33 of the Best (and Easiest) Wedding Guest Hairstyles

With wedding season in full swing, we've been busy cherry-picking the best wedding-guest dresses and deciphering the biggest bridal trends for the rest of the year. What can I say? We're in the mood for love. But what about those finishing touches? More specifically: I'm talking wedding-guest hair.

Having personally experienced the panic of trying to secure a pearl hair clip when you're meant to be jumping in a taxi for the church, I am all about putting as much thought into special occasion hairstyles as I would my dress. (After all, nobody wants to be the person who arrives to a wedding after the bride—especially when you've only got a hair accessory to blame.) So to prevent you from reliving my own last-minute hair panic, I've rounded up a whole lot of wedding-guest hairstyle inspiration so that you can plan ahead.

To keep things super straightforward, I've identified a few simple styles that will take just minutes to do and work for all hair types. Think buns, twisted updos, and ponytails. Keep scrolling for 33 of the best (and easiest) wedding-guest hairstyles for a stress-free wedding season.

1. Buns and Updos

Aysha Sow
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Aysha Sow wearing pastel striped co-ord with low bun

Photo:

@AYSHA.SOW

This elegant bun will keep your hair off your face all day and is also the perfect hairstyle for showing off your wedding-guest earrings.

TyLynn Nguyen
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: TyLynn Nguyen wearing low bun

Photo:

@TYLYNNNGUYEN

Even short hair can make a bun work as TyLynn proves. Just wear yours low, at the nape of your neck and team with statement earrings for added impact.

Lindsey Holland
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Lindsey Holland wearing low bun

Photo:

@LINDSEYHOLLAND_

A simple low bun takes seconds to do, is perfect for keeping your hair off your face during a summer wedding and looks even more stylish when you leave a few strands loose around your face—see above. (A definite plus if you aren't the best at styling your own hair!)

Nnenna Echem
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Nnenna Echem wearing hair clips

Photo:

@NNENNAECHEM

Nnenna takes the low bun to the next level with her covetable hair clip stack. I love how she's teamed the eclectic accessories with a printed dress for a maximalist approach to wedding-guest dressing.

Sasha Mei
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Sasha Mei wearing a low bun

Photo:

@SASHA.MEI

A chic low bun is both easy to achieve and a perfect way to let statement earrings do the talking.

Sylvie Mus
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Sylvie Mus wearing a bun

Photo:

@SYLVIEMUS_

Proving that hair clips aren't just for casual weekend topknots, Sylvie twists her hair from the nape of her neck and secures with a single claw clip for a sophisticated style. If you've got a fringe, leave this loose for a cool-girl finish.

Peony Lim
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Peony Lim wearing pink hair scarf

Photo:

@PEONYLIM

All of our fashion friends are wearing hair scarves right now, and when they look as elegant as Peony's, it's easy to see why. Tie one around a high bun and leave the ends loose for a romantic wedding-guest look.

Stephanie Broek
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Stephanie Broek wearing wooden hair clips

Photo:

@STEPHANIEBROEK

A more modern take on Johanne's butterfly clip, Stephanie's dishevelled hair twist is all about the statement hair clips. Leave some hair loose around your face, and let the ends of your hair poke out for a boho vibe.

Lucy Williams
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Lucy Williams wearing half-up, half-down hair

Photo:

@LUCYWILLIAMS02

The half-up, half-down hairstyle takes approximately 30 seconds to do and genuinely looks great on everyone. It's a great option if, like me, you prefer wearing your hair down but want to try something a little different for a special occasion.

Ada Oguntodu
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Ada Oguntodu wearing hair bunches

Photo:

@ADA_OGUNTODU

What's better than one bun? Two, of course. Ada's high bunches look as cute as a button and are a great option for a more unique wedding-guest hairstyle. 

Rosie Huntington-Whiteley
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Rosie Huntington-Whiteley wearing low bun

Photo:

@ROSIEHW

Rosie is the queen of simple red carpet dressing—and her hairstyles are no exception. Unlike some of the buns above, this one is all about that sharp middle parting and sleek strands. So elegant.

Shop Our Favourite Styling Product For Buns & Updos:

Secure your updo of choice with the Who What Wear UK team's favourite hairspray.

2. Ponytails

Cassandra Klatzkow
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Cassandra Klatzkow wearing backless orange dress

Photo:

@CASSKLATZKOW

Cassandra's low ponytail not only looks super luxe but draws attention to the back detailing on our slinky orange dress perfectly.

Elif
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles Elif wearing hair in long plait

Photo:

@THATSALEAF

Cool girls like Elif are opting for simple plaits kept in place with neutral hair ties. Love it.

Aude-Julie Alingué
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: ASOS Lesley wearing high ponytail

Photo:

@AUDE_JULIE

Aude-Julie's super-high ponytail plait is giving me major '90s vibes, and I'm here for it. So fresh.

Soraya Bakhtiar
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Soraya Bakhtiar wearing full ponytail

Photo:

@SORAYABAKHTIAR

If you have long, thick hair, then a high ponytail is the perfect way to show it off. Curl your lengths to add even more texture and movement.

Peony Lim
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Peony Lim wearing ponytail

Photo:

@PEONYLIM

A low ponytail with an outfit-coordinated scrunchie like Peony's manages to be both practical and cool.

Jennifer Lopez
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Jennifer Lopez wearing high ponytail

Photo:

@JLO

There's a definite risk of upstaging the bride if you went for this full J.Lo ensemble, but this sleek ponytail will look stylish whatever wedding-guest dress you're wearing.

Symphani Soto
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Symphani Soto with a curly ponytail

Photo:

@SYMPHANISOTO

Symphani's smoothed-back ponytail and perfectly curled face-framing strands are so damn chic.

Laura Harrier
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Laura Harrier wearing high wavy ponytail

Photo:

@LAURAHARRIER

I'm in love with Laura's bouncy ponytail. The wavy ends create a really glam look that is perfect for the evening wedding reception.

Tamara Mory
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Tamara Mory wearing a straight ponytail

Photo:

@TAMARAMORY

In a rush? You can't go wrong with a sleek, straight ponytail.

Victoria Beckham
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Victoria Beckham wearing low ponytail

Photo:

@VICTORIABECKHAM

VB keeps it classic as always with a skinny twist of black ribbon to secure her swept-back pony.

Jorja Smith
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Jorja Smith wearing high ponytail

Photo:

@JORJASMITH_

High ponytails are clearly having a moment—which is why they're a perfect wedding-guest option. Jorja Smith keeps things sleek at the root and volumised through the ends.

Shop Our Favourite Styling Product For Ponytails:

Get a shiny, glossy pony with BeautyPie's hero spray.

3. Hair Down

Timaj Alwan
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Timaj Alwan wearing barrette

Photo:

@SABOTAJ

For fun, party-led weddings a diamanté clip pairs perfectly with tousled waves like Timaj's.

Emmanuelle Koffi
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Emmanuelle Koffi wearing double hair clips

Photo:

@EMMANUELLEK_

Make like Emmanuelle and jazz up a down 'do with double the hair clips.

Frédérique Harrel
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Frédérique Harrel wearing side parting

Photo:

@FREDDIEHARREL

Opt for a deep side parting like Freddie to transform your hair down game for wedding season.

Holly Willoughby
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Holly Willoughby wearing hair clips

Photo:

@PATSYONEILLMAKEUP

Holly's beachy waves + embellished hair clips = the dreamiest wedding-guest hairstyle.

Monikh Dale
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Monikh Dale wearing headband

Photo:

@MONIKH

Celebrities are going wild for headbands, and so are the fashion set, as demonstrated by Monikh. This is the fascinator of 2023.

Yara Shahidi
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Yara Shahidi wearing side parting

Photo:

@YARASHAHIDI

The combination of a side parting and a hair clip seems to be the way that cool girls like Yara are embracing special occasion hairstyles this year.

Brittany Bathgate
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Brittany Bathgate wearing double hair clips

Photo:

@BRITTANYBATHGATE

Jazz up a simple hair-down style by adding in some cute hair clips on either side of a centre parting like Brittany. It's still within your hair comfort zone but has a special-occasion edge.

Lotte
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: ASOS Lotte wearing sparkly hair slide

Photo:

@LIVINGWITHLOTTE

So sleek. So simple. Lotte's straight bob is anything but basic with this embellished hair slide. This would look great with literally any wedding guest outfit.

Emily Ratajkowski
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Emily Ratajkowski wearing big beach waves

Photo:

@EMRATA

Sometimes you just want to go glam, and EmRata's voluminous retro waves are simply perfect.

Chloé
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Chloé wearing pearl headband

Photo:

@LOULOUDESAISON

Make like the French girls and keep your hairstyle simple and your headbands sleek, just like Chloé.

Selena Gomez
Best Wedding Guest Hairstyles: Selena Gomez wearing retro waves

Photo:

@MARISSA.MARINO

Selena's vintage waves and hair slide would pair perfectly with a tea dress for the prettiest of wedding-guest outfits.

Shop Our Favourite Styling Product For Wearing Your Hair Down:

This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated

Next Up: 5 Wedding Hairstyles That Will Never Go Out of Style, According to Experts