30 Ways to Wear Your Hair Down for Your Wedding (2024)

This bride wore her locks loosely braided away from her face for a simple half-up, half-down hairstyle. It also creates the perfect securement to attach that glorious veil. Name a wedding theme, season, or setting, and a pin-straight hairstyle is bound to complement it. This no-fuss look is especially perfect for minimalist brides with sleek sartorial choices to match. We love how this bride's veil maintains the straight cascade of the hair while adding just a hint of ethereal volume. Beach waveswill never go out of style, and we couldn't be more happy about that.

Ashlyn Harris' Short Slicked Back Hairstyle

Janet Zeitoun ditched accessories for this bride's look to ensure all eyes were on her Vera Wang ensemble. If you're looking to add a little glamour to your half-up, half-down hairstyle, make like Design Visage and pair the hairstyle with a sparkly headband. We also suggest mimicking this bride and wearing minimal jewelry to bring attention to the statement accessory.

Dramatic Crown

Technically an updo, this low-slung ponytail works beautifully as a hair-down wedding style that's fresh, relaxed, and romantic. "Letting pieces hang around the face that are too long won't frame the cheekbones well," notes Stone. "They just end up distracting from the entire look and getting caught in lipstick." We love this look, which is the perfect solution for brides who appreciate the fresh-face appeal of an updo but want to keep their locks down and loose in the back. "A few pieces or one side can be pinned back if it's a really windy day for a more relaxed look," adds Stone. Pinning half of your strands back is a romantic choice for any type of bride.

Curtain Bangs Secured With a Headband

Textured tresses blowing in the sea breeze are just so effortlessly sexy. With flirty waves and a playful Dutch side braid, this look is ready for a destination wedding. It captures all those festive, free-spirited vibes of chasing the sun. Who knew the style you wore to keep your long hair out of your face at the gym would be fancy enough for your wedding day? Try using a texturizing powder and teasing the hair at your crown to get the effortless, textured pony this bride is rocking.

It’s essential to ensure the pinned side is securely fastened, possibly with hidden bobby pins or a decorative clip, so the style holds throughout your wedding day. This approach adds a touch of glamour and sophistication, perfect for brides looking for something a little different. For the half-up portion, gently twist and pin sections back without pulling too tightly, to avoid flattening your curls. For brides with curly hair, embrace your natural texture by choosing products that enhance your curls’ bounce and reduce frizz on your wedding day. A silicone-free serum or curl-enhancing mousse applied to damp hair can work wonders.

Your hairstylist can manufacture thickness and texture by working soft waves and fluffiness into a high ponytail. Contrary to popular belief, locs can totally work for thinner hair. The number of individual pieces depends on the thickness you want to achieve, but this lob length is a sweet option. Pulling your tresses back in a tight bun with a sleek side part is the epitome of elegance.

What are wedding accessories to wear on my hair when it’s down?

Go for big-barrel waves and brush through your hair for an even more effortless look. Long locks parted to the side will look especially alluring with a billowing strapless ball gown. Combing back your locks into a shiny chignon at the nape of your neck is timeless and versatile. We love a floral hairpin as the final touch for a garden wedding, but this style also brings an icy look to winter nuptials. One of the best places you can look to for hair inspiration is your wedding dress.

Secure It With a Pearl Pin

Spray hair with hairspray after curling and let hair cool before lightly brushing out with your fingers. Wedding hair has come a long way since the rigid coifs and standard updos of old. And, while those styles are still just as appropriate today, we're happy to see an expanded range of freedom and personality injected into the range of bridal 'dos. This may not be a celebration of your hair per se, but it shouldn't not be either. For mothers of the groom or bride, elegance and simplicity often work best. A softer version of the half up half down style, possibly with gentle waves and a polished twist or pinning at the back, can be both flattering and age-appropriate.

Chanel Iman's Textured Half-Up, Half-Down Hairstyle

To encapture that old-school look, wear a bonnet with a fishnet covering the face. "If you have really long hair with a bit of damage, I recommend cutting three to four inches about six months in advance, so it has time to grow back healthier." Pixie cuts rejuvenate fine hair by lifting the roots since there isn’t any weight to pull them down, and therefore contribute to more thinning.

When styling, use a diffuser to gently dry your curls to maintain their shape and volume. You might be an experimental fashionista when it comes to your everyday style, but you will probably want to keep things traditional for your wedding. There is still room to play around with wedding hairstyles for long hair. Add pizzazz to your covered bridal hairstyle with a shimmering tiara that matches the pattern of the lace.

Zoe Saldana is the queen of sleek, center-parted hair, which would be so chic and sophisticated for an evening wedding. The bride said her Oscar de la Renta gown reminded her of The Princess Bride, and Mitchell Rodrigues at Wonderland Beauty Parlor completed the look with generous fairly-tale waves. Channeling Grace Kelly, the bride's vintage 1950s flip, styled by Kim Westwood, topped a similarly classic strapless, modified A-line gown with a sweetheart neckline. This Nashville bride matched her gown's simple lines with a gentle half updo by Kristin Russell of Green Pea Salon. Love is in the Hair created this effortless look for the bride, which featured tousled layers that just-touched the bride's face. Most face shapes can also pull this off but in some cases you may want to pull the hair back behind the ears and secure using either products or a couple of grips/bobby pins.

Placing your hair to the side and manufacturing bouncy waves with a heated tool will generate a delicate, ethereal flair. As seen above, this option is perfect for brides with extra long hair. Encourage your bridesmaids to have a styling session before the wedding day to ensure everyone is comfortable and confident with their hairstyle. Select flowers that complement your wedding bouquet to create a harmonious look.

Half up half down wedding hairstyles like this one are perfect for a Boho bride. A sweet braid wrapped like a headband offers a feminine touch along with lovely waves flowing freely over the shoulders. The choice of the right wedding hairstyle is as responsible as the choice of a wedding dress. If you can’t decide between an updo and downdo type, we suggest you pay attention to the variety of different half up half down bridal hairstyles. This way you’ll enjoy the best qualities of the both hairstyle groups – the naturalness and chic of freely flowing locks and the elegance of the lifted up part.