The right bridal 'do for the big day

NEW YORK -- Maybe that first call a bride-to-be makes after finding her fairy-tale wedding gown shouldn't be to her mother. Maybe it should be to her hairdresser.

The process for perfect tresses can take six months, says stylist Ted Gibson. "Six months means you can do whatever you want. You can grow it, cut it, grow it out again if you don't like it," he says.

But, he adds, there's no point in having the hair conversation with your stylist until the dress is selected.

The neckline matters most, but so does the overall silhouette, as well as the formality of the gown, explains Gibson, who has namesake salons in Manhattan and Washington.

Giovanni Giuntoli of Redken says he also likes to get in on the selection of the veil or other head piece.

* in New York, Thursday, May 13, 2010. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

"A busy dress, you want simple hair. A simple dress, you want more dramatic hair," says Prive founder Laurent Dufourg. "You want to complement the mood, but be opposite too. An elegant dress should have elegant hair, and a sexy dress, sexy hair."

Dufourg says brides certainly should step up their look, but never stray from what they feel comfortable with. They're the ones, after all, who have to live with the photos for many years. "Remember, it's not a photo shoot or fashion show, it's a wedding," he says.

The Associated Press asked Gibson, hair guru of TLC's "What Not to Wear," Giuntoli, known as Redken's bridal expert, and celebrity stylist Dufourg, who splits his time between his Manhattan and Los Angeles salons, to suggest specific hairstyles based on three specific gowns from the new spring 2011 collections that recently debuted on the runways.

1. Dufourg on St. Pucchi's elaborate, frothy strapless gown with tiers of tulle and a bouquet of fabric roses and ribbons on the back at the waist:

"This is an amazing dress," he says. "You can wear your hair up or all back. The perfect look for this dress is to slick the hair back and do a beautiful braid on the side, maybe you could even put flowers in the braid."

That braid is a very youthful look, he adds. An alternative would be to wear a neat, high chignon -- like a ballerina bun.

He suggests that only brides with very thin, oily hair wash their hair on the day of the wedding. For everyone else, the hair will be smoother and stay in place better if it's shampooed the day before.

2. Gibson on Oscar de la Renta's sweetheart-neck, corset-bodice gown with a flared, embroidered skirt:

This dress begs for the bride to show off her decollete, shoulders and the back of her neck. That bareness, Gibson says, is feminine and sexy but still elegant and respectful.

A relaxed ponytail with side-swept bangs would work for long or even medium-length hair; it's OK if there are a few pieces hanging down -- that just adds to the romantic look, he says.

What you don't want are tight "sausage" curls, he adds: "Sausage curls over your head -- which women somehow think is fine for formal occasions -- are never appropriate for a bride."

3. Giuntoli on Reem Acra's high-neck, slim, draped gown with the bodice swathed in tulle and decorated at the bustline with fabric petals and a small black bow:

This dress can take a statement hairstyle, says Giuntoli. "This dress is interesting enough to allow the bride and the hairstylist to be a little more boastful with their styling choices."

He'd also go for an updo, but it would be voluminous, not sleek.

The bow on the dress also could be a starting point, incorporating a similar ribbon, or at least ribbon of a similar color, into the hair.