A good mom of groom hairstyle has a harder job than people think. It has to survive the receiving line, a lot of hugging, a slow dance with your son and the family photos, which usually happen early while you are still fresh and again late when you are not. When I style a groom’s mother, I start with her real hair: its density, how much grey or colour is in it, and whether it has been thinning at the part. Nearly any length can be made to look polished. What changes is the method, and below I explain how each of these fifteen styles behaves once the day gets going.
Where Your Chair Slot Sits When You Are Not With the Bridesmaids
The bride’s side usually has a schedule built around one suite and one team. The groom’s mother is often getting ready somewhere else, and she ends up as an afterthought on the timeline. Ask early whether you are booked with the bridal stylist or need your own. If you join the bride’s team, find out which slot you have, because a session squeezed in at the last minute means rushed pinning.
When I plan the morning, I put the mothers roughly in the middle. Too early and a blowout has hours to drop before the ceremony. Too late and there is no buffer if something takes longer. For most styles here, allow about 45 to 60 minutes in the chair; an intricate braided updo can take longer.
- Arrive with clean, completely dry hair unless your stylist asks for second-day hair. Fine hair often holds pins better a day after washing.
- Wear a button-front top so nothing has to go over your head afterwards.
- Do your skincare first but leave foundation until the hair is finished, so spray doesn’t land on fresh makeup.
- Bring your earrings and any hair accessory; I place pins around where an earring will hang.
1. Mother Of The Groom Low Chignon
A low chignon is the style I suggest most often to the groom’s mother, mainly because it reads well from behind, and the ceremony audience sees the back of your head for a long time. It sits at the nape, so it never looks severe. With a beaded or high neckline it keeps the collar clear. I build a little lift at the crown first, then pin the knot with crossed bobby pins into a small hidden base so it cannot slide. Very short layers at the nape can escape, so tell me if your last cut was choppy.
2. Mother Of The Groom Soft Waves
Soft waves are the answer for mothers who simply don’t feel like themselves with their hair up. The catch is that waves relax as the hours pass, so I curl tighter than the finished look and brush them out only after they have fully cooled. Shoulder length and longer holds the shape best, though a long bob gains real fullness from it. Root lift matters more than the curl itself in photos, since flat roots make waves look tired by the evening. If the wedding is outdoors near the sea, plan on the waves loosening by dinner.
3. Mother Of The Groom Half Up Half Down
Half up, half down suits the mom who wants her face clear but still wants her length on show. The pinned top section is where the strength comes from, so I anchor it with a small hidden elastic or twisted section before adding any clip. A single pearl pin or jeweled slide finishes it. Smooth bends look grown up; very ringlet-shaped curls can tip it younger than you might like. On a windy outdoor day this is a smart compromise, because the front stays put even if the lengths move.
4. Mother Of The Groom French Twist
There is something instantly polished about a French twist, and it suits a mother of the groom wearing a structured dress. The hair is swept up and tucked into a vertical roll, which lengthens the neck and lifts the whole face. I like to backcomb the underside lightly so the roll has something to grip, then secure the seam with pins pushed inward, not outward. It needs at least collarbone length to close neatly. Very thick hair can make a heavy roll, so for dense hair I sometimes thin out the inner section before twisting.
5. Mother Of The Groom Short Bob Waves
Short hair needs shape more than it needs length. A softly waved bob gets its polish from the cut, so get it trimmed about a week or two before, not the day before, when the edges still look blunt and new. I wave a bob with a smaller barrel than people expect because short hair has less weight to pull the curl down. A deep side part gives the front lift and frames the face. Silver bobs especially benefit from a shine spray, which stops wiry strands from catching the flash.
6. Mother Of The Groom Sleek Low Ponytail
The difference between a wedding ponytail and an everyday one is all in the finish. I smooth the hair back, gather it low at the nape, then wrap a small strand around the elastic and pin it underneath so no band shows. The ends get a loose bend so they move instead of hanging straight. A satin dress or a minimal column gown suits this best. If you dislike your hairline exposed, ask for two soft face-framing pieces; slicking everything back is not kind to fine or receding temples.
7. Mother Of The Groom Curly Updo
A curly updo keeps your own texture as the star, which I always prefer to fighting it flat. The prep happens before you sit in my chair: hydrated, defined curls set with a hold product the day before or that morning. I then pin in small groups so each curl keeps its shape, rather than combing them into one mass that frizzes. Two or three curls left loose at the temples soften the face. Heat and humidity are actually kinder to this style than to a sleek one, because curls expect a little movement.
8. Mother Of The Groom Side Swept Curls
Side swept curls throw everything toward one shoulder, which shows off an earring and the neckline on the open side. The pinning is hidden behind the ear, and I criss-cross pins there because that is where a hug from the wrong side pulls. Medium and long hair carries the weight best. One practical point: choose which side faces the aisle or your seat at the ceremony, so the open side is the one guests and the photographer actually see. For an evening ballroom event this gives you glamour without a full updo.
9. Mother Of The Groom Textured Bun
A textured bun is the updo I reach for when hair is fine or heavily layered. Curling or waving it first gives the pins grip and makes the bun look fuller than the hair really is. It can sit at the nape or a little higher, depending on your neckline. Because the shape is meant to look relaxed, a few pieces working loose by the reception actually helps it rather than ruining it. I would not choose it for a formal black tie dinner where you want razor-clean lines.
10. Mother Of The Groom Shoulder Length Blowout
Plenty of mothers tell me they don’t want pins at all, and a shoulder length blowout is the cleanest answer. A round brush blowout with the ends turned under softens the jawline, and lift at the crown keeps it from going flat by the speeches. The thing that ruins a blowout is moisture, so if the forecast is humid, ask for a smoothing serum through the lengths and keep the hair away from your face when you eat. Side part or centre part both work; pick the one you wear every day so it falls naturally.
11. Mother Of The Groom Pixie Cut
A pixie on a wedding day needs a reason to look different from a Tuesday. I add definition with a little paste on dry hair, a touch of shine on the surface and some lift at the crown. A side-swept pixie softens the face; a more piecey texture looks modern. Statement earrings pull a formal dress and a short cut together nicely. Book the trim one to two weeks ahead, because a pixie cut the day before shows every clipper line. No extensions, no long sitting, and almost nothing that can come undone.
12. Mother Of The Groom Braided Updo
A braided updo brings detail without needing accessories. The braid can run along one side, wrap around the bun or melt into a low pinned shape. Highlighted or dimensional hair shows the pattern far better than one flat colour, which can make a braid disappear in photos. I pancake the braid gently, pulling the loops wider so it reads soft and grown up rather than schoolgirl tight. This is my pick for a barn or garden venue where a sleek twist would look out of place.
13. Mother Of The Groom Hollywood Waves
Hollywood waves are glossy, structured and made for a formal evening. Every curl is set in the same direction, pinned to cool, and then brushed until the sections merge into one continuous wave. That brushing step is where they live or die; skip it and you just have curls. A deep side part adds the classic glamour. They need firm hold, so I set them with a strong spray from a distance, which keeps them touchable. Expect them to soften a little by the last dance, which honestly looks nicer than a helmet.
14. Mother Of The Groom Low Bun With Face Framing
Not everyone wants their whole face exposed, and this low bun answers that. The bun keeps the hair secure while front pieces sit along the cheekbones and jaw. I curl those pieces away from the face so they don’t fall into your eyes or stick to lip colour. Keep them a little longer than you think; short tendrils spring up and look stringy by evening. It suits most lengths from medium down, and it sits comfortably against the back of a chair through a long dinner.
15. Mother Of The Groom Natural Curls
Natural curls can carry a formal outfit when they are shaped with intention. Instead of forcing a different texture, I define the existing pattern, shape the outline into a rounded silhouette and sometimes pin one side back for structure. Hydration matters days before, not just that morning, because dry curls frizz the minute the room warms up. For an outdoor summer wedding, this is often the most reliable choice on the list: curls handle heat better than a blowout. And you will look like yourself in every photo, which mothers tend to care about years later.
Colour Appointments and Trims in the Run-Up
A lot of mothers plan a fresh colour for the wedding, which is right, but timing it to the day before is a mistake. Freshly coloured hair can look flat and slightly too dark, and the scalp may still be sensitive under pins. I’d book colour about one to two weeks out so it settles and you can fix anything that went wrong. The same goes for cuts. A trim a week or two ahead lets the edges soften and lets you check the shape on your own.
If your hair is silver or white, a toning gloss in the last fortnight removes the yellow cast that cameras pick up under warm lighting. If your part has been thinning, mention it at the trial. I can shift the part slightly or build texture at the crown so the scalp doesn’t show under bright reception lights.
Hugs, Glasses and a Long Receiving Line
The groom’s mother gets hugged more than almost anyone except the couple. Every embrace presses on the side and back of the head, which is exactly where updos are pinned. That is why I criss-cross pins and keep heavy ornaments flat against the head rather than sticking out. If you wear reading glasses, bring them to the trial. The arms run right through where side pins go, and I can leave a channel so they slide in without pushing the style.
Keep a small kit in your bag for the reception: four or five bobby pins matched to your colour, a travel hairspray, a slim comb and a hair tie in case you want to take it down after dinner. Most fixes take thirty seconds in a mirror once you know where the anchor pins sit, so ask your stylist to show you before you leave.
Ballroom, Garden or Backyard: Letting the Venue Decide the Shape
The right mother of the groom hairstyle fits the room as much as it fits you. A ballroom suits a chignon, a French twist or Hollywood waves. A garden ceremony leans toward soft waves, a braided updo or natural curls. Short hair looks finished with a well-timed pixie or a waved bob, while longer hair can go up, half up or into a low ponytail. Do one trial if you can, bring a photo of your dress and the earrings you plan to wear, and choose the style you forget about once the music starts.
You'll Like These Ideas:
Leave a Reply