Wedding guest: which finish for your outfit

Being a wedding guest means finding the right balance: hair that is polished, that honours the couple, without stealing the bride's show.

The simplest approach is to start from your outfit. A soft blow-dry suits almost everything, but depending on the cut of the dress, the neckline or the collar, another finish may work better.

Start from the outfit

Your hair extends the line of what you wear. Before choosing a finish, look at three things:

• The top of the outfit: collar, straps, bare shoulders, open back.
• The fabric: a flowing fabric calls for movement, a structured one calls for neatness.
• The accessories: hat, fascinator, large earrings, necklace.

Then ask yourself what you want to show: your face, your shoulders, your neck or the length of your hair.

Soft, the all-round finish

The soft blow-dry gives flowing lengths and gently rounded ends. It is the hold of a blow-dry with the look of natural hair. For a wedding it has a decisive advantage: it suits the afternoon ceremony as well as the dinner, and it stays elegant as it relaxes late in the evening.

It works with:

• a midi dress or a wrap dress;
• a flowing jumpsuit;
• a colourful, patterned or bold outfit, which calls for more discreet hair.

If in doubt, it is the safest choice.

According to the cut of the dress

Long, flowing dress

A long dress in chiffon or satin calls for movement. Brush curls give soft, glossy curls, made with a round brush and no iron, that relax gently over the day. They follow a silhouette that moves beautifully.

Trouser suit or structured dress

A jacket with defined shoulders, a suit or a straight dress calls for a clean line. The sleek blow-dry echoes that precision. It also shows the shine of the hair, which brings radiance without adding any ornament.

Short dress or cocktail dress

A short dress benefits from a little presence up top to balance it. Volume, with its lifted roots, or a well-worked soft finish, both work very well.

According to the neckline and collar

• High collar or fine turtleneck: loose hair may rub against the fabric. A sleek or soft finish, brought over to one side, clears the line of the neck.
• Open back: if you want to show it, bring all your hair forward over one shoulder. A curled finish holds that position well.
• Bare shoulders: curls resting on the shoulders frame the silhouette. This is the moment for brush curls.
• V neckline: a soft finish falling either side of the face extends the line of the V.

Hat, fascinator and outdoors

With a hat

A hat flattens the roots. There is no point asking for much volume at the top of the head. Go for a sleek or soft finish, whose lengths stay beautiful under the brim.

With a fascinator or a clip

A fascinator sits to one side and is easier to fix into hair that has been styled. A soft or curled finish gives the hold you need.

For an outdoor ceremony

Wind is the great enemy of wedding hair, especially near water or in the vineyards. A finish that moves naturally ages better than a strict sleek look.

If the wedding takes place around Lausanne or in the Lavaux, our article on wedding hair in Lausanne and the Lavaux covers wind and outdoor photos.

A well-groomed guest is noticed in the group photos, not at the moment the bride walks in.

What is best avoided

A few conventions are agreed almost everywhere:

• White and ivory are reserved for the bride. For hair, avoid anything that could look like bridal hair, such as a veil or a crown.
• The spectacular: very elaborate curls for a simple ceremony can look out of place. Keep iron curls for a dressed-up wedding and a gala dinner.
• Products added along the way: an oil or serum applied at the last minute weighs the hair down for the whole day.

For a very dressed-up wedding evening that goes on late, our article on evening blow-dries explains how to make your hair last until the end of the night.

Book before the wedding

Have your blow-dry done the same morning or the day before, depending on the time of the ceremony. The day before, sleep with a loose bun on a silk pillowcase and revive the roots with your fingertips when you wake up.

Booking is done online: your length, your finish, a free slot. Come with clean hair, without oil, serum or styling product: shampoo + treatment optional on site. The address is Avenue d'Yverdon 4, 1004 Lausanne.

If it was the bride who sent you this link, our bridal blow-dry schedule is for her.

Is your outfit ready? Book your soft blow-dry, or choose another finish from the menu.