HEAD LINES

 There's been a focus on inventive hairstyling the last couple years whether you decide to ditch the veil or not.  Once you've chosen your gown, your head is the next most crucial detail to dressing the part. Because not every bride feels right doing the veil thing, some are going for smaller headpieces, even hats.  For those of you wanting to skip the cake top template of hairstyles all together and try something innovative, we look to hairdresser Kathie Rothkop of Salon Glam in Novato, California.  Creating hair art for years,  I asked her about her take on bridal hair.  Here's what she said: "I get inspired first by the style of the gown, second, the type of woman wearing the gown and the time of year of the wedding.

"I put women in 4 categories. Sporty, classic,romantic and edgy. A sporty woman would want hair very simple, probably short and tailored.  Her gown would be clean-lined. Classic would be very traditional, maybe a french twist, no ornamentation. Grace Kelly was a classic beauty. Romantic is my favorite. Lots of bling, flowers, height, softness and curls. Goldie Hawn and Catherine Zeta Jones are good examples of this. Edgy is non traditional, Lady GaGa really is this look."

Left: Behind the scenes, Kathy works on Jen's Liz-inspired braid/Right: Liz and Dick on their wedding day.  

The above image of a long braid dappled in Stephanotis was inspired by the braid with hyacinths Elizabeth Taylor wore when she married Richard Burton in 1964.  

Out of the pages of 1960s Vogue, this wired, white ribbon weaves in and out of Lauren's bun forming ringlets.  A great match for most any gown--even short and mini styles.

Go wild with Spring flowers in bloom.  This loose upsweep accented with fresh Star Royal Magnolias would be the perfect compliment of any destination wedding.

Birds of a feather . . . . Dare to go avian with the whole bird, including feathers.  The hair is long and loose with tiny braids interwoven at the crown . . .Stunning with sheath and evening gown styles.

Got long locks?  Flaunt it all with half up and half down hair.  The bun is sprinkled with white Stephanotis.

CREDITS

Photography: Stuart Lirette 
                 John Truong

Hair: Kathie Rothkop of Salon Glam

Makeup: Julianne Chai

Gowns: Amy-Jo Tatum Bridal Couture

Models: Jennifer Lam and Lauren Purcell

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UNVEILED

Yes, veils are still in vogue.  And yes, there are more styles out there than you can count.  But before making the decision to wear one consider your options.  Some brides are ditching the veil altogether, topping off with special touches like wide brimmed hats, fresh flowers and jewels in their hair.  The idea is, if you’d rather wear a feathered toque down the aisle and it works with your gown, go for it.
FLORALS in your hair.  (Below Left) They compliment simple evening gown silhouettes with that tropical feel, A-lines and ballgowns with a touch of the romantic.  There are three kinds of florals: Fresh, artificial and hand-rolled fabric flowers.  All are beautiful choices.  Fresh can be ordered through your florist possibly echoing some of those in your bouquet.  Artificial flowers are typically silk, some so well made they look like they were just picked out of the garden.  Hand-rolled flowers are made out of fabric like dupioni, organza or shantung, sometimes in the same fabric as your gown.  These have a real haute couture look and are usually attached to a barrette or spongy wire
WREATH-(Below) Very romantic.  A wreath circles the head and is interwoven with flowers, foliage and in some cases, ribbons.  Florists can put these together either with fresh, artificial or dried flowers.  Some variations would be those made exclusively of English Ivy or dried roses and baby’s breath.
HATS   Once you start trying them on, you’ll see how each works with the shape of your face, your body type and gown.  A petite bride can wear a picture hat like the one below as long as it’s not massive and is in proportion with the rest of her.  The evening-gowned bride will need something with enough width to create symmetry with her gown.  Go wild with adornments like feathers, flowers, ribbons, drapes and poufs of netting, to name just a few.  The widest assortment of hats can be found in millinery shops.  Here you’ll get lots of personal attention.  And if you don’t find exactly what you want, they’ll custom make it for you.  Look through better department stores and go to Etsy shops for more inspiration.  

SNOOD- (Above) Another sophisticated look.  A snood is a piece of openwork netting used to cover buns and chignons.  They were highly popular in two eras: the Civil War and World War II.  The contemporary versions that compliment evening and bridal wear often have pearls, or crystals on them.
HEADBAND- typically attached to a gathered pouf veil, you can wear the headband individually without the veiling.  Headband brides have that fresh, Estee Lauder look.  Bands range in style from simple, narrow satin ones to those covered in pearls and crystals.  A great option for hair worn down, not quite shoulder length like a bob.  The beaded band below is worn low on the forehead to create an entirely different look.
TIARA-Just the tiara—no veil.  This is a classic look.  Most tiaras are made out of crystal and rhinestone. Best when the tiara sits upon a well-coiffed up-do.  Forget the plastic pageant variety.  Invest in Swarovski.  The tiaras below are made of feathers and Alencon Lace--maybe not your typical but loads of fun . . . .

HAIR JEWELERY-These can range from Mother of Pearl hairpins to crystal adorned hair-sticks and clips. You can wear one or many sprinkled though a beautifully coiffed head.  Top notch hair styling is a must to wear these properly.

Photo Credits: Header Photo and hair florals-Lirette Photography

Wreath by Sweetlight Studios/Hat and snood photos by Bride Chic

Directly Above Photos by Sweetlight Studios

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