Wedding season in Michigan never truly ends but as the season changes, as do wedding styles. From venues and themes, to fashion and hair, brides and grooms often take the season into account when planning. Ann Arbor-based hair colorist Courtney Monroe is often working with nearly-weds and their bridal hair stylists, collaborating to make each individual’s dream hair a reality for their big day.
“What I hope I do is empower you to see how cool your own hair is, your own style and who you are as a person, so that you can comfortably and confidently take care of your hair long term and realize that it is a really positive aspect of who you are,” Monroe said.
In her role as senior colorist, stylist and success leader at Pura Vida Color Studio, she describes herself “bridge” between helping individuals work towards their style inspiration and what makes the most sense based on the individual’s hair color, texture or style they can achieve.
Monroe has worked at Pura Vida Color Studio for 13 years and has taken advanced color theory classes around the globe, all in pursuit of creating positive experiences for her clients. In her tenure, she has seen that individual hair color and styling preferences shift every year as the seasons change. For the fall, individuals lean more towards richer, darker tones in addition to heat-based styles that work well without the humidity from spring or summer. Popular colors for the fall heading into the winter include reds, coppers and caramels, but Monroe emphasizes that there are no “rules” when it comes to choosing a color around the seasonal shift.
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According to Monroe, for those looking for a larger change in hair color or styling, the first step should be a consultation, oftentimes non-commital, through a salon or stylist to understand cost, timeline and feasibility. Talk through options for hair protection and preservation, including products to use at home, especially if salons sell the products that are used during the transformation. Hair coloring needs time to set and look natural so having a final color appointment 1-2 weeks ahead of the wedding is what Monroe recommends.
“I hope that we always have a collaborative relationship,” Monroe said. “You may come in and have an idea, and I may be able to help educate you about something that we can do that makes sense for your hair […] my hope is that between educating the guests about what can and can’t happen chemically, biologically and within a given time or even within a given budget, I can also start to challenge them to think about what is or isn’t realistic for your hair. How do we make you feel and look like the best version of yourself, opposed to an Instagram model whose hair [they] really love, but [they] may look really different from.”
Whether you are getting married or celebrating a loved one, Monroe recommends that once a wedding date is set for a couple, work backwards with a stylist to make sure they have enough time to work towards a small or large hair transformation. Oftentimes, a frequent hairstylist is different from an individual’s wedding hair stylist, so keep both parties in communication as far in advance as possible in addition to leading up to the wedding.
“I think oftentimes people don’t see how great what they have without serious enhancement, actually is on its own, and a hairstylist is a person who can show you the potential of your hair without serious enhancement,” Monroe said. “With just a little bit of extra care and a little bit of extra love that you can also do at home, that person can help you challenge your own narrative about how you see yourself.”
