I’m not saying you NEED them but they are extremely beneficial for wedding hair. Most people look for inspiration pictures online or on Pinterest to show their stylist what they are looking for on your big day. Although these pictures are helpful for stylists to understand your ideal look, they are often unrealistic. Most styles you are looking at are loaded with extensions or are done on a mannequin that has much thicker hair than most people.
Hair texture, hair density (thickness/ thinness), and even hair color come into play for styling your hair. Everyone’s hair is different so the same style will look different on everyone. I personally find hair extensions to be my best friend when styling Bridal hair. They give me the volume I often need and allows me to work with more hair which helps secure a style. It is a better foundation to work with. Hair extensions also hold their style better so If you are looking to keep your hair down all day hair extensions will help that last.
@Kim Angelo Photography
Even with styles that are all up I recommend extensions for more versatility. Sometimes what you may think is a simple style may really be complicated. A great example is a classic chignon or bun, looks simple enough, but say you have layers in your hair or maybe a few pieces aren’t long enough, now that easy looking bun is a thorn in your stylist’s side because they are now dealing with pieces of hair sticking out from layers and now we are scrambling on ways to hide it. If we had a few clip in extensions we could solve that problem.
What kind of extensions should I get?
Extensions come in so many varieties; glue in, tape, sewn in, infused, clip in etc. We prefer only working with clip in extensions because we have the ability to pop them in anywhere, we may need them and move them around to complete the look. I strongly do not recommend doing sew in, glue, or tape because it limits how you can wear your hair without seeing the tracks showing. Infused extensions are nice and are easier to work with then tape and glue but we still prefer the clip in ones and they are a lot less costly.
What brand extensions should I get?
First off, your extensions MUST be 100% human hair. If you buy synthetic hair extensions you can not use any heat on them. If I use my curling iron on synthetic hair it will melt and ruin my iron. I highly recommend the brand Bellami for clip in extensions. They are great quality and come in a large variety of colors. Also, Sally Beauty brand extensions are a good choice. Remember to keep your extensions neat lay them flat and store in a box. Try not to wash them often. Use a dry shampoo and gently brush with a boar bristle brush to keep them nice.
Check out this picture. On the left shows my Bride’s hair during her wedding trial without extensions, on the right it shows her hair with a full head of clip in extensions. Her wedding day hair lasted all night long and kept its fullness while her trial hair relaxed throughout the day and did not have the volume needed. Wedding trials are key to figuring out how well extensions could work for you.