Flying away for your wedding doesn’t mean settling for flyaway hair – or for a hairdo that looks more Bad Hair Day than Wedding Day. Fortunately Nicola Hulatt, wedding hair specialist with Westrow in Leeds, is here to guide you through the pitfalls.

Getting married overseas can cause some problems when planning your bridal look. When you get married in the UK, you’d generally have several hair and makeup trials before choosing a look that you like. A wedding abroad is not quite that simple.

Wedding packages from a travel company or a wedding coordinator usually organise hair appointments for the day of the wedding, but it can be quite a daunting prospect to put your hair in the hands of a total stranger on the most important day of your life. If you are not prepared, the consequences can be disastrous! Book a trail a few days before to meet your stylist and if you decide that you really don’t like what your stylist has created then you have time to work things out.

The solution to stopping yourself from going crazy picturing your frizzy bridal mop is to plan ahead as much as possible.

6 Months

You probably decided on your dress a while ago – now it’s time to start thinking about your hair

• Look at bridal books for inspiration
• Start thinking about the colour of your hair.
  (Keep it the same? Go lighter or darker?)
• Keep up with the condition and look after your hair to get shine and gloss

4 Months

• Decide on the type of look you’d like to go for
• Look at hair accessories that you may like to use i.e. hair band, tiara, flower etc.

3 Months

• Buy the items that you may need for your hair i.e., hair accessories, doughnut, hair wefts
• Book a trial with a UK stylist (very useful for getting ideas. Maybe do a series of step-by-step photos to give to your hairdresser abroad to follow, or recreate it yourself)
• Carry on with the healthy hair regime

2 Months

Make sure that you have all the products that you need – hairspray, mousse, shine spray – to re-create the look or ask your stylist to write down what products were used if you have a stylist abroad. Most importantly, get a sun protective shampoo and conditioner (the condition of your hair can deteriorate rapidly when exposed to sun, sea and chlorine).

1 Month to Departure

• Have a hair and beauty checklist for packing
• Make sure that your hair colour is fresh and you have no roots
• Have a light trim to keep the hair looking at its best
• Don’t forget your step-by-step photographs!

Hair tips

Looks in the UK can be very different to the trends in the Caribbean or Indian Ocean, partly due to native hair types and traditions but also the fashion trends that are popular in that area. Have a trial with a UK stylist and take photographs – these are easy to show your stylist abroad and avoid language barrier problems.

Check out what’s included in your wedding package with the travel company. If you plan to do your own hair you can generally cut the costs of hair and makeup if you want to save £££.

Think about the heat and time of day you’ll be getting married. If you want to wear your hair down but it’s hot and humid the chances are that it could get stuck down flat to your head or go frizzy in the heat.

Go with what suits you – if you’re used to having hair around your face, don’t scrape it back to copy a trend and vice versa, after all you’ll want to look back at the pictures and recognise yourself!

Book a wedding hair consultation with Nicola Hulatt www.westrow-hair.com

Trace the Trends

Generally there are two main types of wedding hair: Elegant – Sleek buns, chignons and pleats; Natural Romantic – Soft natural waves, loose or pinned up.

Go DIY

Both trends are achievable by doing it yourself. The best advice is to go to a salon and have a trial with a hairstylist – even though they are not doing it on the day they can teach you some quick techniques to do your hair with ease!

There are items available on the high street to help you create a bolder shape, like heated rollers, wavers and tongs.

For bigger, glamorous hair use a doughnut (a foam ring) which is easily placed over a ponytail. You can wrap the hair around the ring for a sleek, classic bun. For a shabby, undone romantic look, curl the hair first and then pin the curls randomly over the ring until it is covered. You can also adjust the bun from central to the side, which makes it look a little more informal.

People with fine hair can add some volume with temporary hair extensions that clip in. They are a great way of boosting volume. These would need to be cut by a stylist to make the shape fit with your haircut. The fantastic thing about extensions is that they can be curled prior to clipping them in. It’s extremely easy, but practice first.