By Chris Christen

Your wedding day is no time to experiment with your hair and makeup.

A practice run with your stylist is mandatory, says Tom Sena of T’eez salon in Omaha.

He recommends going through the drill two weeks before the ceremony if you know the stylist; three to four weeks if you’re using someone new to you.

Take a digital camera to the appointment and photograph your finished look for reference when you return to the salon on your wedding day.

Sena uses his cell phone camera to record what his salon has done for a bride. The photo stays in his phone’s library until the bride’s hair appointment. “It’s a great tool for jogging my memory,” Sena says.

For best styling results, arrive at the salon with unwashed hair that has only a light application of product.

If your hair is shoulder length or longer, consider an updo. “If there’s a time to put your hair up, it’s for your wedding,” Sena says. An updo is an elegant complement to a bridal dress and gives some assurance that your hair will look good throughout the day. Loosely curled locks could droop, especially on a humid or rainy day. Ends of hair, Sena says, sometimes look ragged against white or ivory.

Another good reason for an updo: Veils and other hair ornaments attach with combs. An updo gives a stylist a place to anchor the comb.