formal updos

[angel007]

I'm going to be a bridesmaid in a wedding, and I'm looking for hairstyle ideas/instructions.

The bride is flexible. She says I can do any hairstyle I want, as long as it looks formal and it's an updo. Ideally, I'd like I do it myself at home, but I can go to a salon if I have to.

My hair is two inches past BSL, with 2a waves. I normally wash with water only. I normally wear it down too, so I'm a little clueless when it comes to updos.

I'd like a simple, but elegant look. My only concern: I have a halo of hairs that stick up around the crown of my head, and I'm not sure how to keep them down for this formal occasion. Is aloe vera gel good for this? I want to stay as natural as possible.

Thanks!

Angel

[purplebubba]

I'm thinking something where you would roll the sides as you go back or a crown braid of some sort.

Perhaps roll the sides and then put it in a gibson tuck? Or other bun.

Something like the Edwardian and Gibson combined
http://www.longlocks.com/hairstyles.htm

[Miss Murphy]

Angel, my hair seems to be around your lenght, and for formal occasions I like to do a flower bun.
Also, aloe vera gel is a great idea to hold halo hairs at bay! Also I am sure using hairspray or regular gel just this once will not do any harm to your hair.

Hope that helps!

[Anje]

Rosette buns (bunned rope braid, maybe with accent braids) are also nice, though they tend to be smaller volume than some of the other updos suggested.

Whatever you do, make sure you do a few trial runs, particularly with the aloe gel or if you try crown braids (which take significant practice). You want to ensure you'll have the right look well in advance of the wedding.

[Mishka_84]

If you like braids, look at this site:
http://www.frenchbraidsbytwistedsisters.com/index.html

I found this link in this thread, which also has some good suggestions for wedding do's:
http://forums.longhaircommunity.com/...ead.php?t=4640