Lauren Kyle’s wedding to NHL star Connor McDavid sent a lot of brides to Pinterest looking for that soft blonde polish. What I notice in pictures of her style is restraint: smooth surfaces, low placements and texture that never looks crunchy. That kind of finish takes more planning than it appears, because simple hair shows every lump and flyaway. Below are 20 looks inspired by that aesthetic, from tight low buns to loose waves, and for each one I’ve added what I’d check at a trial before you commit to it.
Turning a Celebrity Wedding Photo Into a Brief Your Stylist Can Use
Celebrity wedding hair is usually done by a team with hours to work, often with extensions and a stylist on hand for touch-ups. When a bride shows me one of those photos, my job is to work out which parts of it we can realistically copy on her own hair in the time we have.
- Bring three photos: the front, the back and one taken from the side. Most of the shape of a low bun is only visible from the side.
- Point to the detail you love most. Is it the shine, the placement or the texture? That decides the technique more than the overall style.
- Tell me honestly how thick your hair is. Many soft, full looks in photos depend on clip-in extensions, which can be added for a trial.
- Say if you plan to touch up your color. Blonde toner fades over a few weeks, so I’d book color about a week before the wedding.
After the trial, take photos in daylight and with a flash. Blonde hair can look flat under a flash and brassy in warm indoor light, and it’s much easier to adjust the shine products then than on the morning itself.
1. Classic Low Bun Wedding Hair
If I had to pick one style from this list for a bride who hates fuss, it would be this. The hair is brushed back to the nape and pinned into a neat knot, which leaves the face and earrings completely open. The secret is the base: I build a small ponytail first and pin the bun around it, so the weight sits on the elastic rather than on twenty loose pins. A comb veil slides straight in above it. On very layered hair, expect a few short pieces to escape at the nape by evening, so I set them with a little wax at the start.
2. Romantic Loose Waves for Brides
Hair worn down is the style most likely to change between the ceremony and the last dance. I curl these waves with a large barrel, pin each curl in place to cool, then brush them out, because a curl that cools while hanging loose drops much faster. Fine, straight hair benefits from a texture spray on dry hair before the iron touches it. In a garden in July, expect the bends to relax by about a third over the day. Go in knowing that and you won’t be disappointed when they soften.
3. Sleek Low Ponytail Wedding Style
A sleek low ponytail looks like the easiest style here and is actually one of the least forgiving. Every bump at the crown shows, so I smooth the hair with a boar bristle brush and a small amount of cream before securing it, then wrap a strand around the elastic and pin it underneath. Thick hair needs two elastics, one tight and one over it, or the tail starts sliding by mid-afternoon. With a structured gown and bold earrings, it needs nothing else.
4. Half Up Half Down Bridal Hair
Can’t decide between an updo and hair down? Half up half down splits the difference, but the half that’s up carries all the weight of a veil. I anchor the top section with crossed bobby pins in an X before adding a clip or a small braid, so the comb has something solid to grip. Below it, the waves behave just like any worn-down style, so they need the same pin-and-cool curling. Medium to long hair works best; on shoulder length the down section can look sparse once the top is taken away.
5. Textured Low Chignon Updo
This is the bun I suggest when a bride tells me sleek feels too severe for her. Rather than smoothing everything, I curl the hair first, then gather it in loose sections and pin each one so the waves still show inside the shape. Second-day hair, or clean hair with plenty of texture spray, grips far better than freshly washed silky strands. A few face-framing pieces keep it soft. It holds up under a floral comb or a veil because the pins sit inside the folds rather than on the surface.
6. Old Hollywood Glamour Waves
Hollywood waves are a set, not a curl. I curl every section in the same direction, pin each one flat while it cools, then brush the whole lot together and press the ridges with clips while the spray dries. Skip the brushing and you get ringlets; skip the clips and the ridges blur within an hour. This one belongs in a ballroom with a vintage gown and a bold lip color. It needs medium to long hair with some density; very fine hair rarely holds a deep wave.
7. Braided Crown Wedding Hairstyle
A braided crown wraps around the head like a halo and keeps every strand off the face, which is why I like it for windy lakeside ceremonies. On fine hair I pancake the braid, gently pulling each loop wider so it looks fuller than the hair really is. Short layers can poke out of the braid, so I pin those under before I start weaving. Small flowers or pearl pins slot easily between the plaits. If your hair is shorter than your shoulders, the braid won’t reach all the way around without extensions.
8. Sleek Center Part Low Bun
The center part bun is sharp and editorial, and it shows the face in full. Because the middle part is so exposed, I check scalp and roots at the trial; a grown-out root or a cowlick at the hairline becomes the first thing people see. Straight hair suits it best. Curly or very coarse hair can get there with a smoothing blow-dry, but humidity will fight it. A drop of shine serum at the end gives that glossy finish, and the shape will be exactly the same in the last photo as in the first.
9. Tousled Bridal Updo With Tendrils
Loose tendrils are the part brides love and the part that goes wrong first. In a tousled updo with loose tendrils, I curl the face pieces last and keep them thinner than you’d expect, since thick tendrils grow heavy and flat by the reception. The bun itself is pinned in a loose, slightly messy shape that suits outdoor weddings and relaxed gowns. Medium to long hair of most textures works. Just plan on a mini touch-up with a curling iron before evening photos.
10. Classic Bridal Updo With Veil
A polished updo under a long veil is about as traditional as it gets, with the neck fully on show. The question I ask first is where the veil sits. Above the updo, the comb needs a tight braided anchor to grip; below it, the updo’s shape stays visible and the veil frames it. Smooth works for a formal church service, while a softly textured version suits a less formal gown. A small sparkly hairpiece at the base of the veil hides the comb neatly.
11. Soft Curls With Side Part
A deep side part puts all the volume on one side and frames the face well, particularly on rounder faces. I curl with a medium wand, then loosen the curls with my fingers rather than a brush to keep them bouncy instead of fluffy. The trouble with a side part is that hair wants to fall back to its natural part by midday. I set the new part with a little hold spray at the root and a hidden pin behind the ear on the heavy side. It works both down and with a half-up section.
12. Pearl-Adorned Bridal Bun
Pearls catch the camera flash without the glare that crystals sometimes give, which is why they’re popular on a bun. For a pearl-adorned bun, I place the pins after the bun is fully secured, angling them into the folds so they grip existing pins rather than loose hair. Scattered pearls look delicate; a tight cluster gives one focal point. Count them at the trial. Ten or twelve usually reads better in photos than thirty.
13. Low Knotted Bun Wedding Hair
The knotted bun is made from two or three sections tied over each other at the nape, so it looks intricate even though it uses fewer pins than a classic bun. It does need length: hair should reach at least past the shoulders or the knot looks thin. I leave it sleek for a modern gown and pull out a couple of soft strands for anything more romantic. It sits low enough that a veil comb fits neatly above it, and drop earrings show clearly beside it.
14. Wavy Half Updo With Twists
Twists give the half-up section structure without the tightness of a braid. In a wavy half updo, I twist two sections from each temple back toward the crown and pin them where they meet, which hides the pins under the join. A veil slides in just beneath. Twists loosen faster than braids, so I spray each one before pinning. This style works well outdoors, where having the front off the face matters more than perfect waves.
15. Sleek Bridal Bob Styling
Short-haired brides often assume they have fewer options, but a sleek styled bob photographs as polished as any updo. I’d book the trim about two weeks before the wedding so the line has settled but hasn’t grown out. A flat iron with a slight bend under at the ends keeps it from looking too stiff. A small clip or a slim headband adds a bridal touch, and a veil comb can still grip if I build a tiny hidden anchor of crossed pins at the crown.
16. Boho Waves With Floral Accents
Fresh flowers in hair wilt faster than flowers in a bouquet, because they have no water and sit close to body heat. For boho waves with floral accents, I ask the florist for sturdy stems like spray roses, waxflower or baby’s breath and wire them into small pins, so I can add them at the last minute. Match a few blooms to your bouquet. The waves underneath need the same cool-and-set curling as any loose style. Silk flowers are the safer option for a hot outdoor wedding.
17. Polished Side-Swept Updo
A side-swept updo puts all the hair over one shoulder, so it changes how your neckline looks. I usually place it on the side guests will see as you walk down the aisle, and it’s worth checking at the trial which side faces the room during the vows. It suits off-shoulder or asymmetrical gowns well. Because the weight sits on one side, I anchor it with a hidden braid underneath so it doesn’t drift toward the center over the day.
18. Smooth Blowout With Volume
Sometimes the best bridal hair is simply healthy hair worn down. A smooth blowout with volume starts with a round brush and lift at the roots, and the real work is drying every section fully, because damp hair underneath collapses within hours. A small bend at the ends finishes it. Of all the styles here it is the one most affected by humidity, so if your venue is steamy, I’d plan for a half-up version as a backup.
19. Twisted Low Bun With Accessories
Twisting the sections before pinning gives a low bun more depth than a smooth wrap. Here I twist each section, coil it into place, then add the accessories: a slim comb, a few sparkly pins or pearls. The order matters; accessories pinned into finished twists sit flat and secure, while accessories added first push the twists out of shape. This works best with formal and structured gowns. A couple of face-framing strands soften the front if the overall look feels too strict.
20. Effortless Undone Bridal Waves
Undone waves are deliberately imperfect, and that makes them harder to keep than a precise curl, because the line between undone and limp is thin. I curl in mixed directions with a flat iron, leave the ends straight, and then break everything up with my fingers and a dry texture spray. Intimate and outdoor weddings suit it best. A thin hair vine adds detail without hiding the texture. Very fine hair needs extra texture product, or the waves can fall flat within a couple of hours.
Which of These Looks Survive a Breezy Lakeside Ceremony
Venue affects hair more than any product. Lakeside and mountain weddings tend to be breezy and damp, and the shore can feel very different from the parking lot. I sort the looks above into three groups for outdoor plans.
Safest in wind
Low buns, the knotted bun, the braided crown and the sleek ponytail. Everything is anchored, so a gust may lift a veil but won’t change the shape of the hair.
Needs a plan
Half-up styles and the side-swept updo. The pinned parts hold, but the loose lengths will tangle. Ask a bridesmaid to carry a wide-tooth comb and a small spray for the walk to photos.
Risky outdoors
The blowout, Hollywood waves and undone waves worn fully down. In damp air the curl relaxes and frizz appears within an hour or two. If you have your heart set on one, keep a few pins and a clip in your clutch so you can twist it into a low bun before the reception.
One Polished Look, Many Ways to Wear It
What links all 20 looks is control: smooth surfaces, low placements and texture that is set on purpose. Start with your dress and veil, and let the venue decide how much movement your hair can safely carry. Then book a trial and wear it for a few hours afterward. That afternoon tells you more than any photo, and you’ll walk into your wedding knowing exactly how your hair will behave.
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