Wedding Blog

I’m blessed with long, straight, easy-to-style hair. Though I will admit that strawberry blond is not my natural color (it’s more “dishwater” blond, blech), I am happy with everything else about my locks.

I still haven’t decided what I want to do with my hair for the wedding. Sometimes I imagine it up, sometimes down, sometimes half-back. But I’m just not sure! So I’ll list a few ideas and you can help me decide…

Originally I was convinced that I would want a classic up-do, like a French Twist. But the more photos of French twists I looked at, the more I worried my head would look like it was at a prom while my body looked like it was at a wedding. So I searched for some variations on that theme and found several bun and chignon styles that I liked a lot.

I like chignons because they are simple and elegant but they don’t have to be too matronly. And there are so many variations with twists and curls and wisps. Moreover, they stay in place and are probably a lot less likely to fall down than curls, half-backs, or other up-dos.

My hair doesn’t hold curl very well because it’s thick and only slightly naturally wavy, but I am very partial to curls and I might try to sneak one or two in there that will look wispy as they loosen up.

When I was trying on wedding dresses I would usually tie my hair back in a bun and I liked the way it accented my cheekbones. But when I started letting my hair down (if I had the time to dry it before I rushed off to an appointment) I was startled by how much I loved it. Some of the most beautiful wedding photos I’ve seen have been of brides with their hair down. They look less severe and more natural.

I think that up-dos certainly serve an important purpose- they add a cosmetic elegance and certainly keep hair from flying away or getting in the bride’s face. (I definitely don’t trust the wind to not massacre my hair if it’s loose my wedding day.) But up-dos can also be a sticky, messy pain.

So I’m considering more natural looks, too. I’m sad that I can’t really pull off curls, but I can do waves and some volume, which would look nice with a hair ornament. I also like my hair pulled half-back sometimes, which keeps it out of my face.

I’m about half-convinced that I want to buy the chapel-length silk veil I tried on with my dress. But leaving my hair down and trying to work in a veil seems asking for it to fall out. A half-back might be a nice compromise, but I’m still wary of wind and weather and I just LOVE some of the up-dos in that collage up there.

Honestly, my first pick for the moment is for a simple, side-parted up-do with a bang sweep, a style like the one Mrs. Petunia wore on her wedding day!

What do you think, should I style my hair up, down, or half-back on my wedding day?