We asked David Cotteblanche of New York City's Red Market Salon to create a romantic wedding hairstyle for a bride who plans on taking her groom by storm, but doesn't mind having a few hairs out of place. The result: a modern take on the classic updo that any bride can pull off in six easy steps.
Gown by Watters
Step 1
Starting with a base of clean, dry hair that has been prepped with your favorite product (our preferred cocktail is a mix of mousse and volumizer), separate locks into one-inch sections and clip or bobby-pin all but one section up and out of the way. Using a 1" barrel iron, curl that section. Loosely pin it, and move on to the next section.
Step 2
Once your hair is fully curled, it's time to start teasing, using your fingers instead of a rattail comb. Working section by section again, gently pull hair apart, from the ends to the roots. Note: Within that one-inch section, the smaller the portion of hair you separate, the more volume you'll create.
Step 3
Leaving about one-inch free in the front, gather hair with a metal-free elastic (preferably matched to your hair color) and create a high, loose ponytail. Don't pull too hard; a tight pony isn't the effect you're after.
Step 4
Tuck loose ends into the base of ponytail, hiding the elastic. Secure with a few bobby pins. Again, pins matched to your specific hair color are ideal.
Step 5
For a little extra volume at the front, pull a two-inch section out of the ponytail and gently tease with a rattail comb. Pin back in place. If necessary, re-curl the loose 1" section in front for added definition. Spritz all over with a shine-enhancer and firm-hold hairspray.
Now that your style is set, it should last throughout your big day—so keep those mid-reception hairspray touch-ups to a minimum. (Too much product and your look shifts from romantic and tousled to stiff and shellacked.) Pair it with makeup that's equally girly and light. Think: Tinted moisturizer; crème-formula blush and lipstick in varying shades of soft pink; a dusting of light brown eyeshadow and a few coats of mascara.
