Hair to make them stare

Wedding Hairstyle Inspiration

You’ve set the date, picked out a venue and started exploring food and rental vendors in the area where your wedding will be. Deciding what to do with your hair doesn’t have to be a difficult process with inspiration and a little collaboration.

Whether you’re planning on doing your own hair or working with a stylist, the first step is to find inspiration. Wedding boards and the Instagram pages of stylists near the place you’ll be getting ready is a solid first step. The High Country is lucky to have talented stylists at numerous salons in the area, including Mane Habit, Shear Shakti, Canvas Beauty Bar, Serendipity Salon and more. Some people may want to consider trendy magazines and celebrity styles, too.

Allie Oliver of Battle Born Beauty, based in Banner Elk, North Carolina, said that this season’s trends emphasize classic, glamorous, timeless styles for all hair lengths. Brides working with her have been requesting middle parts and slicked-back looks whether up or down. Women with textured hair often choose to highlight Battle Born Beauty, based in Banner Elk.

their natural curl pattern with half-up and updo looks.

The low bun is classic and classy, a tried-and-true staple for good reason, and other elegant styles are highly requested. Galy Gabriel with Mane Habit Salon has also worked with requests for boho chic looks, bringing in texture, volume and accents for romantic and free-spirited vibes. Simple, endearing accessories, like crowns, florals and hair pins, can bring a touch of the wearer’s personality to a well-loved style.

Shorter cuts, including styling for pixie cuts, are also growing in popularity, emphasizing a sleek, chic, executive vibe. Brides and women in the bridal party don’t have to have all the fun, either: styling for men and boys, especially with longer hair, is growing more common.

“Even little boys,” Oliver said. “I did a wedding where their son was involved, and it was cool to have him feel a part of that. It’s truly a memory for a lot of folks.”

The season and type of ceremony is also a part of choosing the most fitting (and comfortable!) style for you. Brides with outdoor weddings in the summer might be less hot with a half-up or updo style, while winter weddings might call for hair down. Gabriel likes to work with halfup, half-down styles with curls for more formal weddings, and low-key low buns and less texture for more casual outdoor weddings where humidity might make it difficult for more intricate styles to hold.

Oliver and Gabriel both emphasized doing a trial before the day of the wedding when working with a stylist. A trial is the best opportunity for the person being styled and the stylist to talk about the vision for the look, make sure the style is realistic for the hair type and length, and provide any necessary feedback to achieve the best possible look.

Booking the trial is also a good idea if you’re not sure whether you’d like to do your own hair or not. A trial gives you and a stylist an opportunity to try and collaborate, and if you don’t enjoy the experience you can still do it yourself. It may even give you inspiration for your own style!

Brides doing their own hair should do a few trial runs of their style as well to make sure it’s going to come out the way they’re hoping for. Enlisting a trusted friend who can see the back of your head helps with ensuring everything is in place.

On the day of the wedding, the maxim “come with clean hair” is typically true: it’s easier to add texture and grip with product than washing and drying the hair when you’re already operating on a schedule. Brides with curly or textured hair may prefer to come in with second-day hair or with conditioning products immediately after washing.

Some stylists are prepared for washing and/or drying; confirm this in advance to avoid a snag that morning. Plus, Oliver said that the power of the “everything” shower the morning of the wedding is a beautiful way to have a fresh start in the new chapter. She suggests getting the party started that morning, having a good time with the people you love.

“Entryway champagne pops should be a thing!” she said. “You’re supposed to look amazing and have fun, sit back and enjoy it.”

Sophia Lyons

The High Country is abundant with photographers of many different styles so when it comes time to find one for your special day the task can seem daunting; but with a couple tips and tricks, you’ll be navigating the mountain of options with ease and will be on your way to finding a photographer that fits your vibe in no time.

Think about what you want in a photographer.

First, define the styles of photography you want in your wedding photos. When figuring out what you’re looking for, Pinterest and Google can be great resources for inspiration. Photographer Sarah DeShields says common wedding photography styles include light and airy, documentary, ethereal, dark and moody, true to color and film and analog.

After grasping an idea of what styles and elements you’re aiming for, another simple Google search can help you locate photographers within those styles in your area. DeShields recommends searching keywords that describe the kind of photography you’re attracted to paired with the

Navigating the mountain of High Country photographers

location or venue of your wedding. This can help navigate the large and possibly overwhelming number of options in the High Country.

“There are so many different styles of photography, and I will say in the High Country we have everything,” said DeShields, owner of Enowen Photography. “I mean, we have such a broad range of photographers, which is wonderful, and we’re all, you know, quite different from each other.”

Spend time on a photographer’s website.

Once you find a photographer you’re interested in, get to know their website well. Photographers put a lot of time and effort into their online portfolios, and they offer an examination into not only their work, but also who they are as a person.

“I find that the couples that I gel with almost immediately are ones that have spent a lot of time with my work before even calling,” DeShields said.

By examining an online portfolio, you get to know their style and can see if it’s something you want to emulate in your own photos. Attention to how photos are edited can help you decide if you’re looking in the right direction. Maybe you like a photographer’s tendency to shoot bright and colorful photos, or maybe you’re more attracted to dimly lit black-and-white images. Whatever the style, if you like what you’re seeing, the photographer could be a good match.

Schedule a consultation and let them know why you’re interested.

Consultations are vital in clearing the communication between you and your photographer — it’s a time to learn more about their work and how they go about shoots, view samples of what they’ve done before, and of course, talk logistics. A consultation or phone call before booking is key in ensuring a certain photographer is the right fit to capture your special day.

While it’s an important opportunity for you to interview a potential photographer, it’s just as important to let them interview you. Photographers will often have an array of questions to learn more about you and what you’re looking for to make your dreams come true. Don’t be afraid to let them know what you like about their work and what you’re hoping they can do for you.

“Usually when I do consults with my prospective couples, I ask them what they’re looking for in a photographer because I feel like it’s my job to serve them, and I want to make sure that I can meet their needs,” said photographer Megan Gielow, owner of MorningWild photography.

Get to know your photographer and let them get to know you.

Though you’ll likely have a long list of questions going into a consultation, it’s important to prioritize making a connection with your photographer and ensure they’re a good fit personality-wise. Your photographer plays an important part in your special day, so it’s vital they’re someone you get along with.

“Your photographer is with you more than, really, any other vendor or person on your wedding day,” Gielow said.

Photographers want to be there for