A child’s wedding hair has to look the same at the last dance as it did in the first photo, and that mostly comes down to choosing a style that suits the hair you’ve got. Before picking from this list, I look at four things: length, texture, how long the child will sit, and where the wedding is. A beach or an open field needs more hold than a ballroom. A church ceremony leans toward buns and sleek braids, while a garden suits flowers and soft waves. Each of the twenty ideas below notes what keeps it looking fresh until bedtime.
What Humidity and Wind Do to a Child’s Hair
Children’s hair is often finer and silkier than an adult’s, so it reacts faster to weather. In humidity, curls made with heat relax and frizz, while naturally curly hair tightens and grows in volume. Wind pulls fine strands out of anything loose. I plan the style around the forecast as much as around the dress.
- Humid or tropical day: braids, buns and twists that don’t depend on a set curl.
- Beach or open field: secure the length, and skip loose waves or waterfall braids unless the ends are tied.
- Air-conditioned ballroom: curls and half up styles keep their shape far longer indoors.
- Hot outdoor ceremony: get the hair off the neck, because a sweaty neck flattens the back of any style.
1. Flower Girl Half Up Curls
Half up curls keep the face clear while the length stays soft, and they’re the first thing most parents ask me for. The top section can be pinned, twisted or tied with a narrow ribbon; the rest falls in loose curls. On children I make the curls big and loose rather than tight ringlets, which look like a costume on a seven-year-old and drop unevenly anyway. One pearl clip or a few floral pins in the wedding colors is enough.
2. Kids Braided Crown
A kids braided crown is my pick for the child who’ll be off running the moment photos end. Because the braid wraps the whole head, nothing loose falls forward into her face. Shorter hair can take a partial crown across the front with the back left in waves. Baby’s breath, small pearl pins or a ribbon woven through the braid finish it. If there’s a strong cowlick at the crown, route the braid around it rather than across it, or it will poke up through the pattern by afternoon.
3. Little Girl Low Bun
A low bun is the safe call for formal weddings and church ceremonies. It sits at the nape, clear of a detailed neckline, and gives a flower crown something solid to rest against. Smooth or slightly soft both work, on straight, wavy or curly hair. The usual mistake is building it on wet or freshly conditioned hair: it looks sleek at nine in the morning and slips by lunch. A small bow, floral comb or pearl barrette goes just above it.
4. Kids Curly High Bun
A kids curly high bun earns its place in hot weather because it lifts every curl off the neck. On naturally curly or coily hair the texture builds the volume for you, so the bun never looks stiff. Gather it with a wide, soft band and smooth the edges gently rather than tightly. Mid-afternoon, I spritz the curls with a little water and leave-in, which revives them after hours in the sun. A soft headband or small flower clips mark the occasion while the curls stay the focus.
5. Flower Girl Waterfall Braid
A waterfall braid lets most of the hair stay down while keeping the face controlled, which is why garden and beach weddings suit it. The braid runs across the side or back with strands falling through it, and loose curls at the ends finish it. You need medium to long hair. On a windy beach I tie the end of the braid with a small elastic under the ribbon, because the falling strands are the first thing the wind grabs.
6. Kids Side Braid With Curls
This side braid starts near the part, sweeps to one shoulder and ends in soft curls. Children who hate pins usually accept it, since there’s often none at all. Refreshing it later is easy: a dab of curl cream on the ends or a quick mist of light spray. Tie a ribbon at the end for the wedding detail, and keep the braid a little loose at the temple so it doesn’t drag on the scalp.
7. Little Girl Double Buns
Little girl double buns suit toddlers and younger flower girls who need something secure and fun but neat enough for portraits. High buns look cheeky; lower ones look softer. Straight, wavy, curly and coily hair all work if you shape the buns to the texture. What makes them look deliberate is a clean center part and two buns of equal size at equal height, so I check the distance from each ear before securing. Matching bows, tiny flowers or pearl clips dress them up.
8. Kids French Braid Bun
A French braid that feeds into a bun is about as secure as children’s hair gets. The braid starts at the hairline or crown and ends in a bun at the back, so every strand has somewhere to be. It’s what I recommend for long ceremonies and for kids who’ll run around after photos. I keep the braid slightly soft for comfort and only tighten at the bun. A satin ribbon around the bun, or a few small pins along the braid, makes it look finished.
9. Flower Girl Loose Waves
Loose waves suit relaxed and outdoor weddings, but no style here is more at the mercy of the weather. On a humid or windy day they go limp or tangle within the hour, so I’d only choose them if the child is used to wearing her hair down and the forecast is kind. Heatless waves set overnight in braids or soft rollers are gentler than an iron; if you do use heat, keep it low and use a protectant. A side part, small clip or dainty flower crown controls the front.
10. Kids Ponytail With Ribbon
A kids ponytail with ribbon is the easiest style on this list for a parent to redo mid-reception. It works on straight, wavy, curly and textured hair, worn sleek, curled, braided or puffed to suit the child’s natural hair. The ribbon dresses it up without a single pin, so match it to the dress or the flowers. Secure but not tight is the rule, and I tie the ribbon over the elastic rather than relying on ribbon alone to hold the hair.
11. Little Girl Fishtail Braid
A fishtail looks detailed enough that it barely needs accessories. Wear it down the back or over a shoulder on medium to long hair. Loosening the braid after you tie it softens the look, but on an active child I’d only loosen it a little; a heavily pulled-out fishtail comes apart fast once she starts spinning. A tiny bow at the end or a few floral pins tucked into the weave is plenty.
12. Kids Twisted Half Up Hair
Two small front sections twisted back and pinned or tied together, with the rest left down, is quicker than a braid and kinder to the scalp. I like it for fine hair because there’s no heavy pulling, and for curly or natural textures because the twist holds on its own grip. A bow, pearl clip or flower comb covers the join. If the twists start to unravel, a parent can retwist and repin them in under a minute.
13. Flower Girl Bun With Tiara
A small tiara above a simple bun gives a dressy, princess-style look without a complicated updo. The bun goes high, mid or low depending on length and comfort, and the tiara sits just in front of it. Formal weddings and classic dress shapes suit it best. I anchor the tiara by pinning its combs into the hair at the base of the bun, so it can’t tilt forward. Leave a few soft pieces at the face to keep it childlike.
14. Kids Natural Curls With Headband
Natural curls with a headband celebrate the child’s texture and take almost no time. Define the curls with a light curl cream while the hair is wet, then shape them gently around the face. The headband holds the front through the ceremony; pick soft fabric, satin, pearl or floral bands that don’t pinch behind the ears. Curly and coily children who dislike tight braids are usually happy with this one, and the volume is left to do its thing.
15. Little Girl Dutch Braids
Little girl Dutch braids sit raised on top of the hair, so they read as more detailed than a regular braid even without accessories. Two braids can hang down the back, cross into a bun or end in curls, and they hold through a full day on medium to long hair. I braid while the hair is very slightly damp, which gives a firmer grip that relaxes to the right softness as it dries. Satin bows at the ends or tiny flower clips finish them.
16. Kids Bubble Ponytail
The bubble ponytail starts as an ordinary ponytail, then gets sectioned with elastics into rounded “bubbles” down the length. It’s playful and modern, and long hair can wear it high, low or to the side. Use small clear elastics or ones in the wedding colors, and space them evenly by eye along a comb so the bubbles match. A bow at the base or tiny pearl clips between bubbles make it dressy.
17. Flower Girl Short Hair With Clips
Short hair doesn’t need length to look like wedding hair. A bob, pixie or shoulder-length cut can be waved, given a neat side part or tucked smoothly behind the ears, and decorative clips do the rest while holding the front pieces. It’s the right answer for kids who refuse curls, buns and braids. I choose lightweight clips with a firm grip, such as pearl barrettes, mini floral clips or satin bow pins, because a heavy clip slides down fine short hair within the hour.
18. Kids Box Braids Updo
A box braid updo lifts the braids up and keeps them neat through a long day without constant fixing. They can go into a bun, a wrapped crown or a half-up shape, whichever the child prefers. A full head of braids gathered into one bun is heavier than it looks, so I keep the updo low or split it into two, and never pull at the hairline. Gold cuffs, pearl pins or small floral accents are light enough to add without strain.
19. Little Girl Side Bun
A side bun sits near one ear or slightly behind it, and it photographs best from the front and from that side. Smooth, curled, braided or twisted, it adapts to the texture. Medium to long hair suits it, and a headband, tiara or floral clip on the opposite side balances the head. Pin it securely but keep the shape soft so it doesn’t age her.
20. Kids Halo Braid With Flowers
Kids halo braid with flowers is the style that reads most clearly as flower girl hair. The braid circles the head and frames the face, and medium to long hair of any texture can wear it. Small flowers tucked into the braid give the effect of a crown without its weight. For outdoor, garden and rustic weddings I use lightweight blooms or faux flowers, which keep the braid comfortable all day.
Box Braids and Twists Put In for the Wedding
If a child is having braids or twists installed for the wedding, plan it about a week ahead. The first days after installation are when the scalp feels tightest, and a week gives it time to settle and gives the braider a chance to loosen anything that’s pulling. For young children, ask for small, light braids with little or no added hair; long extension hair is heavy on a small neck.
Watch for tiny bumps along the hairline or a child who keeps scratching, both signs the braids are too tight. Keep the scalp moisturized with a light oil, and have her sleep in a satin bonnet or on a satin pillowcase so the braids stay neat until the day.
Three Checkpoints Between the Vows and the Last Dance
Even the most secure style needs a minute of attention through a long day. I tell parents to check at three points:
- After the formal photos: reset any clip or bow that has slipped and smooth the front with a damp comb.
- After dinner: re-pin the base of buns and retie loose ribbon ends before the dancing starts.
- Before the send-off or late portraits: refresh natural curls with a little water and cream, or give heat-styled hair a light mist of spray.
Each check takes a minute, which is far easier than rescuing a style that has been slowly falling for three hours.
The Style Her Hair Already Wants
Children should be able to move, eat and dance without thinking about their hair. The best result nearly always comes from working with the child’s natural texture rather than against it, and from matching hold to the day: braids and buns where she’ll be busy, curls and waves where things are calm. Ribbons, headbands, flowers and clips do the dressing up. Try the style once before the wedding to check comfort, how long it takes and whether it survives an afternoon.
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