another thing to remember is that hairspray is drying, so while I was concerned that washing my hair the night before would leave me a greaseball the morning-of, the hairspray the stylist used dried things up nicely. She tried doing my hair when it was clean during my trial and had a much harder time than she did on the day of when my hair was a little dirty.

As for the style, it''s just "meh" for me, but I''m over bouffants and pouffy-fronted styles.

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks HH! Just to clarify, that's not a picture of the hairstyle I was considering, but it's actually a picture of the dress (in the wrong colors). I did my hair half-up, half-down for my own wedding, and it slipped out within a few hours. Thanks for the tip on hair spray and oiliness...I'm also really concerned about coming in with "one day dirty" hair, as the bride has instructed us to do. My hair always looks horrible the day after I wash it because of the oiliness. Good to know it won't be the problem I thought it will!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

Wash it right before you go to bed.

 

[jstarfireb]

Date: 7/18/2009 9:20:58 PM
Author: Hudson_Hawk
Wash it right before you go to bed.

Will do...thanks! Do you (or anyone else) have pics or descriptions of hairstyles you think would suit the dress and the wedding?

 

[Dannielle]

What about a simple elegant low bun..

 

[Dannielle]

or a little bit more refined (with or without hair accessory)

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks Dannielle! Those are really pretty. I think I like the first better, but the second will hold up better over time. I''ll definitely consider those.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

I just had a similar thread! My hair looks bad the next day too and worse if I sleep with it wet. For my own wedding I washed the morning ofand I plan to again for my sister''s. Even the hair dresser said it was fine and do what I felt comfortable with.

 

[princessplease]

Here are a few I found, jstar.

Half up and half down, more simple style.

 

[princessplease]

Another half up half down, with a little more volume.

 

[princessplease]

This half up, half down is very pretty and elegant. I love the loose braid on this one, although I don't know if it'd be too informal for the church.

 

[princessplease]

This is a really pretty low updo. Without the flowers, though.

 

[princessplease]

Lastly, a really pretty bun updo with some curls. No brooch, though.

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks Tacori and PP! Tacori, it''s good to know that washing my hair the morning of the wedding won''t be such a terrible thing to do. I agree about sleeping on wet hair...I do it almost every night but then throw my hair in a ponytail in the morning because it''s so unmanageable! If I wash my hair the morning of the wedding, should I avoid using conditioner? That was the "rule" for the last wedding I was in...is there anything to that?

Princessplease - Wow, lots of great ideas there! I''m liking the idea of a low updo more and more. Especially that last one.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Not sure. I just washed my hair like normal (used conditioner) and just made sure it was dry before our appointments. There are a lot of rules in weddings you are in!

 

[princessplease]

You''re welcome jstar. The lower updos would probably hold up best for the length of time of the wedding day. The last wedding I was in ran about the same length of time as the one you''ll be in, and my half up, half down held wonderfully from 9 am to 12 am.

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks again Tacori and PP! About the rules...I know, right?!? I hadn''t heard of wedding hair being such a regimented thing until now. My hairstylist just told us to come with dry hair. But the people that are doing our hair are from a group that specializes in weddings...they''re called "Up Do''s for I Do''s" - so they must know what they''re doing.

 

[diamondgirl4382]

The hairdresser for my wedding told us the same thing about the conditioner. Also, when I was in my friend''s wedding I had used a "frizz-ease" type product on my hair the day before and the hairdresser was concerned that it would cause my hair not to hold the style as well. It turned out just fine though!

I have a different hair type than you, but generally mine will frizz at the first sign of heat or humidity. However, every time I''ve gotten my hair professionally done it''s looked exactly the same at the end of the night as it did at the beginning. After my bridal portraits I went home and took a nap and my hair still looked great when I woke up! The professionals just really know what they are doing and they should be able to give you a hairstyle that will last.

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks diamondgirl! Sounds to me like the dirty/clean/conditioned character of the hair isn''t such a big deal after all. It''s a conspiracy!

 

[charbie]

Date: 7/18/2009 11:28:49 PM
Author: jstarfireb
Thanks Tacori and PP! Tacori, it''s good to know that washing my hair the morning of the wedding won''t be such a terrible thing to do. I agree about sleeping on wet hair...I do it almost every night but then throw my hair in a ponytail in the morning because it''s so unmanageable! If I wash my hair the morning of the wedding, should I avoid using conditioner? That was the ''rule'' for the last wedding I was in...is there anything to that?

Princessplease - Wow, lots of great ideas there! I''m liking the idea of a low updo more and more. Especially that last one.

I''m in a wedding this coming weekend, and we were told no matter what kind of hair, go to bed the night before with freshly washed hair and no conditioner. They will deal with straightening, teasing, and anything else they need to do when they do our hair the next morning

 

[jstarfireb]

Thanks for all your advice, ladies! The wedding went very well. I washed my hair with shampoo and conditioner on the morning of the day before the wedding and let it dry naturally. When the stylist came to the hotel, I asked her if my current greasy old hair was workable, and she said yes, so I didn''t wash it again. So in the end I did go with the "one day dirty" rule. I went with a style similar to princessplease''s last suggestion (without the brooch). It held up for about 90% of the day, and then a little curl came loose, but that was all. It looked great, just a little bit different from the rest of the bridal party, and I got a lot of compliments.

And if anyone in the Baltimore area needs a wedding hairstylist, these people were great:
Up Dos for I Dos

Everyone''s hair looked fantastic. They did the bride''s and MOB''s makeup too.