Stunning Bridesmaid Hairstyles Your Girls Will Love
Make sure your bridesmaids look even more beautiful on the big day by choosing a bridesmaid hairstyle that suits them and your wedding style
So you’ve asked your best girls, ‘Will you be my bridesmaid?’, have been bridesmaid dress shopping and now they’re busy working on hen party ideas. It’s just down to you to put together the final details, such as the bridesmaid hairstyles.
We spoke to Vicki Lord, Celebrity Session and Bridal Hairstylist, for her ultimate bridesmaid hairstyle recommendations and expert advice…
Low Chignon
This classic style will work with a variety of bridesmaid dress styles and looks seriously elegant. It suits almost everyone and will work for your best girls, providing their hair is long enough.
“The chignon bun is the basis of many intricate hairstyles and can be adapted into lots of styles. They can be worn on the side, nape of the neck or at the crown. Adding hair accessories like fresh flowers can really set this style off,” explains hairstylist Vicki Lord, “And they work with formal looks as well as with more laidback ones, particularly if you dress them down a bit with loose, wavy tendrils.”
Don’t miss our edit of bridesmaid up dos if you’re looking for more ideas like this.
Side Bun
“Side buns look fabulous on bridesmaids, and they can be worn with curly, textured or straight hair. If the bride just has two bridesmaids it looks great if the bridesmaids wear their buns on alternative sides to frame the bride for photos as it gives great symmetry! Try adding some sparkly hair grips to really add a dazzle,” suggests Vicki.
We love the idea of pairing a side bun with a one shouldered bridesmaid dress – ask your hairstylist to style the bridesmaids’ hair so the bun will fall on the opposite side to the shoulder detail to balance out the look.
This look can work for a variety of hair textures, so it’s worth considering if you have bridesmaids with really different hair. Girls with fine hair might need clip in extensions or a bun ring to add more volume, but your hairstylist can advise you on what will work best.
Classic Bun
If the side bun is too quirky for you, consider the classic bun as a way to keep hair out of your bridesmaids’ faces, look sophisticated and add volume.
“Bride Dee (pictured below) wanted the bridesmaids all to look similar, and have a classic neat style like hers,” Vicki shares her experience working with a real life bride who wanted this look, “but you can see that I’ve catered the partings to suit the face shape of each bridesmaid, and this is vital when having the same style for different women.”
Half Up Half Down
The half up half down wedding hairstyle is a classic and with good reason. It works for the bride as it allows the veil to sit perfectly, and is an easy way to add volume without losing length. It works for bridesmaids too if you want your best girls to have a style that echoes yours, and it suits everyone.
“Pretty half-up-half-down hair is perfect for bridesmaids wearing strapless dresses, as the hair drapes the bare shoulders and is princess-like, allowing the bride to shine as the queen.” Vicki’s statement proves this hairstyle is the perfect choice for adding a royal twist to your wedding look…
Kate Middleton opted for this timeless look at her wedding, and her sister and chief bridesmaid Pippa had her hair in a similar fashion. Browse our edit of celebrity wedding veils to see what kind of veil Kate paired with her hairstyle.
Braided Bridesmaid Hairstyle
Braids have been having a real moment lately – we think it’s since Anna and Elsa burst on to the scene in Frozen with their pretty but practical braided hairstyles. There’s no shame in having a Disney inspired look on your wedding day!
In fact, if the word Disney has piqued your interest, don’t miss our favourite Disney love quotes – they’re perfect for adding even more romance to your big day.
“This bride wanted a fresh, boho look with a braided headband to add height,” Vicki explains, “but then each of the bridesmaids had a style to suit them with a braided element to tie it all together. The maid of honour also stood out with different floral detail in her hairstyle – this is a good idea if you want your maid of honour to have something a little different to the rest of the bridesmaids.”
Image credit: Steve Fuller Photography
Short Bridesmaid Hairstyle
Just because the bridesmaids have short hair doesn’t mean you have to be stuck for ideas. Same goes for the bride – we have lots of short wedding hairstyles to inspire you.
“Short hair doesn’t mean you can’t be creative and in keeping with the bride! My lovely Gatsby bride wanted all her bridesmaids to have some form of 1920s feel about their hair so I opted to finger wave one of her bridesmaid’s hair and as you can see in this image the bridesmaid’s hair really complements the bride’s hair.”
This look would work especially well if you had a 1920s wedding dress.
Retro Hairstyle for Bridesmaids
There are plenty of options if you are looking for a vintage bridesmaid hairstyle, but we love how this bride, styled by Vicki, went all out with her retro wedding hairstyle and opted for a bold beehive. Although her bridesmaid is only tiny, she echoed the bride’s hair with volume and texture and looked fabulous!
It’s worth exploring retro inspired wedding hairstyles if you’ve chosen vintage bridesmaid dresses as it will help to tie the whole look together.
As well as the gorgeous hairstyles and advice from Vicki Lord, our Hitched suppliers also have some incredibly beautiful styles that we just had to share with you!
Flash Floozy
Wedding accessory company Flash Floozy have created this enchanting wedding hairstyle that beautifully incorporates floral detailing into the bridesmaid’s hair. We love the lone-plait and messy finish – it’s a really pretty look!
BEYOU Weddings
Summer weddings are the perfect home for the style that BEYOU Weddings have created here. The fresh flowers match the bridesmaid bouquets perfectly and how pretty are those tousled loose curls?
They have also created a really similar look here for these bridesmaids and bride but with a more toned-down, green colour that complements the white bridesmaid dresses perfectly. This hairstyle is so adaptable and will suit almost any wedding theme no matter how out there it is.
See More: Flower Crowns – How to Make Your Own
Spence and Oliver The Bridal Beauty Co
For a neater, demure look, why not opt for this elegant hairstyle carried out by Spence and Oliver from The Bridal Beauty Co? The beautiful curls can sit perfectly behind the shoulders which is ideal for bridesmaids who are wearing dresses with plenty of front detail to show off.
See more from Spence and Oliver The Bridal Beauty Co
Braided Bridesmaid Hairstyles by The Bridal Stylists
The Bridal Stylist are no stranger to a beautiful up-do hairstyle and these four are some of our favourites. They all have incredible detailing to them and incorporate florals and little hair accessories that add the perfect finishing touch.
Pick your favourite style for your girls or mix and match a few of these braided hairstyles for a truly beautiful bridesmaid look!
See more from The Bridal Stylists
If you’re still searching for bridesmaid hair inspiration, why not check out our edit of wedding guest hairstyles? There are so many styles to explore you’ll be sure to find something that would work for you and your bridesmaids – it’s ideal if you want a lower maintenance look that your bridesmaids can easily achieve themselves.
