While choosing a wedding dress can be a joyous, yet terrifyingly daunting task for some, it is only part of the overall look that every bride wants to portray on her big day. Yes, make up is another crucial factor. Getting it wrong could spell disaster even before the Wedding March commences, as the last thing a bride wants to look like on her elegant wedding day is an over-done dolly bird hitting the tiles for a round of bingo. An area that requires a particular amount of time and attention, however, is undoubtedly the hair.
Any one style could completely change the appearance or the impression of a dress and veil. This is something brides must consider when planning their look. Will my hairstyle complement the style of my dress? Will it detract from the intricate neckline? Will an updo leave my neck too bare? Will I need jewellery?
For example, brides who opt for a low-cut gown often wish to compensate a bare neck with wearing their hair down - think Avril Lavigne. When she tied the knot with Sum 41frontman Deryck Whibley back in 2007, she wore her beautiful long, blonde, wavy-yet-polished locks cascading over her shoulders. With this look, the idea is that the flowing tresses fall gently over the dress to create a very tumbling and romantic effect.
Avril wore her hair parted in the middle, hanging like curtains framing her delicate face. Most of the hair was brought forward to create volume, while the long veil was placed towards the back of her head for balance.
Likewise, Jennifer Aniston looked stunning on her wedding day with Brad Pitt when she wore her beautifully multi-toned golden hair down over her dress. Similarly, she went for the classic middle parting too, but in true California style, her hair was more relaxed and casually wavy, as opposed to sculpted and strongly-held.
Nicole Kidman, although she wore her hair down when she married Keith Urban last year, opted for a more refined style, having some of it clipped up. As a more mature bride, Nicole had her middle parting combed away from her face, pinned elegantly in place. The remainder of her hair, which was curled, fell loosely onto her shoulders, and again, like Jennifer's, was offset with a sheer veil at the back of her head.
To perfectly complement her wedding gown's slinky silhouette, Latina diva Jennifer Lopez wore her hair in an updo when she wed fellow singer Marc Anthony. Her light brown hair was loosely curled, then pinned up, topped with a veil secured with diamond-encrusted clips. But her style was not all about the bling. The main focus of her hair was the sweeping side fringe and curled strands that were left undone at the side of her face.
Updos are always a safe bet for brides, mainly because they allow the stunning dress and veil to take prominence. However, just because keeping hair pinned up is a common way to go, does not mean it has to be routine or boring. On the contrary, there are various looks that can be achieved with updos. The loosely curled chignon is a particularly elegant option, with which feathery curls could be pulled down at the sides to romantically frame the face. The same could also be said of a messy version of the classic updo, with tousled hair swept to the front.
For those hoping to achieve a more polished look to complement a very pristine and straight-lined gown, a slick beehive with a blunt fringe and a block brunette colour is a good choice - think Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast at Tiffany's. Alternatively, short, sculpted waves pinned to the side of the head in an off-centre parting would be perfect for platinum locks, a la Grace Kelly in the 1950s - there is nothing like a touch of old Hollywood glamour to turn heads.
Regardless of proposed shape, cut or volume, a bride's hairstyle on her wedding day is something that requires a lot of planning and at least one trial run before the big day. As such, it is always helpful for girls to find pictures of the look they desperately want to achieve. They should also consider wearing a top that is similar in shape to the neckline of their gown and even test out the jewellery they intend to wear on the day to aid their stylist along the way, ensuring nothing but smooth sailing and fabulous wedding pictures at the end of the day.