Before she was co-owner of a thriving salon or a trusted name in bridal glam, Nidiyah Salahuddin was just a little girl watching her grandmother press hair with a hot comb over the stove.
“Just watching her with the hot comb at the stove started it,” Nidiyah remembers. “Watching the process, you know, all the moments as a little girl…It really is a beautiful and powerful career that we’re in.”
Black women hairstylists have long made their mark in America.
After all, it was a Black woman in the haircare game who created America’s first self-made female millionaire, Madame CJ Walker.
These days, it’s stylists like Nidiyah Salahuddin who are flexing their entrepreneurial power to chart their own paths. They’ve become celebrities in their own right with thousands of followers on social media, by making clients feel like stars on what’s usually the most celebrated day of their lives. Brides trust Nidiyah not just for her technical skill, but for her grounded energy. Whether she’s crafting intricate updos, installing seamless extensions, or helping women fall back in love with their natural texture, she brings reverence for the work to every moment.
“Bridal is one of those things where we kind of start at the beginning of this beautiful journey, the happiest time in somebody’s life,” Nidiyah tells theGrio. “I think it’s fun to go on that journey with a woman and be able to give her something that feels great on the most special day.
Salahuddin is the owner of Nidiyah’s Hands Bridal & Event Styling in Edgewater, NJ, with over a decade of professional experience, including hairstyling for ESPN. While she started a desk at L’Oréal USA in the corporate beauty space, she pivoted to beauty school to become a licensed hairstylist and never looked back.
After spending so much time with brides and bridal parties on the big day, this is how she advises them to choose a stylist that is the best fit.
How to Pick the Right Bridal Hairstylist
There are many talented hairstylists who can do wedding hair, but not everyone will be the right fit for you.
Nidiyah advises that brides watch for energy, as much as they watch an artist’s Instagram to see what they like.
“That’s the first person you’re interacting with on your wedding day. So you want to make sure that when they come in the tone is good. If you start off with bad energy, sometimes it trickles into the rest of the day,” Nidiyah tells theGrio.
“Number two is talent. There’s all different types of talent. You want to make sure that the stylist’s style of creating matches your vision.”
Knowing what you want takes an investment of time to see how brides have worn their hair in the past, the present, or even what’s not trending. Each bride has her own unique style. This is why Nidiyah suggests meeting ahead of the wedding, even if there’s a cost.
“You like to see something on yourself also because sometimes you’re unsure,” she advises. “So I think it’s important that your stylist at least offer a bridal trial.”
During a trial, brides should use the exact type of hair and/or extensions they plan to wear on the wedding day to see how it holds up under pressure and with that stylist’s products.
Nidiyah encourages clients to not be afraid of using their natural hair or selecting a natural style for their wedding. Not only is it becoming more popular, but it can set the standard for giving the regal vibe a bride wants.
“I think it’s so great that we’re starting to lean more back into natural hair and like big hair and just wearing our hair loud and proud,” she tells theGrio. “It’s such a beautiful thing. It speaks for itself when it enters a room.”
Lastly, the best bridal stylist for a bride will come down to how much she is willing and comfortably able to spend on her hair.
We have to consider and make sure that the price point is within the range that you’re looking for,” Nidiyah explains. We’re on budget, so we have to make sure that it fits within our budget.”
Both hair and makeup must hold up under the pressure of hours of photos, hugs, kisses, dancing, and even unexpected weather. So it’s best to inquire if a stylist is willing to stay for touchups and what the costs are.
It’s these factors that make bridal hairstyling unique.
As Nidiyah Salahuddin reflects on the many women she’s helped feel their best, while building a business that gives her a sense of purpose in her work, she gets emotional thinking of the legacy she both inherited and is creating for her own daughter.
“We have the privilege of touching so many women- physically touching [their hair], but really touching so many women. It’s just a beautiful and powerful career that we’re in. It’s almost underappreciated sometimes, but hairstylists are really valuable people.”
Watch the full interview with Nidiyah Salahuddin in the video player above and visit theGrio’s Lifestyle section for more “Weddings Our Way” content.
