12 Bridesmaid Hairstyles Ranked by What They Actually Cost to Get Done

Bridesmaids hairstyles are one of those wedding details that look simple on Pinterest and then get complicated fast once you’re staring at a hair and makeup invoice. If you’re searching for wedding hairstyles for bridesmaids right now, you already know the real questions aren’t just “what looks pretty.” They’re “what does this actually cost” and “can my girls do this themselves or do I need to book a stylist.” I’ve planned weddings on a $6,000 budget and weddings where the hair budget alone was $1,200, so I’ve seen these prices from every angle. Below are 12 bridesmaid hairstyles, from half up half down to protective styles for natural hair, each one with a real salon price, a DIY verdict, and the exact product I’d actually buy to pull it off.

Half Up Half Down With Soft Waves

This is the most requested bridesmaid hair inspo look for a reason. It photographs well from every angle and it works on long hair and medium length hair alike. A salon blowout with soft waves and a half up section runs $75 to $110 depending on your city, and that’s before tip. My honest verdict is DIY it if even one bridesmaid owns a curling wand, because this style does not require precision. Grab the T3 SinglePass Compact Curling Iron in the 1.25 inch barrel and finish with Amika Un.Done Texture Spray. Buy the texture spray in the travel size first, a little goes a long way and the full size sits half used in most bathroom drawers for years.

Low Chignon Bun

A low bun reads elegant without trying too hard, and it’s the style I tell brides to pick when half the bridal party has different hair textures. Salons charge $65 to $95 for a low chignon since it’s faster than a full updo. This one I actually recommend hiring out if your wedding has a first look, since a bun that’s even slightly lopsided shows up in every close-up photo. If you do go DIY, use Kitsch Donut Bun tools and secure with Goody Ouchless bobby pins in a shade matching your hair color. Order the bobby pins two colors at once, blonde and brunette bins never match every bridesmaid’s hair.

Braided Updo With Face Framing Pieces

Braided updos are having a real moment in bridesmaid hair ideas right now, especially with a few loose pieces left out around the face. Expect to pay $90 to $140 at a salon since braiding takes real skill and real time. Hire this one out. I love DIY weddings, but braided updos are the one category where an amateur attempt genuinely looks unfinished by the end of the reception. If your budget won’t stretch to a stylist for every bridesmaid, book one stylist for two hours and have her do the trickiest heads first. Prep with Moroccanoil Dry Texture Spray before braiding so the braid actually grips instead of sliding loose by hour three.

Sleek High Ponytail

A sleek ponytail is the most budget-friendly bridesmaid hairstyle on this whole list and it still looks intentional. Salons charge $45 to $70 for this since there’s no curling involved, just a flawless base. My best advice is DIY it and spend the savings on a good flat iron instead, because a sleek pony lives or dies on how smooth the front section lays. Use the GHD Platinum+ flat iron for the front pieces and set the whole thing with L’Oreal Paris Elnett hairspray, the extra strong hold version specifically. Buy the giant can from Costco if more than four bridesmaids are doing this style, the small drugstore cans run out mid-morning.

Loose Beachy Waves

Loose waves down are the go-to for beach weddings and casual barn weddings alike, and they’re one of the more forgiving hairstyles for bridesmaids since imperfect waves still read as intentional. A salon blowout with waves runs $60 to $85. This is a genuine DIY win, especially if your bridesmaids already curl their own hair for date nights. Buy a Bed Head Wave Artist curling wand for each house getting ready together, curling irons are the one item that always runs short when six women are sharing two wands. Finish with Bumble and bombshell spray for volume that actually survives a humid outdoor ceremony.

Classic French Braid

A classic French braid down the back is one of the most practical wedding guest and bridesmaid hair options for an outdoor summer wedding, since it keeps hair off the neck completely. Salons charge $55 to $80 for a single braid, less than an updo since there’s no pinning involved. DIY this one only if someone in your bridal party actually knows how to French braid on someone else’s head, not just her own. If nobody does, this is the one skill worth practicing at the bridal shower with a $12 Conair detangling brush and a can of Not Your Mother’s dry shampoo for grip on freshly washed hair, which braids terribly.

Textured Tucked Chignon

A textured chignon with a few face-framing pieces is the elegant middle ground between a sleek bun and something more romantic. Salons price this around $70 to $100. Hire this one out if your wedding photos matter to you more than saving $30 per head, the texture only reads right when it’s built in layers by someone who knows what they’re doing. If you do attempt it yourself, Kevin Murphy Free Hold Texturizing Spray is worth the splurge over a drugstore dupe, it gives grip without the crunch. One tip I always tell brides, do a trial run at least two weeks before, not the morning of.

Side Swept Curls

Side-swept curls with everything pinned to one shoulder feel a little more formal and pair beautifully with a strapless or one-shoulder bridesmaid dress. Salon pricing lands at $65 to $90 for the curls plus the pinning. This is a decent DIY option, but only budget an extra 20 minutes per person since pinning curls to sit flat on one side takes more fiddling than it looks like in photos. Use small duckbill clips to hold the pin while the hairspray sets, then remove right before walking down the aisle. Kenra Volumizing Spray at the root first keeps this style from going flat by the ceremony.

Boho Fishtail Braid

A loose fishtail braid is the softest, most boho of the bridesmaid hairstyles on this list, and it works especially well for outdoor and rustic weddings. Salons charge $60 to $90 for this since fishtails take longer than a regular braid but less pinning than an updo. I’d DIY this one only for bridesmaids with straight to wavy hair, curly hair textures tend to swallow the fishtail pattern completely and it just reads as a messy braid instead. Pull the braid apart gently at the end with your fingers for volume, and set with Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray, the good news is a little frizz here actually looks intentional.

Twisted Crown Braid

A twisted crown braid wraps across the top of the head and leaves the rest down or curled, and it’s one of the prettier maid of honor hairstyles since it reads a little more special without a full updo. Salons price this at $75 to $105. Hire this one out. Getting the twist to sit evenly across the crown without slipping is genuinely tricky on someone else’s head, and it’s the detail every guest sees first when the bridal party walks in. If you’re set on DIY, practice on a mannequin head first, not on your actual bridesmaid the week of the wedding.

Top Knot Bun

A high top knot is the most modern option here and it’s popular for brunch weddings and city venues especially. Salons charge $50 to $75 since it’s fast to execute even though it looks polished. This is one of the easiest DIY bridesmaid hairstyles on the entire list, honestly easier than a low bun since flyaways at the crown just add texture instead of looking messy. Tease the crown first with a Mason Pearson brush for volume before twisting the knot, then anchor with two elastics instead of one. My best advice is to skip this style entirely if any bridesmaid has very fine hair, it goes flat by hour four without extra product.

Protective Braided Style For Natural Hair

For bridesmaids hairstyles for black women, protective styles like a braided low bun, twisted updo, or curly wash and go with defined curls deserve just as much space on this list as they get in real weddings. A salon visit for a protective braided updo runs $90 to $160 depending on hair length and whether extensions are added, and it’s worth every dollar since these styles hold beautifully through a full reception. Hire a stylist who specifically works with textured hair rather than a generalist, ask to see her past bridal work first. For touch-ups between the ceremony and reception, Mielle Organics Rosemary Mint Scalp and Hair Strengthening Oil keeps edges smooth without adding shine that reads greasy in photos.

The truth about bridesmaids hairstyles is that the prettiest photo on Pinterest isn’t always the smartest choice for your actual budget or your actual bridal party. Pick two or three of these that fit your venue and your bridesmaids’ hair textures, then decide honestly which ones you can DIY and which ones need a real stylist. Save this post so you have the prices and the products handy when you sit down to book hair for your wedding day.