The invitations are set, the table arrangements are finalized, you have hired the best band in town to entertain your guests and the caterers are preparing the food as we speak. Your big day, the one you’ve been dreaming about since you were a little girl, is right around the corner. Now it’s time to focus a bit on yourself.

Every bride wants to be a head turner (pun not intended) on her wedding day, and for that, you need to make sure your hair looks perfect. All eyes are on you, and you don’t want that aunt that you see only on special occasions to throw passive-aggressive comments about how you never knew how to take care of yourself or look like a ‘’proper’’ lady.  Here are 4 things you must do or not do to your hair the day before the wedding.

Do not get a haircut the day before the wedding

Getting a haircut right before the wedding is a very bad idea. Besides the obvious reasons, like the hairstylist botching the haircut and ruining your wedding in the process, hair needs time to grow and look natural. No haircut will look perfect as soon as it’s finished.

The best solution is to plan and trim your ends a few months before your big day (preferably three). That way, if something bad happens, you have enough time to let it grow back and start over.

As a side note, a good rule of thumb is not doing anything drastic right before your big day. Don’t do anything that you have not tried before, like a new hairstyle or color. This is not the proper time to experiment with new things because you will not have enough time to fix your mistake.

Don’t use conditioners, hair oils, products in excess

Generally, things tend to go bad whenever we’re least prepared., and we’ve all been tempted to use shortcuts under pressure and whenever the time is of the essence. Your hair might get limp, tangled and dry and you will feel like the Universe is in the business of ruining weddings, but there’s no need to panic.

There’s a good reason why you shouldn’t use them. Basically, it creates a barrier that has two very bad effects on your hair. Firstly, the barrier makes holding products like hairspray have a catastrophic effect on your hair, making it sticky, flaky, crusty. Secondly, if you plan to curl or straighten the hair, you will need to set your iron at a higher temperature because of the previously mentioned barrier. Even if you shouldn’t use styling products, it’s important your hair looks healthy and clean. As an alternative, you could keep your locks nourished by using the best sulfate free shampoo. Although you shouldn’t try these right before your wedding day, it’s a good idea to start ahead and test them because sulfate free shampoos soften your hair without making it greasy.  You will feel and look natural.

Dry the hair as much as possible

This is crucial because your preferred style depends on your hair being 100 % dry. Dampness will affect not only how natural and healthy your hair looks, but also how much the style will last.

A good rule of thumb is to use volumizing mousse (not in excess) and try to blow your hair upside down. If you’re confused, don’t worry, this is how physics works. You want to dry your hair in this position because the roots will be lifted off the scalp, and they’ll dry more uniformly. Another tip is to divide the hair into 2.5 – 5.1 cm sections and dry it this way. Use a round brush to pull the roots upwards and away from the head.

Don’t get a new hair color before the wedding

You might be tempted to save some money and do it yourself using boxed hair color, but this is not the right time to tighten the belt. Hire a professional who is in your price range and have him do it. That’s because a professional will know how much treatment he can apply without overdoing it and damaging your hair. Worst case scenario, everything goes wrong and you have somebody other than yourself to blame.

Moreover, if you do decide to go for a color that you have never tried before, you can discuss it with the hairdresser. Again, you need to plan in case you do not like the new choice because getting some colors out of your hair might prove difficult before it grows out naturally.

Finally, when it comes to hair coloring and other chemical treatments, it’s best to carefully choose a stylist that has a lot of experience in these sorts of projects. Many of them are specialized in certain areas, so make sure to choose the proper one.

Now you’re ready!

How your hair looks is as important as the rest of the wedding arrangements and you need to take proper care of it if you want to turn heads. Don’t go for any drastic changes. If you want to go for a new color, do a trial run for a few months before the wedding. Dry your hair upside down for more volume, don’t use products in excess and don’t get a haircut right before the wedding. Finally, remember that this day is about you and only you.

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