Classic wedding hairstyles to try for your big day

Princess Waves

Credit: Instagram/@katemiddletonphotos

1/5

Loose, tumbling waves are the perfect look for a Grecian or princess wedding dress. Worn with a tiara placed delicately amongst the tousles of hair, this hairstyle can make any bride feel like a princess. Waves aren’t as high maintenance as curls as they’re more relaxed, so it’s not the end of the world if they don’t look perfect or if they loosen throughout the day.

TIP: Try weaving some flowers at the base of your hair or twist in some diamante hair twirls for subtle touches of detail. The best way to achieve natural-looking waves that will last the day is to firstly apply a styling product to damp hair before blow-drying. Next, use curling tongues to curl small sections of hair and finally gently comb through to loosen into waves.

Bun

Credit: Instagram/@sophiet

2/5

A ballerina bun is for you if you’re accustomed to having your hair off your face and looks great if you’ve got a good hair line, but if you find it a comfort to have your hair round your face then don’t brave this look on your big day. Neat ballerina buns look beautiful with a flower nestled into the side or a tiara placed on top, while a messy bun is a little softer and looks great with waves falling beside the face. Sophie Turner rocked the high bun on her wedding day, revealing the beautiful blonde tones in her hair and making the perfect base for her veil to hang from.

TIP: It’s important to use a styling product to prevent flyaway hairs, but not so much that you look too slicked back, and a sponge hair ring helps create the perfect shape too.

Half-Up, Half-Down

Credit: Instagram/@arianagrande

3/5

This wedding hairstyle is the best of both worlds. You get the benefit of having your hair tied back – perfect for a windy beach wedding – while also having the hair fall around your face so you don’t look too ‘done’. A great example would be Ariana Grande herself. Otherwise known as her signature half-up half-down hairstyle, the star had half of her hair pulled back, and topped it off with a bow at the top of her veil.

TIP: The secret here is to use lots of small slides the same colour as your hair to hold your swept hair in place around the back.

Bouffant

Credit: Instagram/@haileybieber

4/5

Add some sixties charm with a sleek bouffant hairstyle to create height and volume to your hair. Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Hailey Bieber are good hair role models for this style, and of course the timeless Audrey Hepburn. This one is best done by a professional as it can be tricky to backcomb and fix your hair from behind. Remember, dangly earrings, a halter neck dress and a subtle smoky eye are a bouffant’s best friends.

TIP: Wear a strip of ribbon the same colour as your bridesmaids’ dresses around your head to frame the bouffant or beehive. Don’t worry, you can still wear a veil – just not one that covers your hairdo. Attach your veil at the base of the bouffant and let it drape down your back.

Chignon

Credit: Instagram/@lilyjcollins

5/5

Elegant and chic, the chignon is simple and perfect for any bride. A side parting works well with a chignon, with celebs including Jessica Alba and Lily Collins working this look at many events. It’s important to look like yourself on your wedding day so try new looks at your own risk. You might end up feeling uncomfortable with your new look so it’s best to stick to achieving a ‘better version’ of your current look. This is where the chignon fits in as it’s not OTT but is still glam enough for your wedding day.

TIP: Think about adding extra detail by plaiting thin sections of your hair to tie into the chignon at the back, or having a sweeping side fringe.