Bridesmaid hairstyles are often low on the list of priorities, below dresses, shoes, flowers, and accessories, but they’re a key part of the overall look. Here are a couple of questions brides often ask about bridesmaid hairstyles:
Do hairstyles need to match the formality of the wedding?
Bridesmaid hairstyles can alter the overall feel of their outfits, and can create a formal or informal impression. Here are some ideas for different types of wedding:
- Informal wedding
Try pinning back loose curls into a half up do and weaving in some fresh or fabric flowers that are similar to the bride’s bouquet. - Semi formal wedding
A romantic French twist with loose curly tendrils framing the bridesmaid’s face can be effective. - Formal wedding
An elegant high bun with a crystal comb or slim Alice band would be a perfect bridesmaid hairstyle. Shorter haired bridesmaids can just slick back their hair and wear an Alice band.
Should bridesmaid hairstyles resemble the bride’s?
Some brides choose to create a unified look by mimicking their hairstyle in the bridesmaid hairstyles. Usually, the bridesmaids would have a less elaborate or complex style than the bride, but they could still have more or less the same style, for example a French twist or a chignon.
Alternatively other brides think having bridesmaids with different hairstyles to their own will help to emphasise the uniqueness of their bridal look. If the bride has an elegant bun, long loose curls with an Alice band or clip do might be the ideal choice for her bridesmaids.
Accessories can be used to connect the bridesmaid hairstyles with the bride, and some bridesmaids even wear mini versions of the bride’s tiara. Alice bands and headbands with pretty ornaments are fashionable accessories for bridesmaids, and can be worn again after the wedding.
Should bridesmaids have identical hairstyles?
Although your bridesmaid hairstyles don’t need to look exactly the same, they should all follow an overall theme. Maybe you’re having a daytime garden wedding, in which case a soft, tousled, romantic look would work well. Alternatively, you may have chosen an elegant evening wedding, where immaculate sculpted hairstyles would be more suitable.
Whether your bridesmaid hairstyles should be identical depends on the number of bridesmaids you have, their ages, and their everyday hairstyles. All the adult bridesmaids should have a similar style and the young bridesmaids or flower girls should also have a similar style, but the two styles don’t need to be the same.
If some of your bridesmaids have long hair, and others have short hair, they won’t be able to have identical hair dos. You can achieve a similar effect, however, by having the long haired bridesmaids wear an up do, and using similar accessories for everyone. When you line the bridesmaids up for a group photo it will be very noticeable if some are wearing long hair loose and others have their hair up or short.
If your bridesmaids are wearing mismatched dresses, having matching hairstyles can be a good way of making them look like they are part of a group. However, if your bridesmaids are all wearing the same frock, encouraging them to choose their own hairstyle and accessories can allow them to inject a little of their own character and style into their outfit
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