Wedding Trends

2020

Weddings are one of the most important days in a person’s life and for hairdressers they also mean big business. With the proliferation of social media brides are exposed to more ideas than ever and this can make your job as a hairdresser challenging.

From getting to know the bride and her style more, to how to approach a desired style that might not suit them come the big day. We went to our pros to share step-by-steps and their expertise on the bridal business—and what trends to look out for this year.

“The overall look was a youthful one, leaning on the boho side with a braid and messy updo in the lower section of the back of the head.”

Schwarzkopf Professional was the choice of product backstage at Harrogate Bridal Fashion week, by the award-winning MG Hair & Makeup team. Megan Garmers, founder and director of MG Hair & Makeup, spoke of the yearly event, “As the spring is upon us, we are getting ready for London Bridal Fashion Week and reminiscing about Harrogate Bridal Fashion Week.

“There is always a mix of established designers and new or indie

brands that show their designs on the catwalks and we love being a part of the backstage team to get the models ready. For Harrogate Bridal Fashion Week, we loved using Schwarzkopf Professional products to style and maintain the look the whole day through as there were multiple shows in one day.”

Schwarzkopf Professional x Harrogate Bridal Fashion Week

Megan Garmers

founder/director of mg hair & makeup

One Start by prepping the hair with dry texture sprays and dry shampoo as needed to give grit and texture. Each model had different hair types and lengths so sometimes a mixture of both was needed. We used the Schwarzkopf Professional Mad About Waves Dry Shampoo, Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Dry Texture Spray and Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Pigmented Dry Shampoo. For a few with extra fine texture, we also used Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Soft Dust in the crown as well.

Two We then brushed the product through and sectioned the hair into a hard set with a curling iron and the Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Elastic Hold Hairspray, pinning up the curls to cool. This gave added lift at the roots, especially for those with thinner and fine-textured hair.

Three Once the hair cooled, we took the curls down, gave the model a side part and started with a braid on each side, finishing with a rubber band.

Four We then took the bottom side sections and clipped them forward so we could work on lower middle section. Taking it into thirds, we made three ponytails and sectioned each into a further two sections. After teasing each section, we twisted them over each other and pinned each over the rubber band base to conceal it. After the lower middle section was done, we took the braids and pinned them down across the back of the head diagonally.

Five Then taking the side sections, we sectioned each in two, teased and twisted just like the lower middle section. Each side was then pinned above the lower middle section and over the braids. We took small pieces out around the face to loosen the look a bit and finished with the Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Sparkler Shine Spray and the Schwarzkopf Professional OSIS+ Session Label Super Dry Fix.

Sharon Malcolm

owner of sharon malcolm

hairdressing Northern Ireland Hairdresser of the Year tells us her thoughts on wedding hair and trends for 2020...

When it comes to wedding hair, there aren’t any specific trends to follow—the most important thing is suitability and wearability. The bridal hair consultation is absolutely key as this will give you an opportunity to talk to your client about the type of look she wants, see pictures of her dress neckline and talk about how she usually wears her hair.

If she always wears it down, she may prefer more hair around her face and shoulders. If she’s used to wearing it up, 2020 hair is less structured and more beautifully undone.

It’s important the bride feels like a million dollars and feels and looks like herself. Veils aren’t as popular as they have been, but accessories are the perfect way to add something to the hair to complement the dress. There’s so many to choose from at the moment, there is something for all styles and lengths of hair.

Jennifer Linton

co-founder of linton & mac Jennifer has worked with brides for seven years and is currently prepping for a new photoshoot to showcase 2020 wedding styles. Here she talks about this year’s wedding trends and gives advice on dealing with brides.

What do you think will be some of the biggest trends this year?

I know veils are going to be in this year. We’re in the middle of planning a shoot and because the veils are going to be quite big and overpowering, we’re making the hair sleeker, smoother and more simplistic.

In the same shoot, we are trying to go down a sustainable route. There are more people using recycled headpieces or dresses and they’re going down a more sustainable route for their wedding.

Where would you get the sustainable head pieces?

A couple of brides have asked if I would sell them to other brides and I’m wondering if that’s something we can maybe start doing. eBay, Depop are good for finding recycled headgear.

Do you think that because veils will be big, that simplified hair will be a big thing?

Yeah, I think so. I find with my brides that I am definitely going down more of the route with not-too-over-the-top, not too bridal or too set—everything is a lot looser not anyway. I am a colourist as well and with colour, everything is a lot more undone and simple, people don’t want high maintenance. Much more natural and simplistic.

What do you think is going to be the biggest change?

I think a lot more people would wear their hair down now. For a while, everyone was wearing their hair up, but they want to be more themselves on their wedding day and people don’t spend as much time putting their hair up as they used to. People will also be spending a lot more money on getting their colour right.

What colour trends do you predict for brides?

I always think blondes are a big thing for brides because a lot of weddings happen in the summer, but more lived-in and effortless hair. And not too much obvious balayage—I don’t think that’s a trend anymore people are looking for just a bit of root shadow. For colour themes, I’m looking at a lot of peaches, aqua, and a saffron yellow which I’ve seen a lot of recently.

Why do you think brides are going for bigger veils and more sustainable fashion pieces? I think people’s dresses are more simplistic because they want to feel more themselves. But when the dress is simple they can have a bit more of a statement with a headpiece or veil.

Headpieces are good because they change it up, but I’ve seen some really cool veils this year with print or names stitched in. It’s such a small part of the wedding and they can just take it off and look a bit more classic for the evening. I’ve also seen a few polka

Jen’s prep tips

I always get me brides to use the mini Kevin Murphy shampoos, and include that in the price of their package. You’ll get a couple of uses out of that bottle, so they can use it on and before their wedding day to make sure their hair doesn’t have any tacky products in it. • Each 40ml Kevin Murphy mini shampoo can be bought from kevinmurphystore.com

dot ones that are really nice—I kinda wish I was getting married this year.

How would you advise brides that their ideas may not work?

When I do a trial, I always give myself time so they can try their style and the style I think will work—that way it doesn’t look like I’m telling them. A lot of the time if they think their idea is right; you’ll just be fighting against them—it’s better to let them see it.

You shouldn’t tell the bride they’re wrong, because if someone said that to me, I would think they don’t know what they’re doing or that my idea was rubbish. You need to make them aware that you know best, while not making them feel like that because it’s their day.

Do their style first, then yours and take photos of each look so you can show them the whole process and let them think about it. I also don’t think they should bring too many people to a trial because some people influence them when they shouldn’t.

What advice would you give to hairdressers new to wedding hair?

Make sure you’re getting them [the brides] to use the right products. I give my brides shampoo and condition to use in the morning that I know is going to be good for their hair. It means they won’t have a buildup of product in their hair. Encourage them to start coming to you for colours and cuts before the trial, so you have that time to get to know them more if they aren’t already your client.