Sofia Richie’s bridal hair stylist on the wedding hair trends to tap

The hair stylist’s chair comes with many tricky decisions on a daily basis, with crucial considerations to be made for cut and colour. Add the undeniable stress of planning a wedding and the (often self-imposed) pressure of looking your best on the big day, and sitting in this chair can spark a volatile cocktail of anxious emotion.

This is where the experts step in. The professionals who can help advise on not only the best style to fit your face and dress, but also the longevity of your look. Kathleen Riley, the woman behind Sofia Richie Grainge’s low wedding bun shares how she curated the covetable 'do. “It was the perfect style for her dress,” Riley says, noting how it was also easy to maintain throughout the ceremony. “It brought the attention to her face.”

Riley believes that there are a couple of key things to consider when choosing your own wedding ‘do, urging brides to consider a hairstyle that “works well to take down and change into a second style”. A smart move with the rise of the second party-ready wedding dress for the reception. “Something that is a no fuss style so you don’t have to worry about it or have to keep touching it up,” she continues, adding that “it should also flatter your face and dress style”.

They’re sentiments that Jack Lawrence, artistic director at Björn Axén, agrees with. “The most important tip I have for brides is wear a style you feel comfortable and confident in,” Lawrence says. “The look must reflect your personality,” he continues, pointing out just because it is your wedding day your shouldn’t wear a style you would never wear normally. “The wedding pictures will last a lifetime, so make sure you are happy with the styling choice.”

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Lawrence points out that this is entirely dependent on the bride’s hair type. “If you know your hair doesn’t react well to curls, then don’t go for curls. If it is hard to keep volume, then move away from volume,” he says. Riley adds that brides should avoid face-framing styles or “anything you have to touchup through the day constantly”.

“Wedding day or no wedding day, the hair will react in the same way that it always does,” says Lawrence. As such, his best tip is to choose a style that your hair “likes to be in”. “This will result in a perfect wedding look from start to finish.” Another style to reconsider is the recent wedding trend of Hollywood waves. A style that is notoriously hard to maintain, this may be one best left for red carpets with a crew of hairdressers waiting in the wings.

It is no surprise that Riley still vouches for the sleek bun, considering its success during the Richie-Grainge nuptials. “I think it will continue to be popular in 2024,” she says. “It is so timeless and elegant and easy to keep the style for the entire night.” Lawrence agrees, saying: “It is sophisticated but also versatile with many wedding dress choices. We will be seeing lots of sleek buns at weddings for 2024.”

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An evolution of the glamorous, yet hard-to-maintain Hollywood waves, the look instead wears towards the lived-in ‘90s blowout, with a curl that – according to Riley – isnt “too tight”. “It is beautiful and so flattering”, she adds. “We have moved away from the Hollywood glam to something a little softer and looser,” says Lawrence, suggesting that “If you want to wear your hair down then soft waves are the direction to go. “It is effortless but beautiful when worn correctly,” he concludes.

For 2024, Lawrence suggests that there is no such thing as “wedding hair”, imploring us to think outside of the box. “Have fun, show some personality, and just wear a style you want to wear,” he says.

One such style is the more editorial sleek and straight strands we’ve seen on the runway, a look Riley want to see more of during 2024 nuptials. “A middle part straight with slightly beveled ends,” she says. “It is a beautiful style that is timeless and flattering.”

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It is an age-old adage that you’re only as good as your tools, and in terms of wedding hair this means products. “I love a strong hold hairspray, especially Got2Be glued, a texture spray such as IGK beach club, and powder for any style that is curled and down – my favourite is by kyk haircare,” says Riley. “For anything sleek, I love the Nexxus slick stick and the Nexxus repair and nourish hair oil.”

For Lawrence, the natural choice falls on Björn Axén’s products. “The most important part of wedding hair is the preparation,” he says noting that Björn Axén’s Volume Mousse is perfect for adding structure and volume to the hair. “Björn Axén's Saltwater Spray is also great to create a nice texture we can build from,” he says. Finally, just like Riley, Lawrence tendsa to rely on a strong hold hairspray. “It is all about hairspray,” he says, mentioning Björn Axén’s Megafix or Fixing Hairspray as favourites depending on the amount of hold you need, with Megafix being the stronger option.