A flower girl’s hair gets almost as many photos as the bride’s, and it has to cope with a far busier day. Petals, cake, a dance floor and a nap in the car all happen between the first portrait and the last. I’ve written up these twenty wedding hairstyles for kids with that in mind, and each one comes with the practical detail a parent needs, for families booking a stylist and for those doing it themselves on the morning.
Six of These a Parent Can Manage at Home
Not every family books a stylist for the children, and you don’t need one for most of this list. If you’re doing it yourself, I’d stay with the styles below, and practice the one you pick at least twice in the fortnight before the wedding:
- the classic low bun
- the low ponytail with curls
- the half-up bun
- the twisted half-up
- the high bun with a ribbon bow
- the fishtail, after a couple of practice runs
Leave the crown braids, chignons and full curly updos to someone who does them often. They look simple in pictures, but they rely on pinning that takes practice to make both secure and comfortable. On the morning itself, give yourself double the time the practice run took; dresses, shoes and excited siblings eat into every minute.
1. Half-Up Curly Flower Girl Hairstyle
Ringlets bouncing down the aisle is the picture most parents have in mind, and half-up curls deliver it. The top section comes back with a small clip or floral pin, and the rest falls in curls. For children under six I set the curls the night before with foam rollers or rag curls, because a curling iron near a wriggling toddler’s ears is a risk I won’t take. A sprig of baby’s breath at the clip is all the decoration it needs.
2. French Braided Bun for Little Girls
This one starts at the crown, gathers everything into a single French braid and ends in a low or high bun. Short layers can’t escape, so there are no flyaways to fight in photos. It’s my standard for junior bridesmaids who want something grown-up, and younger flower girls wear it just as happily. Pearl pins or a single flower clip on the bun tie it to the theme. For the longest hold, aim the braid at the bun’s position, so the braid ends exactly where the bun begins.
3. Crown Braid Wedding Hairstyle
A braid wrapped right around the head makes a halo and keeps the face completely clear. Boho and garden weddings suit it, and you can leave a few tendrils loose at the temples. Tiny wildflowers or baby’s breath along the braid finish it. It struggles on very short or very fine hair that can’t make the full circle; in that case I braid only the front half and pin the ends behind the ears.
4. Classic Low Bun for Flower Girls
Simple wins more often than parents expect. A low bun at the nape is formal, suits every neckline and is one of the best options for thin or fine hair, which looks sparse in curls but neat and full when gathered. Smooth the hair back gently and secure it neat or slightly textured. If the bun comes out small, I wrap it around a mini bun form in the child’s hair color to give it shape. A sparkly pin, a small bow or fresh flowers finish it.
5. Loose Curls With Flower Crown
Loose curls under a floral halo that echoes the bouquet is a flower girl favorite at outdoor and boho weddings. Curl medium to long hair loosely, leave it down, then set the crown. Ask the florist to make it smaller than an adult crown and lighter at the front; a crown that’s heavy at the forehead tips forward every time she looks down into her basket. It takes very little styling, which is a relief on a busy morning.
6. Fishtail Braid for Little Girls
A fishtail looks complicated but is only two sections crossed back and forth, which makes it one of the easier braids for a parent to learn in the week before. Drape it over one shoulder on medium to long hair, loosen it slightly, and weave in a thin ribbon or tuck small flowers along the length. Beach and boho weddings suit it. Practice it twice at home; the first attempt is always uneven.
7. High Bun With Ribbon Bow
A high bun with a satin bow wrapped around the base gives younger children a ballerina look. It keeps hair off the face for active flower girls and works on most lengths and textures. Smooth the sides for a polished finish or leave a few wisps. The bow is where the wedding color comes in, and I tie it separately and pin it on, so it can be retied later without disturbing the bun.
8. Half-Up Braided Flower Girl Style
Two small braids from the front, joined at the back with the rest of the hair left loose, tidy the face without a full updo. Plain three-strand plaits are fine, and twists work if braiding isn’t in your skill set. A small clip, bow or fresh bloom covers the meeting point. If the child has bangs growing out at an awkward length, these braids are the neatest way to catch them.
9. Twisted Chignon for Junior Bridesmaids
Junior bridesmaids standing beside the adult bridal party often want to look a little more grown-up, and a twisted chignon gets them there without going too far. Soft twists are gathered into a low knot, with a few face-framing pieces loosened. Medium to long hair and formal weddings suit it. Pearl pins or one jeweled clip are enough, and because the twists lock against each other once pinned, it holds through the reception. At this age I keep it soft rather than slick, so it reads polished without looking like a 30-year-old’s updo.
10. Curled Half-Up With Bow
Curls with a big bow is the classic flower girl picture. The whole head is curled softly, then the top half is pulled back and finished with a generous ribbon bow in a wedding color. A large bow carries real weight, so I anchor the half-up with an elastic first and fix the bow on top with two crossing bobby pins. The face stays clear while the curls do the rest.
11. Side Braid With Loose Waves
Gather the hair to one side, braid it loosely and let the ends fall into waves. It suits beach and garden weddings, holding the hair partly in place while still showing its texture, and it works on medium to long hair. Tuck small flowers along the braid or leave it plain. I put the waves in first; the braid compresses them, and they come out softer at the ends.
12. Braided Crown With Curls
Why choose between a crown braid and curls? Here a braid wraps the head while curls fall down the back, so the face stays clear and there’s still movement. It suits formal and boho weddings on medium to long hair, with baby’s breath or tiny roses along the braid. Because the back is loose, it needs more hold than a full crown, so I set the curls with a light spray before braiding the top.
13. Low Ponytail With Curls
A low ponytail at the nape, curled through the length, is the quickest style here to take from bedroom to aisle. Hide the elastic under a wrapped section of hair and add a ribbon bow or flower clip at the base. Most lengths can wear it at casual or formal weddings. Of all twenty, it’s the one I’d teach a nervous parent first.
14. Top Knot Bun With Flowers
A high knot at the crown, ringed with tiny fresh flowers or floral pins, keeps hair entirely off the face in warm weather. Secure it firmly for an active child, but check the tension: a top knot pulled too tight is a classic cause of a mid-afternoon headache. Most lengths and textures can wear it, and it holds through the dancing.
15. Double Dutch Braids for Kids
Double Dutch braids give a sporty-sweet look and keep every strand in place for the busiest flower girls. Two braids run along each side of the head; leave them long or gather the ends into a low bun for a dressier finish, with thin ribbons in the wedding colors woven through. Dutch braids sit on top of the hair, so they look fuller than French braids, which is why I choose them for children with thin hair.
16. Half-Up Bun With Curls
A small bun from the top section, with the rest left in soft curls, gives polish and play in one style. It suits formal and casual weddings on medium to long hair, and the bun takes tiny flowers, a small bow or a sparkly pin. On thick hair the bun can look oversized on a small head, so I take a narrower section than you’d expect, roughly the width between the eyebrows.
17. Boho Waves With Mini Braids
Style the hair into loose, beachy waves, then add two or three thin braids through the length for a free-spirited look at outdoor and beach weddings. The hair stays mostly down, and the mini braids add interest without needing pins. Medium to long wavy hair takes it best. Tie each small braid with a tiny clear elastic, since thin braids unravel faster than anything else on a child.
18. Elegant Updo With Tiara
Plenty of little girls dream of a tiara, and a wedding gives them the excuse. Sweep the hair into a soft updo and set a delicate tiara in front of it, softened with a few loose tendrils. Formal weddings and medium to long hair suit it. The usual mistake is a tiara that’s too big; on a child it should sit within the width of her head, not stick out over the ears. Pin its combs into the updo, not only into the hair at the front.
19. Twisted Half-Up Hairstyle
Twists give a softer alternative to braids. Take a section from each side, twist it back and secure both at the crown, leaving the rest in waves or curls. It suits most lengths at formal and boho weddings, with a small flower clip or pearl pin over the join. Twisting is quicker than braiding, so this is the one for a child you can only keep in the chair for a few minutes.
20. Curly Updo With Floral Pins
Curls gathered loosely into a soft updo at the back of the head give volume and dimension while staying secure all day. Scatter small floral pins through it and leave a few tendrils at the face. Naturally curly hair holds it better than heat-set curls, because the curls grip each other; on straight hair I add a little texture spray before gathering. Formal and boho weddings both suit it.
Where a Junior Bridesmaid’s Updo Should Stop
Junior bridesmaids, usually somewhere between about nine and fourteen, sit in an awkward spot. They want to match the adult bridesmaids, but a full grown-up updo with heavy hold and sculpted curls can look like a costume. I keep the shape close to the bridesmaids’ style, so she looks part of the group, and soften everything else: looser curls, less product, smaller accessories.
If the bridesmaids wear their hair down, the junior can too, with a twist or small braid to keep it neat. If they’re in sleek buns, give her a softer low bun or chignon. And ask what she’d like. At that age, being consulted matters almost as much as the style.
Flyaways, Backlight and Other Things the Camera Catches
Outdoor ceremonies are often photographed with the sun behind the subject, and backlight turns every flyaway into a glowing fuzz. Children’s fine hair has plenty of them. A light mist of spray on a clean toothbrush, smoothed over the surface, catches them without making the hair stiff.
Two smaller things show up too: a crooked part and a bow tipped forward. Check both in a mirror at the child’s eye level before she lines up, and angle bows slightly toward the aisle side, where most of the ceremony shots are taken from.
Tight Pins Ruin More Photos Than Plain Hair
Romantic curls, braids, buns crowned with flowers: there’s something here for every hair type, length and personality. Whatever you choose, put comfort ahead of looks. The day is long, and a style that pulls will be tugged at all afternoon. Add one finishing touch, a ribbon, fresh flowers or a small tiara, and let that be enough. In a style she’s comfortable in, your flower girl or junior bridesmaid will spend the day enjoying herself instead of fidgeting with her hair.
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