How to style curly hair on your wedding day

Wedding season is here and if you’re looking for hairstyling inspiration for your own special day, look no further. There are no hard and fast rules around wedding day style anymore, with many embracing the chance to make the day truly about them. Want to wear a biker jacket over your vintage lace dress? Not a problem. Don’t want to wear white? Totally your call. But when looking for wedding hairstyle inspiration, we couldn’t find many styles which included natural curls and coils. To add to that, curly haired women have been influenced to wear their hair straight for special occasions for so long now, it can be difficult to break the habit. But we’re here to change this.

Join us as we celebrate curls in all their gorgeous forms and help you to fall in love with your hair in all its natural beauty.

Embrace your texture

Your wedding day is the perfect occasion to embrace your individuality and let the truest version of you shine. So whether you prefer to kick back in relaxed glamour or love to style it up with a sophisticated look, we’ve got you covered.

For inspiration, we’re sharing our favourite hair dos modelled by curly bride-to-be Charlotte Williams and featuring luxury bridal hair accessories from Debbie Carlisle.

Debbie Carlisle designs and handcrafts timeless wedding headdresses inspired by the natural world, made from ethically and responsibly sourced materials.

Each look was styled by natural wedding hair and makeup artist Alev, who specialises in curly hair.

Read on for more details and our mini guide on how to prepare your hair ahead of the big day.

Au naturel

Let your natural beauty radiate with this boho chic look.

How to achieve this style

Charlotte’s curls were cleansed with Hydrating Hair Cleanser, followed with Intensive Moisture Treatment for a lavish dose of moisture. You can rinse out this treatment that’s enriched with precious natural oils or partially leave it in for thirsty curls that need some extra goodness (you’ll also be leaving in more of that irresistible signature scent made up of rose, patchouli, and ylang ylang). Post wash, Curl Cream was applied and Curl Defining Gel layered on top for super defined curls that stay in place all day. Dry using a diffuser with your head upside down to add extra lift at the roots.

Debbie Carlisle’s India hair vine provides the perfect finishing touch, a delicate pearl and crystal headband to complement your crowning glory. The best bit? You can definitely wear it again and again because it’s special enough for your wedding day but doesn’t feel like a bridal headband.

Refreshing tips

Fill your Mist Spray Bottle with cold water and keep it to hand to refresh your curls (or use it to keep your cool if it happens to be a gloriously hot day!).

Products required:

• Hydrating Hair Cleanser
• Intensive Moisture Treatment
• Curl Cream
• Curl Defining Gel
• Mist Spray Bottle

Romantic half up, half down

This is a great in-between choice if you’re not sure whether you’d like to style your hair up or down.

How to achieve this style
Curl Cream was applied to Charlotte’s diffused curls for extra shine, followed by Curl Defining Gel to smooth the parted area that was pinned with a constellation of Debbie Carlisle’s Star pins adding celestial sparkle. Available in gold or silver, they can be purchased in sets of 3, 6, 9 or 12 so you have full control over the final style. In this stunning look, they were placed close together to create a feature but you can also distribute them throughout the hair for a more subtle look.

Refreshing tips
You can keep hair refreshed throughout the festivities: just spray your hair with water with our Mist Bottle and then add some Curl Cream (for moisture) or Curl Defining Gel (for extra definition).

Products required:

• Curl Cream
• Curl Defining Gel
• Mist Spray Bottle

Glamorous curly up do

A curly up do is ideal for enhancing your features – just add an accessory for a touch of glam.

How to achieve this style

For this effortlessly chic look, Charlotte’s curls were deliberately less tight. They were softened and fluffed a little using Curl Defining Gel. These more romantic curls were then gathered and pinned to the top of Charlotte’s head, letting some tendrils fall around her face.

Debbie Carlisle’s Stella hair vine adds stunning sparkle to the final look thanks to the crystal and freshwater pearl design reminiscent of bridal lacework.

Love this style? Ask your hairdresser for a loose, messy bun with some soft faceframing curls pulled through.

Refreshing tips

Pack a travel sized Curl Cream with you to help keep frizz at bay and add instant shine to your curls, plus have extra hair grips to hand as some will inevitably fall out while you’re having fun.

Products required:

• Curl Cream
• Curl Defining Gel

How to prepare your curls ahead of your wedding day

Planning your wedding? Find out how to get your curls in the best shape possible ahead of the big day.

A month before

Schedule weekly deep conditioning with our Intensive Moisture Treatment to gradually enhance definition and boost hydration levels. If your hair is damaged or feels dull, mix in a few drops of Protein Booster and leave the treatment in. Your curls will be picture perfect in no time.

The night before

If you’re going to be away from home the night before your wedding, pack your favourite bonnet and a Silk Pillowcase to preserve your curls overnight. A good night’s sleep is key to waking up feeling refreshed and with a natural glow about you – exactly what you need for your big day!

On your wedding day

Prepare for your bridal hair appointment by washing your hair the morning of your wedding or the evening before to provide a clean canvas for your stylist. If you’re going to wear your hair down and prefer day-two curls to washday results, take this into consideration when planning. Don’t forget to take your favourite Bouclème travel sizes with you on the day – they’re perfect for refreshing your hair on the go and they’ll help keep curls in place for longer. But most importantly, enjoy it all – we hope it’s the best day ever and that you say “I do” to curls as well as to your lucky partner!