WEDDING

Bridal Hair Accessories – 8 Top Types and How to Choose

Bride with hair accessory

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Your bridal hair accessories are your crowning glory, completing your look like the cherry on top. But with so many options to choose from, how do you know which one works best for you?

Here’s a look at the top 8 types of bridal hair accessories, and tips and tricks on how to choose.

Types of Bridal Hair Accessories

The following types of bridal hair accessories are the most popular options with many variations of each. From vintage to modern, elaborate to simple, each of these accessories can be adapted to suit most styles.

1- Bridal Tiara

Girl wearing Bridal tiara for her her accessory

Bridal tiara by Dareth Colburne Designs. Check Price Here

  • Perfect for: The traditional bride
  • Pairs well with: Classic updo
  • Looks great with: Ballgown style dress
  • Perfectly suits: Traditional and formal weddings

Tiaras come in a range of shapes and sizes, with not all of them being the extravagant royal crowns we tend to think of. From simple headband tiaras to royal  tiaras, there’s one for everyone.

A tiara is ideal for a classic bride who wants all eyes on her on her wedding day. It’s perfect for the fairy tale wedding, with all the bells and whistles, and would look out of place at more simple weddings like a rustic themed wedding.

Tiaras go well with veils as well, as they can be used to help keep the veil in place. They can be worn under the veil until the veil is lifted, after which it takes center stage.

2- Bridal Hair Vines

SALE Crystal and Pearl hair vine Extra Long Hair Vine Bridal image 3

Bridal hair vine by Belle Michelle USA. See it here.

  • Perfect for: The minimalist bride
  • Pairs well with: Casual waves or messy bun
  • Looks great with: A-line and sheath dresses
  • Perfectly suits: Rustic, outdoors or minimalist themes

Bridal hair vines are delicate, elegant and classy looking, blending in perfectly with any type of hairstyle. However, they tend to complement casual and minimalist looks the best, adding a little sparkle and detail to elevate a messy updo, braid or loose hair.

Bridal vines come in a range of materials, with pearls and crystals often the most popular choice. However, they can also feature nature-inspired designs with flowers, leaves and flower buds for a more bohemian look.

3- Bridal Flower Crowns

Bridal flower crown for hair accessory

Bridal flower crown by Taylors Touch Floral. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The bohemian bride
  • Pairs well with: Messy hairdo, pixie cut and lose hair
  • Looks great with: Lace wedding dresses
  • Perfectly suits: Woodland, romantic and garden weddings

Flower crowns are the staple of bohemian brides, adding that finishing touch to a casual, relaxed look. They can be minimalist and barely-there or large, colorful and attention-getting. It all depends on the aesthetic you want for your bridal look.

Fresh flowers are often the preferred choice for flower crowns, but these can wilt over the course of your wedding day and can end up looking sad. To avoid this, either choose long-lasting flowers like ranunculus and greenery, or opt for a high-quality artificial flower crown, like a silk flower crown. This can be kept as a wedding keepsake and can be used again.

4- Bridal Hair Band

Bridal hair band

Bridal hair band by Bridal De Vine. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The cute bride
  • Pairs well with: Pretty updos, loose waves and pixie haircuts
  • Looks great with: A-line wedding dresses
  • Perfectly suits: Romantic or traditional weddings

The bridal headband is a creative and easy way to avoid tiaras and veils by opting for something simpler and cuter. The difference between a headband and all the other types of bridal hair accessories listed here, is that the bridal headband encircles your head.

Bridal headbands vary in style, material and width and can suit most hairstyles and weddings themes. This style is also perfect for a vintage themed wedding, harking back to the 1920s glamor.

5- Bridal Forehead Band

Bridal forehead band

Bridal forehead band by Headpiece Heaven Salon. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The classic bride
  • Pairs well with: Elegant updo
  • Looks great with: Mermaid or trumpet silhouettes
  • Perfectly suits: Formal weddings

A forehead band is a variation of the bridal headband, with the difference being that here, the band is worn in a way that it extends to your forehead. This brings a little bling to  your face and gives a formal, dressed up look overall.

Forehead bands typically have a focal point which sits at the forehead. They go perfectly with veils but can also be worn in such a way as to suit a bohemian style wedding. This accessory is ideal to dress up a part of the face that’s often left unadorned. It gives an exotic look to the bride and draws eyes towards her face.

6- Bridal Hair Comb

Bridal hair comb by Iloniti. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The classic or minimalist bride
  • Pairs well with: Elegant updo
  • Looks great with: Any silhouette
  • Perfectly suits: Romantic, classic or minimalist weddings

Bridal hair combs are a popular hair accessory for brides because they can be used in a variety of ways. Not only do these add sparkle and detail to your hairdo, but they also help to keep the hair perfectly in place.

Bridal hair combs tend to have a vintage feel and are among the oldest used hair accessories. A vintage hair comb would be an ideal ‘something old’ for any bride, but if you’re going for a modern look, there’s a hair comb to suit that too.

7- Bridal Hair Pin

Bridal Hair Pin

Bridal hair pins by A Bit of Love Wedding. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The minimalist bride
  • Pairs well with: Elegant or messy updos
  • Looks great with: Minimalist silhouettes
  • Perfectly suits: Vineyard, beach and minimalist weddings

Bridal hair pins are perfect to keep things understated while still adding detail and style to your look. They complement all types of updos, helping to hold the hair in place. For minimalist brides, who want just a touch of detail in their hair, bridal hair pins offer a simple and easy choice. A couple of bobby pins with pearls or crystals at the end will nicely stud an elegant hairdo without going overboard.

8- Bridal Hair Flower

Bridal hair flower gardenia

Bridal hair flower by Makira Flowers. Check Price Here.

  • Perfect for: The romantic bride
  • Pairs well with: Elegant bun
  • Looks great with: Sheath and column dresses
  • Perfectly suits: Romantic, casual weddings

A bridal hair flower is a romantic option that adds just the right amount of cute romance to your look. A couple of well-placed artificial flowers completes your look perfectly. Bridal hair flowers suit almost any wedding style, depending on the type of flower you opt for. A simple hair flower is perfect for an outdoor wedding in a garden, beach or backyard setting while a more embellished flower, including pearls and crystals, work well in a more formal setting. Overall, hair flowers add a romantic look to the bride and gives understated elegance to your look.

Veils and Hair Accessories – Do they go together?

Now that we’ve had a look at the types of bridal hair accessories, it’s important to consider the veil.

If you’re wondering whether you can wear a bridal headpiece along with a veil – the answer is yes but it depends on the type of veil. You can wear a traditional veil and hair accessories at the same time but note that this often makes for an elaborate look. If you want to have your veil and a headpiece together, it’s best to choose larger, more solid hair pieces that won’t get damaged, pushed around or overwhelmed by your veil.

bridal veil and accessory

Bridal headband and veil

Groom kissing bride's forehead

Regal tiara and veil

If you prefer a minimalist aesthetic, it’s best to opt for small accessories like hair vines to go with your veil, or to leave them out altogether and instead simply focus on your veil as your only headdress.

If you’re skipping the veil, there’s a whole host of bridal hair accessories that’ll work as excellent alternatives. Your hair and bridal hair accessories will take center stage as there won’t be any fabric to cover it up, so it becomes even more important to choose the best styles.

How to Choose Your Hair Accessory

Bride Accessory

When choosing your hair accessory, it’s important to take into account the following factors.

  1. Your Wedding Dress – If your dress is heavily detailed, with clear patterns, beading and other embellishments, it’s important to choose the hair accessory to complement that. Consider the color of your dress too, as that will impact whether you choose cool or warm tones for your hair accessories. On the other hand, if your dress is on the minimalist side, you’ll have a lot more options available to you. In this scenario, the hair accessories can be your focal embellishments.
  2. Your Personal Style – Think about the type of jewelry you normally wear and your general dressing style. Find pieces that complement this as it’ll make you feel comfortable and true to self.
  3. The Color – Gold and silver are the two main metal hues for bridal hair accessories, like pins and combs, so choosing between the two can be tricky. The important point is to note the undertones of your dress – a dress with warm tones like champagne, cream, off-white and ivory go perfectly with gold hair accessories, while a dress with cool tones like white, blues, purples and pinks go well with silver. In general, gold  hues tend to complement most skin tones and hair colors.
  4. Your Jewelry – Jewelry and hair accessories need to work together and not compete against each other. Find what unites these pieces, be it color, design, style or material, and use that to tie your look together. If you’re wearing silver or diamond jewelry, opt for hair accessories made of silver with crystals. If you’re wearing pearls, find hair accessories that complement them.
  5. Wedding Theme – The type of wedding you’re having should tie in with your wedding attire, to avoid a potential mismatch. Pick the type and style of your hair accessory to complement your wedding dress and by extension the wedding theme.

Pro Tip – Always choose your bridal hair accessories after you’ve got the dress, instead of the other way around. Once you’ve picked your style, theme and color, you can pick out your dress and then shop around for your hair accessories.

Where to Buy Your Bridal Hair Accessories

Shopping at your local store means that you get to try on the piece and know how you feel about it before you buy. But if you want more choice and better prices, it’s best to purchase online.

We recommend a combination of in-store and online shopping, by checking out your local store first and then looking for the accessories you liked online.

Etsy is an excellent source for everything bridal, with a range of hair accessories to suit any bride. It’s a great place to get inspiration as well. Click here to start browsing