Wedding functions stretch over days, and hair worn down suits most of them: it moves when you dance and still looks dressed up in photos. Brides, bridesmaids and guests at a mehendi, haldi, sangeet or reception all ask me for loose styles, usually with curls, a braid, flowers or a little sparkle. Each of the 20 ideas below can be adapted to your length and texture, and I’ve noted which function it suits and what makes it hold.
One Look per Function, From Haldi Turmeric to Reception Lights
Each function asks something different of your hair. This is how I match open styles to the events most families plan.
Haldi
Turmeric paste goes everywhere, and it can tint very light or bleached hair yellow. I braid the hair or pin it loosely to one side, with a little oil on the lengths as a barrier, and plan a wash afterward. Save your best curls for later.
Mehendi
The bride sits for hours while henna dries on her hands and feet, and she can’t touch her hair the whole time. Anything that falls forward can smudge the design, so I choose braids, twists or a half-up style and finish them before the mehendi artist starts.
Sangeet
Dancing puts the most strain on loose hair. Half ponytails and twisted crowns stay put; long, fully open curls tangle in earrings and dupattas.
Reception
This is the night for fully open, glossy styles. By now the hair has usually been styled for days, so a wash the night before or that morning gives the reception look a clean base.
1. Soft Romantic Waves With Middle Part
Soft waves from a clean middle part suit sarees, lehengas and gowns alike, which is why I reach for this look when a bride has several outfits in one day. I curl with a wide barrel and brush out only once the curls are cold. A small amount of shine serum on the lengths, never the roots, keeps it moving without weighing it down. Engagements and daytime sangeets suit it. Very fine hair will flatten by evening, so plan a quick re-curl before a later event.
2. Half-Up Half-Down With Twisted Sections
Twisted front sections pinned at the crown clear your face while the rest of the hair stays open. I twist each piece toward the back of the head and cross the pins under the twist, then cover them with pearl or floral pins. The bottom half can be wavy or curled. Receptions and cocktail functions suit it, with traditional or contemporary outfits. Short layers at the front may slip out of the twist, so a little texture spray first helps them stay.
3. Open Hair With Side Dutch Braids
Dutch braids are plaited under rather than over, so they stand out from the head, and here two of them run along each side while the rest falls in waves. That raised texture is why they read so well at mehendi and haldi celebrations, where the styling is playful. Tiny flowers or beads can be woven in. The braids also stop hair falling forward onto freshly applied henna, which matters more at a mehendi than people expect.
4. Loose Curls With Floral Gajra
A traditional flower garland brings fragrance and color that no metal accessory can. I curl the hair loosely, then drape the gajra along one side or across the back, pinned with U-pins through the thread between the flowers rather than through the blooms. White jasmine is the classic; colorful blooms suit haldi and mehendi. A long gajra is heavier than it looks, so on fully open hair I build a small hidden anchor at the crown to carry it.
5. Crown Braid With Flowing Hair
The braid circles the head like a halo while the lower lengths fall free in waves, keeping hair off your face through a long outdoor or daytime function. I start it low behind one ear and work it around the crown, so the ends tuck neatly under on the other side. Small flowers in the braid suit a garden setting. Thin hair can look sparse in a full crown braid, and a clip-in section helps.
6. Open Hair With Statement Maang Tikka
Pairing loose waves with a statement maang tikka turns simple open hair into a bridal look. The tikka follows the part, so I make the part first and check that it’s straight before anything else, then pin the chain into a small teased section at the crown. A slightly side part works for a light tikka; a heavy one hangs best on a center part. Engagements, receptions and the wedding itself all suit it, with soft curls or sleek hair.
7. Sleek Straight Open Hair With Deep Side Part
This is the editorial option, and it’s best on long hair. I iron in small sections and finish with shine spray held well away from the head, so it mists rather than wets. Reception parties and cocktail functions suit it, with structured gowns or contemporary outfits, and one side tucked behind the ear to show an earring. For a humid or outdoor function I’d pick something with texture instead, since straight hair is always the first to frizz.
8. Voluminous Curls With Half Ponytail
Big curls under a half ponytail have drama and a lot of volume. I pull the top section into a ponytail at the crown, wrap a small piece of hair around the elastic to hide it, and let the curls fall down your back. A small tiara or jeweled clip sits just in front of the ponytail. It’s one of the best open styles for dancing at a sangeet, because the ponytail keeps the top secure, and it holds up at grand receptions on medium to long hair.
9. Fishtail Braid With Open Waves
A fishtail splits the hair into two sections and crosses small pieces from one to the other, which looks intricate but is simpler than it seems. Run it down one side or braid only a section and leave the rest open and wavy. I loosen it afterward by pulling at the edges, and tiny flowers or pearls can be woven in. Mehendi and sangeet functions suit its relaxed look. Fishtails stay put better on second-day hair than on hair washed that morning.
10. Open Hair With Pearl Hair Accessories
Pearls add a soft shine without overpowering texture. I scatter them through waves, or cluster them above one ear where they show in front-facing photos. Engagements, receptions and evening functions suit them, with traditional or modern outfits, and gentle curls give the pins something to hold. If your outfit already has heavy pearl embroidery, I’d keep the hair pearls to a few so they don’t compete.
11. Curtain Bangs With Long Open Hair
Curtain bangs sweep away from the face and frame the eyes, with waves or sleek lengths behind them. They suit brides and guests who want a contemporary touch at daytime functions, and I curl the ends slightly away from the face. One caution for multi-day events: bangs get oily faster than the rest of the hair, so a little dry shampoo at the root each morning keeps them fresh without a full wash.
12. Side-Swept Open Hair With Curls
Sweeping every curl over one shoulder exposes the opposite neckline, which makes this the look for a blouse with a detailed back or shoulder. I pin a hidden row behind the ear on the open side to keep the sweep in place, then add a decorative pin there. Receptions and cocktail evenings suit it, on long and medium hair. It brings a bit of old Hollywood glamour to any wedding function.
13. Boho Waves With Flower Crown
Tousled waves with a circlet of fresh or faux blooms suit outdoor weddings, mehendis and relaxed daytime functions. For an all-day mehendi in the heat I usually recommend faux flowers, since fresh crowns wilt within a few hours and faux ones can be worn again. Choose blooms that pick up the outfit’s colors. The crown needs pins anchored into small braided sections on each side, or it creeps forward.
14. Open Hair With Twisted Crown Detail
Instead of a full braid, sections from both sides are twisted and joined at the back into a looped crown, with waves flowing below. It’s quicker than braiding and gentler on fine hair. I secure the join with pins hidden under the twist and finish with small flowers or decorative pins. Engagements and receptions suit it, with a saree or a gown, at most lengths.
15. Sleek Open Hair With Center Part
Smooth, glossy hair with a center part works best alongside statement jewelry and structured outfits. I straighten in small sections, or on naturally smooth hair simply finish with a touch of serum, and tuck the front behind the ears to show earrings. On thick hair I rub the serum well between my palms first, because too much makes the lengths look separated and wet. Receptions and modern celebrations suit it.
16. Open Hair With Side Braid And Flowers
One loose braid down the side, with small blooms tucked along it, brings color and a sense of fun. Haldi and mehendi functions suit it best. Jasmine, roses or seasonal flowers can match your outfit. At a haldi I’d use inexpensive blooms, because they will almost certainly end up stained with turmeric paste.
17. Beachy Waves With Deep Side Part
Tousled waves with a deep side part look relaxed but still deliberate. A texturizing spray on the mid-lengths gives the lived-in feel, and a small decorative clip on the deeper side adds polish. Daytime functions, brunches and casual events suit it, at most lengths. Of all the looks here it’s the quickest, which makes it handy for a guest getting ready for several events in a row.
18. Open Hair With Glittery Hair Clips
Sparkling clips add festive energy to evening events. Scatter glittery or crystal-embellished clips through soft waves, or cluster them on one side where the lights catch them as you move. On silky hair I’d use snap clips over slide-in ones, since they grip better. Keep the outfit’s sparkle in mind too; a heavily embellished lehenga needs fewer clips.
19. Long Layered Open Hair With Volume
Layers make long hair look fuller and move more. I add a light mousse at the roots and blow-dry with a round brush for lift, then curl the face-framing layers away from the face. It works at any function, from daytime ceremonies to evening receptions, finished with a gajra or a sparkling accessory. The heavier your hair, the more layers help it keep a wave through a long day.
20. Open Hair With Braided Headband
A thin braid wraps across the front of the head like a headband while the rest falls in soft waves. It keeps hair off your face at a mehendi, where your hands are busy for hours and you can’t push hair back yourself. I pin the braid ends behind the ears so they’re hidden, and tiny flowers or pearls can decorate it. All lengths suit it, with traditional or fusion outfits.
Jasmine Gajra That Stays Fresh and Stays Put
A gajra is made from buds, and that’s the first thing to understand about it. Jasmine opens and releases most of its fragrance toward evening, so a gajra strung in the morning is at its best by the evening function.
- Get it the same day. Keep it wrapped in a damp cotton cloth, in the fridge or a cool box, until an hour before you wear it.
- Pin through the thread, not the flowers. U-pins slide between the buds and catch the string; bobby pins pushed through petals tear them.
- Give it an anchor. On open hair I make a small hidden braid or flat twist where the gajra will sit and pin it to that.
- Mist, don’t soak. A light spray of water keeps it fresh, while dripping water can mark a silk outfit.
- Expect browning by the next day. Jasmine bruises easily, so a fresh one for each function looks far better than reusing yesterday’s.
Which Look for Which Night?
Hair worn down works at almost every wedding function, from a colorful mehendi to a sparkling reception. Pick the look for the event first, then adapt it to your length and texture and finish with flowers, pearls or clips. If you have several functions back to back, plan the order of hairstyles with your stylist so each one starts on hair that’s still in good condition.
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