What to Know About the Wedding Chop Trend (2024)

You may already be a fan of brides and grooms changing up their wedding look during the day with a surprise second dress or suit. But, there's a new beauty-focused change-up that's now going viral—a mid-wedding haircut. Often done as a surprise to guests and even their new spouse, a bride will steal away before the reception or cake cutting to take some length off their tresses and have a grand reveal. Dubbed the "wedding chop" on TikTok, this bridal trend is one that definitely makes a statement.

"It's the ultimate look reveal post ceremony," shares wedding hairstylist Anthony De Los Santos of Dolo New York. "I think it's a cool trend if you can afford the time spent cutting your hair in your schedule." And, it's definitely getting some attention on social. Brides showing off this statement-making beauty choice on Instagram and TikTok are getting flooded with thousands of likes and are inspiring others to consider the fun trend for their own nuptials.

Recent bride Grace Williams decided to take the plunge as a romantic gesture. "I had cut my hair super short a few days before I first met him and he has loved my hair short ever since," she shares. "I had been growing my hair long for thewedding, but wanted to surprise him with a mid-weddingchopthat was reminiscent of when we met."

"Since ourweddingwas at my parents home where I grew up, we had the hairdresser who had cut my hair since I was little come over during theweddingto do it," Williams explains of her process. "I snuck away shortly before our getaway to change into my dress, and had her do it then. Twenty minutes later, I came back down and found my new husband and the look on his face was priceless. He was equal parts excited and surprised. It is now a memory I will cherish forever."

Bride Briana Kinney did a wedding chop for a very special cause. Since both her and her fiancé's grandmothers passed from cancer between the couple's engagement and wedding, she decided to cut off her hair as a donation during her reception as a way to honor them. "I saw it on TikTok about a year before our wedding," explains Kinney of her decision to do the chop. "I instantly thought about our grandmas and thought it would be so special to do this for them both. I talked to my then-fiancé about this, and he thought that it would be a really great idea and was on board right away! It was a way for us to have them both there with us. Even though we know that they were both there on our special day, having a moment dedicated to them and their memory is someone that we will never forget."

Kinney's videographer Brianna Eslinger of The Unfiltered Collective captured the entire process and posted it as an Instagram Reel. "We were shocked by all the attention it got," notes the bride. "Something that made this even a little bit more special is finding out after the wedding that our videographer's mother had also passed away from cancer. We didn’t know this when I asked her to help us capture the moment and I thought it was really incredible that she was willing to share that moment with us."

Considering doing a wedding chop at your own wedding? See below for stylists' advice on how to pull off the trend.

How to Do the Wedding Chop

Getting a haircut in the middle of a busy wedding day schedule requires some careful planning. First, you should consider what kind of haircut you want to do. "I would make sure it’s something you have put thought into and a style you have done before," advises hairstylist Amy Bradbury. "If you are doing a drastic cut, it may be too much of a shock. If you plan to do something extreme, put some real thought into it."

Bradbury and De Los Santos both note that it's best work with an expert that you have discussed the logistics with and is familiar with how to work with your tresses. "Make sure your stylist is someone you’re comfortable with and is comfortable with your kind of hair," Bradbury shares. De Los Santos adds, "Bottom line, your stylist knows your hair best! Ask if this is something that’s possible with your hair and the goal you have in mind."

You also should consider what cut will actually work into your schedule for the day. Find a moment within your timeline where you can take a break from your guests for 30 minutes to an hour. "I would suggest keeping the style relatively simple if a mid-wedding chop is what you desire! I believe this will help stay on schedule and won’t make it feel like your day is being taken over by hairstyling," De Los Santos says. "Have a rough idea of what your schedule looks like so that your hairstylist can determine if they can include a haircut in the time given."

If you want to make your chop a fun moment on TikTok or Instagram, make sure your videographer, a social content creator, or a trusted friend with a cell phone can capture the process. Of course, just the haircut alone is something that will delight your guests as you make your grand entrance with a brand new style.