Bridal Hair Stylist Goes Above and Beyond the Call of Duty


You are locked in your seat on the most famous roller coaster in the world, the Cyclone in Brooklyn, New York. Your fiancé is right next to you, both of you dressed in wedding attire. As you go up the steep climb the preacher, who is seated behind you, begins reading your vows. At the pinnacle of the climb, you are pronounced Mr. and Mrs., only to let out a loud scream as you plummet almost 60 miles per hour at a 60 degree incline. On the second time around, your hair stylist, who is seated next to the preacher, reaches over and fixes a few hairs that have fallen out of place in your fancy bridal updo?

Okay, so the hair stylist didn't actually sit behind you next to the preacher, but other than a few other minor details this is a true story for Gretchen Maurer, an on-location wedding day hair and make-up specialist. She has been taken to many places throughout New England from Connecticut to Pennsylvania, Newport, Rhode Island, Manhattan and New York State with her bridal clients, including many different venues such as the Cyclone roller coaster, Bed & Breakfast Inns, small homes, even elaborate country clubs.

There are many important qualities that a top wedding hair stylist must have in order to have a thriving bridal beauty business which includes satisfied bridal clients. These include being flexible, being able to determine face shape and designing a hair style to suit, knowing the latest trends and fashions, continuous training and education in formal hair styling, being on-time and also having the ability to assess a women's overall image

Maurer began doing bridal hair right in hairdressing school in the early 80's. "I loved the sculpturing, balance and texture that bridal hair design challenges me with," she says. "The key to being successful in the bridal business," says Maurer "is the ability to read a woman's style and face shape so that I can design a balanced look for the total image and balance the bride from head to toe." Maurer first looks at pictures of the bride's dress, considers the time of day of the wedding, then she moves on to face shape, ethnic heritage, personal image, hair type and length, headpiece and puts it all together in a fabulous bridal hair style designed specifically for each individual bride.

Face shape knowledge is very important for a hair stylist. Maurer says, "I have a new bride coming up who has a heart shape face. This means a broad forehead and temple area with a small chin. Plus she is very petite. So a low chignon in the back is a perfect balance for her." Maurer adds, "Height will come from her tiara and veil." Face shape is used in the hair style selection process since one style may look great on someone who has an oval face, but simply awful on someone with a square face. This is also an important factor for brides who bring in hair style photos they like from magazines. Some stylists will simply create the hair style for you, disregarding the fact that the photo, for example, may show a model with a heart face shape, and you may have a round face shape.

Maurer recommends that her clients bring in sample photos of hair styles that they like, along with any other photos such as photos of brides dresses, headpieces, tiaras, etc. so that she can get an overall sense of the brides likes and dislikes. From there she can design a hair style that suits the bride's overall image. Staying in tune with fashion trends and styles that her clients like is very important in the overall bridal look.

The age of the bride is also very important in the design of the bridal style. A bridal hair style will be very different for women in their 30's or 40's compared to women in their 20's. Maurer says, "I have a freelance team of hair stylists that I work with and I always try to give the younger bridesmaids to the younger hair stylists."

Maurer has expanded her bridal business beyond the salon in her website, www.weddinghair.com by offering a broad spectrum of wedding hairstyles designs and hair lengths and textures that the bride can pick out and order a hair kit. The hair kit is simply the hairstyle photographed step by step with directions and many after shots. Some brides will try to do the hairstyle themselves, some will have a friend or family member do it and some will take the hair kit to the salon and have a professional stylist do the wedding hair style. Maurer says, "Brides, for the most part have never been a bride. They need help choosing a look and www.weddinghair.com is designed to do just that. The hairstyles represent a broad spectrum of designs and hair lengths and textures. My articles also provide useful information. It is a one of its kind website."

In short, selecting your wedding hair stylist is an important part of creating your overall wedding look. Gretchen Maurer, and her website www.weddinghair.com , gives us insight into what a successful wedding hair stylist goes thru for each bridal client and what you should look for in selecting your stylist.

Gretchen Maurer is the author of The Business of Bridal Beauty, published by Milady Publishing. She is creator and owner of www.weddinghair.com Maurer's articles and hairstyles have been published in numerous publications and web sites including The Knot, www.NewYorkMetroWeddings.com , Modern Bride, Modern Salon, Passion, American Salon, WeddingBells, Bridal Star Hairstyles and Teen Star Hairstyles. Brides Magazine has awarded www.weddinghair.com as the "Best Beauty Web Site"

Author Perriann Rodriguez is the founder of Hair Resources, http://www.hairresources.com and http://www.hairresources.net , a global website for current hair styles, hair extension info, beauty salons and everything else related to hair. She has published the number one best selling E-book, 2005's Most Popular Hair Extensions, and also the E-Magazine, Wedding Hair Styles. Rodriguez is listed in the United States Register of American Writers and the 2004 Who's Who of Business and Professionals.







Related News



An ugly attack on Mormons - Los Angeles Times

Gay Socialites

An ugly attack on Mormons
Los Angeles Times, CA -2 hours ago
The Mormon zealots yank the couple's wedding rings from their fingers and then tear up their marriage license. As the thugs leave, one says to the other, ...
Sam Loomis '10: Common groundThe Brown Daily Herald
Proposition 8: Separating the fiction from factChristianExaminer
all 65 news articles

Florida Governor’s wedding targeted by homosexual activists - Catholic News Agency

Catholic News Agency

Florida Governor’s wedding targeted by homosexual activists
Catholic News Agency, CO -55 minutes ago
... a marriage amendment proposed for the Florida constitution, homosexual activists plan to demonstrate outside the church wedding and reception of Florida ...

Ivana Divorce! Trump Splits From Hubby After 7-Month Marriage - FOXNews

New Zealand Herald

Ivana Divorce! Trump Splits From Hubby After 7-Month Marriage
FOXNews -9 hours ago
Ivana Trump's sons walked her down the aisle, and her daughter Ivanka was her maid of honor for their April 2008 wedding held, to keep the family even more ...
Ivana Trump splits from husband No.4, just seven months after ...Daily Mail
Divorce: Ivana Trump 7 month marriage is overDivorce Diva
Ivana Trump Leaves Husband No. 4The Money Times
Ninemsn
all 209 news articles

Weddings and business: A marriage of convenience - BusinessWorld Online

Weddings and business: A marriage of convenience
BusinessWorld Online, Philippines -Nov 27, 2008
Just as weddings are a beginning of a lifelong marriage, wedding suppliers are hopeful that the current business vigor paves the way for a truly sustainable ...


Group Plans To Protest Crist's Wedding - CBS 4

Group Plans To Protest Crist's Wedding
CBS 4, FL -11 hours ago
... Impact Florida says the group plans to demonstrate outside Crist's wedding because he supported Amendment 2, which banned same-sex marriage in Florida. ...
Gay Rights Group To Protest At Crist's WeddingCentral Florida News 13|
Gay rights group to protest at Crist's weddingTampabay.com
Gay Rights Protest Set For NuptialsTampa Tribune
all 6 news articles

Certified Vacations Group, Inc. & CaribbeanWeddings.Com Announce ... - MarketWatch

Certified Vacations Group, Inc. & CaribbeanWeddings.Com Announce ...
MarketWatch -17 hours ago
Certified's 28-year track record of excellence in developing packaged leisure travel, combined with our wedding expertise makes a perfect marriage. ...

Marriage is a gamble - Straits Times

Marriage is a gamble
Straits Times, Singapore -6 hours ago
She and her fiance are the main draws in Wedding Of The Year, set for release on Jan 22 next year. The film is a black comedy about a celebrity couple who ...

Ayesha's marriage postponed after terror attack - Oneindia

Ayesha's marriage postponed after terror attack
Oneindia, India -34 minutes ago
Ayesha Takia's wedding to beau, restaurateur Farhan Azmi, delayed. Wedding to take place mid-2009 In the wake of the 26/11 terrorist attacks, Ayesha Takia's ...
Ayesha Takia postpones weddingZee News
all 2 news articles

Florida governor's bride-to-be chooses her gown for Dec. 12 wedding - Sun-Sentinel.com

Florida governor's bride-to-be chooses her gown for Dec. 12 wedding
Sun-Sentinel.com, FL -3 hours ago
Hung's salon is also altering cream-colored, floor-length dresses purchased elsewhere for Rome's two preteen daughters from a previous marriage, ...
Gays to Demonstrate at Fla. Gov. Crist’s MarriageEDGE Boston
Gay rights group to protest at Crist's weddingWWSB ABC 7
Sunday links: A protest of the Crist-Rome nuptials?Palm Beach Post
all 22 news articles

Montag, Pratt wedding symbolic, not yet legal - Auburn Citizen

Auburn Citizen

Montag, Pratt wedding symbolic, not yet legal
Auburn Citizen, NY -18 hours ago
The story doesn't note that they had neither obtained a marriage license nor taken part in a separate civil ceremony, which is required by Mexican law to ...
Something Fishy About Spencer - Heidi WeddingTango
all 3 news articles