How to find a mobile wedding hairdresser

If you decide to have your hair professionally styled, it is essential to find someone with the creative flair to make your bridal hairstyle truly special. To help make this search a doddle, we have created the below essential guide to wedding hairdressers.

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What to expect from a mobile wedding hairdresser

Specialist wedding hairdressers will normally provide a consultation prior to the day to get the style right and then will recreate this on your wedding day at a location of your choice. They will use their expertise to find a style that suits your hair type, will hold all day and can be recreated on your wedding morning without any stress.

On the day the hairdresser will style your bridal hair first and then start styling any bridesmaids. Brides are expected to have followed instructions given before the day and to provide any hair accessories needed. Expect that your hairdresser will stay for any touch-ups before you walk the aisle, but will leave shortly after this. All travel, set up, styling products and clearing away are usually covered in the price.

Wedding hairdresser costs

Prices range enormously but do not expect to pay less than £90 if you are looking for someone creative who knows how to make your hair stay picture perfect all day. It is reasonable to expect to pay anywhere between £90 to £120. Also, make sure to include a hair trial within your budget to ensure that your wedding day look is spot on. Trial prices are normally similar if not slightly higher than on the day prices.

Generally, expect that mobile wedding hairdresser will be slightly more expensive than salon hairstylists. However, this spend is worthwhile to ensure you have a hassle-free morning before your wedding celebrations.

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How to find a mobile wedding hairdresser

It is recommended to start by asking your friends, family, makeup artist and venue for recommendations. Surprisingly, photographers can also be very helpful as they have a creative eye, so it is worth consulting them too. If this approach yields no good results, it can be worth searching online by defining the region you are getting married and also by looking at regional wedding supplier awards.

How to spot talented wedding hairdressers from their social media

Make sure pictures, website and social media show:

• Experience with your hair type and length.
• Variance in styles they can achieve; including a few you love.
• Natural looking hairstyles that are not visibly plastered in product.
• A genuine passion for styling bridal hair, and this is not just a side-line business. You will want someone who understands bridal needs and is excited.
• Reviews that include the keywords, such as; talented, efficient, calm, supportive on the day service.

Shortlisting mobile wedding hairdressers

It is recommended to contact wedding hairdressers by email initially so your requirements are clear. Include in the initial email:

• Wedding date and venue
• How many of your bridal party will want hairstyling (only an approximation is needed at this stage)
• A picture of your hair or description
• Reason why you like their style (to build rapport)
• Request for cost including VAT

When collecting responses, start to rate hairdressers based on responsiveness, distance from the venue, flexibility for booking hair trials (ideally a month before the wedding) and those that do not ask for commitment/deposit in advance of the hair trial.

What to expect from a bridal hair trial

The hair trial will normally start with a discussion about your wedding day and style preferences. The hairstylist will then take the lead from your ideas. It is recommended to listen to their guidance if their views differ as they will have vast experience of what works for different hair types. They will then start trialling out styles on your hair. At this stage, it is important to be vocal and honest, so they can refine the look.

After approximately 1-2 hours, you should have a stunning look that you adore. If not, again let them know. At this point it is worth taking pictures, trialling accessories and your veil. At the end of the appointment, your hairstylist will discuss the running order, logistics for the day and hair prep tips. They will also discuss how to book their services.

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Why having a bridal hair trial is important

While the additional cost incurred can be expensive, the gains massively outweigh the expenditure in the majority of instances. A hair trial will give you:

• Confidence that you will look perfect on the day
• Provides the stylist with a chance to try different looks, products and accessories to see what works best
• If curling; it enables them to try different approaches and see how they last.
• Get timings sorted for the day so there is no stress on the day.

A trial also gives you the opportunity to be more direct about what you like and don’t like without coming across as a bridezilla. While you can do this on the day, this can severely affect timings.

Bridal hair trial tip: Decide on a general style before the trial

The number of styles that can be trialled is limited by time. Therefore, it is very wise to do research and work out the rough style you want in advance. This then means your stylist can refine and adapt the style to suit you.

What to prepare before a bridal hair trial

• Do not wash your hair in the morning or night before the trial
• Wear a top with a similar neckline to see how this will work with your hairstyle
• Bring your veil
• Bring ideas of looks you like, a picture of the dress and your veil, so this can be tried on with the style
• Ask the stylist to take 360-degree pictures, mirrors do not reflect how others will see you
• Keep the hairstyle for the rest of the day to see how it drops with time– if you are not happy with something overtime; let the stylist know.

When to book your wedding hairdresser

Start early to ease stress and maximise the chances of getting a popular and talented hairdresser. Aim to find a hairdresser around nine months before your wedding and book a trial a month before the wedding.

Hairstylists are best booked at the end of the bridal hair trial as this will ensure they are free. However, if you are not happy with the service, it is important to defer your decision and then politely decline by email. This can be done by simply saying that you want to discuss the style with someone close to you and you will be in contact. If declining, do make sure to do this promptly.

What to check with your wedding hairdresser when booking

• How long the hairstylist will need to cover all of the bridal party
• Running order (expect to be either first or last dependent on your style))
• Timing/location logistics for the day
• Hair preparation tips for the morning
• Provide an alternative contact for the morning

Top Tip: Make sure you know how your hairdresser will adapt your style in case of bad weather and what contingency plans the stylist has in case of sickness or delays.

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Wedding hairdresser: On the day of your wedding tips

Relax and let them do their thing. You will have picked a stylist for a reason, and they will make sure they work to times needed. That is part of their job. As they are doing your hair, make this a chance to relax shut your eyes/listen to nice songs or have a nice chat. Brides that are flustered can move too much and watching each step with a critical eye won't help – hairstyling needs time to come together entirely.

Once all is done, ask someone to take a picture to make sure it is as you wanted. If not, be polite and ask for the changes needed. Part of a stylist's job is to make you feel great. It can be helpful to move around once hair has been finished to make sure that it holds. Also, do ask for some additional pins if needed.

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