To become a wedding hair stylist, you need simply market your skills to people who need hair styling for a wedding. It is usually considered valuable to obtain some type of hair styling qualifications, but many people who style hair have no training at all. As styling hair is a skill that can be demonstrated through examples, building a portfolio and gaining recommendations from clients is usually more important than your education. Starting with special occasions other than weddings is a good way to become a wedding hair stylist, because most people wish to entrust their hair to a seasoned professional on this type of occasion.
A wedding hair stylist is a professional who specifically styles a person's hair to fit with a wedding dress and other wedding accessories, such as a veil. Typically, this involves on-site hair styling, as the bride or groom usually does not have time to visit a stylist. This professional may also offer makeup services, although this is usually handled by a separate person due to time constraints. Some enterprising individuals find success working together to become a wedding stylist team who can handle the complete needs of any wedding party.
The main problem with attempting to become a wedding hair stylist is getting started. Building a client base is difficult because a person typically only gets married once. Thus, the stylist must rely on referrals and recommendations in order to get additional business. For this reason, most people use wedding events to supplement other types of styling, such as working in a more traditional hair salon. Some brides and grooms choose to work with their normal stylists on the wedding day, which is one way to get a foot in the door.
There are few educational requirements when trying to become a wedding hair stylist, but going to a beauty school or otherwise honing your skills is almost always a good idea. Providing unique, signature looks is excellent in some cases, but it can also be risky when starting out. Most people find that being versatile and meeting the client's needs is more lucrative than expressing an artistic vision in this profession.
Demonstrating competency is absolutely essential, and talking with potential clients about their wants and needs can be the best way to seal a wedding deal. When trying to become a wedding hair stylist, it is a good idea to have a portfolio of example work to show clients. While actual photos from weddings are ideal, it can also be helpful to create a portfolio filled with examples of wedding hairstyles on practice models. Getting that first client is often difficult, and offering a discount rate may draw in clients and jump-start your business.