12 Wedding Hairstyles to Add to Your Inspo Board
In our opinion, wedding hairstyles have to be two things. First, they have to be absolutely stunning. This is your day to shine and a unique and gorgeous hairstyle can make your photos pop on this special day. But maybe even more importantly, wedding hair has to be functional and long-lasting. There’s nothing worse than a style that has you constantly wiping hair out of your eyes or something that falls flat the second you walk away from the aisle and into your reception.
Of course, a few things like extra hold hairspray and endless bobby pins can help any hair situation have staying power. But you can’t go wrong with a classic updo that keeps every strand up and out of the way as you get down on the dance floor. No matter what type of bride you are or what your bridal style is, we’ve rounded up the most gorgeous, efficient, and unique wedding hairstyles that you can use as your wedding planning inspo. Remember, the goal of your wedding day is to look gorgeous, comfortable, and most of all, feel like yourself.
12 Bridal Hairstyle Ideas for Your Upcoming Wedding
1. Half-Up Princess Wedding Hairstyle
There’s something so effortlessly regal about Lisa’s hairstyle at the season three premiere of HBO's The White Lotus, as if you could just drape your hair out of a window and catch a prince who happens to be passing by. But for IRL princesses, this hairstyle is easy to achieve without the help of a professional. Pull up half of your hair and secure it in the back with pins or an elastic. Add some wedding elegance by using a pearl or rhinestone hair clip. We even love the ETTIKA Pearl Claw Clip for this. Then, just pull out a few strands near your ears and gently curl them with a low-heat iron.
2. Waterfall Bangs Wedding Hairstyle
If you want a more natural look, try blending your bangs into the waves of your natural hair like Aimee Lou Wood. As hair is drying, part bangs on either side of your face. Then spray some flexible, long-wearing hairspray on a fine tooth comb and brush through the bangs so they stay parted. We’re big fans of the LIVING PROOF Style Lab® Flex Hairspray for this look as it’ll never dry crunchy.
3. Old Hollywood Waves Wedding Hairstyle
You can’t go wrong with Kelsea Ballerini’s timeless waves that add volume to the hair from root to tip. For even more volume, slightly tease the hair at the roots and use a volumizing dry shampoo, like the LUSETA BEAUTY Volume Reviving Dry Shampoo, to keep grease from weighing down this look.
4. Peekaboo Bangs Wedding Hairstyle
If you don’t want all of your hair pulled back, try GloRilla’s crossing bang technique. Divide bangs into a top half and a bottom half. Coat the top half in gel and brush to one side of your face. Once it’s in place, secure it with extra hold hairspray. Then, grab the bottom underlayer of your bangs and brush them out straight down as you normally would to create a sort of peekaboo, criss-cross effect.
5. Shield Bun Wedding Hairstyle
We get it; hair tendrils cascading down your face can look chic, but they can also feel annoying on your big day when the last thing you want to be focusing on are those tendrils sticking to your lip gloss. You don’t have to have pieces falling out of your updo for it to be a wedding-worthy updo (exhibit A: Sofia Richie’s updo at the 2024 Baby2Baby Gala). Tease the hair around the crown for a ’60s volumizing effect, then gently comb out the hair you teased and pull it back into a ponytail. From there, twist the ponytail around into a bun and secure it with pins.
6. Side Part Bun Wedding Hairstyle
AnnaSophia Robb’s side part adds instant dimension to an otherwise simple low bun. Somehow this simple split adds instant elegance to your wedding hairstyle (bonus points if you’re showing off a fresh color or highlight job). Make sure no hair falls out of place by spraying a buildable hairspray like the DESIGN.ME HAIR Hold.ME Three-Way Hairspray.
7. Piecey Pixie Wedding Hairstyle
Don’t worry, all you short hair ladies out there—we didn’t forget you! This piecey, tousled look (seen on model Aweng Chuol) levels up any flat pixie cut and shows off a bit of personality in the process. Comb the sides of the hair forward towards the ears while styling the top half of the hair in the opposite direction.
8. Firework Pony Wedding Hairstyle
We love a hairstyle that does both, like this part slick-back part fierce pony look on Kerry Washington. Start by gelling or slicking down your ponytail as close to your head as possible. For an ultra slick-back look, we love the INH Hair Quick Slick for easy application. From there, utilize the natural texture of your hair or add curls to the ponytail for additional volume. The result is a stunning contrast that looks photo-ready and will feel dance floor-ready to boot.
9. Retro Flip-Out Wedding Hairstyle
The key to getting Meg Donnelly’s flipped-out ’60s mod it-girl style is a large round barrel brush and a hair dryer (or a hair-dryer brush!). As your hair is drying under the heat, wrap it in a round brush that works through the ends of the hair, flipping upwards as you go. For this, we’re fans of the COMPLEX CULTURE Vegan Boar Bristle Round Brush.
10. Hang Loose Pony Wedding Hairstyle
Kathryn Hahn’s piecey, pulled-back style is the new flower crown for the bohemian bride. Instead of weaving a crown into your hair, let your hair crown your face in this loose, drapey style. Hair that’s cut in layers works best here, so you can pull out a few shorter pieces to frame your face while tying back any longer pieces securely in an elastic to keep it out of your way.
11. Asymmetrical Piece-Bun Wedding Hairstyle
You’ve heard of the asymmetrical bob, but what about the asymmetrical bun? This chic style (seen on Gemma Chan) is easy to recreate on your own and adds instant depth and dimension to the face. If you want to continue the asymmetrical vibe, twist hair into a bun and pull zig-zagging pieces out so that lines of hair jut out from the back. Hairspray each piece to keep it in place.
12. Single-Accessory Wedding Hairstyle
Adding a glam hair accessory is one of the easiest ways to up the ante on your hairstyle for your wedding. Any clip that features a bit of sparkle will do the trick, like this simple barrette that stands out against brunette hair.