Weddings
Bridal buns, braids and flowers. 38 hairstyles on EveryHairstyle so far.
Weddings bring out a community's most careful hairdressing. Brides, grooms, families and guests dress their hair for the day: jasmine-wrapped buns and jewelled plaits in South Asia, the gele and aso ebi of Yoruba weddings, the traditional shimada under a white hood in Japan, the veil and chignon of a church wedding. Many families hire stylists and book trials weeks ahead.
Styles for the day
Wedding hair has to last many hours, through ceremonies, photographs and dancing, so it is usually set firmly: buns, chignons and French twists held with pins, braids that will not loosen, curls set with heat and spray. Flowers are common: jasmine and rose gajras in South Asia, fresh flowers or a flower crown at many Western weddings. Many styles are built to hold a veil, a dupatta or a headwrap.
Guests and families
At a Nigerian wedding, guests often wear matching aso ebi cloth and tie geles in it, and professional gele tiers are hired. In India, women relatives wear gajras and buns; the groom may wear a turban, the safa or pheta, tied for him by relatives. Sikh grooms wear a turban, often in pink or red. Japanese families attending a Shinto wedding wear kimono with formal hairstyles.
Famous weddings hairstyles
Further reading
🇮🇳 India and 4 moreGajra
Flower garland worn in the hair or on the wristAdorned · Any hair
🇨🇳 ChinaChinese hairpin
Traditional Chinese hair ornaments used to secure buns and signify status.Adorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaPunjabi paranda
A multicoloured silk braid extension from Punjab.Adorned · Any hair
🇰🇷 South KoreaHwagwan
Elaborate Korean ceremonial coronet for womenWrapped · Any hair
🇪🇸 SpainPeineta
Large decorative comb worn under a lace veilAdorned · Any hair · 1800
🇨🇳 China and 1 moreBuyao
A Chinese hairpin with dangling ornaments that sway when the wearer moves.Adorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaParanda
A colourful woven tassel braided into Punjabi hairAdorned · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaAmbada
Decorated Maharashtrian bridal hair bunUpdo · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaKerala bridal jasmine plait
Long braid wrapped in fresh jasmine garlands for Kerala brides.Braid · Any hair
🇮🇳 IndiaPoola Jada
A floral and jewelled adornment for South Indian bridal braids.Adorned · Any hair
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Buyao: anonymous, Public domain, source
- Tsunokakushi: Flickr user Photocapy, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Head tie: Dili Osuhor ( Teemages ), CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Peineta: Hiart, CC0, source
- French twist: SWinxy, CC BY 4.0, source
- Gajra: Amarnath, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Chinese hairpin: Augusthaiho, CC BY-SA 4.0, source
- Chignon: www.GlynLowe.com, CC BY 2.0, source
- Punjabi paranda: Biswarup Ganguly, CC BY 3.0, source