There’s something genuinely magical about vintage wedding hairstyles. They carry glamour, romance, and a beauty that lifts any celebration.
Whether your heart is set on Old Hollywood waves or a Brigitte Bardot-inspired bouffant, these vintage wedding hair ideas blend classic charm with a fresh, modern feel. You can explore authentic 1920s Gatsby waves or try modern vintage wedding hairstyles that work beautifully on short, medium, and long hair, completing your bridal look with easy sophistication.
From lusciously soft chignons to retro pin curls, beehives, and finger waves, there is an elegant vintage wedding hairstyle waiting for every bride. Stick around as we travel into the past together.
Several styles are so enduring, they’re simply impossible to forget. Find the perfect vintage wedding hairstyles for you and your bridesmaids that will turn the elegance dial at your wedding as high as it can possibly go.
Vintage Wedding Hairstyle – Bouffant Updo
The bouffant hairdo stands out as one of the most iconic vintage wedding updo hairstyles, adored by brides chasing serious volume and glamour. It works perfectly for vintage wedding hairstyles for medium length hair or longer locks, channeling pure 1960s chic.
Style it with pearl earrings or a subtle headband for that Bardot-inspired look.
A bouffant is stunning all on its own and would usually not require a veil or a huge statement headpiece. You don’t need to go overboard with this hairstyle.
Just pair it with the right earrings or a carefully chosen set of jewelry, and you are sure to wow your guests as well as your partner.
Vintage Bridal Look with Chignon
The vintage chignon remains one of the most elegant vintage hairstyles for wedding days. It feels simple yet endlessly graceful.
This style flatters both medium-length and long hair beautifully, making it a star in any vintage wedding hairstyles long hair collection. Whether your preference leans toward a low, loose twist or a sleek, polished knot, this vintage wedding updo hairstyle never goes out of fashion.
A remarkably popular choice for brides and even guests, the chignon can be sleek or it can be slightly messy. It is a versatile hairstyle.
It also works well for most face shapes. Whether you pair it with bangs, push it low, or wear it high, the chignon will always spell classy.
Chic Bridal Beehive
The beehive hairdo defines retro sophistication. This signature vintage wedding hairstyle for long hair delivers instant volume and elegance.
It is an ideal choice for brides who love wedding long hair vintage hairstyles, as the beehive updo can be styled high for drama or kept soft and low. Add a birdcage veil for a perfect 60s movie-star moment.
Retro Inspired Victory Roll Updos
These 1940s victory rolls are the ultimate vintage hairstyles wedding look. They are glamorous, structured, and bursting with character.
Ideal for vintage wedding hairstyles for medium length hair, they pair beautifully with bold lipstick and classic pearls. Try this retro wedding hair look for a photo-ready aesthetic.
You could style it as a twisted updo, a finger wave updo, Victorian twists, or even a stylish top knot. The versatility here lets you try a whole range of looks.
Pair it with bold red lipstick, nails, and maybe even shoes, and you will have the glamorous vintage look of your dreams.
Vintage Wedding Bumped Hairstyles
A bumped-up hairstyle is a classic number that works perfectly for modern retro brides. It can be styled easily with any type of wedding gown, or with any face shape.
There are so many options for this hairstyle. Bumped-up ponytails, chignons, side sweeps, center parts, and more.
With simple tricks like combing portions of your hair forward even though you are styling it back, and tying your hair loosely, you can create the perfect bump. This 1960s glam is one look that has transcended time and followed us to today because of its charm, beauty, and class.
Pair a beautifully bumped-up hairstyle with a headband or statement piece, and you have the glamorous look you want to achieve.
Brigitte Bardot-inspired looks are a perfect fit for this category. We asked Multi Award Winning Hairstylist Michael Gray for his expert advice on achieving this iconic style.
Here’s what he shared:
Creating a Bardot look comes down to the foundation of the backcombing and the right products to prep the height, ensuring the hair isn’t too stiff but still secure. Dry volume texture spray by Living Proof is great for building height within a Bardot look.
Always check where the client would like the height. If they have a long face, making it slightly fuller on the sides or more of a swoop gives the illusion of the style looking wider.
With a round face, you want to keep it tighter on the sides with more height on the crown to make the face look longer.
By Michael Gray
Vintage Wedding Ponytail
A vintage ponytail is best styled with more volume on top than you would normally have. Whether you are looking for African American vintage wedding hairstyles, or just long vintage wedding hairstyles, a ponytail works beautifully.
Embellish it with a shiny hairpiece, lace, or flowers, and you are good to go.
Retro Inspired Half Up Half Down
For vintage wedding hairstyles half up, there is a lot that you can do. This flexible choice gives you so many options that picking one might be the hardest part.
Do you create bouncy waves paired with a retro updo or a half updo with twists at the top and waves beneath?
You can pair victory rolls with the cutest curls, or match a classy, sleek pony with effortless waves. You could bump it up or sweep it to the side.
Just find the right headpiece or vintage accessory to complete the look and pull it all together.
Returning Hair Trend – Finger Waves
Nothing says vintage wedding hair like the 1920s finger waves. This iconic retro bridal hairstyle suits short, medium, and long hair, and it brings true Great Gatsby elegance to any theme.
It is perfect for vintage wedding hairstyles for short hair. Glossy, cinematic, and absolutely timeless.
Create real glamour with this Great Gatsby-inspired look that is sure to earn you the most perfect wedding photos. With hair gel, a hot iron, a rat tail comb, and hair clips, you can create the look you want, along with the right atmosphere for your special day.
Pin-Up Style Wedding Hair Ideas
Our fabulous pin-up style wedding hair doesn’t get better than the 1940s victory roll, which channels a whimsical vibe. For a touch of romance, you might consider the beehive hairdo paired with a twisted French roll.
Add a birdcage veil and silk dress to top off this look.
We also love the simple 1950s pin-up hairstyle with waves and a jeweled headband on a strapless Chantilly lace dress. If you prefer to keep things minimal, consider a bow-tied beehive chignon, while head-turning flawless marcel finger waves bring all the glam.
Accessorize your pin curls with pearls, gems, and floral accents to complement your modern, retro, rustic, or chic look.
Vintage Wedding Veils Ideas
The most fun part of a vintage wedding look, hands down, is the wedding veils. Beautiful, interesting, and creative veils can completely shift your look and transport you to a different era.
When choosing your veils, you should also think about the vintage wedding hairstyles with a veil that you decide on.
This will go a long way as you pick the veil itself. From wispy lace drop veils which go with almost any hairstyle, to shorter flyaway veils that match beautifully with tea-length dresses, on to romantically long mantilla veils from 17th century Spain.
A topic on vintage wedding veils would be incomplete without mentioning the birdcage veil, or the Juliet cap veil of the 1950s.
Elegant Vintage Wedding Accessories
Most bridal accessories from eras past were bold, beautiful, and all about romance. If you want to style yourself with vintage hair accessories, then you must find the one that will work for you and your hairstyle.
From ribbons to silk bows, flower halos, pins, pearls, and jewel-studded headpieces, you have quite a number of options.
Pair a simple hairstyle with a statement headpiece of jewels or exquisite lace, and you might find your vintage expression in the best way possible. Whether you’re working with 1950 vintage wedding hairstyles or any from another era, you are sure to find the right accessory for you.