Soft updos for weddings are desirable hair styles that add elegance and femininity to the bride's appearance while still having a sophisticated, classic feel.
About Wedding Updos
Updo styles are one of the most popular [[Images of Wedding Hair Styles | hair styles for weddings]] because of their elegance, formality, and sleek sophistication. For many brides, a wedding updo may be one of the only times she has a specialized hair style fashioned in a salon, and the elegance of an updo is appealing for such a formal, special event.
Why Soft Styles are Desirable
Unfortunately, many wedding updo styles can be difficult to maintain because they are rigid and stiff - one false move and a few stray strands can make the style seem disheveled. Soft updos for weddings, on the other hand, are much more flexible and can be easily repaired if they become a bit disheveled during the festivities. In fact, if they do become mussed, it can be hard to tell, making emergency hair repairs unnecessary.
Some brides also prefer softer updos for a gentler, more feminine appearance instead of a highly sculpted, rigorous look. Softness is attractive and sensual, particularly for a healthy, natural hair style.
Soft updos may even be more comfortable for some brides to wear. A woman with a sensitive scalp may find a tight updo painful, and it could cause headaches, red skin, or other discomfort that can be distracting and unpleasant on the wedding day. A softer style, then, is a more comfortable and still beautiful option.
Styles of Soft Updos for Weddings
There are several different ways that lovely updos can be softened for gorgeous bridal hair styles.
- Loose Curls: Curly hair is flirtatious and feminine, and adding curls to the back of a bridal updo adds immediate softness and style. The curls should not be heavily sculpted, however, or the soft effect will be lost in the rigid spirals.
- Tendrils: Adding face framing tendrils to an updo style is a quick and easy way to soften the look. The tendrils can be straight, lightly curled, or waved, and they can be on one or both sides of the face. This can also help lengthen a shorter face shape.
- Color: Adding hair highlights or lowlights shades to an updo instantly softens the look by adding dimension and texture. The colors should blend well with the overall hair color, and natural colors just one or two shades lighter or darker than the hair color are the best options. Colors should also match the bride's skin color for a flawless, glowing look.
- Bangs: Swooping or fringe bangs help soften the face and add gentleness to any updo hairstyle. The bangs could be swooped high or low over the forehead and blended back into the sides of the updo for a seamless look. Plastered bangs that are flat against the forehead, however, may have the opposite effect and could make an updo seem harsh and stiff because they do not have natural motion or looseness.
- Partial Updos: A partial updo that leaves some hair loose and free in the back is a great way to easily soften this type of bridal style. This is a particularly popular choice for brides with very long hair because longer locks make bulkier, less natural updos.
Other Soft Tricks
In addition to softening an updo hair style by adjusting how the hair is arranged, it is possible to use other tricks to soften bridal styles.
- Flowers: Tucking a coordinating bloom or two into an updo style immediately softens the look and adds a pleasant burst of colored contrast to the look, particularly if the flower matches the bride's bouquet.
- Accessories: The hair accessories a bride choose can impact how soft and feminine her hair style looks. Tiaras and sparkly jeweled accessories are harsher, more rigid options, but choosing satin bows, headbands, pearls, or other options can help the style seem softer as well as coordinate it with the bride's attire.
- Makeup: Keeping facial makeup soft and subtle can impact the appearance of a hair style. Because hair styles frame the face, how the face is made up can also influence the hair style. Natural tones and soft colors can help keep a hair style from seeming too rigid.
- Veil: The vast majority of brides wear veils during the wedding ceremony, and opting to keep wearing the veil during the wedding reception adds softness to the hair style.
Wedding Day Hair Care
Soft updos, while more flexible styles than harsher, sculpted styles, still need appropriate care to look their best throughout the long celebration and hundreds of photographs. When it is styled, use appropriate hold products such as hair spray to give the style better control, and brides should always carry extra bobby pins or other tools needed for quick repairs if necessary.
- Updos are popular wedding hair styles, and with a few casual tricks, soft updos for weddings can be as elegant and stunning as more rigid styles, with the added bonus of being more flexible and feminine for a memorable and stylish day.
