Hello, beautiful! Help me welcome Jamie, as our guest writer today. Jamie Cholaki (@hairbycholaki) has 16 years of hair experience both on the west coast & east coast. Jamie has been featured in Nantucket magazine, Connecticut bride magazine, and is the official hair contributor for Next on Scene Magazine in Boston. She's been nicknamed the hair whisper and is also known throughout the industry for her layering technique known as "magic layers", as well for her California sun kissed balayage highlighting color technique. She believes tousled hair is the best hair! Let's give her wedding day hair tips a read.
-Add Hair Care to Your Wedding Budget
I always suggest to my brides to plan out a year from their wedding date what they want their hair to look like (color & length wise). Most of my clients always want to be a bit lighter(having some dimensional color always accentuates the hairstyle whether she's wearing it up or down with waves). So we plan out my clients highlights from the wedding day and working backwards. Lots of times my clients are coming in more frequently (8-12weeks) throughout the year for color treatments, conditioning treatments, gloss treatments, and what I call "phantom trims" were literally I cut off just the split ends so when you look down on the floor you don't see any hair hence the "phantom trim". I always suggest factoring this into the overall wedding budget as well as investing in PH balance shampoo and conditioning masks for home.
**My personal favorites are Loma daily shampoo and Joico lock luster conditioning treatment. If your hair is extra dry I always suggest using perfect 10 leave in treatment spray because you literally have control of where you can put that on your hair and focus that where your hair is the most dry. Salon products are concentrated so remember a little goes a very long way. I always write the date of when I purchased my salon shampoo or conditioner on the bottom of the bottle with a black sharpie and as a professional I am always surprised at how long they last me.**
- It is Okay if you don't Like Your Hair on the Trail
That is what a hair trial is for. This allows you the time to get to know your wedding day hair stylist. Perhaps you thought you wanted to wear your hair up off your face and only afterwards did you realize you'd rather have it half up half down. I have often times compared the trail to cooking a recipe for the first time. We've all cooked something the first time and only after realize oh I needed to add a little bit more of this ingredient or next time I'll do that instead. The trail prepares you and your stylist for your wedding day. Also it's best to bring along any veil or hair accessories you plan on wearing on the wedding day. I'm often asked when I suggest a bride makes her trail and I always suggest 10-12 weeks before the wedding. This still allows enough time if you’re not comfortable with your bridal stylist to find another and it also keeps the look fresh in the brides mind for the wedding day.
-Have a set Schedule the Day of
It's becoming so popular now hairstylists are able to travel on location to where the brides getting ready. I always like to work ahead of time with my bride, her wedding planner, all the bridesmaids and bridal party so we have a clear idea of how everybody wants to wear their hair and what time they'll be getting their hair. This allows for a more relaxing experience for the bride and she's not stressed out trying to make certain that everybody else is getting taken care of because we all know ahead of time the game plan.
Also very important, waves and updos hold up the best on next day unwashed hair. I still can't explain why all I can share is with my 16 years of hairdressing experience I insist that nobody wash their hair that day unless they are truly just getting a blowout. Having a little natural grit to the hair just helps it hold up better. It's just one of those mysteries in life.
-Yes we have to Tease Your Hair
Yes! This is a conversation that I have with every one of my brides. Yes! I have to tease your hair. No! You will not look like Snooki from the Jersey Shore (unless you want to). I'm an artist and I feel like my canvas is hair so often times I have to tease your hair even if you're wearing your hair down because teasing helps me sculpt and shape your hair to stay in place. A master Hairstylist will be able to tease your hair and not create any volume if that's the look you're wanting. Teasing also helps the veil to stay in place and not slip out as well as your bobby pins to stay in place and not slip out. Teasing helps hair extensions stay put too. On your wedding day teasing is your friend and not your enemy.
-You Might be the Bride but Today it's really all about the Mother of the Bride
When I was working as a hairstylist on the on Nantucket we all used to flip a coin as to who would get the "mother of the bride". You see most brides are stressed out on their wedding day and so naturally the mother of the bride is extra stressed out on the wedding day. I've had some mother of the brides that have put the word bridezilla to shame. She is living vicariously through her daughter today and needs to look as on fleek as she can too. Just keep in mind that even though this is your special day, it's also a special day for your mom because in her mind her little baby girl her daughter is really grown up. She might need some extra words of love & hugs!
Well Fash Dolls I hope you found Jamie's tips as helpful as I did. I think the last one is certainly eye opening. I know on my wedding day my mom was having an internal freak out & all she needed was a hug & "I love you mom". You can find Jamie on facebook, her energy is awesome & will add extra fun to your special day. Well till next time dolls!
Stay Sassy & God Bless!
