Hairdresser Denise McAdam has been hairdresser to the Royal Family for 30 years, Denise received the RVM (Royal Victoria Medal) and is stylist to the Prince of Wales, Prince William, Princess Anne and Princess Alexandra.
Denise also did Sarah Ferguson’s hair for her wedding to Prince Andrew in 1986.
She says:
The most important thing is that the hairdresser knows what your headdress is like. It’s a good idea to chat to your hairdresser before you buy it as sometimes brides choose something too heavy for their hair type. If you have a vision of how you want to look, tear out some pictures from magazines and show them to your hairdresser.
It’s very important to get your hair into good condition before the wedding. You can try taking a supplement and also try at-home deep conditioners. Comb the conditioner through – when you rinse your hair, it should feel squeaky clean at the roots. Do a deep conditioning treatment once a week or once a fortnight in the run-up to the wedding. Make it a calming experience, apply conditioner, wrap your hair in cling film and relax with a glass of wine.
Get a great cut two to three weeks before the wedding day. Even if it’s long, get your ends snipped off. I’ve heard some hairdressers tell their clients to keep the ends and not cut them off as hair is easier to put up. I say get them trimmed – you have to think about your hair after the wedding and you want it to look good on your honeymoon.
Best tip: Your hairdresser will be able to tell you whether you should wash your hair the night before or in the morning. If you are getting it done in the salon don’t wear anything that has to go over your head. And do what the Hollywood sirens used to – sleep on a silk pillow and your hair will be super shiny when you wake up.
Happy memory
‘For Sarah Ferguson’s wedding I didn’t have the chance to try the tiara beforehand, so I practised on another girl who had long red hair. Sarah wanted to go up the aisle a country girl with flowers in her hair and come down the aisle as a princess, in a tiara.
The veil was very heavy and needed to be attached to the tiara. I had my head down, carefully sewing it on stitch by stitch on the night before the wedding. While I was sitting there sewing, the Queen Mother popped in with her butler, the lovely Billy Tallon, and he brought me in a glass of champagne – on HRH’s insistence.’
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