Medium and long hair behave very differently under the same braid, and that’s the part most inspiration photos skip. Collarbone-length hair needs the braid to create shape; waist-length hair needs the braid to carry weight without dragging. Good Bridesmaid hair has to last from the first portrait to the last song, and a half up braid does that better than most styles because the top is anchored while the length stays free. For each of the twenty looks below I’ve said how I’d adjust it for medium versus long hair, and where it tends to slip.
Ask Bridesmaids to Arrive With Day-Old Hair
The single biggest factor in how long a braid lasts is the state of the hair when it reaches my chair. Freshly washed, conditioned hair is slippery, and braids slide out of it. This is the list I send bridesmaids the week before:
- Wash the night before or the morning before that, depending on how fast your roots get oily. Skip conditioner on the roots and use it only on the ends.
- Dry it fully and smoothly. Damp hair under a braid stays damp all day and curls won’t hold over it.
- No oils, leave-in creams or heavy serums on the day. I’ll add product where the style needs it.
- Don’t sleep in a tight ponytail or put a hair tie in that morning. The dent shows through a half up style.
- Get any trim or colour done one to two weeks ahead, not the day before, so a fresh cut has time to settle.
- Wear a button-up or zip top so your hair isn’t pulled through a neckline after it’s done.
Naturally curly or coily hair is the exception to the day-old rule. Tell me your usual wash routine instead, and we’ll plan the braid around how your curls look on the day after wash day.
1. Half Up Half Down Crown Braid
I rely on the crown braid when a bridal party has mixed lengths, because the braid carries the look even if the loose hair is short. It wraps around the back like a soft headband, and on medium hair that wrap gives the head a finished outline. On long hair I place it a little lower so the brushed curls below have room. Off-shoulder and square necklines suit it best, since they leave the shoulders clear for the curls to land. Pearl pins go on last, along the braid, never into the loose hair.
2. Half Up Half Down Fishtail Braid
Fishtails show colour. Because the pattern is made of many thin crossings, highlights and balayage appear as fine stripes through the braid, which is why I suggest it to bridesmaids with dimensional colour. Pull it apart gently once secured, working from the bottom up so the top stays anchored. Long hair can carry a longer fishtail; on medium hair I stop it short and tuck the end under the half up section. The lower half can be curled, waved or left with a soft bend. Either way, hidden pins crossed in an X under the braid do the holding.
3. Half Up Half Down Dutch Braid
Because a Dutch braid sits on top of the hair rather than tucking under, the ridge itself gives lift, and that’s why a half up half down Dutch braid is my first suggestion for fine or medium-density hair that falls flat. I often start it at the front hairline and run it back along one side. Outdoors, it pins the top pieces down against wind. The thing to watch is the parting: a crooked part shows straight through a Dutch braid, so I set it with the tail of a comb before I take the first section.
4. Half Up Half Down French Braid
A French braid tucks its crossings under, so it sinks into the hair and looks softer than a Dutch. On medium lengths that matters, because it creates fullness without a raised ridge that would make the top look heavier than the ends. On long hair I curl the length into loose waves and keep the braid simple. Centre, side or split into two small braids, it adjusts to almost any bridesmaid. The one I’d caution against is a single centre French braid on very short layers, which pop out along the hairline after an hour.
5. Half Up Half Down Waterfall Braid
Waterfall braids drop a strand on every pass, and those strands need curl to show. On long hair the dropped pieces fall into the curls below and the effect is clear; on medium hair I use a slightly tighter, springier curl so the dropped strands don’t hang straight and disappear. It’s a delicate structure, so I use flexible spray and fewer, better-placed pins rather than many. A small flower tucked where the braid ends hides the finishing pin, which is handy for garden weddings and pastel palettes.
6. Half Up Half Down Side Braid
Sweeping the hair to one side before braiding changes the whole outline. The side braid frames the face on the part side and leaves the opposite ear and earring open. Medium hair looks fuller with this placement, since all the volume sits on one shoulder. Long hair can drape over the front of a shoulder for photos. My warning: a side-swept style needs a stronger anchor at the nape, because gravity pulls everything toward the heavy side. I lock it with two pins crossed under the hair, out of sight.
7. Half Up Half Down Boho Braid
Boho is about controlled looseness. I build a relaxed braid with a little texture at the crown and plenty of air in the waves, then leave a few pieces out on purpose. Medium hair gets a soft bend; long hair can take fuller curls brushed out once cool. Small greenery or flowers belong only if they repeat something in the bouquets. What I like about it for long outdoor days is that a strand coming loose at nine at night looks like part of the style, not a failure.
8. Half Up Half Down Braided Bun
A braided bun gives the half up section a solid centre, which helps anyone who finds plain braids too casual. I braid the top section, coil it into a bun and pin it flat; on medium hair the bun adds volume that the length can’t. Long hair gets a pleasing contrast between the compact bun and the flowing ends. The bun also gives accessories a firm base. A crystal clip or a pearl pin pushed into the coil stays put far better than one clipped into loose waves.
9. Half Up Half Down Braided Ponytail
Secure the crown section in a small ponytail, braid the tail, and the shape lifts at the top and stays there. Bridesmaids who want height in photos tend to like it. Medium hair looks thicker if the ponytail is teased lightly at the base before the elastic goes in, and the lower length is curled. Long hair can handle bigger waves. I always hide the elastic with a strand of hair wrapped around it and pinned underneath; a bare elastic is the first thing you notice in a close-up from behind.
10. Half Up Half Down Double Braids
Two small braids from the temples, meeting at the back, balance the head and keep the shorter front pieces on medium hair under control without pulling tight. On long hair I loosen them a little so they blend into the curls. The braids are visible from the front as well as the back, which helps in group photos where the bridesmaids stand at an angle. Texture spray before braiding is not optional here. Clean, silky hair lets small braids slide apart within a couple of hours.
11. Half Up Half Down Pull Through Braid
If the hair isn’t naturally dense, a pull through braid fakes it. Small ponytails are looped through one another and then pulled out into bubbles, so the braid looks twice as thick as the hair really is, and because each section is held by an elastic, it’s sturdier than a woven braid. Medium and fine hair benefit most. On long hair I can carry it further down the back. The rest of the hair should stay smooth and gently waved so the bubbles remain the focus.
12. Half Up Half Down Rope Braid
Two twisted sections wound together make a rope braid, smooth and minimal, with no woven texture. I twist one from each side and pin them where they meet over loose waves. It needs less length than a thick braid, so medium hair handles it easily. The risk is unravelling. A twist loosens as hair relaxes, so I prep with light mousse or texture spray for grip, twist every section in the same direction, and finish with flexible spray rather than a firm one that would crack when the bridesmaid turns her head.
13. Half Up Half Down Braided Curls
Most bridesmaids picture this one when they think of half up hair: a braid holding the front off the face and curls bouncing around the shoulders. On medium lengths the curls add body. On long hair the curled lower half looks glamorous with no updo involved. The braid can be French, Dutch, fishtail or a plain three-strand, and I usually choose it by the dress. The curl pattern I match to the venue, looser for a casual day and tighter, more polished curls for a formal ballroom.
14. Half Up Half Down Braided Waves
Waves under a braid look relaxed but still finished, and they’re kind to most hair types. The mistake I see most is overdoing it: tight curls brushed into waves and then sprayed stiff. I put a light bend through the mid-lengths and ends, let it cool, and use a soft spray. Medium to long hair suits it, and so do chiffon, satin and floral prints. It’s also the easiest style on this list to refresh before reception photos with a quick finger-comb.
15. Half Up Half Down Braided Twist
Here the front sections are twisted back first, then joined into a braid at the centre or side. The twist-then-braid layering looks more detailed than a basic half up, yet it’s quick. On medium hair the twists catch the short pieces around the face that a braid alone would miss. Long hair can be curled through the ends. I’d suggest it to a bridesmaid who wants something soft rather than bold. A delicate barrette at the meeting point covers the pins.
16. Half Up Half Down Braided Halo
The halo curves around the head like a band, leaving the lower hair loose. Medium hair suits it because the halo makes the style feel complete even if the length stops at the shoulders. On long hair I pair it with brushed curls. Middle parts and soft side parts both work, and I leave a few face-framing pieces. Loosen it slightly after pinning. A tight halo can look severe, and it presses on the scalp over a long day.
17. Half Up Half Down Braided Top Knot
A braided top knot in a half up style has a modern edge: the top section is braided and wound into a small knot while the rest falls in waves. It gives height and keeps the face open, which helps in summer heat. Medium hair takes a smaller knot; long hair can manage more volume without looking top-heavy. Keep it neat but not slicked flat. Two soft front pieces stop it reading as gym hair in a formal setting.
18. Half Up Half Down Braided Headband
A braid laid across the front or crown acts as a half up half down braided headband, holding the hair off the face while everything behind it stays loose. On medium hair it catches the front layers; on long hair I add bigger waves. It’s useful when the bridal party isn’t wearing accessories, since the braid creates its own detail. Simple earrings are all it needs. Anchor the ends behind the ears so the band doesn’t slide forward when someone looks down to read vows.
19. Half Up Half Down Braided Flower
To make a braided flower, I braid a section, pancake one edge, then coil the braid around itself so the loosened edge forms petals. It’s pinned flat at the back of the head with loose waves or curls around it. Medium hair makes a smaller flower; long hair gives enough braid for a larger rose. It suits garden and spring weddings with soft fabrics. Pin the coil from the centre outward, otherwise the petals unwind by the reception.
20. Half Up Half Down Braided Half Crown
The half crown starts on one side, curves around the back and stops before it wraps the whole head. That gives the crown shape without the weight or the pull across the forehead. Medium lengths manage it easily because the partial crown needs less hair than a full wrap. Long hair can drop loose curls below it. When a bridal party wears mixed necklines, I find this the most adaptable style here, since it reads well from the front, the side and the back.
Collarbone or Waist: Placing the Braid by Length
The same braid sits differently depending on where the hair ends, and a braid in the wrong place makes medium hair look short and long hair look heavy.
Medium hair, roughly chin to just below the collarbone
Place the braid higher, around the crown or slightly above it, so there’s enough length left below to read as hair worn down. Keep the half up section small. If too much hair goes up, the loose half is too thin to curl, and from the front the style looks like an updo that lost its back. Tight-ish curls give medium hair more volume at the shoulder.
Long hair, mid-back and beyond
Long hair can take a lower, wider braid and a bigger half up section, which actually helps: lifting more of the weight off the loose half keeps the curls from dropping as quickly. I use more pins here, angled into the braid against its weight, and I avoid heavy accessories that add more pull at the crown. Very thick long hair gets a sturdier base: I make a small hidden anchor, a tiny ponytail or two crossed pins under the half up section, and attach the braid to that instead of to loose hair.
Necklines matter for both. A high neck or a collar hides a low braid, so I lift it; a low back shows everything, so the braid and the underside of the hair need to be equally neat.
A Braid for Every Length in the Bridal Party
A half up braid gives medium and long hair a clear shape and keeps everyone out of a tight updo, which bridesmaids appreciate by hour eight. Choose by dress neckline, hair texture and how much volume each person wants, then adjust the placement for length. From fishtails and braided buns to waterfall braids and soft boho looks, there’s a version that works for each person in the lineup, as long as the prep and pinning are done properly.
You'll Like These Ideas:
Leave a Reply