25 Expert-Approved Wedding Hairstyles for the Big Day

Floral-Accented Updo

Labrecque says chignons and updos pair well with backless gowns. To kick things up a notch, try adding dainty florals throughout the style to match your bouquet or wedding vibe.

Hollywood Waves

One of Lavoy’s biggest tips for wedding day hair is to avoid “trendy” styles and opt for something classic and timeless, like Hollywood Waves. “Try to avoid trendy hair,” he says. “Remember while you might feel great that day, I have found that some trendy hair doesn’t age well. Pictures last forever and the last thing you want is to look at your pictures years from now and have someone say ‘OMG look at your hair,’ so I always say stick to timeless hairstyle like some lush Hollywood waves.”

Bombshell Blowout

If you like the idea of Hollywood waves but want something a little fuller, opt for some soft curls with built out volume, Labrecque explains. In Labrecque’s experience, you can add volume to soft, wedding-day curls with a ponytail piece and invisible bead extensions to help add height and volume while keeping the look soft and light—perfect for a beach wedding.

A bombshell blowout is also one of Lavoy’s favorite wedding-day styles. We’ve been seeing big, voluminous bombshell blowouts all over the red carpet lately, and if you’re looking for something classy yet sexy, its the perfect style for your wedding day, too.

A Low Pony

“Who wouldn’t like a pony when you’re young and have beautiful skin and gorgeous hair,” says Labrecque. Whether it’s a low pony or a “power pony,” a voluminous, pulled-back look never goes out of style.

Sleek and Straight

There is something so chic and eye-catching about a simple, sleek, straight blow out, and as Lavoy and Labrecque emphasize, timeless and classic is best when it comes to wedding-day hair. If humidity and other hair-bending elements are not of concern, consider going with straight, silky tresses for an effortlessly glamorous look.

Braided Styles

If you’re not looking to add accessories like flowers, beads or charms to your hair but want something a little more elevated, Labrecque explains that adding braids to wedding day hair is a great way to make a classic style more interesting. Whether the braids are featured in a loose hair look or are part of a chignon or updo, the cross-hatched technique adds the perfect amount of “wow.”

Half-Up Hair

Like Labrecque and Lavoy assure, timeless is best when it comes to wedding hair, and a chic half-up half-down is a great option for wedding hair. If you want to elevate the style, try opting for a deep side part and add something like a jeweled barrette to the side of the head to spice up the look and avoid predictability.

Classic Chignon

One of Labrecque’s favorites, a chignon is a timeless wedding hair look, whether you’re the bride, a bridesmaid or even a guest. Great for formal weddings or for events in the warmer months, a classic chignon style keeps your hair out of your face and off your neck, making it also a staple style for dresses where you want the neck and décolletage to be exposed and shine.

Loose, Beachy Waves

Whether you’re getting married on the sand or just want to channel that care-free, beachy energy, loose waves area a great wedding hair option. Easy enough to do on yourself, using a thicker barreled curling iron and some hair spray will help you create lived-in, loose waves that last all night.

Baby Buns

Almost like an elevated take on a space bun, experimenting with baby buns is a great way to take on a more eccentric, youthful, fun look that is sure to turn heads and makes for the perfect accessory for a cool-girl wedding.

Medium-Length Deep Waves

“I was in the wedding hair industry for 14 years in Santa Barbara as well as out of the country and I’ve had the experience of doing such a wide range of styles,” says celebrity hairstylist and curl expert Christin Brown, “Some of my favorite styles to do on shorter to medium length hair is an old Hollywood style—some version of a deep wave can be a classic and elegant style that translates amazingly on the person getting married or anyone attending.”

Natural Texture and Foliage

For clients with textured hair, the assumption is typically that they have to do something totally out of the ordinary for a wedding, but as Brown explains, Sometimes a beautiful wash and go style with some extra adornments or living fern (yes, fern) in the hair can be absolutely stunning.”

A Curly Loose Bun

Adding texture to an updo is a great way to create dimension and a more laid-back, “boho” vibe for your special day. Instead of slicking the hair back into a tightly gathered bun or chignon, curly the hair tightly and then loosely gathering it above the neck makes for an effortlessly messy yet chic style.

Fishtail Braid

“For super long hair that sometimes has a hard time holding a curl, my go-to is a fishtail braid,” says Brown, “Not only can it save time and the uncertainty of the style holding for hours, but it looks impressive because of how intricate it is. Using some sort of dry shampoo like Oribe Dry Shampoo ($52) can really help to provide grip and texture with this style.”

Slicked-Back Puff

Another one of Brown’s favorite styles for brides or wedding guests with textured hair is “a slick style that blossoms into a puff at the top,” emphasizing the clients natural texture. Brown adds that, to amplify this style, one can add barrettes and other adornments depending on the vibe of the function.

Low, Messy Bun

If a classic chignon isn’t quite your style but you still want a look that keeps your hair off your face and neck so you can party with no restraints, try a low messy bun. By pulling out some strands in the front and allowing the hair pulled into the bun to have texture and movement, a low messy bun can be a great wedding event style.

Statement Headband

Whether you opt for pearls, flowers, feathers, crystals, foliage, lace or any of the dozens of other options, a statement headband is the perfect way to dress up any wedding hair look, no matter what vibe you’re going for. Endlessly versatile, headbands can compliment an updo or flowing tresses, so the world is really your oyster.

Exaggerated Side Part

While the internet may have decided that side parts are “cringe,” an exaggerated, dramatic side part takes on a whole new life and serves as a perfect style for the big day. While you can fold a heavy side part into an updo or a fully-down style, the part is especially complimentary to big, relaxed waves—it helps create that old-Hollywood starlet aesthetic.

Sharp Middle Part

If you just can’t get behind a side part, though, a sharp middle part is just as elegant. Whether you part the hair down the middle for a low chignon or to leave it down straight or curled, a perfectly-defined middle part adds an air of sophistication to any wedding hair look.

Wrapped Fishtail Pony

While we often associate a ponytail with a casual look, there are plenty of ways to elevate your pony to create a chic, wedding-ready style. Wrapping hair around the facet of your ponytail to disguise the hair tie and then fishtailing the hair in the pony is a great way to add an interesting and extravagant detail to your party pony.

Barely-There, Tousled Waves

If extravagant isn’t your style, there are plenty of options for creating a wedding day hairstyle that helps you feel confident and special without being too over-the-top. For a sexy yet simple, lived-in look, opt for some ever-so-slightly bent waves with a tousled finish for that fresh-off-the-runway, model vibe.

White Bows

As we all know, bows are so back, and they also make the perfect wedding-day hair accessory. Whether you want to go for white to compliment your gown or with a pop of color, adding a satiny bow to your hanging strands is a great way to channel that soft, coquette energy on your big day.

Long, Fluffed Braids

While our experts have already shown how braids can add interest and dimension to an array of updos, you can also create a stunning wedding style with one, long braid. By swooping all the hair to one side, braiding the strands down and then gently pulling on the plaits to help give them volume and texture, you can find yourself with the perfect rustic, relaxed wedding hair ‘do.

Over-Wrapped Chignon

As our experts have noted, a chignon is classic and timeless, but there are also ways to add some extra pizazz to this tried-and-true wedding day style. By wrapping the top layer of hair over and around the bun instead of folding it in, you create an artistic, sophisticated take on the chignon. Add a lace appliqué and voila!

Baby Braids

If you want to have your hair away from your face without committing to a full up do, baby braids on the top layer of your hair are a great way to dress up a hair-down look. By braiding just the front pieces of the hair back into a half-up half-down style—fastened by your choice of barrette or similar accessory—you can have all the benefits of having your hair out of your face for the big day while still letting your strands run free.