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  5. 39 Ways to Wear Your Hair Down for Your Wedding
Martha Stewart Weddings

39 Ways to Wear Your Hair Down for Your Wedding

Updated May 20, 2021
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denita john wedding bride
Credit: Lisa Ziesing for Abby Jiu Photography

Whether your hair is short or long, wavy or straight, you'll find the perfect down hairstyle for your big day from these inspirational brides.

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denita john wedding bride
Credit: Lisa Ziesing for Abby Jiu Photography

For every bride who dreams of wearing her hair in a dramatic updo on the big day, there's another who decides to let loose and wear her hair down. While these hairstyles might seem simple or even casual, there are so many ways to make them your own and appropriate for an event as special as a wedding. To prove our point, we're sharing a wide range stunning hairstyles from the bride's featured in our real weddings—each and every one proves that wearing your hair down on the wedding day is a very good idea.

Whether you have chin-length hair or long, luscious long waves, there's a way to wear your hair down on the wedding day that'll work for you. If you like the idea of doing something understated and simple, consider loose, wind-swept waves, a look favored by so many women in the slides ahead as well as the glowing bride featured right here. Toni Yvette and DT Hair helped her achieve perfectly tousled waves, and that soft, unstructured texture perfectly matched the ethereal vibe of her wedding dress.

Wearing your hair down is a good option if you plan to add a stunning accessory to your look. Whether it's a vintage barrette or comb that's been passed down through multiple generations, a classic veil, or a statement headband, you'll find that they're often easiest to incorporate (and ultimately remove, should you want to switch up your beauty look halfway through the day) when your hair is down. 

From long, straight styles and loose waves to intricately coiffed Old-Hollywood-inspired curls, there are so many different ways to wear your hair down on the wedding day. If you're on the hunt for inspiration, you've come to the right place. Bookmark your favorite styles, then share them with your hairstylist at your big-day hair trial—you can thank us (and these stylish brides) later.

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Middle Part

bride holding puppy
Credit: Blaine Siesser

If you're team middle part, don't feel like you have to give it up on your wedding day. This hairstyle, which was carefully coiffed by Aimee Gupta, proves that simple, elegant waves and a center part are entirely appropriate for the wedding day.

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Double Barrette

bride and groom cutting small cake together
Credit: Mo Davis Photography

Hair accessories are an easy way to take your signature hairstyle to the next level on your wedding day. Here, Fascio Hair helped take the bride's soft waves into bridal territory by adding two sparkling barrettes.

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Side Swept

wedding couple posing for portrait at park
Credit: Kati Rosado

For more volume, try a side-swept part. Monique Gaffney pulled this bride's cascading curls to one side on the wedding day, creating lots of movement and body.

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Old-Hollywood Glamour

daniela emmanuel wedding maryland couple holding hands
Credit: Winsome + Wright

Old-Hollywood curls definitely work on the wedding day, especially when they're paired with a stunning high-neck wedding dress a bold red lip. Created by Caitlyn Meyer, this beautiful look definitely makes the case for wearing your hair down on the big day.

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Simple Waves

bride and groom walking and looking at each other
Credit: Miki & Sonja

Carla Sorenson Farmer Jackson added super-soft waves to this bride's hair; the simple-yet-sophisticated style played beautifully with her gown's neckline.

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Opposites Attract

brides posing for wedding portrait in front of white stairs
Credit: Michael Radford

Both brides wore their hair down for their ceremony, one opting for a bouncy blowout while the other chose long, loose waves. Page Beauty created both looks.

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Asymmetrical

bride wearing two-piece wedding dress and tucking hair behind ear
Credit: Emily Fanara

You know your hair better than anyone else, so if you feel confident in your styling abilities, make like the bride seen here and craft your own big-day look. She left the bulk of hair down in waves but pulled back one side to bring focus to her face, creating a fun, glamorous, and very functional style.

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Pulled Back

bride in wedding dress with floral bouquet
Credit: Janine Licare

A small section of hair towards the front of the bride's face was pulled back, creating a romantic look that was just right for an outdoor celebration.

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Subtle Waves

wedding couple portrait on garden path
Credit: Baird & Lim

Tokuyama Salon created casual, simple waves for this bride, which offset her classic wedding dress.

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Fun with Fringe

bride by water holding pink tones wedding bouquet
Credit: Sylvie Rosokoff

This gorgeous bride is proof that, when it comes to your hair, less really can be more. She wore her hair down in its natural curl pattern, letting her bangs frame her face. She also accessorized with a veil for the ceremony.

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Multiple Accessories

annie brennan wedding couple kiss
Credit: Clary Pfeiffer

Lia of Nika Vaughan Bridal Artists added three clips to this bride's stunning curled hairstyle—the addition of shimmering hairpieces was all that was needed to make this look entirely wedding-worthy.

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Soft and Simple

cayla david wedding bride wearing a white jumpsuit and holding a colorful bouquet at the outdoor winery venue
Credit: Amanda Olivia

The bride's hair, styled by Latanya Gray, featured effortless, bouncy waves; the soft hairstyle beautifully complemented her jumpsuit.

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Long and Loose

marina evan wedding couple posing
Credit: Jenny Haas

The bride did her own hair, choosing to wear it down and in long curls for a casual, natural feel.

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Unique Hairpiece

bride wearing tea-length wedding dress holding floral bouquet
Credit: Abby Jiu Photography

Gina Ribando of In Full Detail Hair amped up this bride's wavy hairstyle with the addition of a gorgeous, knot-inspired hairpiece by Lelet NY.

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Tucked Behind the Ear

bride and groom hold hands looking back on building terrace
Credit: Abby Jiu

Uzma from Makeup by Ana B. created long, effortless waves for this bride. Tucking a few pieces of hair behind one ear allowed the her face to take center stage.

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Volume

bride and groom embracing for wedding portrait
Credit: Kati Rosado Photography

To match the volume of the bride's floral wedding dress, Amanda Gros coiffed her hair into voluminous, romantic waves.

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Combed

bride and groom on beach
Credit: Hunter Ryan Photo

Holding back a portion of your hair is especially important if you're tying the knot on the beach—strong breezes can make keeping your hair in place a challenge. To combat the wind, Duality Artistry styled the bride's hair with a glittering comb, which beautifully accented her long curls.

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Deep Side Part

bride holding fall floral bouquet in grassy field
Credit: Carlos Hernández Photography

The jury is still out on whether a deep side part is still officially "in," but if this bride's modern-meets-glam look, crafted by Carol Kaledzera, is any indication, there's absolutely no reason to adopt a middle part now.

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Short and Sweet

chelsea jordaan wedding bride walking along a walkway surrounded by greenery wearing her patterned wedding dress and holding a bouquet
Credit: Rose Bowman

With a striking middle part and loads of volume, this bride's short yet impactful hairstyle was simply breathtaking and the perfect subtle complement to her floral wedding dress.

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Au Natural

bride and groom smiling holding hands
Credit: Ashley Ludaescher

Simple, loose waves is what so many brides want, and for good reason: It just works. The Queen's Bees created this perfectly tousled style.

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Face-Skimming Layers

bride in lace cap sleeve wedding dress holding bouquet
Credit: Kari Henrichsen

Love is in the Hair created this effortless look for the bride, which featured tousled layers that just-touched the bride's face.

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Tendrils

bride in off the shoulder floral wedding dress
Credit: Jacqui Cole Photography

El Wynn & Cass created this stunning bridal look. With perfect curls, the simple hairstyle complemented the bride's detailed gown.

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Voluminous and Side-Swept

reception-bride-groom-firstdance-johnlegend-delesie0160-mwds110843.jpg
Credit: Aaron Delesie

Model Chrissy Teigen wed singer John Legend in a white Vera Wang gown with upswept hair, then changed to this bright-red number (also by Wang) and a long, flowing hairstyle by Juan Carlos Maciques of See Management for Rita Hazan Salon to hit the dance floor.

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Half Updo

bride in sparkling wedding dress
Credit: Rylee Hitchner

This Nashville bride matched her gown's simple lines with a gentle half updo by Kristin Russell of Green Pea Salon.

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Beach Waves

summer-bryan-wedding-281-ds111116.jpg
Credit: Jen Huang

The bride knew she wanted to balance her spectacular custom gown with an effortless, barely wavy look styled by Amy Clarke and Beauty by Melina—and accessorized with a jeweled barrette she hopes will become a family heirloom.

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Vintage Flip

lara-oliver-portraits-317.jpg
Credit: Aneta Mak

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.

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Free-Form Style

erica-jordy-wedding-couple-4281-s111971-0715.jpg
Credit: Aaron Smith

The bride said she wanted her wedding to "be a place we would want to hang out and let our hair down"—so she did exactly that in a free-form style, created by Jessica Cook, over her white lace Houghton gown.

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Flower Crown

bride and groom walking holding hands
Credit: Jennifer Young

The glowing bride topped her abundant curls with a floral headpiece of balsa wood flowers, acacia, leucadendron, waxflower, and seeded eucalyptus, adorned with a small faux bird.

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Natural Waves

sandy-dwight-wedding-portrait4-0514.jpg
Credit: Lindsey Ocker Photography

When the bride's husband-to-be surprised her by proposing and wedding her on the same day, her daughters styled her shoulder-length blonde hair into soft, natural waves.

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Braided Crown

jola-tom-wedding-portrait3-0614.jpg
Credit: Erin McGinn

For her nuptials, the bride wore a lace Marchesa gown and had her long hair braided into a partial updo by Jennie Kay Beauty, then topped it with a floral crown.

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Spirals

irby-adam-wedding-firstlook-88-s111660-1014.jpg
Credit: Landon Jacob

This classic Southern bride, in a Monique Lhuillier blush silk gown, opted for leaving her blonde hair unadorned, with soft spirals styled by MiKel Rumsey.

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Fairy-Tale Inspried

bride and groom walking holding hands
Credit: Shannen Natasha of The Wedding Artists Collective

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.

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Beach Waves

caitlin-tanner-wedding-jp-portrait1-0514.jpg
Credit: Jessica Peterson

For a colorful and casual backyard wedding, natural hair was the perfect touch.

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Vintage-Inspired Curls

kelly_mike-wedding-portrait8-0514.jpg
Credit: Mi Belle Photographers

This Santa Monica bride channeled a retro Hollywood vibe with a 1940s sideswept style, by Fiore Beauty, over her sleek sheath.

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Simply Straight

gail-jeremy-mmmwa104329_portrait4_rgb.jpg
Credit: Krause

In keeping with her wedding's modern gourmet style, this bride crowned her elegantly simple gown with the veil from her mother's nuptials and a sleek, nearly straight hairstyle by Jessie Riley and Jeff Chastain of Jeff Chastain Parlor.

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Loose Curls

sejal-narayan-wedding-georgia-429-s111893-0615.jpg
Credit: Kat Braman

After holding a traditional Indian wedding (for which she put her hair up), the bride switched gowns and had hairdresser Max Sanchez of White Salon and Spa style her long hair into loose curls.

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Ringlets

cacee-donald-maid-of-honor-mwds110101.jpg
Credit: Our Labor of Love

For her "formal rustic" wedding to actor Donald Faison, both CaCee and maid of honor Jessica Simpson opted for classic golden ringlets styled by Roque.

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Flower Crown

renee-matthew-wedding-maui-hawaii-w5646-s111851.jpg
Credit: Natalie Watson Photography

The bride wore her sun-kissed tresses in a wavy, side-swept style—crowned only with a simple wreath of bay leaves and ocean spray roses—for her Hawaii destination.

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    1 of 39
    2 of 39 Middle Part
    3 of 39 Double Barrette
    4 of 39 Side Swept
    5 of 39 Old-Hollywood Glamour
    6 of 39 Simple Waves
    7 of 39 Opposites Attract
    8 of 39 Asymmetrical
    9 of 39 Pulled Back
    10 of 39 Subtle Waves
    11 of 39 Fun with Fringe
    12 of 39 Multiple Accessories
    13 of 39 Soft and Simple
    14 of 39 Long and Loose
    15 of 39 Unique Hairpiece
    16 of 39 Tucked Behind the Ear
    17 of 39 Volume
    18 of 39 Combed
    19 of 39 Deep Side Part
    20 of 39 Short and Sweet
    21 of 39 Au Natural
    22 of 39 Face-Skimming Layers
    23 of 39 Tendrils
    24 of 39 Voluminous and Side-Swept
    25 of 39 Half Updo
    26 of 39 Beach Waves
    27 of 39 Vintage Flip
    28 of 39 Free-Form Style
    29 of 39 Flower Crown
    30 of 39 Natural Waves
    31 of 39 Braided Crown
    32 of 39 Spirals
    33 of 39 Fairy-Tale Inspried
    34 of 39 Beach Waves
    35 of 39 Vintage-Inspired Curls
    36 of 39 Simply Straight
    37 of 39 Loose Curls
    38 of 39 Ringlets
    39 of 39 Flower Crown

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