Updo suggestions for wedding needed please!

[Nes]

My uncle is getting married in 2 weeks and I have no idea how to style my hair. I am useless at doing updo's and I need a really easy secure one.

My usual attempts at any kind of style result in aching arms and hair that looks like an abandoned birds nest.

The only hairtoys I have are hairsticks, big claw clips and hair elastics.

I have lots and lots of very thick wavy hair (a bit longer than waist, but layered) and very few things can hold it up for any length of time. It's also quite slippery and things like bobby pins just tend to slide out.

I was hoping for maybe a bun that I can secure with the sticks or something? Instructions or links to them would be really helpful.

Thank you so much - you're the only ones I trust!!

Nes x

P.S. if anyone's interested, i'm wearing this dress (the green one)

http://www.asos.com/Asos/Asos-Pleat-Detail-Full-Skirted-Dress/Prod/pgeproduct.aspx?iid=301293&cid=5235&clr=Green&Rf-200=2&sh=0

and these shoes -

http://www.office.co.uk/womens/office/flora_pompom_peeptoe/37/1591/14299/1

(I hope it's ok to post these links, if not I can remove them)

[lilalong]

It's a cute dress. Maybe some kind of half-up?

[Shanarana]

Can you do a sock bun? A dressed up one with some flowers or something would look very pretty.

[Chromis]

Braided buns often have a bit more holding power to help keep it from slithering away on you, but I think some tendrils hanging down would look quite smashing with that dress!

You could try just a simple French braid with a couple of small flowers too since the dress is somewhat casual looking with all the ruffles.

[ysmalan]

What a cute dress! :inlove:

I've got the same problem, my friend is getting married in about two weeks. And I think I'll be wearing my hair mostly down, contained with a few elastics and/or with a green scarf woven into it. But I'll be wearing a black dress (no money to buy a new one, so this one'll have to do), so it's mostly for the reason of bringing a bit colour into it. :D But I also know that most updos hurt my head after a few hours, and that wedding will probably take 20 hours or so...

As for an updo... as your dress and shoes look so cute and playful, I'd either go all the way and make the hairdo playful, too (with a few curled strands surrounding the face or something like that) or make it something simple and elegant.
But either way I think it would be best if you already knew very well how to do your chosen updo. From my experience, new updos work fine for a few times, but never work on mornings of important occasions like that... ;) What updos can you do and feel secure and comfortable with?

[Miss Murphy]

I would say either a half-up or a braided bun. Or you could try (or have somebody else do it for you) a french braid. Or maybe - as contrasting styles are so en vogue right now - try a Heidi braid (a braid wrapped around your head) as a cleverly contrived clash with your modern, sexy dress and shoes?

[Samikha]

If you want something fancy, watch this video (http://community.livejournal.com/longhair/2435813.html#cutid1) for ideas. It is really elaborate, but you could easily do the same with only half your hair, or cancel some steps of the process if you like. And it's not as hard as it looks, just time-consuming! I think a half-up would suit the dress nicely. If you want something simpler, just a braided half-up cinnamon bun (http://100-hairstyles.freidenkerin.de/index.php?/archives/13-12-Braided-Cinnabun-Halfup-Halfup-mit-geflochtenem-gedrehtem-Dutt.html) would look nice.

[Arctic_Mama]

I personally think that twin dutch braids combined into a braided bun is decorative, but not TOO decorative, for any wedding. It would take advantage of the gloss of your dark hair, too!

[misstwist]

My favorite easy impressive bun is a braided bun with two or more braids.

Put your hair in a ponytail (I prefer a high ponytail, on the crown). Braid it in two or more sections, I usually make four braids. Bun by twisting around the base of the ponytail, going clockwise then counterclockwise. I don't use any pins for this. Tuck the ends underneath as you bun and pull them a little bit tight.

[banglaminerva]

I've been watching this thread since I'm in a wedding and have no idea what to do with my hair. The bride's booked a salon for all of us if we want to join her, but I've never been to one, so I have no idea if I want to go or not and if I go, what I get done. I have at least 15 extra years between me and the next girl in the group, really don't want to look like an old spinster or someone trying too hard to not look like an old spinster ;)

Samikha, thanks for posting the link to the video. I might play around with that or take it to the salon.

[PseudoScot]

I just wore a rose bun to a wedding. I used a ponytail as the base for good stability and then hair sticks to hold it in place. It looks really nice! It's not that hard with practice.

Two Strand Rope and Bun (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/vbjournal.php?do=article&articleid=47)

The video is really good [link at bottom of article].

Also, if you tire of it as a bun you can take it down and still have a good 'braid'. You can also keep some hair out of the braid and make an smaller accent rope braid too.

[Teazel]

This (http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/album.php?albumid=583&pictureid=21130) is my fave 'do at the minute: when I first put it up I thought Wow, wedding hair! :silly:

It's extremely comfortable and really easy: just a french twist at the back without tucking anything in, then the excess length coiled on top. Mine is just held together with a few pins, but you could add sticks for decoration and added security. You could make it as loose and romantic as you like, maybe with some curly tendrils here and there.

[PseudoScot]

Am I correct in reading that you manage that with 43 inch long hair? How do you secure the coil?

I guess I thought at my length I left behind French twists long ago... but yours looks so nice and with such long hair!

[Teazel]

Am I correct in reading that you manage that with 43 inch long hair? How do you secure the coil?

I guess I thought at my length I left behind French twists long ago... but yours looks so nice and with such long hair!

Thanks! :) I know what you mean: I tried french twists a few times and obviously I have way too much hair to tuck away neatly. So I tried the bun on top and it's a great solution.

In that photo the twist is secured with three long pins, including the sparkly ones, and a few more pins are holding the bun. I have tried anchoring the twist with a side comb - wish I could get hold of a proper french twist comb! - and that worked too.

[aprilmay]

I am attending my cousin's wedding in a week and I plan on wearing my hair in a mid-high bun with a dressy metal hair comb. I haven't selected my comb yet, but my bun will hopefully look as good as it did in my avatar pic. I find combs hold my hair securely and look more formal than a partial updo. Good luck! Weddings (even when I am not in the wedding party) make me pay way more attention to my appearance than I usually do.

[Medvssa]

You have gorgeous hair. Wear it loose :D

[Isilme]

try to see if you can ask someone how the bride is going to wear her hair, then you can adapt you updo so it won't be more interesting than hers:)

[Tapioca]

My favorite (as pictured below) - the braided bun. Gather hair into a ponytail around the middle of the back (you know, normal ponytail height - not nape) of the head, secure with an elastic. Braid the pony, secure with another elastic. Wrap around like a bun (you can twist if you like, but I think it shows off the braid better if you don't), tuck the ends under, and secure.