Bridal hairstyles come in various shapes and styles, including upcurls, downcurls, upsmooth styles, downsmooth styles, halfup or halfdown styles, plaits and braids. If the bride’s head is going to be covered with a veil then this would affect the choice of hairstyle.

Formal bridal hairstyles have the hair pulled up into an elaborate up-do and a sculpted look. Usually the hair is smoothened out to lie flat against the skull and evenly pulled up and back into the desired hairstyle. Most up-dos integrate cascades of curls, flowers, or other accents to soften and romanticize the look.

Less dressy bridal hairstyles in up-dos include softer lines, allowing more hair to escape and frame the face in a soft and attractive way. The hair can also be left long and flowing, for a more natural and casual look that appears beautiful.

With medium length hair or shorter styles, brides have the option of integrating barrettes, headbands, flowers, and other accents into their hair, usually pulling back and securing the hair with pins so that it frames the face evenly. Curly haired bridal hairstyles usually emphasize the natural beauty of the curls and are left long and wavy or piled on top of the head and arranged in a soft up-do.