5 Bridal Styling Tricks You Should Be Using

Don’t you hate those rogue strands of hair that somehow don’t make it into your updos? What about the annoying gaps you end up with in the front hairline? Or an updo that falls apart 30 minutes after you’ve finished it? Here are solutions to each of those bridal style problems, and more!

Keep Your Pins Closed
Opening a bobby pin before inserting it causes it to grab too much hair, which doesn’t provide a strong hold. Instead, Stephanie Brinkerhoff (@hairandmakeupbysteph) inserts a closed bobby pin into the hair, then twists it to catch multiple sections of hair and provide extra grip. “Sliding your pins into the updo instead of opening them will camouflage the pins better,” adds Annette Waligora (@annette_updo_artist).

Wrap it Up
Rogue strand of hair that didn’t make it into the style? Open a bobby pin, wrap the strand around the pin multiple times, then push the pin into the bulk of the updo.

Mind the Gap
You know those annoying gaps you end up with in the front hairline after creating an updo? Keep a pigmented powder or even an eye pencil in your bag and use it to fill in wide gaps where you can see the scalp, says legendary stylist Peter Gray. Your bridal client will thank you when she sees her wedding photos!

Veil Placement
If the bride requests a veil with a half upstyle, place the veil at the parietal ridge or higher so it doesn’t compete with the updo, says Steph.

Shake It
When the updo is complete, ask your client to shake her head to see loose areas, then add extra pins to that spot.