Bridal trials are hugely important for both the bride and me as a bridal hairstylist. It is a lot easier to communicate in person than via email or phone for a start.
Why are trials so important for the stylist?
· To get a feel of the hairs texture
· To meet the bride and/or bridal party
· To be able to prepare the steps needed to take on the wedding day for the decided style
· To be able to plan a start time and schedule for the wedding morning
· To be able to tweak the hairstyle and/or the positioning of accessories until it is perfect without worrying about time or affecting the stability of the style (because after all it’s just a practise run)
· To plan the best products to use on the wedding day for the chosen style
And why are trials important for the bride?
· To make sure the hairstylist is the right professional for her
· To determine a style she is comfortable with
· To iron out any queries
· To eliminate any potential styles if she is indecisive
· To make sure the style wanted is suited to her
· To be able to relax on the wedding morning, being confident in the hairstylist and the result
What should brides have prepared before the trial?
· The bride should have already chosen her wedding dress and have photos to hand to show the hairstylist
· Have an array of photos of hairstyles she likes the look of
· Have extensions for your trial if they will be needed to be able to get the full look (the bride should discuss this with the hairstylist before the trial to ensure the correct type are purchased)
· Have clean, product free hair
· It is an idea to wear a similar amount of make up on the trial that the bride will be having on the wedding day to create a better picture of how it will all come together on the big day
· If planning on wearing jewellery and/or hair accessories (including a veil), it is a good idea to have these ready for the hair trial
Who should be trialled and when?
Personally, I make it compulsory for the bride to have a trial before the wedding day and usually suggest that at least one bridesmaid and/or anyone else within the bridal party who may be unsure on styles, are trialled too to establish a style and be able to plan timings more easily.
Trials can take place at any time before the wedding day, but in my opinion, I believe they should not be done too far in advance if the bride is totally set on the hairstylist being the right one for her. The reason for this being that the later the trial, the more of the wedding has been planned down to its final details which may help when choosing a hairstyle. I also think that if the bride has too long between the trial and the big day, she is quite likely to overthink the hairstyle and may change her mind, spending more money having another trial. Obviously, if there is doubt that the hairstylist will be the right one for this particular bridal party, then the trial needs to take place a little sooner in case of needing to source another stylist.