10 Wedding Hairstyles For Long Hair And What Each One Costs

Wedding hairstyles for long hair give you more options than almost any other hair length, and that is both a blessing and a headache once you start scrolling Pinterest at midnight. Long hair holds curls longer, hides bobby pins better, and gives your stylist plenty to work with for a bridal updo, a half up half down look, or waves that stay put through the whole reception. What most roundups skip is the actual cost of each style, whether you can pull it off yourself, and which products are worth buying versus which ones just sit in your bathroom drawer after the big day. I have sat in more bridal chairs than I can count and watched more brides panic over frizz an hour before the ceremony, so here are 10 wedding hairstyles for long hair with the real numbers behind them.

1. Classic Half Up Half Down With Fresh Florals

This is the style every bride pins first, and for good reason, since it flatters nearly every face shape and works with a veil or without one. A salon stylist will charge $85 to $150 for this look, but book a mobile bridal stylist for your wedding morning and expect $150 to $250 depending on your market. My best advice is to only DIY this one if you have practiced it twice before the wedding, because getting the front sections even takes a little muscle memory. Grab Goody Spin Pins from Target, they hold far better than regular bobby pins and run about $6 for a pack of six. If you want fresh flowers tucked in, ask your florist for a small hairpin cluster, most charge $10 to $15 for three or four stems. The good news is this style holds through an entire reception without much touch up.

2. Low Sleek Bun

A low sleek bun is the one wedding hairstyle for long hair I recommend to brides who don’t want to think about their hair once the ceremony starts. It reads elegant, it works with a dramatic dress, and it does not budge even during your first dance. Expect to pay $75 to $125 at a salon since it is one of the faster styles to execute. This is genuinely one you can DIY with practice, unlike the half up look, because there is no face-framing section to fuss over. Use Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray before you start, it gives your hair the grip a sleek bun actually needs. Buy Kevin Murphy Session Spray for the finish, one can runs about $34 and lasts through hours of dancing. I always tell brides to spend the extra $10 on real bobby pins in your hair color instead of the mismatched ones sitting in your drawer.

3. Cascading Hollywood Curls

Long hair styles for weddings do not get more romantic than curls that fall all the way down your back. This look photographs beautifully but it is not a beginner project, so hire this one out. A stylist will charge $100 to $175 and it usually takes over an hour with a curling wand. The T3 SinglePass Curl 1.5 inch wand is what most bridal stylists actually own, it runs about $200 but it is worth requesting by name if you’re paying a mobile stylist anyway. Ask for the curls to be set with pins and left to cool before they’re brushed out, that step is what makes curls last past cocktail hour instead of falling flat by dinner. Humidity is the enemy here, so if your venue is outdoors, budget for a strong-hold hairspray as backup.

4. Boho Braided Crown

A braided crown is one of the prettiest wedding hair looks for a bohemian or outdoor wedding, and it happens to be one of the more affordable options too. Salons charge $65 to $110 for this because it is mostly braiding rather than heat styling. This is a great DIY candidate if you have a friend with steady hands, since a Dutch braid wrapped into a crown is far more forgiving than a sleek updo. Weave in a few stems from Afloral, their baby’s breath picks run about $9 for a bundle of six and they hold shape without wilting like real flowers can by the reception. My best advice is to have your braid done slightly looser than you think looks right in the mirror, tight braids read stiff in photos.

5. Textured Low Ponytail

This is the wedding hairstyle for long hair nobody talks about enough, because it looks far more expensive than it is. A textured, slightly undone low ponytail costs $70 to $120 at a salon, and it is one of the easiest styles to DIY well if you have long hair with any natural wave. Backcomb the crown gently before you gather it, that’s the trick that keeps it from looking flat and plain. Wrap a small section of your own hair around the elastic to hide it, or buy a Kitsch hair tie that matches your color for $8. This style is also the most forgiving through an 8 hour wedding day, since there is no updo to slowly droop by the last dance.

6. Vintage Finger Waves

Old Hollywood glamour is having a real moment again, and finger waves on long hair look stunning with a fitted gown or a birdcage veil. This one you hire out, full stop, since getting true finger waves takes a stylist who specializes in vintage styling specifically. Expect to pay $125 to $200 and ask to see photos of past bridal clients before you book, not every stylist does this well. Request Kevin Murphy Killer Waves cream as the setting product, it is what most vintage-specialist stylists reach for because it holds the wave without looking crunchy. If your venue is a barn or an outdoor ceremony, this style needs a touch up kit on hand, since heat and humidity are rougher on set waves than on loose curls.

7. Voluminous Blowout, Worn Down

Sometimes the best wedding hairstyle for long hair is simply your hair, blown out big and worn down with your veil pinned underneath. This costs $60 to $100 at a salon, making it one of the cheaper options on this list, and it is genuinely DIY friendly if you own a good round brush and a strong blow dryer. The Dyson Supersonic is the splurge option at $429, but a T3 Featherweight dryer at $190 gets you nearly the same volume for less. Add Living Proof Full Dry Volume Blast Spray before you dry, it is the one product that keeps volume from collapsing by the ceremony. This look pairs beautifully with a cathedral veil, since there’s no updo competing with the fabric for attention.

8. Fishtail Braid Into A Low Bun

This combo style takes the best of two trends and turns them into one of the more unique long hair styles for a wedding, a fishtail braid that wraps into a tucked low bun. It runs $90 to $140 at a salon since it takes real time to execute cleanly. Hire this one out unless you are genuinely skilled at fishtail braiding on someone else’s head, doing it on your own hair the morning of your wedding is not the moment to learn. Ask your stylist to use small U-pins instead of bobby pins to secure the wrapped sections, they hold thicker braided sections far better. This is one of the sturdiest styles on this list, it barely moves from ceremony through the last song.

9. Twisted Half Up With A Veil

If you’re wearing a veil but still want your long hair mostly down, this twisted half up style gives the veil somewhere secure to attach without the bulk of a full updo. Salons charge $80 to $130, and it is a reasonable DIY if you have practiced twisting and pinning at least once beforehand. Buy a set of BHLDN veil combs, they run $45 to $65 and are worth it since cheap combs slip out of thin, twisted sections by hour three. Ask your stylist to backcomb slightly at the crown before twisting, that little bit of texture is what keeps the twists from sliding loose. I planned my own lakeside wedding in Wisconsin and wore something close to this, and it held through wind off the water better than I expected.

10. Loose Beachy Waves With A Hairpin Detail

Loose, undone beachy waves are the most relaxed wedding hairstyle for long hair on this list, and they suit a backyard wedding or a destination ceremony equally well. Expect to pay $70 to $110 at a salon, and this is one of the easiest to DIY with a 1.25 inch curling iron and a light hand. Buy T3 SinglePass Waver for $170 if you want salon-level results without hiring anyone. Finish with a single Jennifer Behr pearl hairpin tucked near the ear, it runs about $85 but photographs like a much bigger detail than it actually is. The good news is loose waves only get better looking as the day goes on and the curl relaxes.

Final Thoughts On Choosing Your Wedding Hairstyle

Whatever wedding hairstyle for long hair you land on, book a trial run at least a month out and bring photos of the exact angle you want, not just the front view. And don’t be afraid to ask your stylist for their honest opinion on what will hold up for your specific venue and weather. The best hairstyle is not always the most complicated one, it is the one you forget about once you’re actually standing at the altar.