The Best Wedding Hairstyles for Long Hair

Wedding season is a magical time. Whether you are ready to be wed or simply looking for inspiration, so many elements go into wedding day style. When it comes to your look, choosing the right dress is important, but the next biggest thing is your wedding day hair. With so many wedding hairstyle options— from cascading curls, natural braids, and intricate updos — we can understand finding the right hairstyle for your length can be overwhelming, especially if you have long hair.

Regardless of which hairstyle you decide to wear on your wedding day, one thing’s for certain: Your long hair will look beautiful as you walk down the aisle, posing, for pics, and dance the night away with your friends and family. To help take away some of your wedding planning stress, below are 11 styles that work perfectly for gorgeous, long, flowy tresses.

Wedding Hairstyle #1: Bohemian Waves With A Beaded Headband

This look is a perfect way to show off your long locks with a simple but elegant style. Soft bohemian waves are easy to achieve with a mousse like the L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Curve It Elastic Curl Mousse, a few hair clips, topped off with a decorative headband. Add a little texture to your strands by applying mousse to damp hair before drying your hair with a blow dryer. Relax your waves by running your fingers through your hair. Place your decorative headband on top of your head and adjust to get the look you like. 

Wedding Hairstyle #2: Unicorn Ponytail

Since it’s your big day, it’s the perfect time to take your look up a few notches—and a unicorn ponytail will help you do just that! Offering the best of both worlds, this style features a high ponytail and a vertical braid for a bit of edge. To bring this look to life, start with a small Dutch braid. Gather the rest of your hair into a high ponytail and wrap the braid around the base of your ponytail. Finish the look with a misting of hairspray like the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Precious Oil Hairspray, and you’re all set.

Wedding Hairstyle #3: High Ponytail

You can never go wrong with slaying a high ponytail for your big day. It’s timeless, stylish, and can easily stay in shape all day with minimal touch-ups. Simply add a small amount of hair gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Clean Gel to your roots, then brush your strands toward the top of your head and secure with a hair elastic.

Wedding Hairstyle #4: Sleek Hair

A timeless look, sleek hair is perfect for adding a chic touch to your wedding day beauty. It’s a streamlined style that’s easy to achieve using a smoothing serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum Leave-In. Don’t forget to finish it with a heat protectant like the L’Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Heat Slayer Pre-Iron Spray Leave-In.

Wedding Hairstyle #5: Old Hollywood Waves

This glamorous wedding hairstyle is sure to make waves. Simple but stunning, this look starts with the classic pin curl hairstyle to create beautiful heatless curls. These waves are perfect for a new way to style your natural hair. Try it with a silk press and show off your gorgeous length! And once you pair this style with a veil or gold hair accessory, you’ll love your marital look.

Wedding Hairstyle #6: Side-Swept Zipper  Braid

For a whimsical wedding day look, the side-swept zipper braid is a creative and beautiful braiding style. To get the look, simply brush your hair toward either side, grab a section of hair that’s around two inches wide, divide it into three equally-sized strands and begin your weaving.

While this style can be a bit tricky to master, we recommend checking out our article, How to Create a Zipper Braid, for a step-by-step guide. 

Wedding Hairstyle #7: Embellished Cornrows

Get creative with your cornrows and create an elegant embellished wedding look. Try adding a few elements of bridal glamor, like flowers, rhinestones, or pearl pins to your braids and your look certainly won’t go unnoticed.

Wedding Hairstyle #8: Voluminous Curls

Nothing says wedding day hair like a set of voluminous curls. This style is super feminine and playful,  chic and checks all of the boxes. Head on over to our article, How to Create Voluminous Curls on Any Hair Type, to transform your strands.

Wedding Hairstyle #9: Ballerina Bun

The ballerina bun is a classic for a reason. If you prefer a more simple, understated but timeless look then this wedding hairstyle could be the right fit for your big day. A ballerina bun looks best when paired with smooth strands, so start with shampooing and conditioning your hair with a nourishing hair care line like L’Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Restoring Shampoo, L’Oréal Paris Dream Lengths Super Detangler Conditioner, L’Oréal Paris Dream Lengths No Haircut Cream Leave-In Conditioner. Pull your hair into a ponytail, twisting the ponytail into a rope, then wrap it around its base to form a bun. Help keep your look in place by spritzing your style with the  L’Oréal Paris Advanced Hairstyle Lock It Bold Control Hairspray.

Wedding Hairstyle #10: Tousled Hair

If there’s one wedding style that’s equal parts sultry and chic, tousled hair takes the top spot. This beautiful style is effortless, ultra-flattering, and adds a playful vibe to your look. Just add an egg-sized amount of mousse to your hair and scrunch to highlight your texture. Once dry, add a small amount of hair pomade, like the L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Overworked Hair Putty, to your strands and use it to shape your hair in different directions. Mist a bit of strong-hold hairspray over your mane, and your look is complete.

Wedding Hairstyle #11: Low Chignon

Chignons are a go-to wedding hairstyle for good reason. A chic variation of the classic bun, this style brings sophistication and elegance to any look you can dream up. And while it may seem a bit hard to style, you can craft this look in a matter of minutes. Head on over to our article, How to Master a Chignon Hairstyle In 5 Easy Steps, to learn what to do. 

Next: Our Best Foundations for Your Wedding Day

Photo Credit: iStock

What Is the Best Wedding Hairstyle for Long Hair?

The best wedding hairstyle for your long hair is the one that makes you feel most confident and beautiful. Here are 11 wedding hairstyles for long hair to help you narrow it down. 

1. Loose Waves With a Beaded Headband

Romantic loose waves are an elegant and timeless style that you won’t regret for your big day.  Add a little texture to your strands by applying mousse, like the L’Oréal Paris Advanced HairstyleBOOST IT Volume Inject Mousse, to damp strands before drying your hair with a blow dryer. Once your hair is dry, add some loose curls with a large barrel curling iron. 

If you want to enhance your natural waves, style your damp hair with the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Curls Non-Stop Dreamy Curls Leave-in Conditioner. The formula includes hyaluronic acid and castor oil to hydrate, shape and define curls or waves without weighing down your hair. Finish the look with a decorative headband for a bridal-esque touch.

2. Embellished French Braid

If you like to wear your hair up, a French braid is a chic and simple updo that keeps your hair out of your face, while still showing off your long length. At the hairline, gather a four-inch section of hair, separate it into three even sections and begin to French braid your strands, adding in all the hair until you reach the ends. Secure the braid with a hair tie and place embellished hair clips throughout the braid to elevate the entire look. Set the finished style with a light misting of the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray - Unscented to keep everything in place. 

3. High Ponytail

You can’t go wrong with a high ponytail for your big day because it’s timeless, stylish and can easily stay in place all day with minimal touch-ups. Add a small amount of hair gel, like the L’Oréal Paris Studio Line Clean Gel to your roots, then brush your strands back, toward the top of your head and secure it with a hair tie. As a finishing touch, grab a small piece of hair and wrap it around the base of your ponytail to conceal the hair tie. 

If you have curly hair, apply the L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Curl Cocoon Creme through the length of your ponytail to shape your curls and enhance shine. 

4. Modern Ballerina Bun

If you prefer a more understated but timeless look, perhaps you should consider a ballerina bun for your big day. A ballerina bun is known for being sleek and clean, so we recommend using a hair mask the night before to make your strands more manageable and smooth. We like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Savior Fiber Mask, Paraben-Free because it includes collagen peptides to restore your long length, for hair that looks strong and healthy. To create your bun, create a low ponytail and work the length into a loose braid. Wrap the braid around the base of your ponytail and secure it with bobby pins. 

5. Old Hollywood Waves

This glamorous wedding hairstyle is sure to make waves in the best way on your big day. Simple but stunning, this look starts with a classic pin curl hairstyle to create beautiful heatless curls. Try it with a silk press and show off your gorgeous length. 

6. Side-Swept Braid

For a whimsical wedding look, the side-swept braid is easy-to-achieve, laid-back and beautiful. Before you braid your hair, spritz some Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hair Spray - Unscented through your strands to give your hair some hold. Then brush your hair toward either side, divide it into three equal sections and begin braiding. Once you finish the braid, secure it with a hair tie or bow. Use your fingers to pancake the braid, and feel free to add some embellished clips or florals throughout the plait to complete the look. 

7. Embellished Box Braid

Box braids look great in all lengths, especially long hair. Get creative with your protective style for your wedding day and try incorporating a few elements of bridal glamour like flowers, rhinestones, or pearl pins to jazz up the end result. 

8. Voluminous Curls

Celebrate your nuptials while sporting a bouncy, shiny set of voluminous curls. This style looks good on everyone, it’s chic and it looks especially good with long hair. Before you blow dry your hair, prime your strands with the L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate-Free Weightless Blow Dry Primer, Heat Protectant. This heat protectant will smooth your hair, provide frizz control and prolong your style while it shields your strands from hot tools. After you curl your hair, spritz on the L’Oréal Paris Elnett Satin Extra Strong Hold Hairspray - Color Treated Hair to lock your style in place without leaving it crunchy or sticky.

9. Half Up, Half Down

If you can’t decide between wearing your hair down or in an updo for your wedding, how about a half up, half down style? This ethereal hairstyle is delicate and charming — making it the perfect complement for your dreamy white dress. It works with all hair types and textures and we love the way it shows off your long tresses while keeping your hair out of your face. After you create your half-up style, rub the L’Oréal Paris Everpure Sulfate Free Simply Clean Sheer Oil through your length to make your hair soft and shiny. 

10. Sleek, Straight Hair

For the bride that loves things modern and minimal, try a straight and sleek hairstyle for your big day. Apply a smoothing serum, like the L’Oréal Paris Elvive Dream Lengths Frizz Killer Serum Leave-In before you begin to style your hair. This one helps to reduce frizz and doubles as a heat protectant so you know your hair is cared for when you reach for your flat iron to complete the look.

11. Low Chignon

Chignons are a go-to wedding hairstyle for good reason: they’re timeless and keep your hair out of your face so you can focus on your stunning dress. A chic variation of the classic bun, this twisted style brings sophistication and elegance to your wedding day look. Go with a simple chignon and minimal accessories, or add florals or sparkly accessories to your polished updo for some extra pizazz.

Next: The Difference Between Wet and Dry Haircuts

Photo Credit: IG/@ karinaxjoe, redamancyphotofilm, Photo Design: Sarah Duvivier