How to: Choosing Your Wedding Hairstyle

When it comes to your wedding day, as a groom you’re likely to want to do everything in your power to make it a perfect day for your bride, without so much as a hair out of place – and in this case, we mean that literally. Read on for some top class tips on how to make sure your hair looks great on the day.

(Courtesy classicbarber.tumblr.com)

As much as you may not like putting your hair in someone else’s hands, getting professional help is, on occasion, all but mandatory- like, for example, you wedding day. Paying a visit to a high-end barber or men’s salon can be the difference between a neat, polished look that you feel fantastic about and a style that you deeply regret having committed to.Before you head off for your first meeting with your hairstylist, have a think about the following:

Face Value

Taking your face shape into consideration will probably answer all your questions as to why a certain cut or style “just doesn’t look right”, and which alternative might work better.

Oval face shape: If this is you, you have an evenly proportioned but slightly long face which allows you to get away with just about anything you like. Whether that’s short or long hair, perhaps sweeping down into your face romantically or styled up and away from your face to add drama, is completely up to you. One thing experts do recommend avoiding, though, is a full-on fringe, as you risk making your face appear round rather than oval-shaped.

(All photos below courtesy sunglasseshut.com)

Oblong: This is where you’ll want to tread a little more carefully so as not to emphasise that length, so avoid wearing you hair with the sides cut short and the top styled long. Instead, consider styling your hair swept onto your forehead or having a fringe cut in. Covering up your forehead should shorten your face a smidge, giving the impression that you have the ideal oval-shaped face. While you do still have some room to experiment with this face shape, keep in mind the concept of balance so as not to create odd-looking proportions.

Diamond/ Square: If you have a diamond-shaped face (sharp cheekbones with narrower forehead and jaw) or a square-shaped face (chiselled jawline and an angular face), it’s best to stick to slightly longer styles while maintaining a natural, wavy texture in the hair. This will help soften up the angles of your face while at the same time showing them off.

Heart: A heart-shaped face is a lot like a diamond shaped face as it is built around the same strong cheekbone structure, but with a slightly broader forehead. To bring some visual balance to your face, place emphasis on the lower half of your face. Facial hair such as a bit of stubble or even a neat beard will go a long way to evening out the natural emphasis your face shape brings to your forehead. Plus, facial hair has become very popular among the ladies of late – just make sure you keep it looking tidy and well-maintained.

Triangle: This shape is essentially the heart-shape, inverted. This features a wide jawline with a narrower forehead. This can be a tricky face to style the hair around, but experts recommend sticking to slightly longer styles with lots of layers while avoiding wearing the hair too long or textured around the chin.

Round: This one’s simple- ideally, wear the hair up and away from the face to create the illusion of a slimmer, longer face. How you achieve this is up to you, whether it involves spiking the hair with gel or pumping it up with hairspray. Either way, you’ll stand out from the crowd.

Products, Products, Products

Maybe you’re well-versed in hair products, or maybe your hair product vocabulary ends at “shampoo”. Either way, for this special day, you’ll want to have a look at your choices and step up your game if need be. The best way to do this is to consider your hair type. Along with your cut, this will determine what hair product you should use and how.

• For wavy or curly hair, style with a small amount of gel using your hands, being careful not to end up with any crunchy areas from over-application.

• Short to medium hair will benefit from the use of pomade, a lighter alternative to gel which will still create texture and definition but won’t leave your hair stiff – perfect for a (neatened up) bedhead look. Again, use as little as possible to avoid overloading your hair.

• To give a bit of lift to dead straight or very fine hair, go for mousse. Apply it on dry hair to avoid a slick, greasy look.

• Lastly, men with thinning hair should turn to hairspray for styling power that won’t weigh down the hair or leave it sticking flat to your scalp.

Practice Makes Perfect

Timing is everything, so make sure you have your hair schedule planned out well in advance. A few guidelines:

• Get your hair cut for the final time a week before the wedding. This will ensure that your hair has time to settle nicely into the cut, plus it still leaves plenty of time for damage control should Plan A not quite work out as you’d hoped. While you’re getting the cut, ask your stylist to demonstrate and explain how best to style it and what products he or she recommends. If you’re after a certain look inspired by a hair model or celebrity, bring one – or even better, a few- pictures along to your appointment. Pro-tip: avoid any style that is overtly trendy or current as it’s likely to date quickly in wedding pictures. Choosing something that is a proven classic will ensure you don’t look back on those pictures in a few decades and cringe.

• Practice your chosen style before the wedding so that you don’t end up making a mess on the day. If possible, try this style out a few times so you can establish a routine and feel confident in your styling skills. If things do end up going sideways at the last minute, though, the worst case scenario is that you wash your hair and start over. Still, this is not ideal during the hustle and bustle of a wedding day, so spare yourself the trouble and make sure you know exactly what you’re doing. Alternatively, you could book your hairstylist again to style – but not cut – your hair on the day.

• Consider booking a traditional Turkish shave for yourself and your groomsmen on the morning of, or day before, your wedding. After all, who says only the ladies should get to be pampered? The idea of a Turkish shave is that it is done the old fashioned way, using shaving soap, a shaving brush and a straight razor. Once again, this is something that should be given a trial run before the time, so that you know exactly what the process is and how your skin will react. If you normally wear a beard and are planning to keep it that way, obviously you’ll be skipping out on the complete shave, but at least make sure your beard it is neatly trimmed and that you have a clean shave on your neck and cheeks.

When it comes to the wedding itself, do check your hair every once in a while but don’t let it become an issue you’re worrying about all day long. Once you’ve seen to the shave, the cut, and the styling of all relevant hair, it’s time to turn your focus to the magic of the day ahead – and other important things, like showing off your slick moves on the dancefloor and eating copious amounts of wedding cake. Enjoy!