What other factors determine the wedding style, what are the rules of necklines and hair length etc?

The most important thing to remember is that the dress sets a mood of the wedding and therefore determines the hairstyle. It is very important that the hairstyle compliments the style of the dress and conveys the mood. Generically speaking high neck dresses and dresses with open back would call for a hair up style whereas open styles are best complimented by elegant hair down. Of course, the hair textures and whether it hold the curls will be an important factor in your decision of what hair style to go for but here are some of my generic style rules to start with:

Brides Dress: high neck: Hairstyle: a classic ballerina bun high on the head.

Brides Dress: halter neck. Hairstyle: a relaxed French plait with height on top.

Brides Dress: boho Grecian. Hairstyle: a classic half-up half-down do with fresh flowers.

Brides Dress: square with cap sleeves Hairstyle: a loose low up-do accessorised by mini plaits

Brides Dress: asymmetrical. Hairstyle a big bouncy ponytail..

Brides Dress: strapless. Hairstyle: sophisticated side bun.

The most important thing to advise the bride is to stay true to herself, a lot of brides think that experimenting and going for ‘something different’ is a great way to showcase their big day. However as a professional you need to remind them that the aim of her look is to be an enhanced beautiful self in this way the bride will feel confident on the day, without the added stress of feeling uncomfortable or insecure with a drastic change. If the bride does not feel like herself it will transcend into her wedding photographs which will stay with her forever!

- Can you describe the journey of a bridal client from her initial enquiry to her wedding day?

Usually the first contact is either on email or phone. The first thing we ask is the date and time of the wedding and how many people there are in the party, who would like their hair (and make-up) done. We have a yes policy (“Yes we would love to do your bridal hair on such and such a date”) but we need to make sure one of our team members is free to do the hair. We give an estimate of the cost, then take a deposit (50% of total amount). We organise a trial session for the bride, ideally 2 to 4 weeks before the big day. On the day of the trial it is very important to take a picture of the agreed style and email it to the client, printing a copy for us too which is then filed away until the big day. One week before the wedding we call the client to settle the bill, so there is no need for her to worry about the money side on wedding day. Depending on the party size we work out a schedule for the big day making sure we have enough time to cover everyone giving them a time slot of 2 hours each making sure the hair and make-up team arrives in advance to the location ready to add the finishing touches to the big day.

- Can you give detail on what your courses involve, what are you trying to pass on to the audience during the courses and what skill set a bridal hair course should offer? For example is it essential to learn how to incorporate extensions into bridal hair?

I offer introductory and advanced bridal hair courses. It’s not essential to offer hair extensions but it is certainly a great advantage to be able to offer additional length, volume or colour possibly just for the big day ( temporary essentials). All my team are Balmain trained so we can offer this extra dimension. On the other hand I rarely advise a bride to change her appearance completely for her wedding unless she is obviously a complete extrovert! As said earlier it is essential for the bride to stay true to herself. My courses involve the following:

Focus on the bride – introduction to bridal hair styling

This allows you to learn how to create fashionable yet classic long hair styles perfect for special occasions focusing on Brides. Students will create beautiful shapes using chignon and French pleat techniques, freeing themselves from over dependence on hair pins and hair spray! I also teach how to incorporate a tiara and a veil into the style. The course is ideal for stylists with a basic knowledge of hair up and beginners with NVQ Level 2.

Advanced bridal hair styling

This course teaches the students how to incorporate clip on extensions and padding to achieve gravity defying volume, creating long or voluptuous styles to delight your bride client. I teach how to craft amazing shapes to produce fantastic images for your bridal portfolio. The course is perfect for stylists with at least one year on the salon floor and able to do basic hair up and ideal for those involved in photo shoots and show work.

- How to capitalise the most on a bridal service? Should you charge for hair trials? 

Yes definitely hair trials should always be charged for as they can be very time consuming. I also don’t believe in bridal packages…we offer a service tailored to each client and charged by the hour. Remember if it is a Saturday your salon will be full with full head H/L so you must charge fully for your time. Another point is the average spend on a wedding in UK is £16000.00 to £20000.00. If your service is too cheap you are devaluating it and hairdressing as a whole, so remember to charge accordingly to your time. Thinking of travel expenses and time involved not forgetting the number of people you are styling on the day. Also remember that a bride will be looking for a full ‘package’ which means she will be after someone to do her make-up, nails and even a tan which you should offer her to capitalise on your bridal service. This does not mean-that you need a permanent make-up artist in the salon. You can have a list of free lancers up your sleeve who you can call upon for wedding jobs, again consider that your service price. If your salon does however offer more than hair services it is worth marketing such skill set throughout the year, although I do not believe in Bridal packages it is worth promoting in salon beauty packages in time for occasions such as Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, New Year and similar to make the most out of the service you provide.

For more information on Anne’s bridal and occasional hair training courses visit  http://www.anneveckhair.com/hairdressing_courses.html

Image of Anne prepping model for her collection Wicked Wedding, go to http://www.anneveckhair.com/wicked_wedding.html to see the complete collection.