Beauty Editor’s Tips for Half Up Wedding Hairstyles

When you decide to plan your wedding two months in advance, you will be able to make quick decisions easily. That’s exactly what happened to me a few months ago when I decided (after four years of engagement) to wrap up the planning process and dust it off in eight weeks. I quickly learned what was non-negotiable and what I was willing to do without, and I didn’t have the luxury of time to really think about it.

That is why I decided to refuse flowers (it was still dark in the room), with the exception of a small bouquet and chest flowers for my husband and father. I also decided to buy a used dress that I could pick up within a week and make only minor alterations.

I also decided not to hire a hairdresser, and this decision caused the most confusion among friends. A few weeks before the wedding, I told everyone that I had decided to get my wedding hair done, just to see their reaction, hoping that it would give me confidence. Many people agreed that I styled my hair beautifully every day (yay, friends), but they also often wondered if I had the strength to keep my hair in place all day. It was a fair question.

But I knew I didn’t want my hair to look too “done” anyway, and I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve walked out of the salon and been happy with the way it looked. More often than not, I leave feeling like my hair is too polished and I don’t feel like myself. Add to this that I prefer a loose curled hairstyle, and I figured adapting it to a semi updo would be a no-brainer.

The good news is that it all worked out in the end and throughout the day I received lots of compliments on my hair and the pleasant shock of telling people I did it myself. I also learned some valuable lessons along the way, and if you’re thinking about getting your hair done for your wedding, keep reading because I’ll share them below.

First of all, here’s what my wedding hairstyle looked like

Tip 1: Watch a lot of videos

It’s 2024, so of course the first place I went when I decided to get my wedding hair done was TikTok and Instagram. To be honest, it was a bit hit and miss. But what I have learned from the many half up wedding hairstyles showcased on the apps is that it is quite possible to create a simple half up hairstyle at home.

I found this video especially helpful since I hadn’t considered creating a smaller ponytail as an anchor point for my half-up style. This ended up being the most important step in ensuring that my ponytail (and therefore my veil) was positioned at the correct height, and since I couldn’t see the back of my head well while working, the ponytail kept everything inside. place while I was working.

Tip 2: Now is not the time to get creative with products.

If you’re anything like me, you may also feel the urge to buy all new products before the big day in the hopes that new means better. I encourage you to resist this urge. Just as trying new facial or skin care routines in the run-up to your wedding is a risky (and, as far as I understand, off-limits) move, changing your hair care routine during wedding week is also risky (and, as far as I’m concerned, off-limits). . I don’t recommend it.

This means I washed my hair the night before because I know my hair will behave better the next day. If you know that your hair looks greasy on the second day, then by all means stick to your knowledge and wash your hair on the morning of your wedding day. I used my usual trusty Pureology Hydrate Shampoo and Conditioner, $96, followed by Ouai Leave In Conditioner, $55. While blow-drying with my trusty $721 Dyson Airwrap, I also layered on my usual heat protectants and frizz-fighting products.

I also used the only hairspray that holds my hair in place—Got2B Hair Spray Glued Blasting Freeze, $17—though I admittedly sprayed a little more liberally than usual. Moral of the story? Stick to what you know.

Tip 3: Don’t Skip Hair Prep

Hair prep will look different for everyone, whether that means going to the salon for specific treatments or sticking to a regular routine to ensure your hair is in tip-top shape for the big day. I was getting married at the end of September so my main concern was that by this time of year the humidity in Sydney would start to rear its damp head. That’s why two weeks before the wedding I went to Salon Her for a keratin treatment.

In the end, sideways rain and gale force winds were my worst saboteurs, but the keratin treatment still served its purpose. That is, preventing frizz and hair loss.

Tip 4: Take your time

I spent way more time on my hair that day than I should have because the last thing I needed was to worry in the middle of the process. I was getting ready at home with my fiancé, so I didn’t have my mom, sisters, or friend as a second set of eyes, and let’s be honest, Steve had no idea what he was looking at.

To keep calm, I put on my favorite album (Harry Styles). Thin lineobviously) and then told myself several times to calm down. Every time I felt myself speeding up or getting stressed, I would stop, breathe, and remind myself that I had all the time in the world. This is the best advice I can give you: take your time.

This was also important when approaching every aspect of the hairstyle. Even though I had blow-dried my hair the night before, I don’t sleep well, so I had to start from scratch on my wedding day. I started by sectioning my hair into sections and using my trusty GHD Classic Curl Tong, $280, to curl each section of hair on my head. I took my time, holding each strand of hair around the curling iron a few seconds longer than usual, hoping the curl would last longer (it did). I then sprayed each layer of fresh curls with hairspray. Once my hair was completely cool (I had to step away from the mirror), I combed my curls and touched up any that had fallen out.

Tip 5: Tie your ponytail higher than you think

A few weeks before the wedding, I visited my regular hairdresser twice: once for the aforementioned keratin treatment and once for a highlight refill. This was the perfect opportunity to ask them for tips on my wedding hairstyle. Jake’s top tip? Make the ponytail higher than I thought.

While this may seem like a small and insignificant piece of advice, it has proven invaluable. In fact, one of my favorite parts of my hairstyle was the way my hair and face looked lifted throughout the day, which I credit to anchoring my lifted hairstyle on top of my head. I used a small elastic hair tie to gather the hair around the top of my head into a ponytail, then twisted sections of hair back to cover the elastic and secured them with regular old bobby pins.

This TikTok video was extremely helpful, although I used mini scrunchies instead of bobby pins for the initial half-up placement since it seemed easier.

Tip 6: Practice, but not too much

Depending on your personality, there are is there is such a thing as over-preparing. For me, I was more afraid of getting my hair perfect in practice and then messing it up on the day. I had practiced with my hair the night before and thought, “This is it!” because I knew that over-preparing would send me into a spiral of hell or experimentation. For example, on my second attempt, I inserted a hair accessory and then immediately told myself to pick it up and take it out, keeping it as simple as possible. If you’re the type of person who gets reassured by multiple challenges, I suggest doing this instead.

Practice runs will also help you figure out whether you should give in and hire a hairdresser. As I told my now-husband while I was getting my hair done, halfway through I realized that going to a hairdresser wouldn’t necessarily improve my hair, but it would ease the stress of my wedding day, and in hindsight, it might have been a good deal.

However, I was proud of the result and didn’t want my hair to look any different. I was 100% happy with this and if you are looking to get your hair done for your wedding then I would say it is very convincing.

Angela Lowe

Ange is a journalist and editor with over nine years of experience working in digital media in Sydney and London. She has written for publications such as Refinery29, Allure, Harper’s Bazaar Australia and POPSUGAR, and has spent much of her career reporting on the latest beauty and lifestyle trends, as well as taking a deep dive into the sweet spot where pop culture meets social commentary . Ange is a firm believer in the transformative power of strong hold brow gel and will never stop championing the cultural relevance of modern romance novels.