A bride chopped her long hair into a shoulder-length bob between her wedding ceremony and reception

• Bride Karen Olano cut her long hair into a bob between her wedding ceremony and reception.
• She didn't want to fake the transformation with extensions or illusions - she wanted the real deal.
• Olano said her family was "pleasantly surprised and entertained."

Karen Olano, a fashion designer based in the Philippines, created her own gowns for her June 19 wedding. She designed her bridal party's dresses, and she helped style her groom, Jeremy Uy. But she had even bigger plans for her wedding hairstyle.

"I think more than wanting to veer away from the usual, it was important for me to feel more 'myself' on my wedding day - and having my hair up in a bun wasn't really my style," Olano told Insider.

So Olano grew her hair out long for the wedding, wearing it lightly curled with decorative hairpieces on either side for an intimate ceremony at Manila Cathedral.

After Olano said "I do," her hairstylist transformed her locks into a tousled, shoulder-length bob for the reception with a quick, mid-wedding haircut.

"My hairstylist was pretty hesitant to do it at first because he has never done it before, but was pretty happy with the result as he seemed to also have prepared for it," she said. "He even brought a haircutter's gown for me to wear to protect my dress."

Olano didn't want to create the illusion of a shorter hairstyle for the reception. She wanted the real deal.

"I think it was just normal for me to cut my hair short after growing out my hair long, so there was really no hesitation to do it," Olano said. "Plus, I wanted it to be real and authentic. I didn't want to 'fake' it for it to look short, nor cut my hair short already and just wear extensions to make it look long for the ceremony."

There were no guests at the wedding aside from family, so Olano said they weren't completely shocked by the change.

"I think everyone was pleasantly surprised and entertained by it, saying they've never seen someone do it or saying 'Iba ka talaga,' ['You're so unique' in Tagalog]," she said.

However, she said her family also wasn't that surprised, "because I think it's not that surprising to them that I'd do such [a] thing or that I'd do something out of the ordinary."

For brides who are interested in a mid-wedding chop, Olano recommends hiring a trusted hairstylist, looping them into the plan, and making sure there's enough time on the day to get the haircut just right.

"Don't do it unless it's you or your style, otherwise you'll regret it," Olano said. "It wasn't my first time cutting my hair short from having it long, so I wasn't afraid or nervous about it. I think that's the last thing you'd want to feel on your wedding day. And more importantly, just enjoy your day."