After two years of cancelled and postponed weddings, 2022 is officially the year of the bride! We checked in with editorial and bridal hair experts for their trend forecasts and tips for helping clients get creative with their wedding day looks this season.
As any bride can attest, planning and managing a wedding is highly stressful under the best
of circumstances. Add COVID-19 pandemic closures and lockdowns to the mix and it’s little wonder that brides (and grooms) have felt a combination of anxiety, stress and pressure about their big day over the past two years.
“Because of what’s been going on with the pandemic, we’re seeing that a lot of weddings are becoming smaller, more intimate events, that are often held in smaller venues or even at home,” says Jorge Joao, an editorial hairstylist, global Redken artist and owner of Koi Hair Studio in Brampton, Ont. “As for hairstyling, we’re seeing a lot of simplicity and natural texture that’s very scaled back. There’s often one point of interest that’s being highlighted with a little knot or braid.”
For brides who were forced to cancel their weddings or go the DIY route for their hair and beauty, the good news is that 2022 appears to be a comeback year.
“A lot of people have more disposable income now,” says Sharon Blain, renowned educator and Australian- based hairstylist who specializes in bridal, editorial and red-carpet hairstyling. “They didn’t spend or go out as much during the lockdown, so more people want the opportunity to have their hair done professionally, and not just for weddings, but on a more regular basis. I anticipate that this will mean we’re about to go through an era of dressing hair more in the salon.”
Bridal Boom
While many professionals, including Marc-André Poulin, a hairstylist and Joico guest artist based in Quebec City, have noticed an understandable decline in requests for wedding
and other special occasion hair and beauty services, a majority believe this year will be a positive one.
“After two years of delays, brides-to-be now have more time to be ready,” he says. “They have very clear ideas of what they want and even
higher expectations for their big day.” When it comes to helping brides settle on their looks for their wedding day, Poulin emphasizes the importance of a thorough consultation.
“A good consultation always begins with understanding the client’s primary needs,” he says. “What’s the plan for the day and how much time do they have to prepare? Will the ceremony and pictures be outdoors or indoors? I always ask for a photo of the dress to help me to identify the personality of my client.”
Cut
While most brides will have their hair cut and coloured in the weeks leading up to their wedding, Joao says hair is something grooms need to be thinking about in advance, too.
“I’m ideally not cutting it the day of,” he says. “I’ve done it before but I prefer to do so two or three days ahead of the big day because, for example, the outliner could give him a scratch and you just never know.”
As for the types of haircuts and styles the bride and groom will wear, Joao says it’s important to keep the essence of each person intact and not try experimenting with something that’s too trendy or new.
“Some people want to go all out for their wedding day,” he says. “They’re excited
and want to go big and loud, but they often regret their decision when they see photos from the day. My advice is to not take any trend too literally because they come and go. Pick timeless looks with a flair of what’s happening now.”
“I personally never like to veer off completely or give clients something new on their wedding day because it’s often not ‘them,’’ adds Joao. “You don’t want the look you create to be a completely different version of who they actually are.”
PRO TIP
WHILE JOAO ACKNOWLEDGES THAT SOME CLIENTS MAY HAVE A VERY SPECIFIC STYLE IN MIND, HE’S CAREFUL ABOUT RESPECTING THEIR VISION WHILE ALSO GIVING THEM A REALITY CHECK.
Textured Tresses
Here are the factors to consider for brides with textured hair.
“Less is more. You want to be gentle; use fingertips and wide-tooth combs. Avoid any fine combs or tight brushes because the tighter the tools, the more they will expand and blast out the curls. You want to keep the curls intact and defined while working with the natural movement of the hair.” — Jorge Joao
“Textured hair is often lacking moisture. You want to saturate it and then apply a gel and cream together. For example, try a strong-hold gel and moisture cream, and work it through the hair while it’s wet. Run a large wide-toothed comb through the hair and you’ll see it separate and curls will form. Diffuse the entire head dry and work the style that way to prep the hair for updos, while keeping the integrity of those beautiful ringlet curls for clients who want to maintain their natural texture for their wedding day.” — Sharon Blain
“IT’S UP TO US AS HAIRDRESSERS TO MAKE SURE WE’RE THE ONES WHO ARE INFLUENCING THE TRENDS AND NOT ALLOWING THE RUNWAY TO TAKE CONTROL. I BELIEVE BY JUST CHANGING IT UP A LITTLE BIT AND PUTTING YOUR SLANT OR SIGNATURE ON IT, THE LOOK BECOMES SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL.”
— SHARON BLAIN, BRIDAL AND EDITORIAL HAIRSTYLIST AND EDUCATOR, AUSTRALIA
Colour
While multidimensional colour and shine continue to be popular amongst brides— whether it’s achieved with balayage, foilayage or just a glossing service—Poulin says creating the ideal look for each client really depends on the bride’s personality. “Some of them want to stay subtle with fine highlights, tone-on-tones or simply keep their natural colour with more gloss,” he says. “On the other hand, some want colour that’s more intense with a large blonde money piece around the face, flamboyant coppers and flashier colours.”
“No matter the hair colour, I prefer creating lighting effects to frame the face,” adds Poulin. “I like subtlety in hair colour to stay in harmony with the dress, which is normally my starting point for inspiration.”
Nailing It
For 2022 bridal nail trends, Jessica Goguen, a nail artist and CND education ambassador based in the Maritimes, says she anticipates a transition back to minimalistic, natural-looking nails.
“I’m seeing clients choose a more casual ‘no-stress’ approach,” she says. “They’re looking for simplicity rather than extremely complex finishes, and there’s been a marked return to solid colours over nail art or embellishments. For instance, I’m seeing softer shapes, such as round and oval, along with wearable lengths and simple design elements and decorations. These trends are very relevant for bridal nails because they add beauty, elegance and the ultimate fashion accessory to the real showstopper: The bride!”
When building business with bridal nails, Goguen says nail extensions and gel services are the way to go. “My top-earning service is gel nails, which is why I recommend this service over and over again for maximum strength and durability over polish nails. Of course, the more excited you are about the services you provide and love to do, the more your brides will respond, regardless of whether it’s gel or polished nails.”
PRO TIP
WHEN CONSIDERING A BRIDAL STYLE— AND ESPECIALLY AN UPDO—JOAO RECOMMENDS CONSIDERING YOUR CLIENT’S FACE SHAPE AND HAIR TEXTURE. “IF I WANT TO LENGTHEN THE FACE, I’M GOING TO TIE UP THE SIDES. IF I’M CREATING A ROUNDER SHAPE, I WILL DO SOMETHING WITH MORE DRAPING ON THE SIDES THAT’S A LITTLE BIT SOFTER.”
Style
While more undone, natural- looking styles like beachy waves are still popular, Blain cautions that looks that are too lived-in may not have the oomph brides are after.
“The one big problem is the longevity of these styles,” she says. “It appears that more brides are wearing their hair down, so the opportunity for those waves to fall and not last through the duration of the wedding for most hair types is likely. Only a few hair types can sustain that style for a number of hours. While it’s beautiful, it requires more of a discussion with the bride on how long they expect to have their hair look like that. Are they okay with getting down the aisle and having it look great for just a few photos? Because after that it’s not going to happen.”
According to Blain, part of the problem is with the types of styling tools hairstylists use to create this type of look. For example: using a flat iron instead of a curling iron.
“Learning to master and use [curling irons] is absolutely essential for any person
who’s contemplating doing any sort of dressed hair,” she says. “The results are
so much more professional looking. You also need to consider the environment that you’re creating the hairstyle for and whether it’s humid, cold weather or wet weather. Whatever the situation, I don’t think you can pass on using a single barrel [curling iron]. It’s how you use that and how you swing it into the styles we’re seeing now.”
Another style that’s trending for brides this year is the half-up/half-down look, which can be a nice twist for a client who’s used to wearing their hair down all the time but wants something with more flair for their big day.
“We’re seeing a fair bit of this look with a beautiful, polished wave,” says Blain, adding that it works well with accessories, which are another big draw for brides. “It’s really nice to see because you can accessorize this simple hairstyle so it becomes special with headbands, scarves and little clips.”
“Accessories are a big thing because they quickly add a wow factor,” says Joao. “Anything can be an accessory. I’ve seen people use their jewelry, fabric that’s part of their dress and even bobby pins that are placed creatively in the hair. It used to be that you’d see wedding accessories that were white or had pearls incorporated, but now there’s a focus on meshing different textures and finishes a bit more.”
While it appears that more brides are moving away from the larger, overly structured updos, there are ways to achieve an elegant updo while still keeping it simple. “For these types of styles, we’re seeing more natural, gathered hair,” says Joao. “It’s as if I grabbed it all, put it up in a half-twist and pinned it. It’s not really a bun; it’s almost like bedroom hair.”
“I don’t think we’re going back to the traditional, classic chignon,” adds Blain. “In saying that, when you have those couture ball gowns, that’s the sort of look that goes beautifully with it—a big, classic, polished shape on the back of the head or crown. When the dress is lacy or beaded with cut-outs, it seems to be slightly more casual and feminine, so looser feminine looks work well with those.”
“KEEP IN MIND THAT TRENDS ARE MEANT TO PASS AND CHANGE, WHILE THE PICTURES FROM THIS DAY WILL REMAIN FOR ETERNITY. WE WANT OUR CLIENTS TO LOOK AT THEIR PICTURES AND STILL LOVE THEM FIVE, 20 OR 50 YEARS LATER.”
— MARC-ANDRÉ POULIN, HAIRSTYLIST AND JOICO GUEST ARTIST, QUEBEC CITY
While accessories can also work for updos, Poulin says it’s important to not overdo it. “Accessories can be a great way to make a subtle hairstyle more original and add personality to a classic look,” he says. “Whether it’s a veil, tiara, brooch or crystal pins, remember that an overloaded updo can become heavy and very uncomfortable for the bride.”
To achieve a long-lasting gathered style, Joao says it all comes down to prep work. “That’s the part that a lot of people don’t think about,” he says. “The two main things I ask myself before I start my look are: what are the roots doing and what fabric do I need the hair to feel like?
If you set the hair up with the root direction and the fabric that you need it to be, you’re 80 per cent closer to your end result and the rest of it comes easy. The hair is going to comb, brush and direct where you need it to go. Any tool you use is going to adapt, hold and cooperate a lot easier and with only a quarter of the bobby pins! If the fabric is set up, the stress is down to a minimum and things are cooperating because you have that grit and foundation.”
PRO TIP
CONSIDER LIGHTWEIGHT PRODUCTS TO PREVENT BUILDUP AND TRY USING WORKABLE SPRAYS FOR BRIDAL HAIR. USE HAIRSPRAY AS MORE OF A FINISHING SPRAY TO AVOID A STICKY- LOOKING RESIDUE, WHICH CAN BE PICKED UP BY CAMERA FLASHES.
Business Builder
Sharon Blain and Jorge Joao share their tips for increasing revenue in the salon with bridal and special occasion hair services.
- FULL SERVICE
“When dressing hair, it’s really important to offer a blow-dry service, as well as
a quick updo service. Teach your staff five different blow-dry styles, such as half-up/half-down, textured ponytail, cute bun on the nape, bun on the crown and Hollywood waves so they can offer them to clients. Help them work on the looks you think are most current and in-demand and then perfect them. Once that happens, start promoting the styles on Instagram.”— Sharon Blain - HAVE A GAME PLAN
“Create a menu and look-book with pictures of different styles with price listings and add-ons for hairpieces and extensions. Have options prepared and consider offering additional items, like a breakfast package. While bridal hair is a large amount of work for hairstylists, it may be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for clients, so offer little things to enhance their experience.” — Jorge Joao - BE ON TIME
“[For special occasion hair services], set a short time frame (eg. half an hour) with not a lot of prep. You may want to ask clients to wash and blow-dry hair before they arrive so you’re not eating into your time and can be solely focused on dressing the hair. Quick-service styling can have a massive impact on your bottom line and generate some business for your newer stylists. I really believe people will pay for the service so you’ll need to charge accordingly.”
— Sharon Blain - SPEAK UP
“Ask the right questions about the time, location, how many people you’ll be styling, etc. Ask bridesmaids to send inspirational photos so you can assign them to the right hairdresser. Ask questions they may not have thought to ask, and do as much as you can to take weight off the bride and the team. It’s a stressful day, so knowing you’re coming in prepared makes it far more comfortable.” — Jorge Joao - DOUBLE UP
“We’re seeing a lot more double hairstyles for brides now, which means they’re wearing one for down the aisle and a second for the wedding reception. Most people were pretty much doing staycations [during the lockdown]
but are now spending more money on having their hair done, so it’s great for salons and is worth capitalizing on.”
— Sharon Blain
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