The Ultimate Curly Wedding Hair Guide: Expert Advice and the Products You Should Use
From curly wedding updos to half-up half-down celebrity styles, this guide to curly wedding hair will have you spoilt for choice!
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As someone with a head of unpredictable, unruly curly hair, I'd always imagined I'd wear my hair poker straight on my wedding day. But in recent years the textured hair tide has turned, with more nearly-weds than ever opting to rock natural curly wedding hair.
Take Pixie Lott for example. For her wedding to model Oliver Cheshire in June 2022, she set aside the straighteners, opting instead for a gorgeous curly wedding hair look, styled by hair hero Larry King, who said he wanted to embrace her natural curls. “I wanted to bring her curls to the forefront and show how beautiful and soft curly hair can be," Larry told Harper's Bazaar.
Not content with one wedding hairstyle for curly hair, Pixie switched from a curly chignon to a half-up half down wedding hairstyle, proving that curly wedding hair looks just as gorgeous left loose as it does expertly styled.
The Best Wedding Hairstyles For Curly Hair
Not only do we have 17 gorgeous curly wedding hairstyles to inspire your W-day look, we've also gathered expert styling advice from hair professionals, as well as researching the best products to help you care for your curly hair ahead of your wedding day.
Embrace your natural curly hair with professional advice, incredible inspiration and tips from the experts.
- How to Look After Curly Hair Before Your Wedding
- What Are the Best Wedding Hairstyles for Curly Hair?
- Expert Advice on How to Style Curly Wedding Hair
1. Long Curly Wedding Hair
Sweep perfectly defined curls to the side for a mermaid feel, relaxed curly wedding hairstyle.
READ MORE: Our Favourite Wedding Hairstyles for Long Wedding Hair
2. Relaxed Curly Wedding Hair
This look embraces natural texture, with delicate flowers and a subtle twist added.
3. Curly Wedding Hair Ponytail
Make a simple wedding updo feel ultra-special with moon and star hair accessories. This style by Something Blue Hair & Makeup looks particularly pretty with curly hair with lots of volume, with clips nestled into it. It's the perfect match for a celestial wedding dress.
4. Braided Curly Wedding Hair
Forget what you heard about wedding hair needing to look ultra-polished without a tendril out of place. Curly hair looks particularly lovely in a relaxed style with strands left loose. Pair with a boho wedding dress for a lovely, laidback look.
READ MORE: The Prettiest Boho Wedding Hairstyles
5. Curly Wedding Hair Top Knot
For an ultra-modern city wedding, a high fashion top knot makes for a gorgeous curly wedding hairstyle.
6. Glamorous Curly Wedding Hair
Add volume at the crown and sweep back the front section of your hair to let your voluminous curls do the talking. This dramatic look works best with strapless, or super simple wedding dresses.
7. Simple Curly Wedding Hair Style
There's no rule that says your wedding hair has to be ultra-coiffured. Keep it wild and fluffy for a confident, 'all eyes on you' look, as worn by Vick Hope.
READ MORE: Incredible Black Wedding Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists
8. Pixie Lott Wedding Updo
As well as wearing one of our favourite celebrity wedding dresses, Pixie Lott gave us all a lesson in chic curly wedding hair, with this relaxed updo, which looks polished yet still retains a laidback vibe.
9. Beach Wedding Hair
Zendaya's effortless curly topknot is the perfect beach wedding hairstyle. Pair with glowing, natural makeup for this flawless look.
10. Pixie Lott Half-Up Half-Down Curly Wedding Hair
For her second wedding hairstyle, Pixie went for a half-up half-down look, which looked gorgeously dishevelled.
READ MORE: How to Grow Your Hair Faster
11. Brunette Curly Wedding Hair
A pretty clasp makes this curly wedding hairstyle a gorgeous choice for anyone rocking ringlets. Clipping a section of tendrils back from the face helps you to show off your makeup too.
12. Coily Wedding Hair
Adding feathers and flowers to this textured wedding hairstyle make it ideal for boho-feel, autumn weddings.
READ MORE: Stunning Wedding Hair With Flowers
13. Short Curly Wedding Hair
Short curly wedding hair looks just as show-stopping as longer styles. Add flowers and statement earrings to your braided updo for a modern look with attitude.
14. Thick Curly Wedding Hair
The thicker your hair, the more texture your stylist will be able to create – and the bounciest curls make for seriously beautiful, intricate wedding styles.
15. Curly Wedding Hair With Ringlets
Leave ringlets loose around your face for a fairytale-feel look that a princess would be envious of.
READ MORE: Our Favourite Wedding Hairstyles for Black Women
16. Curly Half-Up Half-Down Wedding Hair
This dainty look shows how perfect half-up half-down wedding hair looks on textured hair. The addition of porcelain flowers and pretty twists gives this a gorgeous, spring wedding hair feel.
READ MORE: Your Guide to Wedding Hair Accessories
17. Curly Wedding Hair With Veil
This newlywed proves veils work beautifully with curly hair – if you can bear to cover your curls!
How To Look After Curly Hair Before Your Wedding
Anyone with curly hair knows it can be drier than straight hair. This is because it takes longer for the natural oils to make their way down the hair shaft to the ends, so they quickly become brittle. There are a few easy ways to safeguard your hair in the lead up to your wedding.
READ MORE: The Beauty Products You Need for Your Wedding
Use Bond Repair Haircare
"Hair routines leading up to your wedding are extremely important, especially if you have curly hair," confirms Errol Douglas MBE, Living Proof's pro hair expert and textured hair specialist. As well as your usual shampoo, conditioner and hair mask, he recommends adding a bond repair hair product into your routine to strengthen damaged hair and rebuild broken bonds.
Bond repair products reduce frizz, add shine, mend split ends, and strengthen, for altogether healthier looking hair. Errol suggests Living Proof's Triple Bond Complex, while I'm a big fan of Redken's Acidic Perfecting Concentrate Leave-in Treatment, £18.50.
Buy A Microfibre Towel
Treat your tresses to a towel or hair turban designed specifically for hair and you'll likely see a huge reduction in frizz from the first use. "Make sure to use a microfibre towel as they absorb excess water from curls without leaving them frizzy or dull," Errol says.
Buy A Bonnet
If you find you wake up with hair like a bird's nest (guilty!) a silky hair turban could work wonders for keeping knots at bay. "When going to bed, hair can become knotty very easily, so I would suggest sleeping in a silk hair turban or sleeping on a silk pillowcase to minimise knotting throughout the night," Errol says.
What Are The Best Wedding Hairstyles For Curly Hair?
"When you have curly hair, you can pretty much rock any hairstyle," says Errol. That said, there are two wedding hair styles that work particularly well for ringlets, curls and coils.
READ MORE: 15 Wedding Hair Masks for Healthy W-Day Hair
Half-Up Half-Down Curly Wedding Hair
As Pixie Lott proved, this is a gorgeous look for curling wedding hair, and one Errol sings the praises of.
"You can make it messier for a boho-chic look," he says. "It keeps the hair off your face but allows your curls to flow freely down your back or in front of your shoulders."
Curly Wedding Updos
Another look that Pixie pulled off. If you've always dreamed of curly updo for your wedding, don't feel you need to blow dry your hair first. "A voluminous updo is a great style for curly hair as it allows you to get creative," Errol says.
Celebrities such as radio presenter Vick Hope and actress Zendaya proved that curly hair looks effortlessly stylish swept into slightly messy updos.
Expert Advice on How to Style Curly Wedding Hair
"More and more people are turning up to their weddings embracing their natural curls, and curly wedding hairstyles can be some of the most beautiful hairstyles out there," says Errol..
"Curly wedding hair can be sophisticated yet chic, big but neat. Letting your curls and coils flow free is a great way to finish your perfect bridal look," he adds.
Errol also points out that curly hair is ideal if you want to wear an accessory such as clips, tiaras or pins, as the texture will help to hold it in place better than a silky straight style.
Plus, a head of springy curls will help you feel like yourself on the big day. "Having curly hair on your wedding day, regardless of the style, is super fun and playful and really makes you feel like yourself. Curly hair most definitely gives you that extra bounce when you’re walking down the aisle" he says.
Michelle Sultan, creative director for curly haircare brand Imbue agrees that wearing your natural curls will help you feel your best self. "It's definitely more appealing to look like yourself on your wedding day," she says. "If you normally wear your hair curly, it's more likely to be comfortable than wearing a blow-out and worrying it could frizz due to humidity."
Now you have the inspiration and expert advice, it's time to book your wedding hair stylist. Here's what you need to know ahead of your wedding hair and makeup trial.
