Perfect Hairstyles for Your Winter Wedding

With Winter just around the corner, time to finalize those details for your Winter Wedding. After spending so much time making arrangements for the ceremony, booking the right venue, printing the invitations, ordering the flowers, hiring a photographer, determining music, and developing an appropriate guest list, it's easy to see why hair and makeup come in last. While wedding photographs will capture the moment forever, too often brides ignore this tiny detail until the very last moment when it may become difficult to get the perfect Winter Wedding hairstyle for you and your attendants.

Time to put your Winter Wedding hairstyle back on the front burner. How to begin? A few months before your wedding date, discuss your options with your hair stylist or find some photographs that will give the stylist an idea of your preferences. You may need to be flexible in terms of how you usually wear your hair. But, don't let your hair stylist dictate your style. For example, while you and your stylist may prefer your hair long and flowing down the back, this may be the last hairstyle on your Winter Wedding day.

According to Martha Stewart Weddings, upswept hairstyles have long been favorites of brides and attendants for their ease and simple elegance. The upsweep allows the bride and her attendants to see and be-seen. Wearing the hair up makes a powerful statement about today's bride and woman, and shows off the very best side of her.

As a former bride, I would agree that a classic, upswept hairstyle is a perfect style for today's modern woman on her Winter Wedding day. If you want to shine on your Winter Wedding day, check out these "updo" and classic styles for your Winter Wedding extravaganza: *Step-by-step, easy instructions included!

Chic Updo

What about a style akin to Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's for a dramatic entrance for the bride? A clean, elegant, look that works great with a veil. Or, leave some hair flowing for soft curls on one or both sides of your face. You can either part your hair on one side, in the middle or leave no part whatsoever. An updo is about as chic as you can get for this year's Winter Wedding.

Supplies:

• One elastic band that will hold the thickness of your hair
• Bobby Pins and/or clips.
• Styling paste, wax and hairspray.
• Hot rollers and/or curling iron.
• Hair accessories, such as crystal pins, headbands, baby's breath and Winter Wedding touches, like a thin red velvet ribbon. Silver and steel blues are also nice touches for you Winter Wedding accents.

Instructions:

1. Wet hair slightly, until damp.
2. Rub a small amount of styling paste into your hands and through dry hair.
3. Part hair on one side, in the middle or leave no part whatsoever.
4. Comb straight and pulled back from face on both sides, leaving ½ to 1 inch of hair on both sides of the part.
5. Gather hair and push back to create some volume in the front and sides of the hair.
6. Hold position of hair against the back of the head, all the while pulling hair into a pony tail, and secure with elastic band.
7. Wrap hair counter clockwise around band, to form a bun. Or, twist it to form a chignon.
8. Secure with Bobby Pins and/or clips.
9. Put remaining hair in hot rollers positioned vertically, or use a curling iron to create soft, cascading curls on both sides of the face.
10. Use hairspray to hold hair in place.

Classic Bun

What about a perfectly round bun, with a red velvet ribbon for a perfect Winter Wedding accent? Want to show off your elegant neckline? A simple bun may be just the style for you. But, don't forget the hairpins to secure the bun so that you can mingle with confidence.

Supplies:

• One elastic band that will hold the thickness of your hair
• Bobby Pins.
• Styling paste, wax and hairspray
• Hair accessories, such as crystal pins, headbands, baby's breath and small, elegant Winter Wedding accents, like white or red velvet ribbon. Silver and steel blues are also nice touches for you Winter Wedding accents.

Instructions:

1. Wet hair slightly, until damp.
2. Rub a small amount of styling paste into your hands and through dry hair.
3. Comb straight and pulled back from face on both sides.
4. Pull hair into a pony tail, and secure with elastic band.
5. Wrap hair counter clockwise around band, to form a bun.
6. Secure with Bobby Pins.
7. Use hairspray to hold hair in place.

Twisted Classic Bun

For a Winter fashion spin on a traditional bun, try a twisted bun. Works best with long, thick hair. If hair is fine, it works best if hair has not been washed or treated for at least 12 hours.

Supplies:

• Two elastic bands that will hold the thickness of your hair.
• Bobby Pins.
• Styling paste, wax and hairspray
• Hair accessories, such as crystal pins, headbands, baby's breath and Winter Wedding accents and colors.

Instructions

1. Rub a small amount of styling paste into your hands and through dry hair.
2. Tie hair up into two ponytails, the first ponytail at the middle of the crown, and the second ponytale Wintering a little lower and closer to the nape of the neck. Be sure to gather an equal amount of hair in each ponytail or this won't work.
3. Starting with the bottom ponytail, take small sections of hair, about ½ an inch to 1 inch in thickness, and twist the hair until desired tightness is achieved.
4. Pin hair strategically around the ponytail.
5. Repeat the twisting and pinning steps with the top ponytail.
6. Use hairspray to hold hair in place.

Elegant Chignon

Classic chignons have come a long way from the tight figure-eight look of the 1980s. Today's bride might wear her chignon loose and neatly arranged either high on the head or lower on the nape. Crystal and pearl accents will add sparkle to this do. Or, you might want to find ornamental hairpins for that special, sparkly look. Winter Weddings call for sparkles, or deep Winter Wedding hues, like red, green, or purple velvets and satins. Silver and steel blues are also nice touches for you Winter Wedding accents.

Supplies:

• One elastic band that will hold the thickness of your hair.
• Prong-shaped Bobby Pins (or hair stick)
• Styling paste, wax and hairspray
• Hair accessories, such as crystal pins, headbands, baby's breath and Winter Wedding accents (red, white, green, silver, steel blue, or purple velvet or satin ribbons.)

Instructions:

1. Begin with clean, dry, tangle-free hair. Or, blow straight hair curly or wavy hair straight for a smoother, sensational look. Work a little mousse through your hair or tame flyaway hair with a dollop of anti-frizz crème or serum before starting your chignon.
2. Brush hair back into a low ponytail. Be creative. Shorter, side layers can be pinned back with jeweled hair pins or a head band.
3. Grip the base of the ponytail with one hand, and use other hand to twist the tail into a tight spiral.
4. Hold base of ponytail with one hand, and lift tail straight up with the other.
5. Coil tail clockwise around the base. When you've made half a circle, release the hand holding the base and use it to hold the bun as you continue to coil or wrap the tail of the chignon.
6. Complete two rotations. Neatly tuck end of tail under the chignon. For long hair, push tail through the bun and make a knot.
7. Secure chignon with prong-shaped Bobby Pins or hair stick. Push Bobby Pin through at any outside edge, collecting a small amount of the bun as you make the insertion. Secure opposite side of the bun with a second pin.
8. If using a hair stick, push tip up through the right hand corner of the chignon, so that a thin flat layer rests on top of the stick. Rotate stick 180 degrees and push gently through the base of the bun. As the stick begins to emerge, hook small amount of hair on the underside of the left corner, then center the stick. Le voila!
9. Use hairspray to hold hair in place.

Elegant French Braid

My absolute favorite hairstyle for long hair is the French braid for a bridal look that will turn heads. Classic and elegant, this style will work wonders with any veil or head band. Add Winter Wedding colors in warm hues and velvet or satin ribbons to make this bride and her wedding day one-of-a-kind.

Supplies

• One elastic band that will hold the thickness of your hair.
• Bobby Pins
• Styling paste, wax and hairspray
• Hair accessories, such as crystal pins, headbands, baby's breath and Winter Wedding accents (red, white, green, silver, steel blue, or purple velvet or satins.)

Instructions:

1. Begin with clean, dry, tangle-free hair. Or, blow straight hair curly or wavy hair straight for a smoother, sensational look. Work a little mousse through your hair or tame flyaway hair with a dollop of anti-frizz crème or serum before starting your French Braid.
2. Pull hair back as if making a pony tail.
3. Divide hair in the back into three sections, starting from the very top of the back of the head.
4. Pull only a little bit of hair from each section, no more than ½ to ¾ of an inch, from the top into a braid. Keep pulling in more hair as you make your way down the back of the head.
5. Stop with 1-2 inches of hair remaining.
6. Secure braided hair with elastic band. Weave baby's breath into the French braid, or other Winter Wedding accents, like a velvet or taffeta ribbon around the band to add a little shine to the braid, or tuck braid into a bun if need be.

RESOURCES

Hairdressing publications of highest quality
http://hairshow.us/

Brides' Wedding Hair Styles
www.brides.com/beauty/hairstyles/gallery/editorspick/

InStyle Weddings - Hair Styles
www.instyleweddings.com

Pantone
www.pantone.com