Today I’m going to share all about my wedding hair prep and what products I used to prep my hair for my wedding. I didn’t do anything too crazy – it was mostly just incorporating higher quality hair products in order to get my hair as healthy as possible!
Photo via Jaimee Morse
Hair Cut & Color
I’m typically very low maintenance with getting my hair colored and cut….. Like, I’m a twice a year kind of gal. My hair is naturally blonde and I usually get a full set of highlights twice a year to brighten up. For haircuts, I ask for long layers with face framing pieces. Because my hair is so thick, it doesn’t look great when it’s all one length. It tends to make my hair hang and look lifeless.
Prior to the wedding, I actually booked a new-to-me hair stylist in Portland, Maine, Maggie Sabine. Tons of my friends go to Maggie – she’s one of the absolute best in Portland and just opened a new hair salon in downtown Portland, called Eunoia. Normally I would not book someone new just a few months prior to my wedding, but I feel like my hair is pretty hard to screw up, and I had seen tons of photos of Maggie’s work so I felt comfortable. Plus, since I knew we would be moving to Portland soon, I wanted to have my hair person already lined up.
I booked a full foil and hair cut with Maggie at the beginning of June which was 2 months out from my wedding. Since I knew I would be wearing my hair down for my wedding, Maggie suggested keeping the length and trimming the ends, while adding a bit more shape. I had my second hair appointment 8 days before my wedding. At this appointment I received another full foil and a tiny trim. This timeline worked perfectly for me prior to the wedding!
Photo via Jaimee Morse
Hair Products I Used For Wedding Hair Prep
I incorporated a couple new hair products into my routine based on Maggie’s recommendations. She suggested this hair product for use on damp hair right out of the shower. I typically wash my hair about twice a week, so I used this right after washing. You can also use it on dry hair, but I prefer damp hair. I felt like it added back moisture to my hair and felt like it made it stronger. Sometimes my hair feels so brittle after a shower – this helps me tremendously.
I also used this hair oil per Maggie’s recommendation which I’m now obsessed with – it also smells so good. I find myself using this on non-hair wash days to bring life back to my hair. It’s really great for those days that you’ve thrown your hair up in a messy bun or a ponytail and then you’re trying to wear your hair down but the ends look dead and need moisture. Immediately revives your hair and adds back moisture to dry ends with just a few drops.
I’ve used this shampoo and this conditioner long before I started my wedding hair prep (I’ve talked about them on my ‘hair’ highlight on Instagram) and they’re seriously my favorite. Such high quality products that put moisture back into your hair. I also feel like they help when trying to comb out knotty, tangled hair.
My blondes – don’t forget the purple shampoo! Purple shampoo keeps your blonde looking its best – I swear by it! I absolutely hate when my hair gets too warm toned – I feel like my best self when it’s cool toned! I used this purple shampoo about once a week, sometimes once every two weeks depending on how it was looking. I find the shampoo much more effective compared to their purple hair mask.
And lastly, hair masks! I love a good hair mask. About 5 months out from my wedding I started using this hair mask about once a month (read more about it here). I would have done it more frequently, but since it’s a mask that requires your hair to be wet, you sit with it for a while, and then you shampoo after the mask, I felt like it was always a process, so I only got around to doing it once a month. But trust me, you will see results!
As a secondary hair mask that I would use more frequently while in the shower, I’ve been loving this hair mask. I would use it in place of conditioner and keep my hair wrapped up in an elastic at the top of my head (to try to prevent it from rinsing out). I’d then do everything else in the shower I need to do such as exfoliate, shave, etc. After all of that, I would rinse it out. I used it about once a week leading up to the wedding.
Other Hair Tips
Since you want to reduce breakage and keep your hair as healthy as possible leading up to your big day, I suggest using either a wide tooth comb or a Wet Brush. Both of these will reduce snags when combing your hair after a shower.
If your hair doesn’t feel like it will comb out well with the Wet Brush or wide tooth comb, try this leave in conditioner. I swear by it.
Silk pillowcases are the real deal! They really do make your hair less frizzy. I also notice they allow a hairstyle (such as curls or waves) to remain intact for much longer than a traditional cotton pillowcase. A brand sent me one a while ago – I don’t know what brand it is, but tons of people love these silk pillowcases. I had forgotten about my silk pillowcase, but ended up digging it out (the things you find when you start packing to move lol!) and using it the week leading up to the wedding.
Let your hair air dry as much as possible in the 6 months to 1 year leading up to your wedding. I don’t think I pulled out a hair dryer once in the 6 months prior to my wedding and I feel that greatly helps with my hair health.
If you’ll be curling your hair or styling it, make sure to protect it! I used to be so bad about using a heat protectant, and to be honest, still am, so I like to use a hair product after getting out of the shower that helps to style my hair and also protects it from heat, like this product.
Be careful about putting your hair up when it’s wet – it can sometimes lead to damage. If I need my hair out of my face while it’s air drying, I like these clips versus a hair elastic.
Interested in catching up on more posts? You can find my other wedding posts here and my hair posts here.
