Why wedding hair starts 6 weeks before your wedding day!

Laura Courtie
Jan 4
3 min read

Why Wedding Hair Starts Six Weeks Before the Big Day

When most brides think about wedding hair, they picture the morning itself — the styling chair, the finished look, the final spray.

But after styling over 2,000 brides, I can confidently say this:

Wedding hair doesn’t start on the wedding day.

It starts weeks before.

And by the time something goes wrong on the day, it’s often too late to fix.

The Mistake Most Brides Don’t Realise They’re Making

One of the hardest conversations I have as a bridal hairstylist is explaining that an issue with wedding hair wasn’t caused by the styling — it was caused by preparation.

Common problems I see include:

Hair that’s too soft to hold a style
Hair weighed down by product build-up
Ends that won’t smooth or behave
Hair that reacts badly to heat, humidity or long wear

These issues don’t appear overnight.

They develop slowly, weeks before the wedding.

And unfortunately, no amount of skill on the morning can fully correct hair that hasn’t been prepared properly.

Why Preparation Matters More Than Styling

Even the best stylist can only work with the hair she’s given.

Bridal hair needs to do more than look nice for an hour — it needs to:

Hold shape for a full wedding day
Stay smooth through movement and weather
Respond predictably to heat and products
Look polished from the ceremony to the last dance

That level of performance requires intention, not last-minute fixes.

Introducing the 6-Week Bridal Hair Preparation Ritual

To remove this uncertainty for my brides, I created the 6-Week Bridal Hair Preparation Ritual — a professional, time-based preparation designed to be followed in the weeks leading up to the wedding.

This isn’t about trends or experimenting.

It’s about giving your hair exactly what it needs, at the right time, so it behaves properly when it matters most.

How the 6-Week Preparation Works

The preparation is broken into three clear phases, each with a specific purpose.

Phase 1: Reset (Weeks 6–5)

This phase removes product build-up and resets how the hair behaves.

Many brides are surprised to learn that over-conditioning and layering products is one of the biggest causes of bridal hair issues. Clean, balanced hair styles far better than overloaded hair.

Focus:

A clean, reliable foundation.

Phase 2: Build (Weeks 5–2)

This is where hair quality is developed.

The goal here isn’t softness alone — it’s strength, body and control without making the hair too slippery to hold.

This phase ensures the hair can support structured styling while still looking healthy and polished.

Focus:

Strength, manageability and predictable hold.

Phase 3: Perfect & Protect (Final 2 Weeks)

In the final weeks, nothing changes.

This phase protects the condition you’ve built and avoids last-minute experimentation — one of the most common causes of wedding-week hair issues.

Consistency at this stage is key.

Focus:

Stability and protection.

What’s Included in the Ritual

The 6-Week Bridal Hair Preparation Ritual includes nine carefully selected products, sized intentionally based on how long and how often they’re used within the plan, along with a clear step-by-step guide explaining exactly what to do and what not to change close to the wedding.

All products are: