Flowers in the hair are the smallest pieces I make for a wedding and often the hardest working. They spend ten or more hours out of water, pressed against a warm head, under a veil and in and out of hugs. Pick the right stems and they still look fresh at the last dance; pick the wrong ones and they’re limp before the first photos. Below are twenty floral hairstyles, from full crowns to a single bloom behind the ear, and for each one I’ve noted how the flowers behave and what I’d use in my own studio.
Which Blooms Last Ten Hours Out of Water
The flowers you choose matter more than the hairstyle. Once a stem is cut short and wired, it has no water at all, so I sort flowers into those that cope and those that don’t.
Reliable All Day
- Orchids (dendrobium and cymbidium)
- Spray roses and waxflower
- Baby’s breath and statice
- Succulents, lavender and eucalyptus
Fine for a Few Hours, Then Tired
- Ranunculus, peonies and daisies
- Garden roses, which are heavier and open quickly in the heat
Use With Care or Not at All
Gardenias brown wherever they’re touched. Hydrangeas wilt within an hour in sun. Poppies and sweet peas collapse. If you love one of these, I’d plan a fresh one for the reception or use silk instead.
1. Floral Crown With Loose Waves
A full crown over loose waves is the look most couples picture first. For it to sit evenly, I build the crown on a wire base sized to your head at the trial and wrap it with floral tape, wiring each bloom on individually. Spray roses, ranunculus and waxflower hold up well; garden roses and hydrangea wilt fast in the sun. Matching the colors to the bouquet makes it feel planned. It needs medium to long hair so the crown sits on something, and it belongs outdoors more than in a ballroom.
2. Low Bun With Baby’s Breath
Baby’s breath around a low bun is one of the hardiest choices I can give you, because the tiny flowers barely lose water. I cut it into small clusters, wire them on short pins and push them into the bun in a loose ring. Too many and it looks like a frill; a scattering reads better. It sits under a veil without crushing. One thing worth knowing: some people find its scent unpleasant up close, so smell a stem before you commit.
3. Half-Up Half-Down With Roses
For half up with roses, I’d use spray roses or small standard roses, not big garden roses, which are heavy and drag the pinned section down. Each rose is wired, taped and pinned into the twist at the back. Blush and ivory hide small bruises better than deep red, which shows every darker mark. It shows off long hair and frames the face, and it carries from a barn to a ballroom.
4. Braided Updo With Wildflowers
A braided updo dotted with wildflowers needs a little honesty about which wild stems last. Daisies, waxflower and statice survive the day; true field flowers like poppies collapse within an hour. The braid is useful here because it grips each stem without wire. I cut the flowers short and push them into the braid in uneven clusters. On thick or long hair, the braid hides the stems completely.
5. Boho Side Braid With Greenery
Eucalyptus is the greenery I trust most in hair: it’s tough, holds shape, and the soft silver color matches almost everything. Woven into a soft, tousled side braid, it trails along the shoulder without going limp. I add a few small white flowers, like waxflower or spray roses, for softness. It suits beach, forest and garden weddings. The scent is strong, so if eucalyptus gives you a headache, try ruscus or olive instead.
6. Sleek Chignon With Orchids
Orchids are my secret for long, hot days, because cymbidium and dendrobium orchids are some of the longest-lasting flowers out of water. Against a sleek chignon, two or three blooms look modern and clean. White reads classic; purple dendrobiums add color without being loud. I glue rather than wire them, since the stems are short. This one suits a formal wedding and a fitted gown, and it holds up beautifully through a long reception.
7. Flower Crown With Long Curls
With a crown over long curls, I keep the crown lighter than for straight waves, because curls already add volume and a heavy crown can look like a hat. Small blooms in pastels or deeper jewel tones work. For naturally curly hair, I pin the crown to small braided anchors at each temple so it doesn’t sink into the curls during the day. It suits boho and garden brides and looks best in natural light.
8. Messy Bun With Peonies
Peonies in a messy bun are popular and difficult. A fully open peony is heavy and can drop petals; I use them just opening, wire them through the base and cut them very short. Blush and coral show well. The bun itself has to be firm underneath, despite its relaxed look, or the peony pulls it lopsided. If peonies aren’t in season for your date, garden roses or ranunculus give a similar ruffled shape.
9. Crown Braid With Daisies
A crown braid with daisies is cheerful and sturdy. The braid acts as a natural headband, and the daisy stems slide straight into it without wire. Daisies are fairly hardy, but they close up a little in cold weather and droop in heat, so I keep them chilled until the last moment. It suits spring and summer weddings and boho or vintage themes, on medium to long hair.
10. Romantic Updo With Trailing Vines
An updo with trailing vines and cascading flowers is the most demanding hair piece I make. I wire jasmine, smilax or ivy and small roses onto a lightweight trail that pins into the updo and hangs down the back of the neck. Jasmine bruises easily and browns, so I add it last. It pairs with an open-back gown. It also needs extra pins at the top, because the trail pulls downward all day.
11. Half-Up Braid With Lavender
Lavender is one of the few flowers that looks almost the same when it dries, so it is very forgiving in hair. I tie small bunches with florist tape and slide them into the half-up braid. It brings a soft scent and gentle color, and suits Provence-inspired or rustic weddings. The buds can shed a little, so I’d shake each bundle out before it goes in. Long hair shows the half-up braid best.
12. Side-Swept Curls With Gardenias
Gardenias look extraordinary for an hour and then start to brown at every spot that’s touched. I handle them by the stem only and put them in at the very last moment, behind the ear in a side-swept look. Their scent is strong and wonderful. I’d always order a spare for the reception. If you want the shape without the fragility, a cream spray rose or a camellia holds much better.
13. Fishtail Braid With Roses
A fishtail braid with roses shows off long, thick hair best. I tuck small spray roses along the braid every few inches; the fishtail’s tight weave holds the short stems without wire. Matching the bouquet keeps it cohesive. It suits outdoor, rustic and boho weddings, and the fishtail holds its shape through the whole day.
14. Top Knot With Floral Accents
A top knot with flowers is clean and modern. I keep the flowers small, like tiny roses, baby’s breath or buds, and tuck them around the base of the knot so the shape stays crisp. It shows off a long neck and statement earrings, and keeps the neck cool in hot weather. Because the knot sits high, I keep the flower cluster lightweight, or it can tip the knot backward.
15. Loose Waves With Single Statement Flower
A single bloom behind the ear is my favorite minimal option. One large flower, such as a peony, dahlia or rose, does the job alone. Dahlias are fragile and bruise, so they go in at the last minute; roses are the safest. I attach the flower to a hair comb with glue and wire, which keeps it from rotating. It works on medium to long waves and almost any theme.
16. Dutch Braid Updo With Mixed Blooms
A Dutch braid updo with mixed blooms is where I can play with color. The raised braid has gaps along its edge that hold short stems neatly. Roses, ranunculus and greenery work together well. I’d keep the mix to three or four types, or it starts to look busy. It holds through a full night of dancing because the braid is woven tightly.
17. Veil With Flower Comb
A flower comb where the veil attaches is a simple, very practical idea. I build it on a metal comb, wiring and gluing roses, baby’s breath or greenery to the spine. It sits just above the veil and hides the attachment. After the ceremony, the veil comes off and the comb stays in for the reception. It works with updos, half-up styles or loose waves.
18. Curly Updo With Succulents
A curly updo accented with succulents uses one of the most durable materials I have, since succulents don’t need water for a day. They’re heavy, though, so I use small rosettes on floral picks and pin them deep into the updo. It suits boho and desert weddings. A few small blooms soften the shape.
19. Ponytail With Wrapped Flowers
Wrapping flowers around the base of a ponytail hides the elastic and adds a bit of romance. I build a small garland on wire and wrap it around the base. Roses, baby’s breath or greenery all work. A low ponytail is more comfortable with a flower wrap than a high one, since a heavy garland can pull a high pony back. It’s modern and keeps the neck cool.
20. Tousled Half-Up With Ranunculus
Ranunculus have tight, layered petals and hold well out of water, so they’re excellent in a tousled half-up style. I tuck them into the twisted sections at the back. The colors range widely, from soft blush to warm coral. It suits garden and boho weddings, and medium to long hair. It also sits comfortably through a long day.
Ordering Hair Pieces Alongside the Bouquet
Hair flowers belong in the florist’s order from the start, not added the week before. I make them the day before or early on the morning of the wedding and keep them in a cool box with a light mist, never in water.
- Bring a photo of your trial hairstyle so I can size the pieces properly.
- Tell me whether you’ll wear a veil, and where it sits.
- Ask for a couple of spare stems, labeled for the hairstylist.
- Agree who pins them in. Usually it’s the hairstylist, at the very end.
Silk or Fresh?
Good silk flowers won’t wilt and can be kept afterward, and they’re the safer choice for a long, hot outdoor day or a fragile favorite like gardenia. Fresh flowers smell and move naturally. I sometimes mix the two, using silk for the parts that bear weight and fresh blooms on top where people will see them.
Pollen, Scent and Sensitive Skin
Flowers sit right next to your face all day, so I strip the pollen-heavy stamens from lilies and avoid strongly scented stems if you get headaches or hay fever. Eucalyptus and some greenery can irritate sensitive skin at the hairline, and I’d keep sap-heavy stems like euphorbia out of hair entirely. If you’re unsure, hold a stem against your neck for an hour at the trial and see how your skin reacts.
Getting the Flowers From the Cooler to Your Hair
Flowers in your hair should match your bouquet, your hairstyle and the weather on the day. Choose stems that last out of water, keep the piece lighter than you’d think, and make sure your hairstylist and florist talk to each other before the morning. When they do, your flowers look as fresh at the reception as they did walking down the aisle.
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