Planning 101 26th September 2014

Wedding Hairstyles for Short Hair

Cropped dos, Pixie Cuts and Lobs have been taking the world by storm on the high-street and red carpets alike for some time now, but more often than not, when the other half pops the Big Question and wedding planning mode sets in, one of the main things on the bride-to-be’s mind is often “Must. Grow. Hair. Long!”

True, there are some amazing styles out there for those of you with long hair, but the need for cascading locks as you walk down the aisle has actually started to become a bit of an old notion in bridal styling – and quite right too! There are many, really fantastic looks that you can achieve with a chopped mane, so I say stand out from the crowd and rock that feature skimming style.

Short Wedding Hairstyles

Vintage styles and contemporary variations of them work beautifully with shorter hair (in fact, the optimum length for creating a real pin-up retro feel is shoulder length and above), so this is a really fun one to play with. The options are endless, from pin curls and finger waves for the pixie cuts to side-swept waved bobs, there’s no escaping that enduring glamour.

Milla Jovovich wore a superb example of a jaw length, Hollywood crop at the 84th Annual Academy Awards, which was a perfect combination of a sleek, silver-screen classic with a slightly rough edged, modern finish to give the whole thing a slightly more relaxed look (perfect for the ever popular beach, field or woodland event!). And don’t those gorgeous, drop earrings just set it off a treat?!

Accessories play a huge part in turning even the most simple of short styles into a bridal ‘do to rival any other. A delicate tiara perfectly placed on an elegant Audrey Hepburn-esque crop (or should I now say Anne Hathaway?!) is one of my favourites for a sleek, fairy tale finish or this could look stunning teamed with a little back combing for a sexy Marie Antoinette root boost a la Scarlett Johansson at the Marvel Studios ‘Avengers’ premiere. Osis ‘Dust It’ is one of my top products for creating this look (or any other look with volume on the crown for that matter!) as it’s lightweight texture leaves your hair free to move naturally whilst still giving great hold. Not only that, but the Silica in this product gives a wonderful matte finish and extra lift. If you’re after something a little softer, a tousled side bun accented with either a string of wired flowers or a single bloom never fails to impress. This is one of my most requested looks, unsurprisingly, as it always looks beautiful and is comfortable to wear all day and night! This up do can be worked to look gentle and relaxed, or pulled tighter with a high shine finish for a more formal edge. Make sure to ask your stylist to try out a few different options, as if you haven’t experimented much before, your final choice might surprise you!

For those of you with a little more length to play with, my signature French Pleat with cross over detailing at the back is perfect for shoulder length, slightly layered hair or even a short bob cut with the right expertise! This timeless style is unbeatable on refinement especially when matched with a structured Tea Dress, however this really is one of those hair do’s that will definitely require a professional who knows their stuff when it comes to backcombing and maintaining symmetry – so don’t go at it alone.