Every bride wants to look her best on her wedding day and great hair is key.

To get your hair in top condition start early. Establish a hair care routine several months before the big day and start talking to your hairdresser about possible styles.

Do some trial runs with your dress, veil or headdress, hair and make-up a couple of months before the wedding to make sure you’re heading in the right direction.

Get someone to take photos from all angles so you can see how it looks.

How you wear your hair on your wedding day depends on your personal style and the dress you’ve chosen.

But on a practical level, you also want a wearable, attractive style that will stay looking good throughout the day.

There are certain basic rules based on the shape of your face and features, the texture of your hair and your age that can help you find the one for you.

Face shape and features

Oval-shaped face – you can wear any kind of hairstyle. Long and short cuts look great.

Round face – a cut with layers and fullness on top, but kept close at the sides will make your face look narrower. A rounded style that ends at your chin will emphasise the roundness of your face, so opt for very short or longer than chin length.

Heart-shaped face – the jaw and forehead often seem wide in a heart shaped face and the chin can look pointy. Short hair usually works well for this face shape. You could try a thick, chopped, layered cut or a pixie cut with the hair full on top.

Full forehead, long chin – to balance this face shape, add volume below the chin with a medium length bob or a thick, layered cut that adds fullness where it’s needed. A fringe can help reduce a large forehead.

Large features – straight hair parted in the middle makes a prominent nose look even larger, as does a long, heavy fringe. A fuller style balances out large features. Soft, subtle highlights can also help by drawing the eye away from the face and toward the hair.

Long or short neck – if you are blessed with a long, graceful neck, use it to its full advantage. Choose a short hairstyle to show it off, or wear long hair up in an elegant style. If your neck is short and you want to wear a short cut, you can create the illusion of length by tapering your hair at the base of the neck and going fuller on top.

The shape of the neckline of your dress is key when considering your hairstyle. With strapless gowns you can wear almost any style you’re not going to be obscuring details of the dress. High necklines and halter-necks work best with hair up, bobs or short styles. Sleek chignons, pleats and ballerina buns are classic styles, while anything too cutting edge will date your wedding photos really quickly.

Damage control

Everyone has a bad hair day now and then, but the things that do most harm to harm your hair are best avoided.

Chemicals – bleach, permanent and semi-permanent colours, perms and straighteners – all work by swelling the hair cuticle to get underneath it. This roughens the scales of the hair cuticle and making them prone to chipping or coming off altogether. Bleaching, perming and straightening also break down some protein bonds in hair, weakening its structure.

Physical action – believe it or not, friction and daily wear and tear are responsible for most hair damage. A poor quality brush or comb, or a good brush or comb used too often, not rinsing salt or chlorine out of your hair after swimming or exercise, and even simply your head rubbing on a pillowcase can wreak havoc on hair. Hairbands, hair clips and other accessories can all cause physical damage. If you put your hair in a ponytail, use a scrunchie. Remember, wet hair is especially susceptible to breaking and splitting. Use a wide-toothed comb on wet hair not a brush.

Heat - hair dryers, hot rollers, and curling and straightening implements can all crack cuticles and sap moisture from hair (see the advice below on split ends). Proper conditioning can insulate hair against low and medium heat. Washing and blow-drying every day should not do too much damage as long as you look after your hair. Always use good quality shampoo, conditioner and hair care products as well as a natural bristle brush to brush your hair when dry before shampooing and while styling. Once again, don’t brush wet hair.

Split ends – these are the result of the hair’s cuticle wearing down. The only solution is to cut them off and be a little kinder to your hair. Colouring, straightening and daily assaults with the blow-dryer will all put your hair at risk, as will brushing your hair when it’s wet. Gently comb it with a wide-tooth comb. If you brush your hair when dry, don’t brush too vigorously as the tension caused by brushing promotes splitting. Use a soft-bristled brush, brushing gently from crown to the ends of your hair. The intense heat of blow-dryers and straighteners dries the hair’s cuticle, encouraging split ends. Try not to limit their use, but if you must use them every day make sure you use good quality products to protect your hair from the worst damage. The best way to avoid split ends is to have your hair trimmed regularly, about every six to eight weeks, even if you’re growing it.

Weather – the wind can roughen up hair cuticles, while the sun can break down some of the natural protein bonds in hair. A little sun exposure won’t harm healthy hair too much – particularly dark hair – but it can be pretty tough on hair that is chemically processed.

Lifestyle – like the rest of your body, your hair will benefit from you eating a healthy, balanced diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables, vitamins and minerals. Smoking, which robs your body of essential nutrients, will have a detrimental effect on your beautiful tresses, so keep away from cigarettes and other people’s smoke.