So... Why An Updo?

Wedding updos huh? let's face it, your wedding day is going to be busy, busy, busy! It'll most certainly involve entertaining friends and family, be it recieving sloppy kisses from Granny Mavis (we all love those, right?), getting lectured to by Uncle Albert about "how things used to be" or playing Cowboys and Indians with baby Jimmy (just don't make him cry!).

Not to mention all the fabulous dancing you're going to be doing, long into the evening (come on, yes you will). I can see it now, Saturday Night Fever style. Your handsome husband-to-be will be picking you up, and elegantly throwing you all over that dance floor! just call him Travolta.

Anyway, my point being, the last thing you want be worrying about is your hair. It needs to last the day, keep out of your face, and most of all, look gorgeous!


This is where wedding updos come in. They fit the bill perfectly, when created correctly they are extremely long lasting, they may even last the after party! (wink, wink) Hair which is left down naturally will loose its shape much quicker.


They are also much more practical. They keep your hair out of the way, let’s be honest, you don't want to start your delicious three course meal with Roquefort 'Hair' Salad.


Most importantly, they can look absolutely gorgeous when done properly, really bringing out the beauty in you (not that you need it, of course... ok, I'm digging myself into a hole here!). There is a wide selection to choose from, you should pick something you’re most comfortable with.



Oh, just one more thing... You look gorgeous, don't stress like this young bride!

Still Struggling For Updo Inspiration?

I know, I know... deciding on exactly which wedding updo suits YOU is no easy task. As the above video shows, it can be a very stressful time, especially if that big day isn't so far away...

To be honest with you, I personally went through a bit of a drama before my wedding day. I just wanted everything to be perfect, and go to plan. I had about 2 weeks to go, and I still didn't know how I was going to do my hair!

I did discover something which really helped me (apart from trying to stay relaxed), this was a great book which gave me some inspiration for my wedding updo.

Now, you have to be careful when buying stuff online, there is a lot of junk out there! (don't I know it, I bought a couple of wedding updo books, in an effort to get some inspiration, only to find they were next to useless). Some of them had horrible styles, low on content, and really not worth it.

Saying that however, I did find a great book amongst the scams, which I'd like to recommend, it's called: Formal Hairstyles Plus: The Top Twenty Five Formal Updos for Hair You Can Do.

But I wouldn't recommend going and buying it right now, only if you feel you're stuck, and lacking inspiration for your big day.

It really helped me. It teaches step by step on how to put together some of the most amazing updos, it's all quite straight forward too, they're easy to get going.

You can check it out here if you're interested: Formal Hairstyles Plus

Good luck!

Top 5 Celebrity Updos

They're rich, famous, and (usually) beautiful, so you might say celebrities are a great source of inspiration for finding perfect wedding updos. I've broken down my top 5 for you to check out:

1. Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale
2. Jessica Simpson and Nick Lachey
3. Jennifer Lopez and Marc Anthony
4. Victoria Adams and David Beckham
5. Niki Taylor and Burney Lamar

A star packed selection, for you to choose from!

How To Create Basic Wedding Updos

The first thing to remember with all wedding updos, is don't wash your hair!

Now, please don't go to extreme measures like these eco-warrior types, and get to the stage where you've got small insects orbitting your head. You can wash it about 24 hours before creating the updo, this allows the natural hair oils to build up ensuring the shape will hold.

Next you (or better still, your mom... come on, that's what they're there for) should brush the hair thoroughly. Come on mom's, put your back into it! I don't want to see any knots or tangles by the time you've finished! If you've got some hair straightners you (mom) should then get cracking on straightening, the best technique is to divide the hair into sections and attack each part seperately.

When mom starts moaning from back ache, perhaps give her a 5 minute break. No longer or she'll start getting comfortable. Next instruct her to brush your hair again, if you get any back chat, threaten no more breaks and she'll soon jump into action. It should be brushed from the hairline into a ponytail high in the middle of the crown. Secure it with a band that is the same color as your hair.

Lift the ponytail up vertically, smoothing the hair while holding the base, keeping it tight. Depending on how much of a greaseball you are, you might need additional gel if your hair is particularly slippery.

Carefully twist the top half of the ponytail clockwise into a bun. Once you and mom are happy with the size, it will need to be pinned securely to the scalp. Making sure the hairpins aren't visible, work from one side of the fan and pin the strands. It's important the bun should look soft and floppy with these kind of wedding updos.

Once you have the bun in place, you may pull strands from the hairline to form tendrils. These can add character to a simple updo. Almost finished, just ensure the bun is in place by spraying down with hair spray.

You are free to attach additional accessories onto the bun such as tiaras or headbands.

Now that wasn't too bad, was it? congratulate mom on a job well done (after she's cooked your supper!)

Now, this was just a basic wedding updo explained, Over the years I've used a whole range of exciting and glamourous styles thanks to a top resource. Want to read about dozens of fresh updo styles? Click here for my top 25 updos

Six Wedding Updo Pictures

Which is your favourite wedding updo from this gorgeous list sample of pictures?







For more photos of simple updos click here: Easy Updos

Carmen Electra’s Wedding Updos

I thought I’d share this interesting article I read the other day, which mentioned how Carmen Electra went about choosing her final wedding updo.

Once Carmen Electra had selected her wedding dress I created 13 different hairstyles on her and took a Polaroid picture of each one so she could select the one which was perfect for her


Wow! I’m not sure this technique would be suitable for everyone, but it might be a worth a try if you’ve got the patience!


If you're interested, you might want to check out the full article.