Planning a wedding can be a very exciting time, but it can also come with a hefty price tag. From the dress to the venue to the flowers, costs can quickly add up. One area where you can save some money without sacrificing style is your bridal hair.
Opting to style your own hair on your wedding day can be a great way to cut costs, and also allows for creative expression and a personal touch.
However, choosing a style can be intimidating, especially when you're the one who has to do it. So, let's take a look at five budget-savvy bridal hairstyles.
Romantic Waves
Classic and effortlessly chic, opting for romantic waves on your special day is a fail-safe way to ensure your hair is cute and comfortable all day. A style such as this is easy to recreate at home and can be dressed up or down to complement the aesthetics of your wedding.
Gabrielle wears our Human Hair Lace Clip-in in shade #8/10 Baby Bronde
- Detangle the lengths of your hair and apply a good heat protectant
- Separate your hair into manageable sections
- Use a medium-sized barrel curling iron (or straighteners if you prefer) and curl your hair away from your face, working through each section from top to bottom
- Set your curls with hairspray
- Once your hair is fully cool, use a wide-toothed comb to soften the curls into waves.
TOP TIP: If you want more body or bounce for your wedding day waves, opting for some clip-in extensions is a low-commitment, budget-friendly alternative to a full head of tape extensions.
1960s Inspired Half-Updo
There's nothing I love more than a retro resurgence, and if the popularity of Sophia Coppola's Pricilla or the public response to Barbara Palvin's wedding look shows us one thing, it's that the sixties are, once again, making a comeback.
The half-updo is an incredibly versatile and timeless hairstyle that can work for anybody. Opting for a sixties-inspired spin on this look can bring some vintage flare and youthful flounce to your wedding hairstyle, without the need for over-complication.
Image credit to Bense Barsony/Byrdie.com
- Put your hair into a centre part and apply some heat protector
- Using some straighteners on a low heat, flip out the ends of your hair
- Tease the section of hair at the crown of your head
- Separate your bangs/face-framing pieces, and brush the front sections of your hair up and back, ensuring you smooth your hair over the teased section
- Gather the ends of this section and secure them at the back of the head using a hair tie or some pins.
- Set this with some hairspray and accessorize however you wish.
TOP TIP: To fully recreate the '60s half-updo of Barbara Palvin, add a white bow accessory at the back of your head.
A similar look was recreated here by @elmartina using our One Piece Flicky in #2/5 Azalea
Sleek Low Bun
The popularity of Hayley Beiber's minimalist style and the rise of the 2023 clean-girl aesthetic has brought the sleek, slicked bun into the forefront of fashion once again. Effortlessly chic and tidy, the sleek low bun is the perfect hairstyle for the bride who wants fashion and function on her special day.
Gigi wears our Curly Messy Bun in #1001 Polar Star
- Gently brush through your hair, teasing out any tangles and making sure your hair is as soft and smooth as possible.
- Use a tail comb to ensure that your parting is straight and in central.
- Apply a hair gel, pomade, or oil from the roots to the mid-section, taking care to evenly coat your hair
- Then, using the tail comb or a bristle brush, smooth your hair back towards the nape of your neck and gather it with a soft hair tie.
- Once this is secured, begin to twist your hair around the base of the ponytail, building a bun.
- Secure this with another hair tie or some bobby pins, and set it with a light mist of hairspray.
TOP TIP: If you have fine hair or want to build a bigger bun, opting for a clip-in or scrunchie bun is a great option.
The Big Chop
We're barely one month into 2024, and already the bob seems to be taking the internet by storm. From the Parisian to the Nano, to the currently trending Midi, many women are undergoing the big chop. A popular wedding trend is the bride even braving the chop in between their ceremony and reception, taking on a new look to mark the beginning of this new chapter in their lives.
Image credit to weddingforward.com
In an ideal world, the cut itself is something you'd have done by a professional- unless you feel bold enough to do it yourself! However, if the big chop is something you opt for before your special day, how you style it is completely up to you.
Some women like to opt for glamorous waves or loose curls, while some might go for a sleek and straight, or slicked back behind the ears.
The bob is a timeless hairstyle, incredibly classy, and lends itself well to a range of aesthetics and looks. You can style and accessorize it however you like, and it can be as high or low-maintenance as you want it to be for your special day.
Tousled French Twist
Incredibly glamorous and charming, the touseled French twist is a great hairstyle for any beautiful bride-to-be. Popular through the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, and having something of a renaissance in the 90s and early 2000s, this hairstyle is one that we find ourselves going back to time and time again.
The tousled take on this iconic hairstyle brings some modern flair and an extra dose of romance, making it an incredibly popular wedding style.
Image credit to @suzannemcmahonhairstylist on Instagram who created this look using our extensions in shade #1001 Polar Star
TOP TIP: Hairstyles like this one work best on hair with some texture, ie. loose waves
- Lightly tease your hair at the roots.
- Separate any face-framing/bang sections of your hair.
- Gather the rest of your hair into a low ponytail.
- Pull up your hair at the crown for some extra volume, and pull out any face-framing pieces if you want a more tousled, romantic look
- Hold your ponytail in your right hand, and tightly wrap the base of your pony around the index and middle fingers on your left hand
- Use your left index and middle fingers to hook and tightly twist the hair to the left, completing one full twist as you pull it up to your crown
- Hold your twist in place with your right hand, and use your left hand to pull the base upwards slightly
- Make sure you tuck your hair (especially the ends) as you go
- Once you're happy with the placement and look of your twist, secure it in place with hair grips or French pins and spritz with some hairspray for extra hold.
- Pull out some loose tendrils, styling them into soft beach waves, and accessorize however you wish.
Alternatively, at Stranded we offer our Bounce Wrap Ponytail which is a quick and easy way to achieve this look.
Accessorizing Your Bridal Hairstyle
Finding the perfect hair accessory to accent your DIY style is the final finishing touch you need to ensure polish and elegance on your special day. It's important to make sure that whichever accessory you choose compliments your wedding theme and dress, while reflecting your personal style.
The best advice I can give for choosing how to accessorize your wedding day hair, is to keep it simple. Perhaps you'll opt for an elegant veil, or maybe some embellished French pins. You might be the type of girl who loves a floral moment, or maybe you're more of a plain-Jane, less is more, who doesn't want anything in your hair, and instead wants to let your wedding dress speak for itself.
Whichever route you go down, opt for simplicity and comfort, staying true to your own style and to the aesthetics of your wedding.`
Want some more wedding accessory inspo? Why not click here?
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