For bridesmaids, the updo is the quiet workhorse of wedding hair: it keeps strands off the neck, survives the dance floor, and photographs well from every angle. The current shift favors relaxed, textured buns and soft face-framing tendrils over stiff, polished coils, so the style reads as modern without looking like you tried too hard.
This collection of 21 Simple Bridesmaid Updos spans the spectrum from five-minute messy buns to salon-grade braided twists, with options for fine hair that falls flat, a fringe that won’t sit, and a visible grow-out line. Whether your hair is straight, wavy, curly, or coily, there’s a style here that holds its shape and suits your skill level.
Sophisticated Low Bun With Intricate Twists
The architecture here is remarkable: a low bun built from thick, wavy dark blonde hair, each twist layered with precision rather than pulled into a single coil. This technique works best on hair with enough weight and wave to hold the shape without pins straining. Ask your stylist for: low bun with intricate twists. Damp hair prepped with a texturizing spray before drying gives the waves enough grip to wrap cleanly. The lighter highlights catch the twist lines so the structure reads clearly even from a distance.
Loose Textured Low Bun With Wisps
Can you pull off an updo that looks like you barely tried? This loose textured low bun says yes, but the answer depends on density. Medium-density, wavy hair of collarbone length or longer holds the soft shape without swallowing the wisps. Ask your stylist for: loose, messy low bun with face-framing wisps. The subtle highlights in the blonde base keep the texture from reading as flat, and the wisps around the nape soften the silhouette.
Neat Low Twisted Bun With Face-Framing Tendrils
A low twisted bun that sits clean at the nape requires a specific ask: the twist must be smooth enough to reflect light, and the tendrils need to be placed, not left to chance. Fine, straight ash blonde hair of collarbone length or longer is the ideal candidate for this exact line. Ask your stylist for: neat low twisted bun with face-framing tendrils. A salon finish is required here, the precision of the twist and the placement of each tendril demand a second pair of hands.
Neat Low Twisted Bun
A neat low twisted bun versus a loose one: the difference is all in the finish. Where a relaxed bun hides imperfections, this version demands clean sections and a smooth surface. Straight, medium-density blonde hair at collarbone length or longer delivers the polished line this style needs. Ask your stylist for: neat low twisted bun. Every flyaway shows, so a pomade on the fingertips before twisting helps seal the surface. A little shine spray afterward keeps the look deliberate rather than neglected.
Sleek Low Bun With Middle Parting
A sleek low bun is a study in precision: every strand must lie flat, and the parting must run straight from crown to nape. Honey blonde, straight, fine hair of collarbone length or longer suits this minimalist approach because it lacks the bulk that could disrupt the line. Ask your stylist for: sleek low bun with middle part. The upkeep during a long event is the real test. A fine spray of hairspray on a boar bristle brush before the final pass helps seal the surface against humidity and movement.
Effortless Textured Low Bun
Start with collarbone-length thick, wavy hair in honey blonde with lighter highlights. Gather it loosely at the nape, twist once, and pin without smoothing. Gently pull a few sections out around the crown for volume, then let strands fall around your face. Ask your stylist for a loose, textured low bun. The undone finish is the point, so do not chase perfection. Spray texturizer on your fingers before pinning to help everything grip and stay put through the ceremony.
Low Bun With Braided Accents And Wispy Bangs
The braids here aren’t structural, they’re decorative, woven into the sides of a low bun to add detail without bulk. On thick, wavy dark brown hair with subtle highlights, the braided accents read clearly against the looser sections. Starting with shoulder-length hair gives the braids enough weight to sit neatly. Wispy bangs soften the front and break up the precision. Ask your stylist for a low bun with braids and wispy bangs. A light mist of texturizing spray on the bangs keeps them feathery and separated, which matters for an outdoor bridal shower where humidity shows up uninvited.
Loose Low Bun With Soft Texture
A loose low bun on reddish-brown wavy thick hair holds its shape best when you don’t fight the natural movement. The face-framing pieces are the part that wears first, so expect to tuck them back or re-pin them after a few hours of dancing. Starting at collarbone length gives the bun enough hair to look full without feeling heavy. Ask your stylist for a loose low bun with soft texture and face-framing pieces. Embrace flyaways at the crown; they’re what keep this style from looking like a ballerina bun. A quick mist of finishing spray at the roots helps the overall shape last.
Classic Chignon Updo
Is a classic chignon too polished for a bridal party? Not when the hair is thick and straight, because the clean lines work with the density. Collarbone-length dark brown hair coils into a smooth, low knot that stays put without constant fussing. The middle parting keeps the front simple so the shape does the talking. Ask your stylist for a classic chignon updo. This style requires a salon visit for a perfectly smooth surface; doing it at home means accepting a few bumps. It suits a formal wedding where the bridesmaids should look cohesive and composed.
Twisted Chignon With Soft Wisps
The twisting method here is what separates this chignon from a plain knot: sections are rolled inward toward the nape, creating a layered, almost braided-looking surface. Blonde hair with subtle highlights picks up the texture so the twists are visible even from across the room. Soft, wavy texture keeps the front relaxed. The few wisps around the nape are left loose on purpose, softening the silhouette. Ask your stylist for a twisted chignon with soft wisps. A finishing spray keeps those wisps in place without making them stiff, so the style holds through a long reception.
Intricate Twisted Updo With Voluminous Bun
A voluminous bun sits at the crown, built from twisted sections that create a woven effect through the ash blonde highlights. This style needs thick, wavy hair that reaches at least mid-back to supply the raw material for the volume and the intricate twists. Ask your stylist for: intricate twisted updo with volume. The trade-off is real: the same density that makes this bun impressive also makes it heavy. Expect to spend about an hour in the chair, and know that very fine or shoulder-length hair will not hold the twists the same way without extensions.
Tease the crown section slightly before twisting to build extra volume. A flexible hold spray keeps the structure defined without stiffening the loose wisps that frame the neck. The hold is solid through a ceremony and reception, though the wisps may soften further as the evening goes. That looseness is the point, not a flaw.
Messy Bun With Soft Twists
Is it a messy bun or a structured updo? This one lands somewhere in between, with soft twists woven into a textured shape that still reads as deliberate. Medium density, wavy hair at collarbone length or longer gives the best results. Ask your stylist for: messy bun with soft twists. Don’t aim for perfection; the beauty of this style lies in its intentionally undone appearance. A salon can build the foundation in about 30 minutes, but a confident DIY-er can replicate it at home with a texture spray and a few bobby pins. The hold is forgiving, which means it looks better an hour into the party than it did fresh.
Elegant Twisted Updo With Loose Waves
The twisted sections run from temple to nape, gathering into a low shape while dark blonde highlights add depth through the texture. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length or longer is the starting point. Ask your stylist for: elegant twisted updo with loose waves. The loose waves framing the face are the first thing to soften during a long day. A flexible hold spray applied before the waves are released keeps the shape without turning them stiff. The twists hold firm for about six hours before they need a light touch-up with a pin or two. That is normal for a style built on tension rather than heat.
Romantic Updo With Braids and Pearls
A textured low bun sits at the nape, framed by a braid on one side and loose wavy tendrils that soften the entire shape. Small pearls are woven through the braid and bun, adding subtle shine to the light brown base with highlights. Medium density, wavy hair at collarbone length or longer gives the best hold. Ask your stylist for: braided updo with pearls and loose tendrils. Specify that the pearls should be placed along the braid, not scattered, and request the tendrils to be left long enough to curl. This is a spring or garden ceremony style, and the pearls are a deliberate accent.
Twisted Low Bun With Braids and Flowers
How do you get baby’s breath flowers to stay in an updo without looking like they were dropped on? The technique starts with the bun: twisted sections and a braid create a surface that catches the stems. Thick, wavy hair at mid-back length or longer is ideal. Ask your stylist for: twisted low bun with braids and baby’s breath flowers. The stylist tucks the stems into the twists and secures them with bobby pins placed underneath so they are invisible. The auburn base with blonde highlights provides enough contrast for the white flowers to read clearly. This is a salon-only job, not because the bun is hard, but because flower placement matters more than the twist pattern.
Low Bun With Woven Texture and Flowers
This low bun is less a single shape and more a small architecture project: sections of thick, wavy brown hair are woven together like a basket, then dotted with flowers that stay put because they are pinned into the weave itself. The style needs shoulder-length or longer hair so the strands have enough weight to hold the twists. Ask your stylist for: low bun with woven texture and flowers. Use lightweight blooms, wired baby’s breath or tiny silk stems, so the pins do not sag over a long ceremony. The woven structure grips better than a smooth bun, which means fewer touch-ups between photos.
Intricate Braided Updo With Loose Tendrils
This braided updo looks like it took two hours and a second pair of hands, because it did. Ash blonde, wavy, thick hair is woven into a dense pattern at the crown, with a few tendrils left loose at the nape. Ask your stylist for: intricate braided updo with loose tendrils. Thick, wavy hair has natural spring, so those braids can loosen over the course of an evening. A dry texture spray at the roots before the braiding gives the strands more grip, and the decorative accessory at the crown doubles as a secure anchor. This style suits a formal event rather than a high-energy dance floor.
Braided Updo With Loose Curls and Wispy Bangs
Can wispy bangs actually stay out of your face during a toast? Yes, if they are woven into the braided updo. This style works on long, thick, wavy hair with balayage, where the lighter ends contrast against the darker roots. Ask your stylist for: braided updo with loose curls and wispy bangs. The loose curls are not accidental. They are curled with a wand, pinned, and then a few are unpinned to frame the nape. The wispy bangs soften a square or long face shape, and the side parting keeps the whole structure from pulling too tight at the temples. A garden ceremony setting suits the white flowers tucked into the braids.
Voluminous Messy Updo With Curtain Bangs
The voluminous messy bun gets its height from backcombing at the crown, not from piling on more hair. Ash blonde highlights and darker lowlights add dimension, so the bun does not read as one solid blob. Ask your stylist for: voluminous messy updo with curtain bangs. The middle parting keeps the curtain bangs symmetrical as they fall toward the cheekbones, and the loose wavy strands around the face break up the polished shape of the bun itself. Use a dry shampoo at the roots before styling to give the hair the grip it needs to hold that volume without slipping into a flat knot by the end of the reception.
Voluminous Messy High Bun With Curled Tendrils
A high bun with curled tendrils sounds like a DIY win, and it can be, provided you accept that the messy part is intentional. Ash blonde hair with lighter highlights gives the bun depth, and the tendrils are curled with a wand, then pinned so they escape in a deliberate arc around the face. Ask your stylist for: messy high bun with curled tendrils. For a close-to-salon result at home, section the hair into three vertical parts, tease each section at the root, then twist and pin them together. Medium-density hair works best here, very fine hair needs a texturizing powder first, and very thick hair may require more pins than you own.
Sophisticated Twisted Updo With Side Swept Bangs
This one is a close cousin to the sleek low bun, but the twisted texture gives it more grip, so it holds its shape without constant pinning. It suits thick, straight hair from chin length on up, with side-swept bangs that soften the whole construction. Ask your stylist for: sophisticated twisted updo with side swept bangs. Smooth the bangs with a flat iron before styling so they stay put through the reception. The one drawback: fine hair can lose volume in the twists, so ask for a little backcombing at the crown to keep the silhouette from flattening.
Final Thoughts
For a relaxed, low-key wedding party, reach for a messy bun or a style with loose wisps and minimal twisting. If the ceremony is formal, choose an intricately braided or twisted updo that stays anchored for hours.
- Apply a light-hold hairspray to tendrils to keep them in place without stiffness.
- Gently tug sections of braids or twists after styling for added volume.
- Use texturizing spray on wavy hair before styling for better grip.
- Smooth flyaways with a serum before twisting a sleek bun.
- Updos hold best on second-day hair; skip the wash on the day of styling.
Simple updos offer timeless elegance for any bridesmaid.
