Guide to Elopement Hairstyles (With Dozens of Photos!)
Your elopement look, whether your big day involves just the two of you or a group of family and friends, is one of the most important aspects of the entire wedding. Not only do you want to look and feel your best, but every detail of the day will be documented — dress, shoes (or lack thereof!), flowers, makeup, hair, all of it.
As an adventure elopement photographer, some of the most common questions I hear are from brides about elopement hairstyles. “Should I do my own hair or have a stylist do it?” and “What types of styles look best in photos?” are just a couple of examples.
I’ve seen many brides do their own hair. I’ve seen just as many have a friend or sibling do it, and an equal number hire a stylist. They all looked stunning and the truth is, there is no one-size-fits-all answer here. You should consider your unique elopement day vision, budget, and timeline (along with a whole bunch of other factors !).
What I can help you with is narrowing down the perfect elopement hairstyles. Regardless of who ultimately does your hair, it will be extremely helpful to have a clear idea of the style you’re looking for. Here, I’ve put together some info and, most importantly, tons of inspo photos to help you decide.
Choosing the best elopement hairstyles
In addition to purely practical considerations like your budget and whether you’ll do your own hair or hire someone, there are several things to keep in mind as you compare different elopement hairstyles. Take into account your elopement location, the time of year, and what styles will most complement your dress.
Types of elopement hairstyles
Sleek Buns
Super chic, minimalist buns are excellent no-fuss elopement hairstyles. They’re also one of the best options if you want to wear a veil. Bonus: they hold up really well to wind and other inclement weather, so consider this style if your elopement day includes outdoor adventures like hiking or off-roading.
Textured Updos
This is a modern take on a tried-and-true classic wedding hairstyle. With an ever-so-slightly “undone” look, textured updos are relatively simple to achieve and stay in place, making them ideal elopement hairstyles.
IMG. yosemite-elopement
Low Ponytail
Who ever said elopement hairstyles have to be fancy? This chic, classic style lets your dress do all the talking and completely eliminates any stress from worrying about keeping your hair perfectly in place all day.
Large Braids
This is probably one of my personal favorite elopement hairstyles. From a photography standpoint, big boho braids have so much visual interest in all their varying textures — they’re a dream to shoot! Plus, magically, the messier they get throughout the day, they somehow look even more beautiful!
Mostly Down
This wedding day look is perfect for brides who can’t quite decide on a hairstyle, as well as for DIY brides. Here you have, again, that beautiful texture and a style that manages to get even more picture-perfect with a bit of added undone-ness.
Hairstyles for short hair
A lot of my brides with shorter hair (I’m calling anything about shoulder-length and above “shorter”) worry that they won’t find any elopement hairstyles that suit them. That simply isn’t true! Remember, your ‘do doesn’t have to be over-the-top elaborate to be gorgeous! Sometimes a simple little braid or even going totally au naturel is the best look.
Hair pieces
For brides who want to make a statement, adding a showy hair piece to any wedding hairstyle is the way to go. Many are made of flowers (real or faux), but there are plenty of other styles to choose from, including tiaras and crowns, jeweled pieces, some adorned with pearls, and many others.
Keep it natural
If you love your natural hair or want a totally no-fuss style for your elopement, just wear it as it is! There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that and in my humble opinion, embracing your beautiful, natural self is pretty rad!
I hope you found these ideas and photos of elopement hairstyles helpful! Have other questions about planning your elopement (including whether or not you should even do it?!)? Contact me today and let’s chat! I’d love to hear more about the type of elopement you have in mind and help you however I can!