The 'Wedding Chop' is the new trend taking over TikTok. Racking up over 53.9M views on the app, it sees brides undergoing a hair transformation in between their ceremony and reception. If you're not familiar with this, check out some of the examples below...
@teased.bysteph CHOP CHOP 👏🏻 #weddinghaircut #weddingtiktok #bridalhairstylist ♬ Paradise - Bazzi
While the trend is evidently getting clients talking, HJ decided to get some stylists' opinions on the wedding chop. Christopher Laird, Colour Master and Session Stylist, has got first hand experience offering the transformation. He shared: "This was very much a last-minute decision, which we decided at the last hair trial just a couple of days before the wedding. My client was saying that she couldn’t wait to get back from her honeymoon and finally get her hair cut and I said, ‘well, I’m there at the venue all day – so why don’t we not tell anyone, and just do it?
“She had grown her hair long specifically for the wedding because she wanted a style with a ponytail and didn’t want to wear extensions. As soon as the wedding was over, she was done with the look… So we decided to just cut it off there and then! She felt amazing, fierce, and really liberated – the first thing she did after we cut it was head to the dance floor and headbang! I think it’s a really nice alternative to changing your dress for the evening – change your hair instead!”
Andrew Barton, Creative Ambassador for Keune UK and Racoon International, also recalls a time he chopped a bride's hair after her wedding, however in this instance, a little more forward planning was involved. Reflecting on the trend, he said: "The wedding chop may have gained millions of views on TikTok, but in reality most brides invest a lot of time and planning with their stylist for their wedding day - and as fun as a dramatic hair cut may be between ceremony and reception, for many brides, letting their hair down following an updo may be more achievable."
Meanwhile, Rory Mason, Director at Rory Antonio Hair & Beauty Lab, considers the pros and cons of the trend, sharing: “I love this trend, I think it’s a really cool statement look. We’ve seen brides change their hairstyle during the ceremony but this is an extreme. The main concern for me would be my bride - is it something she’s been considering for a while or is it a spur of the moment idea? As long as the bride is 100% sure - the last thing you want to do is make a bride cry on her wedding day. The other thing to remember is that when you’re cutting on dry hair, it’s never going to be exact. A dry cut is never as accurate or precise as a wet cut. So I think a follow up appointment is key just to really perfect the haircut.”
Want to brush up on your TikTok hair know-how? Check out these aesthetic hair trends that your Gen Z clients will love.
