Curly updos are forgiving in a way sleek styles never are. A curl that shifts by the reception just looks like a curl, so the hair can move, get hugged and get danced in without looking ruined. They suit natural curls, wand curls, loose waves, coils and other textured hair, because the movement is the design. My one rule for curly brides is that the updo should work with the curl pattern you have, not brush it into something else. Each look below is described as a whole finished style, so you can picture it with your veil, your pins or flowers, or a clean minimal gown.
Curls You Were Born With Versus Curls Set by an Iron
These updos come in two very different starting points, and they’re prepped in opposite ways. Knowing which one you are saves a lot of confusion at the trial.
If your hair curls naturally
- Wash and deep condition a day or two before, not the morning of. Freshly washed curls are often too soft to pin and too frizzy to define.
- Style on damp hair with your usual leave-in and curl cream, then let it dry fully, by diffuser or air. Pinning damp curls traps moisture and they lose shape.
- Tell your stylist which products your curls like. Some curl types go dull or crunchy with products they aren’t used to.
- Ask your stylist how often they work with your curl type, and look for photos of their work on similar hair.
If your curls come from a wand or iron
Straight hair needs grip and a proper set. I spray a light hold product on each section before curling, let every curl cool pinned up, and only then break them apart with fingers. Curls built this way loosen over the day, so they start a little tighter than the photo you showed me.
1. Messy Curly Low Bun Wedding
The low bun is the curly updo I’d recommend to most brides first. It sits near the nape, which leaves room above for a veil and shows off open backs, off-shoulder gowns and delicate earrings. I gather the curls loosely in my hands rather than with a brush, which keeps their clumps intact, and then pin the bun in sections. Medium to long curls are easiest. Shorter curls can still make the round shape if they’re pinned piece by piece. Leave a few pieces at the cheekbones, and ask for a flexible spray, never a stiff one, which turns curls crunchy.
2. Messy Curly Chignon Wedding
Instead of a sleek knot, a curly chignon tucks the curls into a loose roll at the back of the head. The roll keeps its outline in formal portraits while the curls inside it look relaxed in candids, so you get both from one style. Pin it from underneath so the pin heads hide inside the curls. A middle part is balanced and modern; a side part softens it. Pearl pins, a small comb or a thin veil can sit just above it.
3. Messy Curly High Bun Wedding
A high bun shows the neck and makes statement earrings the focus. I stack the curls loosely on top of the head and pin the ends in different directions, so the shape looks like a soft cloud rather than a doughnut. Thick curls and textured hair suit it best, since the volume is already there. It is heavier than it looks, though: if you get headaches easily, I’d choose a mid-height version. Keep the front soft with soft tendrils so it doesn’t read severe.
4. Messy Curly Updo With Veil
Curls are springy, and a veil comb slides out of them unless it has something firm to bite into. So I build a hidden base first, a small secured section or crossed pins inside the updo, and seat the comb into that. A low or mid-height updo works best, with the veil just above the gathered curls. Cathedral, fingertip and simple tulle veils all suit it. Heavier veils need a firmer base, and I’d always test the actual veil at the trial.
5. Messy Curly Updo With Flowers
Small blooms tuck into a curl pattern far better than big ones, which tend to sit on top and weigh the hair down. I’d pick baby’s breath, tiny roses, jasmine, wax flowers or small dried florals around a low bun or chignon. I pin them in only once the updo is finished, wiring each stem to a bobby pin so it can’t slip. Keep the curls loose and defined enough that the flowers stay visible. Outdoor, spring, beach and boho weddings all suit it. Dried flowers are the safer choice in heat, since fresh petals wilt against warm hair.
6. Messy Curly Updo With Braids
A braid gives a curly updo extra grip at the crown or temples, exactly where wind and humidity tend to pull curls loose first. It can start at the hairline, wrap around one side or feed into a low bun at the back. On tightly curled hair, I braid with a little gel or cream for a cleaner pattern, then loosen it gently so it matches the soft texture behind it. Pin the bun in visible sections. Lace dresses and floral pins go well with it.
7. Messy Curly Side Updo Wedding
A side updo gathers the curls near the lower ear or shoulder, so they show clearly in front-facing photos. I’d suggest it if your dress has one shoulder, a detailed neckline or a back you want seen. Put the updo on the side opposite the one-shoulder strap, otherwise the two crowd each other. The other side gets swept back and pinned, sometimes with a small comb. A few loose curls at the face keep it relaxed.
8. Messy Curly Updo With Tendrils
Tendrils are what make the updo look personal rather than set, but they shouldn’t be random. I choose them at the trial while you look in the mirror: usually one or two at the cheekbones and a few at the nape. Then I define each one with a touch of curl cream or a small iron so it doesn’t frizz into fluff by the afternoon. The main shape can be a bun, a chignon or a tucked shape. They suit most faces because they break up the outline, and they look good with strapless gowns and delicate jewellery.
9. Messy Curly Updo For Natural Hair
Natural hair gives an updo its own volume and shape, and the style should show that off. Coils and curls can go into a high puff, a low pinned bun or a sculpted crown updo, with a few pieces left out for movement. Moisture is what keeps them defined for hours, so I prep with a hydrating leave-in, curl cream and a light gel, layered on damp hair. The edges and hairline get a softer gel with a brush. Gold pins, pearls or tiny flowers can go between the curls. I’d avoid tight tension at the hairline, which can be painful by evening and stresses fragile edges.
10. Messy Curly Updo For Short Hair
Short curly hair works for an updo if the pinning is clever. I lift the curls in small sections and secure each toward the back or crown, which builds an illusion of fullness out of hair that couldn’t make a single bun. A curly bob, a lob or a shoulder-length cut can become a tucked updo, a mini chignon or a pinned-back style. The shortest layers go under, hidden by curls above them. A small comb, a pearl barrette or a floral pin adds bridal detail without crowding the cut. Your curls stay visible, and the shape looks finished.
11. Messy Curly Updo For Long Hair
Long curly hair has the opposite problem: weight. Waist-length curls gathered into one bun can drag downwards by evening. I split the length into two or three secured sections first, each with a small elastic or anchored pins, so the weight is spread across the head. The visible shape can be a low bun, a twisted chignon or a high curly bun with pieces left loose. Keep the crown lifted and don’t pull the curls tight at the root. If your head aches at the trial, it will ache more after ten hours.
12. Messy Curly Updo With Pearl Pins
Pearl pins finish a curly updo without making it stiff. I follow the curve of the curls when I place them, a few in a low bun, a few around a chignon or along one side, never in a straight line. That way they read as part of the style. A few larger pearls give one clear focal point; tiny pins give a scattered shimmer. They suit satin gowns, simple veils and clean makeup, and they’re my usual choice when a bride doesn’t want flowers.
13. Messy Curly Updo With Hair Comb
A comb is the quickest way to make the updo look bridal, but only if it goes in last. I pin the curls first and then slide the comb into the firmest part, which stops it from pulling the hair. Place it above a low bun, beside a chignon or into one side. Match it to the dress: pearls with classic gowns, crystals for glam dresses, floral metalwork for a garden wedding. It gives you sparkle without a full veil.
14. Messy Curly Updo For Bridesmaids
With a curly updo for bridesmaids, I’d never ask everyone to match exactly. Curls behave differently on every head, and forcing one style onto five textures usually flatters one person. I give the group the same overall shape and height, a low bun, a side updo, a tucked chignon or a pinned curly bun, and let each person’s pattern show. One shared accessory, like the same small pins or flowers, ties them together. It keeps hair off the neck in warm weather too.
15. Messy Curly Updo For Wedding Guest
For a guest, the updo should look dressed up but clearly not bridal. A soft low bun, a loose side updo or a pinned curly twist sits in the right place. Keep accessories minimal, a small clip or nothing at all. The curls can be a little looser than a bride’s, with pieces around the face and neck. It works for outdoor ceremonies, formal receptions and evening parties, and it handles weather and dancing far better than worn-down curls usually do.
Frizz, Flat Spots and Fallen Curls After Six Hours
Every curly updo changes over a long day. Humidity raises frizz, hands and hugs flatten the sides, and taking a veil out can pull a curl or two loose. None of it needs a brush, and a brush is the one thing that makes it worse, because it separates curls into a frizzy halo that you can’t undo.
- Flyaways: a pea-sized amount of curl cream or smoothing cream warmed in the palms, pressed lightly over the surface.
- A fallen curl: twist it around a finger, then pin it back under a neighbouring curl so the pin hides.
- Flat spots on the sides: lift gently at the root with fingertips, never a comb.
- Natural curls that have dried out: a light mist of water, then a little cream, scrunched in.
Put those few things in a small bag with spare pins in your hair colour, and hand it to a bridesmaid. A two-minute touch-up before the reception photos is normal, and it keeps the style looking intentional through to the last dance.
Pins Inside, Movement Outside
Curly updos can be simple, full and dramatic, polished with pearls or relaxed with flowers. Which one suits you depends on your curl pattern, your length, your neckline, your veil and the venue. Any stylist you book should shape your curls rather than brushing them out into a stiff design, and the trial is where you find that out. Bring inspiration photos of hair with a curl pattern like yours, test your accessories, and wear the style for a few hours afterwards. Firm structure underneath, loose curls on the surface: that’s what keeps it alive all day.
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