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Seventy-three percent of American women say the biggest "hair moment" in a woman's life is her wedding (with the supreme Kodak moment of child birth coming in second), according to a Wakefield Research survey commissioned by haircare brand Joico. Also, nearly one in three women say having a horrible hair day is worse than tripping while walking down the aisle and the survey identified that one in five ladies have cried in public because of a bad hair moment. So we can all safely conclude that a gal's wedding day is the hair day to end all hair days. Accordingly, we contacted some of our favorite salon owners for their best wedding day hair freak-out stories—because you know there are some real doozies out there. Read on for the best bridal beauty meltdowns ??from hair gurus Umberto Savone, Sally Hershberger, and Nick Arrojo.—Amber Katz
Hair stylists see it all. Umberto Savone, owner of Umberto Beverly Hills Salon, was a fly on the wall for this major family drama:??
I have clients, a mother and daughter, who have been coming to the salon for years. On the day of her wedding, the daughter was miserable, crying, running late, and was a total mess. The day before the wedding, her mother-in-law to be and the groom's sister were talking about the bride in an unkind manner and did not want the son/brother to marry her. She was devastated, and the bride's sister wanted her to cancel the wedding. Her hair, makeup, and dress all turned out beautifully, but it was a very dramatic day that all unfolded in the salon right in front of my eyes!
Sally Hershberger, owner of Sally Hershberger Salons has a story with a moral for all the brides out there:??
Planning a wedding can be stressful. One of my Downtown stylists recently had a bride who wanted her hair styled with long, beautiful waves. Her hair looked gorgeous; however, she didn't know this would cover her favorite part of her gown. To say the least, she panicked.?When her bridesmaid finally calmed her down, the stylist let her know how easy a fix this was. In fact, styling the waves first made for an unbelievably gorgeous look. A loose put-together style is the ultimate natural look, and is so hot right now. Using my Wave Spray and a couple of bobby pins, the stylist wrapped up small sections of the hair and let some loose strands shape the face.
??My advice: plan your entire look ahead of time with the stylist. Bring photographs of the front and back of your dress, and schedule a test appointment before the big day. This includes makeup and hair, with the dress and jewelry.
And finally, Nick Arrojo, owner of Arrojo Studio, on why your wedding day is not the day to wing it:
I once had a client named Whitney who came to me the day of her wedding. She didn't feel she needed a bridal consultation beforehand, and the result is a lesson for any girl on her big day.??Whitney had already had the makeup artist come to her house and do a full "wedding face" before she came to me. She looked glamorous, but it wasn't what I was expecting because she normally wore a very natural look, and she had the natural beauty to make that work.??
We had previously discussed her wedding hair. She was set on a low, elegant chignon. After seeing that full face of makeup, I asked if she was sure. I thought perhaps she would feel too stark and severe. But this was what she had had in her mind for the last year, so a chignon it must be. ??She looked beautiful, very glamorous and elegant, but also very done—like an old-time movie star.?You should have seen the woeful expression on her face.?? "It's awful," she said. "That's not Whitney, that's not me—what the fuck am I going to do!!"
??After feeding her some cigarettes and coffee, I told her to relax, take some makeup off, and we would loosen the chignon into a more casual yet elegant 'do.??
"It's not perfect," she said after the change, "but it feels more like me. It's my wedding day, I'm off to have a great time!"
Lesson learned. Try out the whole look, hair, makeup, everything, at least once before your big occasion.
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