Special Occasion Style Musts

The time of special occasion hair is fast approaching. This is the time to be preparing for your day! Your hair is an important feature for any special occasion. For this reason, this is an area I suggest we handle with care. I have my reasons for this, and wanted to share. I can guarantee implementing these steps will ensure a stress free day.

Before we get to the tips...I want to say, please don't do one step and skip another. All of these were developed from over 17 years of witnessing special occasion days of all ranges. To the person getting the style and experiencing this day, it is a BIG DEAL. Even if we think we aren't worked up about it, chances are, at some point we will be. The truth is, we don't know when this will happen. We are female, and therefore made of many emotions. A lot of times, we will become emotional at all things at once. For example, I may rant at my husband over dishes when in reality I'm stressed over work. As females, this is the way we are designed neurologically....to handle many things at once. Our thoughts and emotions tend to be mixed together....not processed one at a time. This is how men do it. This is why they can't hear if they are involved in something else. Neurologically its impossible.

There have been many times I have witnessed something happen completely unrelated to hair, and before you know it, a client is in panic mode over their style. This is when we combine all the negative/upsetting thoughts together to process them. Knowing you have a plan will not only ensure you are happy with your style, it will ensure that if things go sideways in one area, you can relax knowing you are prepared and ready for hair. On to the good stuff...

1. Pick Pictures to present to the stylist of what you like AND do not like

Pictures are worth 1000 words! You have to look at styles and see what you think looks good. It gives the stylist a clear idea of what you are looking for, and will shorten the time it takes to explain what you want. If you tell the stylist to do what they want, do this with the understanding that you can't ask for a complete redo, or decide you want to do something different. They have likely booked you for a specific amount of time, and will have other guests after you. The biggest thing is, KEEP IN MIND THE LENGTH AND THICKNESS OF YOUR HAIR! This is why its important to bring more than one idea and be realistic in your expectation. You may also need to incorporate false hair pieces or highlights, as they have in most professional photos, to achieve the same level of texture and volume as a model. To ensure you have enough length/density for a look, have the stylist look at and feel your hair prior to your trial run. This leads me to the next tip...

2. Pick a stylist, schedule early, and ALWAYS do a trial run

Picking a stylist should be fairly easy. The only thing I suggest here is make sure they work the day of your event and are available for a trial run. I would book 3 months in advance. Stylists that are good tend to book quickly on Saturdays, given this is the day most can come. Expect to pay per minute for not only your final style, but also the trial run. This is money well spent! The issues it avoids are priceless in my opinion. I have seen people think they love something....until its on their head. The day of the event is not a good time to realize, the style doesn't look the same with their hair color, length, face shape, etc. The trial run also gives the stylist a clear idea of the amount of time it takes to get the style done. All clients are scheduled for a general time, but your style may require less or more time. During the trial you will have time to ask questions, get to know the stylist/salon, and see if its a fit.

3. Come alone and expect delays

Coming alone sounds strange, but its one, if not THE, most important tip. As family and friends, we always have the best intentions, especially when it comes to our loved ones. Unfortunately, this is a BIG issue we see when it comes to special occasions. Everyone starts to give opinions (again, with good intention), discuss things, ask questions, name all the to do's, etc. All of the discussion and opinions unfortunately tends to push people to their tipping point. Make this a time to clear your mind, enjoy silence, and collect yourself for your event. If you want your family and friends input, discuss this with them prior to coming to the salon. It is OK to have them attend the trial run. Also, understand the stylist is human. They will have clients before you that may take longer than anticipated. Time your appointment to allow an extra 30 minutes or so. This way, if your time runs over, you won't be in a panic.

4. Get opinions, pick a style, and DON'T CHANGE YOUR MIND

Its imperative that you know what style you are doing the day of the event. If you like others opinions, make sure you have gotten them BEFORE you have done the trial run. Once you have picked the style, and do the trial run, its best to stick with your style. The reason I say this is because its a rabbit hole that never ends. Once you find one thing to change, there is a good chance you will find another. Before you know it, you are completely changing the style. If you decide there is something you want to change, you will want to talk to the stylist about it prior to the event. You may need to stop in the salon for them to try whats been changed on your hair. We often know what our hair does and doesn't do and how well something will look on us. The happiest clients are usually the ones that have picked something THEY like, not what someone else likes.

5. Plan backup

In a perfect world....all would go as planned. Unfortunately, we all know this isn't always the case. Someone could have an accident or get sick...this is why its good to have a backup plan. Think of what you would do in the event this happened. Is there a style you can execute on yourself? Simple curls, down, with a pretty hair clip can be a good alternative, most can do. Having a back up plan is always a good idea...not only with hair, but other services you will be using for your event.

6. Prep for success

One of the biggest determining factors of how your style will stay, is the prep. My suggestion for clients is to wash the night before, apply root booster and a medium hold styling agent, and dry the hair. DO NOT IRON. One of the worst things you can do is wash your hair the day of and not put anything in it. This can make the hair slick and difficult to manipulate.

Using these steps will make a HUGE difference in your outcome. My dad always said 15 minutes now will save 50 minutes later...this is so true! Take the time to do the prep, get the trial run, and prepare. This will make your day a memorable one, in a good way!

Wishing you the best on your special day,

Candis