Best Wedding Hairstyles For African Hair

African hair has a unique texture, featuring unruly, tight curls and kinks. The secret to a gorgeous bridal hairstyle is to know how to handle African hair correctly and embrace its natural beauty.

There’s no need to torture your hair with a flat iron striving to achieve flawlessly straight locks. Instead, try out natural voluminous curls, cornrows, afro puff, or boxy braids with colorful accents.

Bridal hair accessories will help to make even the simplest hairstyle wedding-worthy – think hair clips, a headband, tiara, or flower crown.

Natural Voluminous Curls

Large voluminous curls are one of the most flattering wedding hairstyles for black women because they embrace African hair’s unique beauty. You’ll need a heat protection spray, a wide-tooth comb, and a flat iron.

Start by applying a nourishing mask in the shower to make the hair softer and bouncier. Let it dry naturally or blow-dry it with a round brush and concentrator nozzle – this will make the hair a bit straighter and help in styling.

Then, apply heat protection spray and curl the hair in about inch-wide strands in the same direction. Brush each strand gently with a wide-tooth comb and spritz with strong-hold spray.

Alternatively, you may leave your small natural curls but add volume with volumizing products. Blow-dry the hair upside down for extra fulness.

Cornrows And Curls

Cornrows are favored by black women worldwide because they look incredibly stylish and keep the voluminous curls away from the face.

Therefore, it doesn’t come as a surprise that cornrows are common in wedding hairstyles for black brides.

Consider an elegant yet creative hairstyle with cornrows at the front and loose curls at the back. This style looks equally gorgeous on any hair length and any wedding dress style.

You can master DIY cornrow braids with little practice. Detangling is vital for braiding, so start with a nourishing mask and leave-in conditioner. Apply coconut oil to each strand before working with it.

Part the hair in multiple rows using a narrow-tooth comb, depending on the desired cornrow width. Divide the first row into three sections and start making a very tight classic braid, moving towards the back of the head.

You should add a small strand of hair from the bottom with each braid stitch. When you’re satisfied with the result, secure the cornrow with a clear elastic and move on to the next row.

Consider wearing this hairstyle with a wide pearl headband, tiara, or crystal hair clips to make it look more feminine and unique.

Side Afro Puff

Consider a side afro puff if you want to accentuate your natural curls but can’t stand hair getting in your face. It’s one of the more creative yet simple wedding hairstyles updos for African American women.

This hairstyle doesn’t require any experience or heat styling. Start by applying leave-in conditioner and detangling your hair. Then, brush the hair upward using a wide-tooth comb.

Using an elastic to hold the puff in place may seem obvious, but it makes the puff appear too small. Instead, use a headband. Place it around the back of your neck and slide it up.

Apply a generous amount of strong-hold gel and distribute it evenly with a narrow-tooth comb or soft brush. Then, remove the headband and put it on your forehead. Slide it back towards the crown and use hair gel to eliminate frizz.

Lastly, fluff the puff with your fingers. You may conceal the headband under a hair accessory, such as white faux flowers or a large pearl clip.

Hollywood Waves

Hollywood waves are a classic hairstyle ideal for any formal event. The biggest drawback of Hollywood waves is their short lifespan.

Luckily, African hair holds curls exceptionally well, and you can boast this gorgeous style throughout the entire day.

Women with naturally straight hair have to apply heat for the old Hollywood look, but African American brides can use heatless methods. Use large diameter foam rollers overnight.

Apply moisturizing spray or coconut oil generously on each strand before rolling it. The damper the hair, the sleeker the hairstyle will look, but it will also take more time to dry.

After you take off the rollers, dampen your fingers in oil and pin the curls at the dips using long bobby pins or clips. This step is necessary to create large uniform waves rather than many individual curls.

Leave the bobby pins on your hair for about an hour. Then, remove them carefully and spritz the hair with strong-hold spray.

Sleek Top & Puffy Low Ponytail

Consider a low puffy ponytail with a sleek top if you’re looking for simple wedding hairstyles for black bridesmaids. This hairstyle will also work great for a bride wearing a veil.

Making this hairstyle is very simple and doesn’t require heat styling. All you need is a soft brush, elastic, and plenty of hair pomade.

Start by applying leave-in conditioner and detangling the hair. Then, part it on the side or in the middle. Rub pomade between your fingers and apply it to the hair roots.

Use a soft brush to distribute the product evenly and direct the hair towards the nape of your neck. Lastly, make a ponytail and fluff it with your fingers.

You may tie a large satin bow around the elastic for a romantic look, wear a headband, or wrap a satin scarf for a retro vibe.

Fishtail Braid

Braids lead the list of the most popular wedding hairstyles for African American women, and that’s no wonder. They are perfect for unruly curls, keeping them off your face as you dance or eat, and look incredibly stylish.

Cornrow braids require intermediate hairstyling skills, but a fishtail braid is significantly easier.

However, you will need to straighten the hair before braiding it. It doesn’t have to be perfectly straight, but it shouldn’t be curly either.

Don’t forget to apply heat protection spray before straightening your hair. When the hair is prepared, comb it thoroughly and divide it into two sections. The sections don’t have to be even.

Take a narrow strand of hair from the left section, at the forehead. Pull it across the left part and tuck it under the right section. Tug both parts gently. Repeat the steps with the right section, then the left, etcetera.

Loosen the braid when it’s complete and spritz with strong-hold spray to get rid of frizz and flyaway hairs.

Hairstyles with Flowers

There’s no hair accessory daintier than a flower clip or flower crown. They instantly make any hairstyle wedding-worthy. Pick flowers that match your attire, wedding theme, and season.

For instance, an orchid on the side will perfectly fit a tropical beach wedding, whereas a sunflower headband is ideal for a rustic wedding. If you have cornrows, insert small flowers into the braids.

Not all fresh flowers will last throughout the entire day, so faux blooms are a safer option. Choose latex or wax-coated artificial flowers because the cheapest fabric blooms look way too unrealistic and tacky.

Side-Swept Cornrow Braids

Cornrow braids are among the most beautiful traditional African hairstyles. Consider creative side-swept cornrow braids if you’d like to make this classic hairstyle more original.

This hairstyle looks better with many narrow cornrows than with a few thick braids. You may braid all cornrows in the same direction or have them go in different directions.

The cornrows may be straight, wavy, or swirly – your only limit is your creativity. Leave the braids hanging loose, tie them in a ponytail, or make a twisted bun.

Note that this hairstyle isn’t DIY-friendly unless you’ve already mastered the classic cornrow braid technique.

However, it’s excellent for brides and wedding guests willing to invest time and money in professional hair styling.

Long Chunky Braids with Colorful Accents

Chunky box braids are among the most popular braid styles for African hair, and making them is relatively simple. Note that you’ll need hair tresses to add volume to the braids.

You can use tresses that match your hair shade or colorful strands for a creative look. First, part your hair in the middle and divide each side into three even strands.

Apply conditioning gel onto each strand and distribute it evenly with a soft brush. Tie each strand at the base with a narrow elastic and apply coconut oil generously throughout the length.

Next, take tresses and divide them into three strands. Start making a classic French braid, taking a strand of your natural hair with every braid stitch. When you reach the end, secure the braid with a clear elastic.

Colorful tresses are an excellent way to incorporate your wedding colors into your bridal attire. For instance, choose light pink tresses if you have a pink-blue wedding color scheme.

Boxy braids look stylish regardless of the count. One or two braids are the most common choice, but you can make a dozen braids for a fuller look.