9 Bridal Hairstyles With Real Prices and DIY Verdicts

Bridal hair is one of those wedding decisions that feels simple until you actually sit down in the stylist’s chair and realize you have no idea what any of it costs or whether your hair can even hold a style through six hours of dancing. Pinterest is packed with gorgeous bridal hair inspiration, wedding hairstyles with veil, half up half down looks, open hairstyles for engagement photos, but almost none of it tells you what a stylist actually charges or whether you could pull the look off yourself with a curling wand and some patience. I planned my own lakeside wedding at my family’s summer house in northern Wisconsin back in 2008, and I’ve helped enough brides book their hair trials since then to know that the price tag and the DIY reality are exactly what you need before you fall in love with a style. Below are nine bridal hairstyles, real cost ranges for each one, and my honest DIY-or-hire verdict so you can pick a look you can actually afford and actually pull off.

Classic Low Bun With a Veil

A low chignon at the nape of your neck is the style I recommend most for brides wearing a cathedral veil, since the veil comb has plenty of hair to grab onto. Expect to pay $150 to $250 for a professional low bun, and that usually includes your trial. My best advice is to hire this one out. A low bun looks effortless but takes real technique to keep from sagging by hour six. Pick up a set of Goody Bobby Pins from Target in a shade that matches your exact hair color, not just close. Ask your stylist to double the pins around the veil comb attachment point, since that’s where buns fail first.

Half Up Half Down

Half up half down bridal hair is the middle ground for brides who want their length showing but still want some polish up front. This one runs $175 to $300 depending on how intricate the pinned section is, and it photographs beautifully with both a birdcage veil and a longer cathedral style. You can DIY this if you have a steady hand and a few practice runs. Grab a Conair Double Ceramic Curling Wand from Walmart for soft waves before you pin the crown section back. The good news is even a slightly imperfect half up look reads as intentional, unlike an updo that starts to unravel.

Loose Waves Down

Wearing bridal hair down is having a real moment, and I love it for outdoor and lakeside weddings especially, since it feels less fussy. A professional blowout with waves runs $150 to $225. This is genuinely one of the easier DIY options if your hair holds curl well. Use Kenra Volume Spray 25 from Ulta at the roots before curling, then run a boar bristle brush through once the curls cool to loosen them into that undone wave. Down styles don’t hold up great in humidity or wind, so if your ceremony is outside, budget for a few touch-up pins just in case.

Braided Updo

Intricate braided updos, the kind with a Dutch braid woven into a low bun, are consistently the most requested bridal hairstyle in my inbox, and they show up constantly whether you’re planning a boho backyard wedding or a traditional bridal hairstyle for an Indian wedding. Expect $350 to $500 since this takes real skill and time, often 90 minutes or more in the chair. Hire a professional. Braiding your own hair convincingly from the back is nearly impossible to do well on yourself. Order two packs of U-shaped hair pins from Sally Beauty, since braided styles eat through pins fast and running out mid-appointment happens more than you’d think.

Sleek High Bun

A sleek high bun is the cleanest, most modern bridal hair style on this list, and it works beautifully if your dress has a dramatic back or a high neckline you want to show off. This style runs $150 to $250 professionally. It’s doable as a DIY if you invest in the right tools. A CHI Ceramic Flat Iron from Ulta will get your hair glass smooth before you wrap it into the bun, and a texturizing gel like Bumble and bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish keeps flyaways down without a crunchy shine. Skip this one for DIY if your hair is naturally curly or frizz-prone, since sleek styles show every imperfection under wedding photography lighting.

Soft Romantic Curls With a Face-Framing Piece

This is the bridal hair with veil pairing I see most often, since soft curls around the face photograph gorgeously peeking out from under a blusher veil. Professional pricing sits around $200 to $325. My honest opinion is to hire this one, since getting curls to fall naturally around your face while pinning the rest back takes a trained eye. Ask your stylist to use a T3 SinglePass curling iron, since the tourmaline plates hold curl through humidity far better than a standard wand. If your wedding is in July or August, this detail matters more than the style itself.

Textured Low Updo

A textured, slightly undone low updo gives you that lived-in, romantic bridal hair look without the stiffness of a traditional chignon. This falls in the $200 to $350 range depending on your hair length and thickness. I’d call this a maybe on DIY. If you’ve practiced the technique at your trial and your stylist walked you through it step by step, you can likely recreate it. Otherwise, hire it out. Not Your Mother’s Beach Babe Texture Spray from Walmart is the best drugstore dupe I’ve found for building grip before you pin, and it costs under $8.

Boho Braid Crown

A braid crown wrapped around the head is one of my favorite engagement hairstyle ideas, and it translates just as well to an actual wedding day, especially for outdoor or garden ceremonies. Expect $175 to $275 professionally. This is one of the more DIY-friendly options on the list if you’re comfortable French braiding. Practice with Scunci No Slip Grip bobby pins from Walgreens, since they hold better in fine hair than standard pins. The one caveat is that a braid crown needs your hair pre-curled first for volume, so budget an extra 20 to 30 minutes if you’re doing it yourself.

Sleek Low Ponytail

A sleek, low ponytail is the most underrated bridal hair style out there, and it’s having a real resurgence for modern minimalist weddings. Professional pricing runs $125 to $200, making it one of the more affordable options on this list. This is very doable as a DIY if you have someone else on hand to help smooth the back where you can’t see. Wrap a small section of your own hair around the elastic to hide it, and secure it with Ouai Matte Pomade from Sephora for a smooth, no-flyaway finish that lasts through the reception.

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My best advice for any of these bridal hairstyles is to bring your veil, your hairpiece, and a photo of your dress neckline to your trial, since that’s the only way your stylist can tell you honestly what will actually work with your gown. Pin your favorites, book that trial early, and don’t be afraid to ask your stylist for the exact price breakdown before you fall in love with a look you can’t fit into your budget.