We’d like to thank Hannah Elizabeth, a sustainable wedding hair stylist and makeup artist in Colorado.
Hannah is one of our preferred vendors and we consulted her as a subject matter expert for this article.
Sustainable wedding hair: what’s all the buzz about?
Whether the wedding hair look you’re going for is regal, mystical, minimal, or just “not stressed,” you can get there sustainably. Wedding hair is often one of the biggest investments a bride makes into her wedding day look. It’s often one of the biggest stressors too—but, it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s the Dream Team's strategy for minimizing wedding hair stress and being delighted with your results.
Does sustainable wedding hair matter?
The last thing an eco-friendly bride wants is to be the victim of a surprise aerosol hairspray attack or to catch her stylist chucking product containers into the garbage. (Aerosol hairsprays aren’t as bad as they used to be—ozone-depleting chlorofluorocarbons "CFCs" were banned in the 70s—but they still emit some VOCs, or Volatile Organic Chemicals, which contribute to smog.)
If you’re dealing with any health issues or planning to become pregnant, ingredient safety is even more important. While we like to imagine we live in a world where everyone defaults to non-toxic products and recycling practices, that’s just not the case. If you do some research before booking your wedding hair stylist, you’ll be giving yourself some well-deserved peace of mind on your wedding day.
The sustainable wedding hair process goes like this:
Select a wedding hair and makeup artist (HMUA) who uses Earth-friendly products and participates in a recycling program
Book a hair trial with them months before your wedding day
If you liked the trial, book them for your wedding! If not, read on…
How to choose your wedding hair stylist:
Begin by searching for a wedding HMUA who’s local to you, then, check out their online presence. If they are a certified B Corporation or participate in a salon recycling program like Green Circle Salons, it will be all over their website. Why? Because B Corp certification has the most stringent standards in the world and salons need to pay money to participate in recycling programs. Other terms to look for include:
Organic
Palm-oil free
Sustainably sourced
Vegan
Cruelty-free
GMO-free
Plastic-free
Next, dig into their portfolio and social media posts. You want a stylist who demonstrates versatility and experience with your type of hair. There’s a huge difference between a stylist who thinks that boho updos look great on everyone vs. somebody who can create a customized look for your bone structure and hair type. Keep your wedding party in mind too—if you plan to have your stylist offering touch-ups for the whole wedding party, you’ll get a much better service from someone who’s worked with a variety of hair, including coarse, thin, curly, textured, post-chemo, and extensions.
What to ask when booking your wedding hair trial:
You can save yourself a lot of time and money by asking these questions before booking your trial:
What products do you use? Are they sustainable and cruelty-free?
Do you use any aerosols? If so, does the brand participate in a carbon offsetting program?
Are your products heavily scented?
How do you dispose of your containers?
Have you worked with these types of hair before? (Specify: curly, straight, textured, Asian, African, thinning, hair pieces, etc.)
Does your fee include touch-ups for my wedding party?
Will you be present for wedding-day photos?
How to have a successful wedding hair trial:
Plan your hair trial on the same day as your makeup trial and schedule them so that makeup happens first. If you’ve found a hairstylist who also does wedding makeup, you’ve struck gold! This can save you a lot of time and energy when it comes to coordinating looks and schedules.
Arrive with reference photos and clear, specific requests. Bring wedding hair accessories as well—that includes tiaras, veils, or combs. Provide tactful but timely feedback during your trial. Your satisfaction will increase the more you choose to articulate in the moment what you do and don’t want.
Finally, go out on the town! This will give you a realistic idea of how your wedding hair will hold up to the elements, which is especially important if you plan to have an outdoor wedding (or the type of reception that turns into a “no-parents-allowed” after party.) Also, you’re going to look amazing after your wedding hair trial, so, go out with your friends or surprise your partner with a date night to squeeze those selfie opportunities for all they’re worth.
What if you don’t like it?
Reflect upon what you didn’t like. Was it the stylist’s personality? Was it the actual finished look? Were you crystal clear about what you wanted? How did they respond to your feedback?
Book another trial ASAP, most likely with a new stylist. Listen to your gut—you'll know when you've found the right stylist for you. The feeling you ought to have when leaving your wedding trial is, “Yes! My stylist completely understands what I want. I could walk down the aisle today and be happy with this look.” Your wedding hair trial is your chance to dial in your look and put your mind at ease, knowing there won’t need to be any changes or surprises on the big day.
If you remember one thing about sustainable wedding hair, let it be this…
Sustainable wedding hair is better—it just is! With developments in hair product technology and zero-waste packaging, eco-friendly wedding hair can deliver glamor while outperforming its “conventional” (i.e. huge carbon footprint) counterparts. If you follow the strategy outlined in this article, you can waste less time, kiss bridal hair anxiety goodbye, and find the sustainable wedding hair stylist of your dreams.
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Still need help sourcing the sustainable hair stylist that’s perfect for you? Let our wedding magicians take the stress off! Book your free consultation with the Dream Team today!