Leaving the hair down used to be something brides saved for the reception. Now I see it at mehndi, at the wedding itself and at every function in between, and it works with lehengas, sarees and gowns alike. Open hair is also the easiest bridal look to personalise: a maang tikka, a gajra, a string of pearls or a few jewelled pins change it completely. The twenty looks below run from soft curls and sleek straight hair to crimping, bangs and colour, and for each one I’ve added what it asks of your hair and where it suits.
Six Weeks Out: Colour, Bangs and Treatments
Several of the looks here, the money piece, curtain bangs, sleek straight hair, depend on what you do to your hair in the weeks before the wedding, not just on the day. The timing matters more than most brides realise.
- Colour and highlights: one to two weeks before. Fresh colour can look slightly brassy or too bright for a few washes, and that window allows a toner if needed.
- Smoothing or keratin treatments: think carefully. They make hair very slippery, and curls and pins hold poorly for weeks afterwards. If you want curls or a half-up style, I’d skip it or have it done well over a month ahead.
- Bangs: cut them at least two to three weeks before, never for the first time in the final days. Fresh bangs sit unpredictably until they’ve been washed and dried a few times. A small trim a week before is fine.
- Trims: a light trim seven to ten days before removes split ends without leaving a hard, freshly cut line.
Plan your trial after the colour and cut, not before. Otherwise you’re testing a style on hair that will look different on the day.
1. Open Hair With Soft Curls
Soft curls are still the safest open look, and the barrel size is what makes them soft. I use a wide barrel, let the curls cool, then brush through lightly so they separate into waves rather than tubes. The volume they create balances a heavy lehenga and dupatta. A small tikka or a few pearl pins is enough decoration. They suit daytime mandap moments as well as evening receptions. If your hair is very fine, ask for a slightly smaller barrel than you think, because fine hair relaxes faster.
2. Sleek Straight Open Hair
Sleek straight hair looks simple and isn’t: every kink and flyaway shows. I blow-dry with a round brush first, then flat-iron small sections at a moderate heat and finish with a few drops of serum on the lengths only, never the roots. It suits pastel or neutral lehengas and contemporary jewellery, where the outfit and makeup carry the look. A centre part keeps it symmetrical. A slim crystal pin or a polished tikka adds a bit of sparkle. Very curly hair needs a lot of heat to stay this straight in humidity, so I’d test it at the trial before committing.
3. Half-Up Half-Down Bridal Hairstyle
Half up, half down gives you control around the face and still shows the length. I pin the top section back with a slight lift at the crown, then wave the lengths below. It’s more relaxed than a full updo and looks younger. A small floral clip, pearls or a passa at the pinned point adds a traditional note. It works for engagements, mehndi and receptions, on medium to long hair, with sarees or lehengas.
4. Open Hair With Gajra
A gajra along one side of open hair is one of the most traditional bridal touches. Adding a gajra of jasmine or mogra needs a pinned base, so I make a small twist behind one ear and pin the gajra’s thread into that, then let the curls fall over the join. White flowers against dark hair show up clearly in photos, and the scent lasts for hours. Temple jewellery and a silk saree suit it, especially at South Indian and fusion weddings.
5. Open Hair With Maang Tikka
A tikka centres the whole face, which is why I always set the part with a tail comb and check it in the mirror against the bridge of the nose. Straight, curled or waved hair all work under it. Choose a kundan or polki tikka that matches the rest of your set. The weight of the tikka pulls on the part over the day, so I hook it into a small backcombed anchor at the crown. Lehengas and anarkalis both work with it.
6. Open Hair With Side Braid
A loose side braid that melts into waves gives texture without the formality of an updo. Sweep most of the hair to one side and braid it loosely, stopping partway so the ends stay as waves. I pull the braid edges out a little so it looks soft. Small flowers or pearl strands tucked into the braid add bridal detail. It suits mehndi and haldi, where a relaxed feel fits. The asymmetry also shows off highlights or natural colour variation in the hair.
7. Open Hair With Soft Waves
Undone waves are deliberately imperfect, which is harder to do well than it sounds. I curl with a wide barrel, alternating direction, then brush out gently and break them up with my fingers. The result frames the face and lets jewellery and outfit stand out. Heavy lehengas and flowing gowns both suit it. A fine pearl chain or a few floral pins add a bridal touch. Short layers can poke out of loose waves, so I tuck those into the wave with a little cream.
8. Open Hair With Pearl Accessories
Pearl strands woven through curls or waves give a soft shimmer that suits ivory, blush and pastel outfits. I drape pearl chains along the part or thread them through a small braid so they have something to hold. Loose strands just slide out. They sit well with both modern and traditional jewellery sets, and they’re common at Christian and fusion Indian weddings. Keep the number of strands small, so the hair still shows.
9. Open Hair With Curtain Bangs
Curtain bangs frame the eyes and cheekbones and update a traditional open style. Pair curtain bangs with loose waves or sleek straight hair. I blow-dry them over a round brush away from the face, so they sweep rather than sit flat on the forehead. A tikka on top of curtain bangs needs care: the bangs should part either side of it, not cover it. They suit receptions and cocktail events, and they give an open look a current feel.
10. Open Hair With Floral Crown
A floral crown suits outdoor and daytime functions, especially mehndi and haldi. I style the hair in loose waves first, then sit the crown on top and pin it through its base wire into the hair at four or five points so it doesn’t tip forward. Roses, baby’s breath or jasmine can match your wedding colours. Fresh flowers wilt in heat, so for an afternoon function I’d use hardier blooms. Keep the jewellery minimal and let the flowers lead.
11. Open Hair With Voluminous Curls
Big, voluminous curls make a strong reception statement and balance a heavy lehenga. I use large rollers or a thick barrel, set the curls to cool, then tease the roots gently for lift. The volume makes thin hair look fuller. Statement jewellery and bold makeup sit well with it. A sparkly tikka or jewelled pins complete the look. In humidity, the volume grows into frizz quickly, so I finish with an anti-humidity spray.
12. Open Hair With Deep Side Part
A deep side part shifts the volume to one side and gives the face a glamorous asymmetry. Soft waves or sleek lengths both work. It suits round and square faces especially well, because the angle softens the jaw. I pin the heavy side discreetly behind the ear so the hair doesn’t slowly drift back to centre. A passa or jewelled pin on the fuller side adds a traditional note for receptions and engagements.
13. Open Hair With Twisted Crown
Two small twists pinned at the crown give the structure of an updo without hiding the length. I twist each side back towards the centre and pin them crossed, so they lock together. The rest falls free. Pearls, flowers or a tikka sit well at the join. It suits lehengas and sarees, and it holds well enough to carry you through several functions.
14. Open Hair With Loose Bun Detail
A small, loose knot at the back with the rest of the hair down gives polish without the full commitment of a bun. I gather only the top section into the knot and pin it from underneath. Fresh flowers or baby’s breath tucked in add a soft detail. It sits well with sarees and contemporary lehengas and balances heavy jewellery. It’s a good choice if you want the structure of an updo and the softness of open hair.
15. Open Hair With Hair Vine
A hair vine is a flexible strand of small stones, pearls or crystals that winds through the hair. I position it along the part or weave it through a loose braid, pinning it every few centimetres with bobby pins hidden under the hair. It catches light in photos and suits both modern and traditional outfits. Receptions and engagements are where I use it most. Soft waves let the vine show; very curly hair can swallow it.
16. Open Hair With Bouncy Blowout
A bouncy blowout is the most wearable open look, and the one that holds best through a long day. I blow-dry with a large round brush, curving the ends under, then set the ends in velcro rollers while the makeup is done. The volume balances heavy jewellery and ornate lehengas. A centre part and a tikka make it traditional. It suits brides who want healthy, swingy hair without visible curls.
17. Open Hair With Crimped Texture
Crimping adds texture and fullness in a way curls can’t. I crimp selected sections, often the under layers, and leave the top smooth for contrast. These crimped waves suit contemporary lehengas and fusion outfits, and they fit mehndi and sangeet better than the main ceremony. Pearls or small flowers make it bridal. Crimping is hard on fine or damaged hair because of the direct heat, so I keep it to fewer sections there.
18. Open Hair With Passa Accessory
A passa, or jhoomar, pins near the temple and drapes jewelled chains along one side of the face. I anchor it into a small pinned section above the ear, so it doesn’t drag the hair down. Soft waves or curls let it stand out, and it pairs well with a tikka. It suits Hyderabadi, Muslim, and fusion Indian weddings especially well. Match it to the rest of your jewellery set. It honours heritage while the open hair keeps the look soft.
19. Open Hair With Money Piece Highlights
Face-framing highlights, the money piece, brighten the face and add dimension to dark hair. The colour around the face also lifts the complexion in photos. Loose waves or a centre-parted blowout show it off best. With traditional outfits, I’d keep the shade soft, a caramel or honey, so it doesn’t fight the jewellery. Pearls or a tikka finish the bridal look. Have it done one to two weeks before the wedding, so any brassiness can be toned and the colour has softened.
20. Open Hair With Mermaid Waves
Mermaid waves are deep, uniform ripples, made by curling every section the same direction with a wand and then brushing or combing through with a wide-tooth comb to join them. The effect is sculpted and dramatic, and it suits receptions. A deep side part and statement jewellery go well with it. A hair vine or floral pins add sparkle. It needs long hair to show the pattern, and it relaxes in humidity, so I set it with a firm, brushable spray.
Wind, Backlight and Flyaways in Your Portraits
Open hair is the style that changes most between the mirror and the camera. Outdoors, a breeze lifts it across your face just as the photographer is ready. With the sun behind you, every stray hair lights up like a halo. Updos don’t have this problem, so open hair needs a little more finishing.
What I do before you step out
- Smooth the crown and hairline with a fine comb and a light spray on the comb itself, since backlight shows those areas most.
- Pin a few hidden bobby pins under the lengths at the back. They stop the hair blowing forward without changing the look.
- Give a trusted relative a small comb and mini hairspray for the outdoor portraits.
- For posed shots, bring the hair forward over one shoulder. It shows the length and stays out of the wind better than hair hanging down the back.
Very dark hair can look like a single block in evening photographs. A little shine spray on the curls gives the light something to catch, so the shape of the curls shows.
Your Stylist Needs the Outfit Photo, Not Only Pinterest
Open hair gives a bride romance and modern ease without losing tradition. From soft curls and sleek straight hair to floral crowns, gajras and hair vines, there’s a style for every outfit. A tikka, a passa or pearls turn loose hair into bridal hair. For mehndi, sangeet or the reception, pick the look that fits the outfit, the weather and how much you’ll be moving. Bring a photo of the outfit and jewellery to your stylist along with your inspiration pictures, because the right style depends on all three.
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