ROMANTIC BRIDAL HAIR

AN INTERVIEW WITH BRIDAL HAIR EXPERT SARAH NEILL //

So, I don’t know about you but watching people get their hair and make up done has always been a huge love of mine! I don’t care what anyone says, that shit is an art form! One of my favourite parts of a wedding day is being able to watch and admire how make up artists and hair stylists do what they do.. for one, because I have no hope of ever being able to craft the things they do with my own face and hair, and two, because it’s so incredible to be surrounded by such amazing young women who are just full of good vibes! Being around a bridal party in the morning is the best, there all the excitement nerves and just in general a fantastic happy aura around not only the bride but everyone involved.

One fantastic example of this was when I recently got to shoot Nicole + Matt’s beaaaaautiful Fortitude Valley ‘LightSpace’ wedding -- click here to have a squiz! -- and got to meet Sarah Neill from Sarah Neill Hair. I watched as she sprayed, tucked and placed each hair into place perfectly and wondered what sorcery it was that, after hours of dancing, all bridesmaids and especially the bride’s hair looked just as it had when first done. “It’s just like magic!!”

I reached out to Sarah earlier this week to ask if she wouldn’t mind helping a hopeless sister out (and hopefully some LOBRIDE’s too!) with some of the myths and general knowledge surrounding bridal hair and the biz in general!.. SO, without further ado, relax, grab some wine (Margarita for me please waiter!) and have a look at what she had to say in all her blissfully beautiful hair wisdom..

QUESTION 1 //

Sarah!! First off thank you sooo much for doing this! It’s something I’ve wanted to do for ages and am so happy to have met you! Sometimes fellow vendors can be hesitant to reach out but chatting to you at Nikki’s prep was like chatting to a girlfriend! To get us started, let us know, how did you get into doing bridal hair?

Its so nice to chat about the wedding day nitty gritty, its really something our brides don’t know too much about and Im all about being prepared!
I was a hairdresser for some time and always enjoyed it but my main love was blowdrying. It was from there I expanded and started my love for styling, I met another lovely stylist, Jody, who told me how great being a bridal stylist was and within two weeks I was focusing on bridal and editorial.

QUESTION 2 //

So one of the ‘myths’, if you will, that I and I’m sure other women have alwaaaays been told by hairdressers (when I got my formal hair done that is..) was to not wash your hair for a day or two before getting it done to ensure the style held better? Is this true? I hope not as I am a serial hair hygiene freak..

This is a common myth and it’s very untrue !! I much prefer to work with clean hair, I can make it textured and have plenty of volume a lot easier. If my client has fresh hair the colour looks better, I also have a better understanding of how it sits, flattens or frizzes. I always send out an email a week prior to the wedding day trial and in my wedding day confirmation asking if they could please have hair washed the night before. I hope this solves that myth!

QUESTION 3 //

What is your favourite style of hair to create at the moment?

I have two really!! I like to keep hair simple, soft and romantic. My first is waves either undone or smooth - they are just so feminine and pretty. My second style is a soft low undone bun with plenty of natural texture.

QUESTION 4 //

If you had to choose one style of hair to fit the theme of ‘classic’ or ‘timeless’ what would it be?

Ooo that’s a tricky one.. I think a simple low bun is elegant and compliments lots of face shapes. If your stylist positions it in the right spot it can be very pretty!

QUESTION 5 //

Over the past few years we have seen a huge shift towards more relaxed wedding hair styles, do you think this will continue or maybe a new trend will come knocking soon enough?

Ive thought this recently too what is the next movement. I’ve loooved the trends over the last few years and I certainly think that they will keep place for a good while. I think that natural hair and classic shapes is really something that you can’t go wrong with when picking your wedding day hair. I think as artists we each have our own trend we specialise in and as fashions shift we put our own spin on what is current.

QUESTION 6 //

What is the best thing about running your own business?

I have loved creating my own business! I’m a mother to two little girls and I wanted to set an example of women and finding your own power. I have taken them to shoots (never to weddings hehe). I have loved the creative freedom it has brought me and I love coming up with ideas that will better my business. It has been a year as of last Sunday being my own stylist so that has been exciting, its also been gratifying as a mum as it gives me purpose outside of motherhood, although busy, I’m a firm believer in identity and keeping that is very important to me.

QUESTION 7 //

Let’s get onto timeline stuff! How far in advance do you like your brides to book you for their wedding day?

I still have brides enquire two weeks out from their day!! It’s really important to plan ahead for your wedding and figuring out what is crucial for your day is a start. I would say at least 12 months in advance is good, so generally soon after you are engaged. I believe no matter how girly or carefree you are you want to feel special on your day. The first step is to search around on Instagram or Facebook, ask friends who recently got married who share a similar style to you and go from there. In Brisbane we have some seriously talented stylists so if we aren't available we always like to recommend someone we trust.

QUESTION 8 //

With their trial hair appointment, do you prefer your brides to come in with a clear cut idea of exactly what they want or is it more of a ‘let’s see what we can create’ kind of thing?

I write in my trial confirmation email that I think its a great idea to have some inspiration! If you’re really lost, a photo of your dress or the style of earrings is a great way to get the vibe you’re going for. I like my brides to bring along the accessories or similar ones they plan to wear on their day, or a simple shirt that we can move, for example, you’re wearing a strapless dress or an off the shoulder to see your décolletage with your hair will help you get an overall feel. I always give input into what I think will suit a bride though.

QUESTION 9 //

How much time roughly do you need per hair style on the day? Are brides often surprised by how long is takes to create magic? Is there anything else you wish brides knew in regards to wedding hair styles? Tips?

I work on an hour per person. Hmmm, I like to try and be a magician, hehe, I have a lot of surprises in my kit so if you have fine hair don’t be afraid of extensions! I love using them not to add length but to add thickness!

QUESTION 10 //

Final question lady! What bridal hair style did you have for your own wedding!?

I wore my hair down, it was very long and a copper/brown and I wore a blush off the shoulder dress. That was 6 years ago and nearly every wedding I do I want to recreate my day again hehe.

There you go ladies! If you’d like to see more of Sarah’s gorgeous work one of the best places to stalk her is over on Instagram. (@sarahneillhair)