If you look around online, you’ll find inspirational photos of natural haired brides on the best natural hair sites. Curly Nikki and Black Girl With Long Hair both offer regular photo features of natural bridal hairstyles, for ideal example. But every so often you’ll hear about a bride who isn’t down with natural hair at her wedding. I just read a blog post about that topic and it made me a little sad to realize that there is still a perception that natural hair isn’t as elegant, gorgeous or wedding-appropriate as straightened hair. I hope that this post — which includes jawdropping photos all with fabulous hair styles by my dear friend, natural hair expert Felicia Leatherwood — helps to dispel such perceptions.
Take it away, Felicia!
Something about being a new bride and preparing for your special day can be a little nerve wracking! Everything can be set in place. But what do you do with your natural hair? There are many options. Natural styles can be created with just a simple twist or braid, or you can just “let your fro go!”
Tips for your natural hair , so you will be prepared on your special day:
1) Be sure you deep condition you hair at least 3-4 days before your Special Day. That way your hairstyle will cooperate with you and your curls will have time to settle. Natural hairstyles usually look their best on the 3 & 4th day!
2) Make sure you’ve had time to explore and find the right style for your face shape, bridal dress and head dress (if you choose to wear one). You should take a photo to your hairstylist and have them try it on you before hand, so you won’t have any surprises the day of!
3) Make sure you pick a style that goes from day to evening time and a style that will fit with any thing you choose to wear.
4) Please be sure to drink plenty of water as soon as you start planning your wedding. That will ensure that your, hair, scalp & skin has proper moisture and will give your hair a nice silky shiny look for your special day.
Here are some natural brides sporting their natural fros and head dresses that will make you the center of attraction on your special day!
Classic Bun
Products used: Shea Moisture’s Hair Smoothie and Hold & Shine Mist and hair pins. For more face, neckline and jawline angles, do a updo or and pulled back bun to show off your features and bring more attention to your head dress and wedding gown.
*Styling by: Misty Cassesus
*Make-up: Nikki Star
*Hair by: Felicia Leatherwood
*Photographer: Inez Lewis
Gown by: Bride Culture by Natasha Ofili
Jacket by: Lanvin for H&M
Bird Cage Veil by: Tessa Kim
Model: Kendall Keith
Updo Loc’s Bow
When wearing a plunging neckline dress, consider putting your hair up. It creates a romantic look and feel to your dress. Pull your loc’s into a ponytail and then divide it into 4 even sections. Take the first few locs and twist them into a fold that can be secured with large and medium bobby & hair pins. Follow the second section and intertwine and twist that section around the ponytail and thru the loop of the first section. Secure with hair pins. Continue with the next 2 sections until you have secured each section of the ponytail down. Then you can add accessories to your updo. (head dresses, beautiful clips, rhinestones, etc.)
Products used:
Oyinhandmade’s Burnt Sugar Pomade, Greg Juice, Shine & Define Styling Serum, medium & large hair pins(open and close hair pins)
Gown designed by: Bride Culture by Natasha Ofili
Hair accessory by : Tessa Kim
Model Sharae Nikai Robinson
Bang Bun
Twist the hair forward and tuck under to create a Bang Bun. Secure with small hair pins. You can also add a beautiful diamond clip as long as it doesn’t over power your dress!
Products used:
Jane Carter’s Curly Defining Cream & Natural Holding Spray
Black Dress by Christell Designs & Purple Dress by Christiane King
Models: Kendall Keith & Sharae Nikai Robinson
Classic Fold & Tuck Style
What you’ll need: Rat Tail Comb, Hair Pins & Holding Spray
After using a heat protectant to blow your hair out (product suggestion – Koils by Nature’s Shealoe Leave-In) use the end of a rat tail comb to do a clean 1 inch part from left to right. Take the first section and fold it under, then secure the fold with med. size bobby pins. go on to the next section until you reach the front. You should end up with about 6-7 folds and tucks. Finish with a natural holding spray.
Products used:
Jane Carter’s Nourish & Shine Dry Hair & Skin Butter & Natural Holding Spray
Bridal Dress Designed by: Bride Culture by Natasha Ofili
Headdress by: Tessa Kim
Model: Rinny Perkins
Front Fro Ponytail
Keep it natural and add flair by blowing out your natural hair and making a frontal fro ponytail with it. You can accessorize it with flowers, bows or lace netting.
Bridal Dress Designed by: Sharazi Bridal Couture
Head piece by: Tessa Kim
Model: Ayana Hampton
Front Fro Ponytail, Bang Bun, Fold & Tuck
Bridesmaids dresses by:
Lanvin for H&M
Christelle Designs
Thank you for being awesome, Felicia!! Bellas, don’t forget to follow Felicia Leatherwood on Twitter and like her Facebook page to find out when her popular Loving Your Hair With Natural Care Workshop is coming to your town!
Thanks for posting. These styles are hot! I will recommend these styles for the brides I do makeup for.
Wow! Beautiful pics Felicia. I’m already married, but these are notable because naturals can wear them to any formal event. The Front Fro Ponytail is especially interesting to me. I’ve never heard of it before. I’m heading over to your Facebook and Twitter pages right now. Thanks for sharing Patrice. As always–you bring it!
Gorgeous styles!! My BFF’s getting married and I’m sending this to her ASAP! And I’m still waiting to catch one of Felicia’s workshops in Detroit!
Thanks for the great blog and pics. I have been looking for new styles for my locs. I don’t think I will be able to pull that one off but a sista is going to try. Unfortunately my hair is too long. But I am going to try it anyway!
Thanks for the loc love. And always giving get information.
All of these styles were elegant and beautiful. I understand the pressure for a lot of natural haired women on their wedding day.. and not even if you’re the bride.
Sometimes it’s hard if you’re a bridesmaid too so these types of posts are encouraging for more people than you think!
Beautiful pictures and wonderful tips Felicia!!! You are a natural hair guru & I’m so glad that I have you in my corner!!! Love you girl! : )
These styles are beautiful!! Felicia is amazing! I LOVE the Bang Bun & Fold & Tuck. I would rock these on any given day. It is sad to think that some women don’t think natural hair is “appropriate” for a wedding day. I wore my hair natural on my wedding day and it was beautiful. Even a wet set is a “natural” hair style that can provide beautiful texture without chemicals. Im so glad our community is waking up to the beauty and magnificence of Natural Hair and all it’s glory. Can’t wait to attend one of Felicia’s workshops, she is a true hair guru!!!!!
What a wonderful article, designs, styles, and Self-Inspiration. It is simply wonderful that women all around the world can be comfortable being their TRUE selves especially on one of the biggest days of their lives! Congrats of the Natural Movement!
Great ideas and tips! Felicia these are awesome styles for wedding and evening out or formal event. I can’t wait to try them out. My favorite style is the front fro ponytail, I could even rock that to the side.
I’m in utter amazement by the beauty and creativity expressed in this spread. Everything is flawless from the fashions to the accessory candy…BRILLIANT! As for the coiffing of these naturalists… Simply breathtaking, Felicia. You are a master at what you do. I am constantly amazed by your creativity. Thank u for sharing this with the world. I’m inspired to try some of the looks! FANTABULOUS!
Love all these different styles. I am a natural hair bride looking for style for my hair for my fall wedding. Looking at all these styles makes me happy and proves that natural hair has so much versitlity if not more. Accompanied with a classic hair accessory all these styles are sure to be timeless. I will try a few of these styles.
I am also looking for natural brides for the pages of my site. Email me for more information.
Natural HIGH!
Thanks for posting these natural styles. I am preparing for my fall wedding and wanted to have some ideas in addition to braids.
Natural hair is beautiful and versatile. The styles range from elegance to chic. There are so many options to choose from.
Very inspirational.
Thanks for this! I am actually in a wedding in Jan, and I have been thinking of some natural styles that I could wear. These photos have given me some great ideas!
Love these styles. I just got married and will be sharing my natural hair bridal photos as well:) On my blog.
Please check it out!
This post is great and very helpful!!! There are always questions about bridal hair and formal hair styles. How to style, accessorize, should I straighten it, etc. Thanks for sharing!
Love all these styles!
These hairstyles are just beautiful. Instead of wearing my natural hair out I will instead have my hair done in box braids. The reason why I chose to do this is because it’s a protective style for one thing. Secondly, my wedding is in December and winter weather can be rough on the hair. I wish there were more websites like this that show natural hair all out styles and those with locs or box braids as well.
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Oh, this is so important to feel yourself the best way on your spetial day! I am amazed of this page! Sometimes you think , if you have curly hair, you don’t have any choices to be new and different every day! But this post showed so many variants! Wow! Thank you! I’m going to follow this blog and I will wait for a new interesting information!