Rain on your Wedding Day?

A bride from this weekend.

I was in the middle of a four wedding weekend, with 2 brides on Friday. The traditional spring/early summer peak for the wedding season is over, yet my head is still swimming from all the white satin, lace, and flowers. It is a brave bride who plans to have a fall wedding, especially at an outdoor venue. So, what if it rains on your wedding day…?

Bride number one was all smiles, her feet soaking in a pedicure tub, when I arrived at the salon. “I bought an umbrella!” she exclaimed and motioned towards the back of her chair. We were discussing the grim forecast a few days earlier when I suggested that she embrace the rain, buy a great umbrella, and get some fantastic photos. We styled her hair mostly down- another brave move-with one side pinned back. What should you do if it rains on your wedding day?  Buy a fabulous umbrella, Wear your hair however you want, and embrace the rain.

Setting up for an indoor ceremony at the mansion.

A few clients later and it was time to head to a Victorian mansion where my next bride was waiting. I dodged raindrops as I loaded the car and nervously drove to the venue. She had planned for an outdoor wedding and this dream-drowning downpour had me wondering what brand of chaos I would walk into. I arrived just behind the bride, and one of the bridesmaid’s offered to park my car. As she dashed off with my keys, bare-headed, into the flood, I reached for my bag and breathed relief at having remembered my blow dryer.

I made my way through the house and was greeted by the bride, grinning from ear to ear like the sun had never shone so brightly. I felt myself relax a little. She wasn’t angry. She was radiant. I styled her hair in a soft, full updo, finished off with a feather hairpiece, perfect for their “Great Gatsby” wedding theme. I styled two more members of the bridal party without a hitch, incorporating braids in the flower girl’s updo to keep her thick, curly hair in place. Downstairs, they were setting up for an indoor wedding. The ceremony wouldn’t be exactly as she imagined, but it looked was as lovely as a painting.

What if it rains on your wedding day? Keep smiling. If your hair is unruly when the weather is wet, add a few loose braids or twists to the style to keep it in place.

A few wedding hair tips for stylists:

•  Bring your blow dryer- Also; don’t forget your styling brushes and a few blow-dry products. Nothing is worse then a damp updo. Your blow dryer will be your best friend if your client has a wavy hairline. Simply moisten with water, apply a heat protecting product, and re-dry in the same direction that you will be styling the hair in.
•  If you don’t know the wedding or updo client you will be working with, always ask them to arrive with clean, dry hair. We have all heard that one or two day old hair is ideal for up-styling. That is true for about 50% of your clients. The other half of the time will be spent trying to conceal greasy scalps. Dry shampoos are helpful, but a poor substitute for clean hair. If the hair is too limp when clean, there are great products on the market that will add grip and fullness.
• Always photograph your bride’s trials. I keep my phone at my station when performing a test style for a bride, and snap photos from each angle when I am finished. It is really helpful to bring these photos up on the wedding day. This ensures that there is no miscommunication.   And, honestly, If I don’t document their bridal trial, I won’t remember it on their wedding day.

Finally, don’t panic. If you are scheduled to do an offsite wedding, check and double check your supplies. If you open your bag and find that you forgot something important, Stay calm.  Reassure the bride in soothing tones that you have a plan. Then, of course, you have to actually have a plan.

My finished look that I created on one of my clients

Cutting hair by candlelight at the salon.

I returned to the salon Friday afternoon to finish my evening of hair, a little soggy, but grateful for a successful day. Seconds after walking into the back door, the salon’s power clicked off. I moved through the dimly lit salon and past our client’s in various stages of their services. Some with foils in their head, others halfway into a haircut, and one poor women with wet hair who came for a blow-dry. We located some matches and a few of us worked by candlelight. The moral? Improvise. If you lose power, grab a candle and light a match. If it rains on your wedding, grab an umbrella and keep smiling.