Ask the Experts - Wedding Hair

From avoiding Pinterest to picking plaits, Winner of the Kent Wedding Awards ‘Wedding Hair Styling’ category, hair stylist Ashleigh Buntings answers everything you need to know about sorting your ‘do before saying ‘I do’. 

Where should you start when looking for a wedding hair stylist?

A personal recommendation is always best, so start by speaking to your friends.

Instagram and other social media platforms are also a great way of finding suppliers. You can see if their work suits the kind of style that you have in mind, and you’ll often find other suppliers from their Instagram page that you may also like if they have previously worked together – for example makeup artists and photographers. Suppliers with a good relationship helps make your wedding day run as smoothly as it possibly can.

I would avoid Pinterest – although it’s great for finding inspiration and ideas, most of what you see isn't the stylist’s own work.

How far in advance of your wedding should you book your wedding hair stylist?

A reputable, experienced hair stylist will be booked up a year or so in advance, so I would say sooner rather than later.

Do you need to have chosen your dress before you pick your hairstyle?

Absolutely! I always ask to see the wedding dress so I can create a hairstyle to compliment the style of dress.

What are the key questions brides should be asking their hair stylist?

If I was a bride, I would want to make sure I was on trend, so I would ask about recent styles the hair stylist has done. 

What is also important to me is that you connect with one another. Your hair stylist is in the room on your wedding morning, so you need to feel comfortable with them. I’d ask them about themselves - speaking to them on the phone is a great way to work this out.

If you’ve got a larger bridal party, I would check if the stylist has had experience with this and if they could have an assistant to help them cope on the day. 

And lastly, in the world of Covid - do they have a back up plan if they were to become ill and were unable to attend your wedding?

Lots of brides decide to grow their hair long for their wedding - is it important to?

The main thing is that your hair is healthy, and looking its very best on your wedding day, so regular trims and treatments in the months before your wedding is definitely recommended – an experienced hairstylist can always add extensions, padding or use other techniques to achieve your chosen hair style.

Can you recommend some of the best styles for staying put all day?

If you have particularly thick hair, plaits are great. They take the bulk of the hair away and are very secure.

If it is predicted to be particularly bad weather, I would recommend an updo, rather than all of your hair being down to make sure the hair style stays in place - sadly there is only so much we can do to prevent the wind and rain getting to your hairstyle!

Are there any products you swear by for amazing wedding hair?

I use bucket loads of Osis Tame Wild - it eliminates frizz and is very lightweight so it doesn’t go greasy. It can be used on all different hair types too.

Another favourite of mine is volumizing powder - it’s magic for getting volume into the hair and it can be reactivated throughout the day to prevent your hair going flat.

What are some of the popular hair trends/styles you've seen emerging over the past year?

We have seen a lot of brides go for half up styles with twists and lots of curls this year. In general brides are going for more relaxed, undone styles.

As a stylist, what's your favourite look to create for a bride for her wedding day?

I love a textured bun - I could stand and do them all day long! There are so many different types of buns that can be created. They suit any hair type and length and they are just so much fun to create - as well as looking simply stunning!

www.ashleighbuntingshair.co.uk