By Ashlyn Messier
After being in the hair-styling industry for a little more than twelve years, Alexandra Wilson now specializes in wedding hair and she absolutely loves her job. We caught up with Wilson to chat about her experience working in the bridal hairstyling industry, and about some different hairstyle options for brides.
What sparked your interest in this industry?
Honestly, I feel like I’ve always loved weddings. Even since I was young, I was more interested in the planning aspect. So, I think after I became a hairstylist, I was still really interested in just being involved in the wedding industry. I just fell in love with it immediately.
What made you decide that you really wanted to focus on doing wedding hair?
I get to be really creative with what I do. As far as styling the hair, I feel like it’s a form of art. I also feel like being a part of somebody’s wedding day is so rewarding because it’s the biggest day of their life and I get to be there and witness a lot of it.
We saw you now offer classes, too—what made you want to teach others about hair styling?
There’s actually a real need for it in the hair industry. Not many people specialize in bridal—a lot of hair stylists are very intimidated by it because it’s kind of a high pressure job. It’s like the biggest day for them, so there was a need for it in the hair industry. So then I just kind of wanted to branch out and share my knowledge.
Where do you pull inspiration from for the hair styles that you do?
A lot of it is just other stylists that I see throughout social media with different artists that I follow as well as wedding Instagram pages. Just kind of seeing what other brides are wearing. I feel like I get a lot of inspiration from the bride, like seeing their dress will inspire me. If it’s really soft, lace, romantic, then I try to create something that really flows nicely with their dress.
Are there any trending hairstyles this year that you have noticed?
It’s tough because a lot of the brides that I have, they come to me because they see the style that I do. So for me, I would say what’s really in is a soft, romantic, flowy type of style.
Are there any hairstyles that you think are underrated?
I feel like a classic, simple bun is very underrated and it could really just look very chic, classic, and you can’t really go wrong with it. I can’t say that a lot of people actually get just a very simple, low bun.
Do you travel a lot for weddings?
For weddings I don’t travel far a ton, but I’ve been to Vermont, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Massachusetts, pretty much all of New England is really where I travel. But, I’m definitely up for destination weddings.
What are some of the biggest challenges in your job?
I think the biggest challenge is really having a plan for the wedding day, as far as a timeline. I feel like that’s the biggest challenge because you’re really planning your day around so many other vendors and what they’re doing that day. As far as being a hairstylist, the biggest challenge is really bringing your bride’s vision to life, but hoping that you can communicate properly and really try to figure out what exactly they want.
What is your favorite part of your job?
I love my job. My favorite part is being at the wedding. I’m just standing back, doing what I do and I get to witness so many things that are going on. Even just simple things like getting the flowers delivered and you get to see how excited the bride is, or when the father sees the bride for the first time, and I get to stand back in the corner and witness it. It sounds cheesy, but I witness so many special moments, while doing what I love to do.
To see even more of Alexandra’s gorgeous styles, check out her Instagram: @alexandralee1016