Occasion hair: how to prepare for a wedding or a celebration

An occasion hairstyle is an hour in the chair, but the result is not decided there. It comes down to a few things you have to sort out in advance.

When to book

If you are preparing for a wedding, the trial belongs two or three months before the day — once the dress and the hair length are settled. For the day itself, book well ahead; spring and summer weekends fill months in advance.

For a smaller occasion — a celebration, a photo shoot, a work event — a week or two of preparation is plenty.

Get the colour done first

Do not schedule colour or lightening for the day before. A week earlier is ideal: the colour settles, the scalp calms down, and there is still time to correct anything that did not turn out the way you wanted.

That is especially true of lightening, which is a longer process and more likely to need a second session.

Do not wash your hair that morning

Freshly washed hair is smooth and slippery, and holds a shape badly. Hair washed the day before works far better — pins grip it, and pinned-up shapes hold.

If it really bothers you, a little dry shampoo at the roots in the morning helps, but skip the wash.

What to bring

• Pictures of what you want — ideally of people whose hair length and thickness are close to yours.
• The hair accessory, comb or veil, if there will be one. Your stylist needs to be able to set it in place.
• A top that buttons or ties at the front. The jumper you have to pull over your head is one you will not be able to take off afterwards.

What to ask at the trial

Ask how long it will take on the day itself, and what you should bring with you — pins, hairspray, perhaps a small brush for touch-ups.

And say how long the style has to last. An afternoon photo shoot and a wedding that runs until dawn are not the same job, and a stylist builds the two differently.