43 Hairstyles for a Strapless Wedding Dress (2024)

• Mariana McGrath and Andrea Ortega Costigan are the founders of Salt Spell Beauty and have over a decade of experience in the beauty industry.

Natural, Soft Waves

So many of our brides say that they just wanted to look like themselves on their wedding day, regardless of their gown type or silhouette—and this woman of the hour's hairstyle is proof that you can rock your everyday, hair-down 'do with a decidedly formal (and strapless!) ensemble. With a gentle side part and loose waves, this bride looked entirely natural ahead of her nuptials.

An Intricate Chignon

A wrapped chignon will keep your hair out of your face during your celebration—and if you're wearing a strapless wedding dress, it will also show off the neckline (and the long line of your neck!). We love how this bride kept a few face-framing pieces loose; the wavy strands added a natural, romantic vibe to the intricate bun.

Sweeping Side Bangs

Looking for strapless wedding dress hairstyles that are decidedly glam? Make like the bride on the left, who opted for big barrel curls and a chic, swooping side bang—the curve of which reinforced her wedding dress' strapless sweetheart neckline.

Piecy Low Bun

Though your hairstyle should be partially informed by your wedding dress' neckline, you also need to consider the weather. This bride, who tied the knot in balmy Hawaii, knew she wanted a style that would keep her hair (and the heat) off her neck, which is why she paired her tulle ball gown, complete with an embroidered bodice, with a sleek low bun.

Slicked Back Curls

This bride's 'do combines the hair-down look with the sleek vibe of a slicked-back bun—and it was the perfect hairstyle choice for her strapless wedding dress. The style kept her tight curls between her shoulders, so her strands wouldn't impact her gown's clean neckline.

Half-Up, Half-Down With Waves

The half-up, half-down hairstyle is a bridal favorite, and for good reason—it works with most wedding dress silhouettes and necklines, including strapless ensembles. This bride, who stunned in a tiered, pale-blue gown with ruching at the bodice, opted for the romantic look, adding a side part and touch of volume at the crown for extra romance.

A Voluminous Ponytail

One of the best strapless wedding dress hairstyles out there, a ponytail ensures all attention stays on your gown. But that doesn't mean that it has to be simple or boring: We loved this bride's take on the seemingly casual style. She upped the formality factor by adding bouncy waves, covering the elastic with a loop of hair (which instantly elevates the look), and left a few pieces out to frame her face for texture.

Slicked-Back Bun

If your strapless wedding dress is particularly detailed or voluminous—like this ruffled number—it's best to kept the rest of your look, from your accessories to your hairstyle, minimal. This bride, who tied the knot in Greece, nailed it: Her slow, sleek bun let the gown do all of the talking.

Hollywood Waves

Want to wear your hair down with timeless Hollywood waves, but don't want your curly strands to interrupt your strapless wedding dress' neckline? Copy this bride and tuck one side of your hair behind your ear and push those curls over your shoulder; you could even add a sparkly hair piece to ensure the style stays in place. While the curls on the other side of your face will hang free, keeping that one half tucked down and swept away from your gown will do the trick.

Romantic Curls

Tucking both sides of your hair behind your ears is another great way to keep your strands away from the front of your strapless wedding dress. This bride, who stunned in a tan gown designed to complement her exact skin tone, did just that for her California nuptials.

Curly Updo

Naturally curly hair looks so pretty when pulled up into a loose updo off the neck. The texture becomes incredibly alluring with some tendrils pulled out for a more boho vibe. Plus, the curls create plenty of grip to clip a veil into the back like this bride did for her Puerto Vallarta nuptials.

A Birdcage Bun

For a vintage feel, add a birdcage veil to the coif. The retro veil looks gorgeous paired with a chignon for a more romantic aesthetic. You can also add flowers for a whimsical touch like this beauty did for her Brooklyn elopement.

A Fro Moment

For brides with shorter lengths to work with, this hairstyle is a great option: Separate into a deep side part for plenty of volume, and then add a pretty floral hair clip just under the part. We especially love how this bride tucked a posy of baby's breath into her hair but carried a bouquet of greenery for the Brooklyn ceremony.

Frilly Feathers

Choose a hair accessory that matches elements of your gown for a streamlined look that also feels unique. This giggly bride opted for a chic low bun and made it more interesting using the same ostrich feather material of her bridal two-piece set. Bonus: The textures totally match her vibrant, frilly bouquet!

A Tight Bun

Really show off the neckline of your gown with a tighter bun. "A tight chignon accentuates your back and shoulders," add McGrath and Ortega Costigan. We love how pretty this style looks with a long veil and complements the clean silhouette of the dress. The classic minimalism was a sophisticated addition to the rustic Italian venue.

Classic Chignon

A chignon is a beautiful style with a strapless or off-the-shoulder dress but make sure there's adequate volume to plump up the coif. "We always check in with our brides by having them stand in front of a mirror before locking in the hairstyle to make sure they like how it looks," say McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "A mirror always gives you a different perspective."

Playful Ponytail

Brides with long hair should consider a voluminous ponytail—the bigger, the better! "Remember that you’re going to be photographed mostly from the front, so you want the hair to look best from the front," advise McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "Look out for the shape in 360 degrees, and make sure it’s flattering at every angle, as you will be seen and photographed from every angle on our wedding day!" For this elegant destination wedding, the bride pulled her natural hair into a ponytail, teased it, and added a beautiful birdcage veil.

Woven Chignon

For brides with very long hair, a soft braided chignon is wonderfully poetic and keeps all of the hair off your shoulders and back. "We love a bride in a cascading, low, and soft updo rather than a super-sleek look for strapless gowns," say McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "But it completely depends on your frame, the dress’s silhouette, and your face shape."

Half-Up, Half-Down

With this hairstyle, you don't have to commit to putting your hair up or leaving it down—you can have both! Curl your hair, gently brush out the spirals, and twist into a loose half-up, half-down style that feels casual but elegant. "If your strapless is lacy and boho, go for a relaxed and romantic half-updo, beach waves, and lots of texture," advise McGrath and Ortega Costigan.

Voluminous Low Bun

To create the look of this voluminous low bun, curl your hair first, then tease it for more oomph. Twist and braid into a voluptuous low bun to open up your neckline to the gown and jewelry. We love how this particular coif shows off the playful bodice while still adding balance.

A Smooth Blowout

For something simple and versatile, blow the hair out smooth and add some waves. Loosely pull back a portion of the top, leaving some pieces out to frame the face. Plus, you can easily secure the style back into a ponytail as the night wanes like this bride did for her New Orleans nuptials.

Side-Swept

For an elegant retro vibe, curl and set long hair before adding a sweeping side part that cascades into a curtain of hair on one side. "If you want to show off collarbones, a sleek updo is the move," say McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "If you want to have a more romantic, soft look go for hair down or at least face-framing pieces or covering one shoulder." This stunning bride nailed the look for her dreamy Atlanta wedding.

A High Bun

Keep your hair out of the way for the night by twisting it into a sky-high bun. You can elevate the look by keeping the sides tight and smooth with no flyaways. "For brides with a shorter stature, you can use hair to create height—do an updo or hair down with lots of volume on top," advise McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "If you have a shorter neck and want an updo, have your hairstylist create a look that lifts up and back from the jawline or follows your eye line, depending on the desired height."

Tight Waves

If you want to keep your long hair down and curled without risking beach waves, try a middle part and tighter barrel curls like this bride did for her Santa Barbara wedding. The results create a sleek look that seems more refined than just loose curls. "Wearing hair down also depends on how well your specific hair holds a curl/wave—some hair types just don't take to hot tools like others," note McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "Hair extensions can help with this by adding volume and grip."

A Cool-Girl Ponytail

Instead of a bun, go for a ponytail—it's a little different and oh so versatile. This bride added some volume in the front and curled her hair before pulling it back for her colorful Brooklyn wedding. "I’m a hugeBlake Livelyfan when it comes to all things beauty and fashion," she says. "My dress definitely suited an updo, but I wanted something a bit lighter and moremodernand playful.”

A Perfectly Imperfect Updo

There's so much perfection in intentional imperfections. A low, loose, voluminous bun that looks like it was just swept up into a masterful coif can be so pretty with this neckline. Adding hair accessories is always a nice touch, but if you want to keep your hair simple, this is the way to go.

Well Adorned

Instead of just a plain chignon or low bun, add a pretty hair accessory to up the ante. This bride opted for an icy floral hairpin to complement her chilly Chicago nuptials. "Don’t leave hair accessories to the last minute, like pretty pins, florals, hair combs, or your veil," suggest McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "Talk with your stylist in advance and work out a few looks in your trial to figure out what your hair might need."

A Curly Crop

Sure, short hair makes an updo impossible, but in this case, you don't need one. Take a cue from this look and leave your hair alone. It's absolutely gorgeous and incredibly simple, and it keeps all eyes on your dress.

Straight Tresses

For this old-Hollywood inspired wedding, the bride opted to keep her long hair glossy and straight. "If the strapless is structured, geometric, and architectural, you'll want more of a sleek look like a soft, silky wave with hair tucked behind the ears or a slick, minimal updo," note McGrath and Ortega Costigan. They recommend R&Co FoilFrizz and Static Control Spray for fine hair that is down or in a loose updo and Tigi Bed Head Hair Stick for taming stubborn flyaways in a sleek style.

Bold Accessories

According to McGrath and Ortega Costigan, "earrings or a necklace will frame the face and adorn your exposed décolletage." If you're adding standout accessories, like this ethereal lace choker, you'll want to keep your hair simple. This stunning bride opted for a low chignon that was perfectly understated for her floral-filled Tuscan ceremony.

Piecy Perfection

This is exactly the kind of cool-girl piecy-ness we would expect from a Miami bride. The admirably undone bun gets tons of vivacious playfulness, courtesy of plenty of sunny, face-framing tendrils, and deliciously rogue flyaways. McGrath and Ortega Costigan suggest using Oribe Dry Texture Spray to give hair that coveted piecy look and much-needed hold.

A Loose Chignon

To make a traditional chignon look less tight, loosen it all around the edges for a bit of romantic, undone volume. "If too sleek or tight to the head, the look can skew quite severe and easily make your head look very small," warn McGrath and Ortega Costigan. This gorgeous bride shows us how it's done by sporting a just-right chignon for her dreamy destination wedding in Lake Como.

Beach Waves

For a look that manages to be both glamorous and low maintenance, go for soft beach waves. This chill style looks especially great with a lace gown and would be ideal for a seaside setting. Make sure your hairstylist adds lots of hairspray (our experts love Oribe Outer Space Hairspray for soft, malleable hold) and shine spray—this look can easily get a little bit frizzy (although that's not always a bad thing!).

Short and Sweet

This bride embraced a super-short cut and pretty much left her hair alone for her nuptials. We love that she added a glittering floral-inspired hairpin to complement her incredible blush-hued dress. Twirl goals!

A Crimped Bob

For this colorful garden wedding, the bride rocked a nontraditional red ballgown that looked as if it had magically grown out of the soil itself. If you're going bold like this, keep the hair simple so all eyes are on the dress. A crimped bob sweetly frames the face while still upholding a modern appeal and showing off some skin.

Polished Waves

Want something slightly more elevated than beach waves? Keep your hair smooth and polished and add some loose curls. "Hair down with a strapless gown can add an element of modesty to the look by creating balance in the amount of skin that you show and can cover any acne on the back," say McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "A strapless gown is sexy, and hair that is down and styled elegantly is a very feminine, soft, and sexy look."

Brushed-Back Bun

"Pro tip: You can use the hair to 'snatch' the eyes—think Bella Hadid. Hair pulled tightly at the eyes and temples gives that subtle facelift effect," divulge McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "Make sure the focal points of the updo are a continuation of the bone structure of the face—whether it’s a lower updo or a high one, always make sure it is aligned with the jawline or eye line. Every single choice depends on your unique body."

Long, Loose Waves

With ultra-long, silken tresses like these, why wouldn't you show them off? If natural length isn't an option, extensions can provide an immediate fix. "Whether your hair is down or in an updo, extensions will give it a fuller look and give hairstylists more to work with," say McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "If you're wearing your hair down, be sure to take the extensions to your hairstylist to be cut prior to the wedding day—you want them to seamlessly blend with your natural hair."

A Restrained Coif

"For humid, tropical weddings, a sleek updo is best," note McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "This will avoid frizz, flyaways, and hair losing its volume and curl pattern."Might we recommend this bride's chic braided coif from her New Orleans nuptials?

Sleek Romance

There's something quite alluring about a center part and a sweetheart neckline. Go for ultimate glamour by curling long hair, and then brushing it out into big, loose waves and curls. You can slick back just the front pieces and add tons of volume at the top for even more impact like this stunner did for her Chicago wedding.

Gracefully Veiled

Wondering how the pinned-back style would look with a veil? Say no more. This blushing bride looked picture perfect with her dramatic portrait neckline and oh-so-chic pearl earrings. "For a strapless wedding gown, the hairstyle can provide a bit of coverage to bare skin or be pulled back to create a more dramatic, exposed neckline," add McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "It's all about creating symmetry."

Sweet Locs

These lobbed locs couldn't make for a sweeter pairing with this blush floral wedding gown. "Hire a professional, and don’t skimp on your glam—it's the most photographed day of your life, and all eyes are on you," advise McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "You want to look and feel your most beautiful, and have the confidence that your look will last you all day and night."

Soft Lob

For brides with lob-length tresses, you don't have to do much to make your hair look great with a strapless gown. A simple side part and some loose texture give a slightly more effortless and laid-back feel to a fancy gown. "If the dress has a lot of fabric, you don’t want a hairstyle that’s too slick to the head," add McGrath and Ortega Costigan. "You must create balance."