Formal hair is judged on finish more than on cleverness. At a black tie wedding the lighting is low and warm, the photographer uses flash, and the evening often runs well past midnight, so a style has to stay neat and catch light well for hours. That applies to the bride, the bridesmaids and every guest at the table. Here are twenty shapes I’d put on someone heading to a black tie event, from a plain low chignon to cascading Hollywood waves, with what each needs from your hair and where it tends to struggle.
Hair, Makeup or Dress First on an Evening Wedding Day?
The order you get ready in decides how long your style lasts. For an evening event, I’d work backwards from the moment you leave the house.
- Hair prep first: wash the day before, then on the day blow-dry, curl or set the hair so it has time to cool and settle.
- Makeup next, with the hair clipped back. Setting spray and powder can dull the shine on a sleek style if they come after.
- Finish the hair: brush out waves, pin the updo, add accessories.
- Dress last. Wear a button-front shirt while getting ready so nothing has to come off over your head.
For bridesmaids sharing a stylist, the first chair in the morning is the one most likely to drop by evening. If you’re early in the line-up, ask for an updo rather than curls worn down, or have the stylist leave your curls pinned until just before you leave. For guests doing their own hair, start a little later than feels necessary; a style finished two hours before an evening ceremony looks fresher than one done at lunchtime.
1. Classic Low Chignon
A low chignon goes with every neckline from strapless to high neck, which is why it’s the first style I suggest when someone hasn’t chosen a dress yet. The knot sits at the nape and leaves earrings fully visible. Keep it smooth for a modern line or loosen a few pieces around the face. The part changes it more than people think: a centre part looks strict and fashion-led, a side part softer and more classic. Try both at your practice run before deciding.
2. Old Hollywood Waves
Hollywood waves are curled, cooled and then brushed until the curls join into continuous ripples down one shoulder. That brushing step frightens people because the curls seem to vanish at first, but it’s what creates the wave. A deep side part and a fine mist of shine spray complete it. Medium to long hair with minimal layering holds the pattern best. In flash photos the ridges catch light along their crest, which is exactly why the look has lasted so long on red carpets.
3. Sleek Low Ponytail
A sleek low ponytail is the modern, quiet option. Everything is brushed back to the nape, secured, and a small section is wrapped round the elastic and pinned beneath. A few drops of serum tame the flyaways. I like it for anyone planning to dance hard, because there’s nothing to collapse and nothing swinging into your face. Bold drop earrings and a dramatic gown do the rest. The one detail to check is the nape, where short hairs escape; a little gel on a toothbrush catches them.
4. French Twist Updo
In a French twist, the hair is swept to one side, then rolled vertically up the back of the head and pinned inside the fold. That hidden pinning is what keeps the seam clean. It’s the most traditional shape here and suits the strictest black tie events. Medium and long hair can do it; very short layers escape the roll. A small jeweled comb along the seam finishes it nicely. If your hair is silky and fine, I’d spray it before twisting so the roll has something to grip.
5. Romantic Loose Updo
A loose romantic updo gathers the hair softly and leaves delicate tendrils around the face and neck. It carries a dreamy, ethereal quality that suits garden or evening weddings. Waves woven through it add texture. Loose doesn’t mean lightly pinned, though. I set a firm hidden base first and build the soft sections around it, otherwise it slides by dessert. Small flowers or pearl pins tucked in suit a flowing gown.
6. Fishtail Braid Updo
A fishtail braid looks complex but is just two sections with thin strands crossed from side to side. Wear it draped over a shoulder or coil it into a braided bun. Pulling the edges of the braid outward makes it fuller and softer. It needs thick, long hair to hold the woven shape. Fine hair can do it, but the braid comes out narrow, and pancaking it too much makes it fall apart. A sparkling pin or two along the coil catches the light.
7. Sleek Bun With Center Part
A centre-parted sleek bun is the most editorial style on this list. The hair is parted exactly in the middle and pulled into a tight bun at the back or nape, held with plenty of gel or styling cream. It highlights your features and statement jewelry, and it lasts all night with zero touch-ups. I’d only add one caution: tight, slicked styles put tension on the hairline, so don’t wear one if you’ve had recent breakage at the temples. A single loose piece at the face softens it if you want.
8. Half Up Half Down With Waves
Half up with waves gives you structure on top and length below. The top section is gathered and secured at the crown while the rest falls in soft waves. It suits long or medium hair and most face shapes. Waves worn down relax over a long evening, so I curl a little tighter than the final look you want and let time loosen it. A jeweled clip or small comb at the meeting point gives it a formal finish for both ceremony and reception.
9. Braided Crown Updo
A braided crown wraps around the head like a halo. Two braids pinned across the top, or one long braid circled all the way round, keep the hair completely off the face and neck, which makes it practical for warm evenings. Long, thick hair suits it best. Shorter hair often can’t reach around the head, and clip-in braids matched to your colour solve that. Flowers or jeweled pins look right in it, but it doesn’t need them. Tight and polished reads formal; loosened reads garden party.
10. Pin Straight Sleek Hair
Straight, glossy hair can look just as formal as an updo when it’s done precisely. A flat iron on small sections, heat protectant first, and a shine serum on the ends create the glassy finish. It depends on healthy hair: split or damaged ends show badly when everything hangs straight, so get a trim a week or two before. Wear it with a centre or deep side part. Bold earrings and a dramatic gown stand out against it. In humid weather, though, straight hair is the first thing to puff up.
11. Twisted Low Bun
A twisted low bun gets its detail from soft twists coiled into the bun rather than from accessories. Gather the hair low, twist sections in the same direction and wrap them into shape, pinning as you go. It sits comfortably between polished and relaxed. A few loose pieces around the face soften it. Medium and long hair suit it. One jeweled pin tucked into the twists is plenty. I find it one of the more forgiving updos to do on yourself, because uneven twists just look like texture.
12. Voluminous Curls Down
Big curls worn down are for anyone who wants their hair to move. A large curling iron creates the shape and a little teasing at the roots gives height. Shine spray keeps the curls glossy. Long, thick hair holds this best; on fine hair the curls fall within an hour or two unless they’re set with hot rollers and left to cool. It pairs with elegant gowns that leave the shoulders open, since the curls need somewhere to fall.
13. Side Swept Curls
Side-swept curls gather all the waves over one shoulder. I pin the hair back behind one ear with crossed bobby pins slid against the hair direction so they don’t slip, then let the curls fall freely on the other side. It shows off earrings on the bare side and suits one-shoulder and strapless necklines. Medium to long hair is needed. The asymmetry gives the face a flattering frame and reads instantly as evening hair.
14. Ballerina Bun
A ballerina bun sits high at the crown and draws the eye down the neck and shoulders. It’s cool on a warm night since nothing touches your neck. Smooth every strand for the formal version or pull out a couple of pieces for softness. I’d check one thing before committing: if you’re wearing a long veil as the bride or a fascinator as a guest, a high bun can interfere with where it needs to sit. Otherwise, it’s a refined and practical shape.
15. Low Bun With Face Framing Pieces
A low bun with face-framing pieces is the most universally flattering style here. The bun stays smooth while a few curled pieces hang at the face. I cut those pieces from the hairline in front of the ears and curl them away from the face, which keeps them from sticking to lipstick all night. It suits nearly every hair length and face shape. Add a little texture spray to the loose pieces so they move instead of hanging flat.
16. Vintage Pin Curls
Vintage pin curls are set by winding small sections into flat coils, pinning them close to the head and leaving them until completely dry or cool. When brushed out, they form defined waves. The patience pays off with a look that’s genuinely different from everyone else’s at the table. Short to medium hair suits it, and art deco or vintage-themed weddings especially. A side part strengthens the retro feel. Set them the night before on damp hair if you have time; they hold much longer.
17. Sleek High Ponytail
A high ponytail is pulled tight to the crown with a section wrapped round the base. Wear the length straight for a sharp line or curled for drama. Serum keeps it sleek. I use two elastics stacked close together so the ponytail stands up rather than drooping by the reception. It looks youthful and confident, and it pairs with bold earrings and a structured gown. Heavy, long hair in a high ponytail can cause a headache over six hours, so try it for a full evening before the day.
18. Textured Updo With Curls
A textured updo built from curls is fuller and softer than any sleek style. Curled pieces are pinned loosely into a voluminous shape at the back of the head, with a few tendrils left at the face. Naturally wavy or curly hair suits it best, because the texture is already there and it grips pins well. On straight hair, I’d curl everything first and let it cool fully, or the updo goes flat. Pearl pins tucked in finish it.
19. Modern Beehive Updo
A modern beehive is a voluminous style that lifts the hair high at the crown, softer and smoother than the sixties original. Tease the crown well for height, then brush the surface smooth over it. Long hair suits it best. Balance the height with statement earrings, and keep the rest of the look calm, because the shape already does the talking. I’d skip it for anyone wearing a tiara or veil at the crown, which competes for the same spot.
20. Accessorized Elegant Updo
Sometimes the accessory is the style. A jeweled comb, sparkling pin or metallic barrette set into a simple gathered updo becomes your statement piece, so you can keep earrings small. Place it where the eye naturally lands, next to a twist or along the side of a bun. Chignons, low buns and twisted styles all suit this. The accessory needs to be anchored into the structure of the updo, not just slid into the surface hair, or its weight drags it down within an hour.
Ballroom, Garden or Rooftop?
The room matters more than most people think. Air-conditioned ballrooms are kind to every style, so that’s where loose waves and straight hair hold best. Gardens and marquees bring humidity, which drops curls and puffs up sleek hair, so I’d move to an updo or braided crown. Rooftops and waterfront terraces bring wind, and wind ruins anything loose around the face; a low ponytail or chignon with no tendrils will stay put.
If something slips during the evening
A bun that starts to sag can almost always be saved in a restroom in a couple of minutes. Pull out the loose pins, twist the bun tighter in the same direction it was made, and push two pins in crossed in an X through the bun and into the hair at its base. Waves that have dropped can be twisted into a low knot with a hair tie hidden underneath. Pack four bobby pins and a small elastic, and you can recover from nearly anything.
One Long Evening, One Hairstyle That Lasts It
The right black tie style matches your hair type, your gown and the venue as much as your taste. A polished chignon, glossy waves or a braided crown can all look formal when the finish is clean. Think about the neckline, the weather and how much dancing you’ll do. Add one accessory or a few soft face-framing pieces if you want it more personal. Then practise it once, so on the evening itself you’re thinking about the couple, not your pins.
You'll Like These Ideas:
Leave a Reply