Brides with a tall forehead usually sit down in my chair expecting me to hide it. I’d rather balance it. A high hairline only looks long when all the volume goes straight up and the hair is scraped back tight, so most of my work is about moving softness sideways and down: a fringe that breaks the line, a part that runs on a diagonal, width at the cheekbones instead of height at the crown. The twenty styles below are the ones I reach for when a bride wants to flatter a big forehead, with notes on how each one actually behaves over a long day.
Cutting Bangs for a Wedding Without a Last-Minute Gamble
More than half the styles below involve a fringe, so this is the decision I’d make first. A freshly cut fringe is almost always too heavy and too short for photos, and a fringe that has never been cut before needs a few weeks to show how it grows from your hairline. I ask brides to have the first cut done six to eight weeks out, with a light tidy around ten days before the wedding. That gives the hair time to settle and lets you test it at the trial.
- Check for a cowlick at the front hairline before committing. A strong one makes straight-across bangs split, while curtain or side-swept bangs can be cut to follow it.
- Ask for the fringe to be cut dry, or at least checked dry. Hair shrinks as it dries, and wet-cut bangs often finish shorter than planned.
- Let the stylist who does your wedding hair see the fringe at the trial. The direction it’s blow-dried in decides whether it sits flat or springs up by the evening.
- If your skin breaks out along the hairline when hair sits on it, wispy pieces are kinder than a full, heavy fringe.
If you’d rather not cut at all, nothing on this list is off the table. I can create the same balance with long face-framing pieces, a deep side part, or a clip-in fringe matched to your color. Clip-ins look natural on medium and thick hair, but on very fine hair the clips can show through, so test one at the trial before relying on it.
1. Bridal Updo With Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs are the first thing I suggest, because they split at the center and sweep out toward the cheekbones, which cuts the forehead into two shorter shapes. Paired with a low updo, the fringe does the balancing and the back stays polished. The catch is that curtain bangs need to be long enough to reach at least the top of the cheekbone. Shorter than that and they flip up by the evening, especially on a cowlick, so I always check the growth pattern at the hairline before a bride books the cut. A small pin or a single bloom near the crown is plenty of decoration here.
2. Side-Swept Bridal Updo
A side-swept updo works by pulling everything onto a diagonal. The eye follows that line across the face and down to the neck, so the forehead stops being the widest flat surface in the picture. I gather the curls or twists low at the nape on the opposite side from the part and leave two or three tendrils at the front temple. On very slippery hair I set the sweep with a crossed pair of bobby pins hidden under the top layer, otherwise it slides back toward center within an hour. Statement earrings and a side comb sit well with it, and it carries a vintage feel without needing a full finger-wave set.
3. Boho Braided Crown With Wispy Bangs
A braided crown softened with wispy bangs is a style I love for outdoor and beach ceremonies. The braid wraps the head at mid-height, which adds width rather than height, and the feathery fringe falls forward to cover part of the forehead. I pull pieces loose from the braid only after it’s pinned, never before, or the whole crown loosens. Fresh flowers can be tucked in, but choose sturdy stems; delicate blooms wilt against warm scalp within a couple of hours.
4. Half-Up Half-Down With Curtain Bangs
Half up, half down gives you a pinned crown and loose curls through the shoulders, and with curtain bangs at the front it adds width right at the middle of the face. I set the crown section a little lower than most brides expect, around the top of the ear rather than the top of the head, because a high half-up adds exactly the height we’re trying to avoid. It’s a kind option if you’re growing out a fringe, since the bangs can blend into the side sections. A clip or small floral accent at the pinned point finishes it.
5. Low Bun With Soft Fringe
A low bun with soft fringe is the classic I’d pick for a church ceremony or a formal hall. The bun sits at the nape, the fringe covers the upper forehead, and a little backcombing at the crown gives shape without lifting the hairline into view. Long faces especially benefit, because the weight stays low and full. I keep the backcombing light: too much and the crown looks like a bump in side-profile photos. Pearl pins or a jeweled comb at the bun are the only decoration it needs.
6. Voluminous Curls With Deep Side Part
Big curls with a deep side part are one of the fastest fixes I know. The part disrupts the symmetry of a tall hairline and drapes hair diagonally over the forehead, while the curls add width at the jaw and shoulders. I curl away from the face on the side where the hair falls forward, so it rolls open instead of collapsing over the eye. Humidity is the risk: fine hair can drop to loose waves by the reception, so I set each curl pinned while it cools and finish with a light shine spray rather than heavy oil.
7. Twisted Chignon With Face-Framing Pieces
The twisted chignon is structured at the back and soft at the front. I twist the hair low into a knot and then pull a few strands out around the face, which breaks up the forehead and gives movement. Keeping the knot low matters here; set it high and it adds length to an already long face. Pearls or a thin vine tucked into the twists add sparkle without competing with the face-framing pieces, and it suits a formal dinner reception well.
8. Loose Waves With Wispy Bangs
Loose waves with wispy bangs are the softest, least styled option in this list. The waves add width and texture around the face, and the light fringe breaks the forehead without looking heavy. I use a larger barrel and brush the waves out so they don’t look like set curls. It pairs well with a flowing gown at an outdoor wedding. If your hair holds no curl at all, I’d steer you toward something pinned instead, because fully loose waves on very straight hair can be flat before the first dance.
9. Braided Updo With Side Bangs
A braided updo with side bangs gives you detail at the back and a diagonal sweep at the front, which visually shortens a tall hairline. I braid first, pin the braids into the shape, and only then cut in or style the side fringe so it lies in the right direction. A few wisps by the ears keep it soft. Tiny flowers or crystal pins tucked into the braids catch the light nicely, but I place them where the photographer will see them from your best side, not evenly all round.
10. Vintage Hollywood Waves With Side Part
Vintage Hollywood waves start with a deep side part and a set of sculpted waves that cross the forehead and fall over one shoulder. The sweep adds width on one side and covers part of the hairline, which is exactly the balance a broad forehead wants. To get that glossy, unbroken S-shape, I set the hair in pin curls, let it cool fully, then brush it out and shape the ridges with clips. It needs a smooth gown and strong earrings around it; with a busy dress the hair can feel like too much.
11. Messy Bun With Curtain Bangs
The messy bun with curtain bangs is relaxed on purpose, but there’s real structure underneath it. The bun is pinned low and firmly, then loosened on the surface, so it looks undone without actually falling apart. Curtain bangs frame the face, a few tendrils come loose around the temples, and gentle backcombing at the crown gives volume without height. It sits naturally at a garden or boho wedding, and it handles a full day of hugging better than a sleek bun does.
12. Bridal Ponytail With Side-Swept Bangs
A bridal ponytail with side-swept bangs keeps hair off the neck, which brides at summer weddings appreciate by mid-afternoon. The swept fringe drapes across the forehead and adds a soft asymmetry. I’d keep the ponytail low or mid-height for this face shape; a high pony pulls the hairline tight and puts it on show. I wrap a strand around the base to hide the elastic and pin it underneath, and I add a little texture through the length so it doesn’t look like everyday gym hair.
13. Crown Braid With Soft Fringe
A crown braid wraps all the way around the head, and with a soft fringe in front it covers the hairline while the braid adds texture above it. The thing I watch with crown braids is where the band sits: too high and it acts like a halo that lengthens the face, so I place it closer to the hairline at the sides. It suits rustic and outdoor settings, and a few small blooms tucked in give a garden feel. Thick hair makes the fullest braid; on finer hair I sometimes add a clip-in weft underneath to give it body.
14. Side Braid With Loose Waves
A loose side braid sweeps everything over one shoulder, and that asymmetry pulls attention away from the hairline toward the neck and collarbone. I curl the hair first so the braid looks chunky, then pull the loops wider once it’s tied. Face-framing pieces at the temples soften the front. It travels well for a beach ceremony since nothing is pinned high, and a few small flowers or pearls woven into the plait are enough.
15. Textured Low Bun With Tendrils
The textured low bun with loose tendrils is understated and very forgiving. The bun sits at the nape, the tendrils frame the face, and slight backcombing at the crown gives shape without pulling the hairline back. Tendrils are where this style goes wrong most often: if they’re too thin they look stringy in photos, so I take them a little thicker than a bride expects and curl them away from the face. A jeweled hairpiece beside the bun finishes it.
16. Romantic Updo With Hair Vine
A hair vine wrapped through a soft updo can be set to dip toward the forehead, which places sparkle and visual weight lower on the face. The back is loose curls and twists gathered into an undone shape, with a few wisps left to frame the face. I wire the vine in with small pins every few centimetres rather than relying on its own grip; vines tend to slide toward the back as the evening goes on. It suits a garden or woodland wedding where the detail can be seen up close.
17. Wavy Bridal Bob With Side Part
Short hair has as many options as long: a wavy bob and side part sends the waves sweeping across the forehead, while the bob adds width at the jaw and cheekbones. That combination is especially balancing on a long face. I use a smaller barrel on a bob so the waves still read after a few hours, and I tousle them with fingers instead of a brush. A small clip or floral pin near the part is enough decoration.
18. Fishtail Braid With Wispy Bangs
A loose fishtail braid gives intricate texture, and the wispy bangs in front keep the forehead lightly covered. I pull the fishtail apart gently once it’s tied so it looks relaxed, and leave a few pieces at the temples. Fishtails show every flyaway on dry hair, so I prep with a light cream before braiding. Small flowers tucked along the braid suit boho and outdoor weddings.
19. Half-Up Crown With Volume
The voluminous half-up crown is the one exception here where I do add lift at the crown, but it’s placed further back and paired with plenty of width below. I tease and lift the crown section so the height sits behind the hairline rather than on top of it, and the loose curls below add fullness at the sides. A few pieces stay loose near the temples. A sparkly clip or floral accent at the crown gives a bridal touch, and the eye ends up on the face rather than the forehead.
20. Floral Updo With Side-Swept Fringe
The floral updo with side-swept fringe closes this list for a reason: it combines the two things that help most, a diagonal fringe and decoration placed low and to the side. Fresh or faux blooms go into a soft gathered updo, the fringe drapes across the forehead, and a few tendrils frame the face. For a summer outdoor ceremony I’d lean toward silk or preserved flowers near the face, because fresh petals bruise and droop against warm skin long before the reception ends.
How a High Hairline Looks Under Veils, Headbands and Flash
Accessories change the forehead more than most brides realize, so I place them as carefully as the hair itself.
Veils
A veil anchored at the crown pulls the eye upward. For a tall forehead I set the comb lower, just above or under the bun, so the fabric frames the back of the head instead of adding height. A blusher layer worn over the face for the ceremony softens the hairline nicely, but it needs a fringe or side sweep underneath, or it lifts off flat and shows the whole forehead when it’s turned back.
Headbands and tiaras
A headband pushed back from the hairline leaves a strip of bare forehead in front of it, which reads longer in photos. I set a band about two fingers behind the hairline with a little hair brought forward over the front edge. Tall tiaras add vertical lines; a low, wide one or a side comb balances better.
Shine and camera flash
The forehead is a large flat area, and flash picks up any shine on it first. I ask the makeup artist to set that zone well, and I keep heavy oils and shine sprays out of the fringe so the hair doesn’t add to the glare. Blotting papers in the clutch save more photos than any touch-up of the curls.
The Fringe Question Decides the Rest
A tall forehead gives you more styling choices, not fewer. Every option above relies on the same handful of moves: a fringe or tendrils to break the line, a part that runs on a diagonal, width at the cheekbones, and volume kept low or set behind the hairline. Start with the fringe question, since it decides most of the rest, then bring two of these styles to your trial and see which one still feels like you once the veil goes in.
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