Bridesmaid hairstyles can be tricky as all of your bride squad will have different shaped faces and suit different styles. From bridesmaid up-dos to boho braids, here’s everything you need to know about your bridesmaids’ hair and choosing the best bridesmaid hairstyles with your bride tribe.
Bridesmaid Hairstyles for 2023: Your Ultimate Guide
Have you saved loads of bridesmaid hair ideas to your Pinterest board and are still no closer to choosing your bridesmaids’ hairstyles for the wedding?
Just like picking the best bridesmaid dresses for your girls, choosing how you want your bridesmaids’ hair to look can be tough. We asked celebrity hairstylist, Vicki Lord, for her favourite bridesmaid hairstyles for 2023 and how to achieve them.
Pick Your Own Bridal Hairstyle First
Choose your bridal hairstyle first and then the hairstyle of your bridesmaids. A good hairstylist will be able to come up with wedding hairstyles that suits all of your bridesmaids and still be in keeping with your bridal theme. TikTok is a great place to get inspiration.
Choose a Bridesmaid Hairstyle That Won’t Clash With Your Own
Even though you want your bridesmaids to look pretty, ensure that they enhance your look, rather than overpower it. Remember it’s your wedding and you are the main focus of the day.
Keep to Your Wedding Theme
Make sure your bridesmaids’ chosen hairstyles tie-in with your wedding theme. It’s important for your bridesmaids’ hairstyles to complement their bridesmaid dresses and the overall look and feel of your wedding. If your bridesmaids have matching dresses, why not opt for mismatched hairstyles?
Wedding Hair Accessories are Key
It is nice to have a uniformed look for the bridesmaids (perhaps a prettier adapted look for the younger flower girls, and a slightly different look for the Maid of Honour) and this can be as simple as changing the hair accessory or adding an extra braid.
If you’ve opted for mismatched hairstyles for your bridesmaids, why not bring them together with coordinated wedding hair accessories?
Think About Your Bridesmaids’ Hair
Every bridesmaid will have different hair – some of your bridesmaids may have fringes, some may have side partings, middle partings, or be accustomed to wearing their hair away from their face, and some bridesmaids may need hair extensions for your chosen style.
The bridesmaids’ hair will almost definitely vary in style, length and texture, and so all of these factors must be considered when choosing your bridesmaids’ hairstyle. But your hairstylist should be able to tweak each hairstyle to suit each bridesmaid.
Does the Bride Choose the Bridesmaids’ Hairstyles?
As the bride often chooses the bridesmaid dresses, the bridesmaids tend to choose their own hairstyles for the wedding. But remember, it’s your wedding, so just as the bridesmaids’ dresses should complement your wedding dress, their hair needs to complement yours.
Allowing your bridesmaids to choose their own hairstyles allows them feel more involved in the wedding and to express their individuality – especially if you’ve had full control over their bridesmaid dresses.
And if all of your bridesmaids are wearing the exact same dress, contrasting bridesmaid hairstyles can look fabulous – and help to highlight your unique bridal look.
Do Bridesmaids Have the Same Hairstyle?
If some of your bridesmaids have long hair, and others have short hair, they won’t be able to have perfectly matching hairstyles. While your bridesmaids’ hair styles don’t need to be identical, they should all follow a general theme.
If you want your bridesmaids to have the same hairstyle, keep the style simple, so that it can be adapted.
For example, if you were to choose a half-up half-down style, you would then look at each bridesmaid and consider how it can be adjusted slightly to make it suit their face shape and hair type.
If your bridesmaids are choosing their own differing hairstyles for your big day but you’re really keen to coordinate all of your girls and still have an element of control, why not go with matching hair accessories?
What do Bridesmaids Wear in Their Hair?
When choosing wedding hair accessories for your bridal party, look at your overall wedding theme and your vision for their looks. For example, if you’ve got a boho wedding theme running throughout, weaving real or artificial wedding flowers into your bridesmaids’ plaits or braided hairstyles could work really well.
Like with your wedding dress, choose the bridesmaid dresses and hairstyles first and then look for accessories after you have decided on them.
Lisa from The Bobby Pin says: “I always think that bridesmaid accessories should be dainty and pretty with that touch of sparkle. Nothing too over the top as the bride needs to take the spotlight.”
Getting wedding hair accessories right for all your bridesmaids can be a difficult task when they all have different hair lengths and colours. Keep it simple with a delicate comb or pin that can be added into any hairstyle.
Who Pays For the Bridesmaids’ Hair?
It completely depends on the bride and the wedding budget when it comes to whether the bride should pay for her bridesmaids’ hair and makeup. If paying for your bridesmaids’ hair is something that fits into your wedding budget then go for it!
Some brides opt to cover the cost of the bridesmaids’ dresses to thank their friends for their support and make it more affordable for them to be a part of the wedding, then leave the hairstyle choice and payment of hair and makeup to them.
But if you’re insisting on choosing your bridesmaids’ hairstyles and that they wear their hair a certain way, make sure you put aside a bridesmaid budget to pay for them to have it done professionally, to alleviate the stress of them doing it themselves and it not looking right.
Bridesmaid Hairstyle Trends for 2023
Hair expert and educator Chloe Whittle at hair care professionals Salon Promotions reveals the top five bridal hair trends set to make it big across weddings throughout 2023.
Chloe comments: “We’ve previously seen brides wanting more natural, relaxed, boho looks for their big day and this is definitely going to continue throughout this year, however, we expect we will start to see more brides wanting polished finishes, modern classics, simple/elegant ‘minimalist bridal’ looks. 2023 will definitely see the comeback of traditional looks, with a fresh new twist.”
Sleek Low Bun
The low bun is not something we’re unfamiliar with when it comes to bridal looks – it’s simple, elegant and a great, practical choice to show off any impressive dress detailing.
This year we expect to see people opt for a sleek low bun where shine and precision is key, ensuring all hair is pinned back away from the face. The way the low bun is manipulated can vary from a larger, textured bun to a cohesive sleek, twist secured with pins.
Glam Waves
For anyone wanting to show off their thick locks on their wedding day, glam waves provide all the drama and volume a bride could need. Elevating a classic 20s look means that this style can suit both traditional and modern brides and will look timeless in your wedding photos.
The nature of the large waves work best with mid-long, healthy hair, which can then flow elegantly over your shoulders with an enviable shine.
The 90s Bun
Nostalgia is still very much making its way into weddings this year, and hairstyles aren’t an exception. The 90s high bun is a flattering style for those who aren’t used to having their hair up.
With height and volume, as well as face-framing pieces that fall from a centre parting, this look is the perfect youthful, fun style to accompany a modern wedding that strays from tradition. Depending on how playful you would like the look to be, taking the bun higher will add more drama and placing the bun at the centre of your crown achieves a more subtle look.
Effortless Ponytail
Great for lowkey vibes or a summer wedding, the effortless ponytail is a flattering option for those who want to feel comfortable and avoid anything too adventurous for their big day.
As well as keeping hair from getting tangled in your veil, jewellery, buttons or zips, this practical option will also make the overall wedding look fun and playful.
The Braided Half Updo
Half updos are a firm bridal hair favourite but this year we expect to see many of these updos incorporating braids or creative twists of the hair. While usually half updos are done on wavy locks, the 2023 take on this style is going to see much tighter curls to achieve a beachy glam look.
You can really amp up the nostalgia with this look and incorporate braids into the rest of the hair, going for a few bigger braids or more smaller braids. It’s also worth thinking about whether you’d like to add any hair accessories to your look, in which case a half updo is the perfect style to opt for!
Braided Up-Dos
Braids continue to be the ‘in thing’ for 2023, too. Best worn loose or wrapped around the back, the mark of a good bridal hair specialist is how well they can plait!
Bridesmaid Braids & Fishtail Plaits
Is it even a wedding hair round-up without a boho braid in the mix? Even if your bridesmaids’ hair is quite short, hair pieces can be fitted which means that they too, can rock this trend.
Summer brides should think about using real or fabric flowers to give their girls’ hairstyles a fun and feminine finishing touch.
Read More:
- The Best Bridesmaid Dress Trends and Ideas for 2023
- Wedding Hair Accessories to Suit Every Season
- Fun and Unique Bridesmaid Proposal Ideas
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