Emma Roberts' bridal hair journey began nearly six months before her intimate July 25 wedding to actor Cody John in Sun Valley, ID.
At the time, Emma was wearing a permanent copper-red shade. Knowing the long-term vision for her wedding, her longtime hairstylist and Nine Zero One salon owner, Nikki Lee, strategically began transitioning her color while prioritizing hair health and integrity.
"I believe one of the biggest mistakes brides make is waiting until the last minute to think about their wedding hair," Lee says. "Wedding hair should never be an afterthought. Color, hair health and extensions all require planning.
"I recommend beginning any major color transformation several months before the wedding to allow time for gradual changes while maintaining the health and integrity of the hair."
The first transformation took Roberts from copper red to a warm blonde for her role as Madison Montgomery in "American Horror Story." After several months of filming, frequent heat styling left her hair in need of extra care.
Two weeks before the nuptials, Lee began preparing the actress' hair for its final bridal transformation. The goal wasn't a bright, trendy blonde, but a tone that was timeless, vintage-inspired, and effortlessly elegant.
The first priority wasn't changing the color, but restoring the condition of Roberts' hair. Lee began the appointment with Wella Professionals Ultimate Repair to nourish and strengthen.
To create Roberts' wedding color, Nikki alternated her foil placement using Wella BlondorPlex 9 to softly lift while helping maintain the hair's integrity alongside delicate lowlights using Wella Color Touch to build seamless dimension.
She then finished the color with an all-over Wella Shinefinity gloss to refine the tone and leave the hair with a healthy, luminous finish.
To complete the transformation, Nine Zero One extensions specialist Lisa Satorn applied Great Lengths tape-in extensions, adding soft fullness, wispy length, and movement.
Lee recommends that brides schedule the final color appointment one to two weeks before the wedding. That timing allows the color to settle naturally and allows time to make any subtle adjustments before the big day. "The last thing any bride wants is to be making major color decisions the week of her wedding!" Lee says.
"When you're creating bridal hair, every decision matters. It's never about chasing trends. It's about creating hair that feels elevated, effortless and authentic to the bride. It should be something she'll love not only on her wedding day but every time she looks back at her wedding photos."
Step by Step: Emma Roberts’ Wedding Hair Color
Using Wella Professionals products:
Full Head Highlight
Hairline: BlondorPlex 9 + 3%
Back and Top Section: BlondorPlex 9 + 6%
Lowlight
Color Touch .75oz 8/0 and .25oz 7/0 + 1.9%
Root Melt
Shinefinity 8/0 + bowl activator
Gloss
Shinefinity 10/6 + bottle activator
Great Lengths Extensions:
A mix of Essenza and Aria tape extensions, 20" in length, in a custom blend of four shades:
- 64/61 rooted
- 68/23 rooted
- 09
- 62
Step by Step: Emma Roberts' Wedding Hair Styling
The Inspiration: Roberts' custom Monique Lhuillier dress called for hair that felt polished but never overstyled. "We wanted the finish to resemble a luxurious blowout rather than a traditional curled hairstyle," Lee says.
"Soft enough to move with the wind, dance effortlessly throughout the night, and feel completely touchable from every angle."
Step 1: The Morning Gloss. Before styling, give the hair one final refresh with a gloss to perfect the tone and maximize shine.
- Apply Wella Shinefinity Gloss using 10/6 + Clear to subtly neutralize any unwanted warmth while enhancing luminosity. This leaves the hair looking healthy and reflective without changing the overall color.
Step 2: Prep. Since movement is the priority, use just enough product to support the style without weighing it down.
- Apply a small amount of Wella Ultimate Color Leave-In Mask through the mid-lengths and ends for lightweight hydration and softness.
- At the roots, spray R+Co BLEU Root Booster to create lift and support.
- Through the mid-lengths and ends, apply R+Co BLEU Magnifier to provide light hold and structure while maintaining a natural feel.
Step 3: The Blowout. The blowout is the foundation of the entire style.
- Using a round brush, blow-dry the hair section by section, focusing on creating smoothness, balance and natural body rather than excessive volume.
- The goal is polished hair with effortless movement, not a perfectly sculpted finish.
Step 4: Set the Shape. Rather than creating curls, preserve the shape of the blowout.
- Using a 1¼-inch iron, work in very large sections, quickly passing the iron through the hair to create gentle movement instead of a defined curl.
- As each section is finished, loosely pin it into place to cool. Because the sections are intentionally oversized, the set holds the shape of the blowout rather than creating a traditional curled finish.
- This technique creates lasting movement while keeping the hair feeling light and airy.
Step 5: Let It Cool. With the entire head loosely pinned, let the hair cool completely in its oversized sections. This helps lock in the shape without sacrificing softness or movement.
While Roberts' hair set, she finished her makeup with celebrity MUA Kate Synnott, spent time with her closest friends, and enjoyed a glass of champagne.
Step 6: The Final Finish.
- Once the hair has cooled completely, remove the pins and brush through the hair using a Mason Pearson hairbrush to blend everything into one seamless, flowing finish.
- Mist with Shine Spray for luminous, healthy-looking shine.
- Finish with a light veil of flexible hold hairspray to lock in the style while preserving its natural movement.
The Finished Look: It was important that the hair never looked like a curled style, but like the most beautiful version of Roberts' own hair. Soft, touchable movement allowed it to flow naturally throughout the evening, creating an almost fairytale-like feel.