Tress Rx

Hair...it's probably the second most important thing about your wedding aside from the dress. And for my own wedding, I'm in a bit of a bind in this department. I live in NYC, but my wedding is in New Orleans, and I don't know anyone down there except for my husband-to-be's mom, whose hairdresser just isn't going to cut it for me. I've visited salons when I was down there searching for venues, called referrals from the makeup artist I hired, and scoured the internet for spots that seemed to suit my style—everyone is either booked or I was spooked, so I've decided to go it alone (well, with my bridesmaids help) and do it myself.

Whether you have the same dilemma or have just decided to save some cash and style your tresses yourself, here are some things we can do to make sure our hair is picture perfect.

1. Start getting deep conditioning hair treatments. Depending on your hair, you can get one every month or two, with at least one being from a professional salon. You can do the at-home treatments as well. This will keep your locks looking silky smooth. Do your last one two days to a week before the big day.

2. Drink lots of water everyday. It not only will help your hair, your skin will thank you, too (as will the photo retoucher).

3. Eat your greens...and all veggies. I won't say to force yourself to eat Brussels sprouts, but veggies are good for a healthy head of hair.

4. Play with different hairstyles to see what's best for you. You can wear your hair down—it has a romantic feel. I'm going with soft waves and either a flower pinned low on one side or a delicate crown of flowers. If you want a more complicated style, check out Ken Paves' (Jessica Simpson's stylist) line of HairDo products to clip in. They have a perfect chignon and various other great hair clip-ins that look real.

5. Get your haircut a month to two weeks before your wedding day. If you are anything like me, it's more like a month—I never like my hair when it's first cut...well, I love it when I leave the salon, but when I try to style it the next day, it never looks quite right. I need at least two weeks before I start liking my cut, so consider this when scheduling.

6. Have your bridesmaids help you on the day of with the angles you cannot see or reach. Remember, the back has to look just as good as the front, especially during the ceremony.