The pre-wedding events often ask more of your hair than the wedding itself. A mehndi morning means sitting still for hours in the heat with your hands out of action. A sangeet means dancing until late. A shoot means wind, sun and a camera a foot from your face. One hairstyle can’t do all of that, so I plan each function separately, with the outfit, the venue and the hours in mind. Here are 20 styles I build for brides across these events, with notes on where each one holds up and where it struggles.
One Stylist, Four Functions: Spacing Your Looks Across the Week
When a bride books me for several events in a row, the first thing I do is plan the order of styles. Heat styling on consecutive days dries the ends, and the ends are what show most in open hair. I look at the schedule and alternate where I can.
Open hair first, updos later
Fresh, healthy hair looks best worn down, so I place the open, curled styles on the earlier events. Second- and third-day hair grips pins better, which makes it ideal for buns and braids later in the week.
Wash days
I ask brides to wash the night before an open-hair event and skip the wash before an updo. If you have curly hair, wash on the day you plan to wear curls loose, since that’s when the pattern is most defined.
Protecting the ends
- Use a heat protectant every time, even on days a cousin is curling your hair
- Sleep in a loose braid on a silk pillowcase to keep the next morning’s set
- Skip a deep oil treatment the night before an event; it makes hair too slippery to hold a curl
1. Soft Hollywood Waves for Pre Wedding Shoot
Hollywood waves are glamorous for a shoot because the camera sees one solid, glossy shape. I set them with a medium barrel, pin each curl to cool, then brush them out together and press the S-bends in place with clips. A deep side part gives the classic look. They are the wrong choice for an outdoor shoot on a windy day, since one gust breaks the pattern and it can’t be fixed with fingers. Indoors or in a sheltered garden, they sit as well with a lehenga as with a gown.
2. Low Bun With Floral Accessories
A low bun with fresh flowers keeps the neck clear, which is why I steer brides toward it for mehndi mornings. Once your hands are covered in paste, you can’t push hair out of your face for hours. A center part and a firmly pinned bun take care of that. I wire the flowers or use sturdy jasmine strings, because rose petals bruise and brown quickly in heat. A couple of curled strands at the front keep it soft. Ask a cousin to mist the flowers lightly with water between sittings.
3. Half Up Half Down With Loose Curls
Half up, half down gives you some of the comfort of an updo and still lets your length show. I secure the top section with a small braid or a clip and curl the rest in loose spirals. It keeps hair out of your eyes, which matters during the rituals when you’re constantly leaning forward. The weak point is the down section, which flattens in humidity and catches on heavy embroidery at the back of a blouse. If your outfit has a lot of zari work on the shoulders, I’d pin more of the hair up.
4. Side Braid With Fresh Flowers
A side braid sits over one shoulder and leaves the back of the neck cool. I build it loose, then pull each section out gently so it looks fuller in photos. Tucking small flowers or pearls along it is easy because a braid holds pins well. For mehndi functions it’s one of my favorites, since you can sit for hours without a bun pressing into a cushion behind you. Leave a couple of wisps at the face, but not so many that you’re tempted to push them away with henna-covered fingers.
5. Messy Bun With Curls and Flowers
A messy bun is only messy on the surface. Underneath, I build it around a small ponytail with plenty of pins, then pull out curls around it. The common failure is building it loose all the way through, which looks great for twenty minutes and then slides. Soft flowers on top suit a rustic or outdoor shoot, and the shape stays comfortable through hours of dancing. It pairs naturally with floaty fabrics and light makeup.
6. Sleek Low Ponytail for Engagement
The sleek low ponytail is my answer for engagement ceremonies and chic pre-wedding shoots where the jewelry and outfit should lead. I brush it back in sections with a smoothing cream and use serum sparingly, since too much reads as greasy under flash. A strand wrapped around the elastic hides the band. Sleek hair shows every bump, so I check the nape from behind with a hand mirror before I finish. Sharp gowns and big earrings sit well with it.
7. Waterfall Braid With Open Hair
A waterfall braid runs across the crown, dropping strands through as it goes, with the hair below left loose in waves. It takes patience, and on very layered hair the shorter pieces pop out of the braid; I set those with a little pomade before I start. The braid keeps the front off the face, which helps in an outdoor shoot. Tiny flowers or pearls can be tucked into it. It suits boho and garden themes, and the open lengths move nicely in a light breeze.
8. Voluminous Open Curls for Sangeet
For a sangeet, big curls move with you on the dance floor. Voluminous open curls need large sections and a cool set; I pin each curl up while it cools so it keeps its spring. Tousle with fingers, not a brush, to keep the volume. Sweat at the neck is what makes open hair go limp after an hour of dancing, so I spray the underside with a light hold first. Skip accessories, or add a single statement clip on one side.
9. Pearl Lined Braid for Mehndi
Threading pearls through a braid turns a simple plait into something worth photographing. I braid loosely, then weave a pre-strung pearl strand in as I go, or pin individual pearls into the gaps afterward. Strung pearls are lighter and stay in better than loose pins. It’s comfortable for long mehndi sessions and keeps hair tidy. If the braid is tight, the pearls get hidden, so I pull it open first. Dainty jewelry and a traditional outfit suit it.
10. Princess Curls With Maang Tikka
Soft curls with a maang tikka depend on a dead-straight middle part. I check the part from the front before I attach the tikka, then secure the chain with a pin hidden under the hair at the crown, so the tikka doesn’t slide off center when you look down. Big blow-dried curls frame the face and keep the look gentle. If the tikka is heavy, I add a small bun or braid behind the part as an anchor. It works for an engagement ceremony or a portrait shoot.
11. Twisted Side Bun With Tendrils
A twisted side bun gathers the hair to one side and pins it into a loose knot, with a few tendrils pulled out at the face. Golden-hour shoots suit it because the side placement catches light along the twists. I place it just behind the ear so it doesn’t press into the shoulder when you turn your head. The asymmetry flatters a defined jawline. A jeweled pin or small flowers can be tucked into the twist.
12. Loose Beach Waves for Pre Wedding
Beach waves are the easiest look on this list to wear. I use a large wand on wide sections, wrap the hair away from the face, and leave the ends straight so the waves look natural. Fingers, not a brush, break them apart. They move nicely in photos and suit seaside or garden celebrations. In sea air, they fall faster than you think, so I spray each section with a light texture product before curling. Wear it open, or pin one side back.
13. Fishtail Braid With Flowers
A fishtail looks complicated but is quick once you have the rhythm: two sections, crossing small pieces from the outside of each. I braid it to one side and pull it open for width. Smaller flowers tucked into it suit mehndi and daytime events. A fishtail on slippery, freshly washed hair unravels at the ends, so I prep it with texture spray and secure the end with a clear elastic plus a small wrap. Leave soft wisps near the face. Up close, the weave reads well in photos.
14. Sleek High Bun for Reception
The sleek high bun is the most formal style here. Brushing hair up to the crown with no ridges takes time; I work in sections with a firm brush and fix the base with crossed pins before wrapping the bun. It lengthens the neck and puts your earrings on display. I’d avoid it if you get headaches from tension, since everything pulls toward the crown all evening. A jeweled pin adds sparkle. Structured gowns suit it best.
15. Curly Half Updo With Hair Accessories
On curly hair, a half updo gives the curls room while taking weight off the face. I gather the top section loosely, with my fingers rather than a brush, so the curl clumps stay intact, then secure it with a jeweled clip. The rest bounces at the shoulders. A good fit for sangeet nights and festive events, especially on round and oval faces. Refresh the curls with a damp hand and a dab of cream if they frizz during the dancing.
16. Side Swept Curls for Engagement
Side-swept curls pull everything over one shoulder and leave one earring fully on show. I pin the hair at the back behind the opposite ear so it doesn’t slowly slide back to center. Soft, flowing curls give a romantic shape. The look suits a gown as easily as a traditional outfit. A sparkly clip at the swept side adds detail. Pick the side by your best profile and by which side the photographer will shoot most.
17. Boho Braided Crown for Mehndi
A braided crown wraps one or two braids around the head and pins them flat, keeping every strand off the face and neck for hot mehndi mornings. On shorter hair, I add a braided hairpiece for length. Small flowers tucked into the braids give it a garden look. The pins must sit flat against the scalp, because a braided crown can feel like a tight band after a few hours. Leave a few tendrils loose at the front.
18. Blow Dried Open Hair With Center Part
Blow-dried open hair with a center part relies entirely on the condition of your hair. I use a large round brush for a soft bend and finish with a light serum on the ends. The center part frames the face evenly. Minimal shoots suit it, and a thin headband or a small maang tikka adds a quiet accent. I’d only recommend it if your hair is in good shape; frizz and split ends have nowhere to hide in a straight, open style.
19. Romantic Updo With Loose Tendrils
A romantic updo is gathered loosely at the back with delicate tendrils left around the face and neck. Loose does not mean flimsy. I build it on a firm base of pinned sections, then pull pieces out on the surface. Pearl pins or small flowers finish it. It works indoors or outdoors and stays comfortable through a long day. In soft daylight, the texture shows nicely.
20. Loose Curls With Half Braid
A half braid takes the top section back in a soft plait and leaves the rest in loose curls. The braid gives the front grip, so this lasts better than open curls on their own. It works for sangeet and engagement events. Tiny flowers or a sparkly pin can run along the braid. Every texture can wear it; on straight, fine hair I curl first and braid second so the braid has more grip.
Dupattas, Mehndi Paste and the Dhol: What Your Hair Has to Survive
The pictures on this list show hair in still moments. In reality, a dupatta is pinned on top, mehndi paste comes within an inch of your face, and you’ll dance to the dhol for an hour. I plan around each of those.
A heavy dupatta needs a base to grip. If you plan to wear it over your head, tell your stylist before the style starts. I build a small flat bun or braid just behind the crown and pin the dupatta into that, not into loose curls, which it will pull flat.
During mehndi, wet paste and oil can transfer to your hair from your own hands. Henna can tint light hair orange. Choose a style that keeps every strand behind your ears, and ask someone to brush stray pieces away for you rather than reaching up yourself.
For the sangeet, I spray the underside and the nape lightly, since sweat at the back of the neck is what drops curls first. Keep a few pins and a small comb in your clutch. One fallen section is an easy fix with pins; a whole collapsed curl set is not.
Mehndi Braids by Day, Sangeet Curls by Night
Each pre-wedding function has a different job, so give each one its own hair. Daytime mehndi suits braids and buns that keep your hands free and your neck cool. Sangeet suits curls that can survive dancing. Engagement looks often lean sleek, so your jewelry stands out. Keep your face open in every look, and plan your wash days around the schedule. Your hair has to last through a whole week of celebrations, not just one evening.
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