15 Flower Girl Hairstyles for Weddings

The step diagram shows the top section gathered back and secured, with the lower length in soft waves left down. This is the most requested flower girl style and it photographs beautifully because it keeps the softness of hair being down while clearing her face completely — which matters enormously in a wedding photograph, where hair across a cheek is the thing that ruins an otherwise perfect frame. Set the waves the night before with loose braids in damp hair rather than using heat on the morning; overnight waves hold considerably longer than curled ones and involve no risk of a burn on a stressful morning. Gather from roughly ear level upward, secure with a seamless elastic, then reinforce with two pins pushed in from either side and crossed in an X. Half-up styles fail at the temples first, and those two pins are what take it from a two-hour style to a twelve-hour one.

The step diagram shows a Dutch braid worked around the perimeter of the head, the tail tucked under and pinned. This is the most secure style available and the right choice for a full wedding day, because every strand of front hair is contained and nothing can work loose during a long reception. It also holds a floral crown or fresh stems tucked into the braid without any additional pinning. Work with her head tilted toward the side you are braiding. Finish as a plain braid, tuck the tail under the start, and secure with two crossed pins. Practise it a week before rather than attempting it for the first time on the morning.

The step diagram shows a low bun at the nape with two thin sections left loose at the temples. A low bun is the most formal and the most comfortable option, sitting below a chair back so it does not press during the meal. The two loose face-framing pieces are what stop it looking severe on a small child. Pull them out before securing the bun rather than after, and keep them thin — thick face-framing pieces read as escaped hair rather than as deliberate. Pin the bun with pins pushed inward toward the scalp.

The step diagram shows the top half gathered into a small bun at the crown with a satin ribbon tied beneath it. This combines the softness of hair down with a defined shape at the crown, which photographs well from every angle including behind — worth considering, since a flower girl is photographed from behind more than anyone else at a wedding. Use the half-pull loop method for speed. Tie the ribbon over the elastic rather than relying on it to secure anything.

The step diagram shows a fresh floral crown being fitted and secured with two crossed pins at each side. A fresh crown photographs considerably better than a metal tiara, since flowers and fabric catch light softly where metal reflects camera flash as a bright spot. Fit it the day before rather than the morning — sizing a crown on a stressed child an hour before a ceremony is the kind of thing that goes badly. Secure with two crossed pins at each side rather than relying on the crown to sit by itself.

The step diagram shows two Dutch braids running down each side, joined and coiled into a single low bun at the nape. This is the most secure formal style here — nothing is loose at any point, and it holds through a full day of running about at a reception. Braid each side to the nape, gather both plus any remaining hair, then twist and coil into a bun and pin inward. It also sits low enough that a veil or a hair vine can be pinned above it without conflict.

The step diagram shows overnight waves left down with a small pearl clip securing one side behind the ear. This is the softest option and the right choice for a young flower girl who will not tolerate anything elaborate. The clip does the only necessary job — keeping hair off one side of her face — while the rest stays loose. Choose a fabric-backed or pearl clip rather than plain metal, both because it grips better and because it photographs without flare.

The step diagram shows a small braid worked from one temple across the top of the head and pinned behind the opposite ear, with the rest left down. This looks more elaborate than it is and takes around three minutes. It keeps every strand off her forehead — which matters under bright ceremony lighting — while the hair stays down and soft. Pin behind the ear with two crossed pins. On fine hair, pancake the braid gently before pinning so it does not disappear.

The step diagram shows a side braid with a satin ribbon incorporated as part of one strand, finishing in a soft bow. A side braid brought forward over the shoulder shows in photographs where a back braid disappears, and weaving ribbon through it takes no longer than an ordinary braid. Use grosgrain rather than satin if it must hold all day — satin slips out within the hour, though it photographs slightly better, which is a genuine trade-off worth deciding in advance.

The step diagram shows two front sections twisted back and secured at the crown, with three small fresh stems tucked into the join. Tucking individual small flowers into a twist is more delicate and considerably more photogenic than a full crown, and it suits a smaller child better. Use three stems rather than more, placed asymmetrically. Secure each with a small pin behind the flower head rather than through it, which crushes the bloom.

The step diagram shows the styling sequence with the dress hanging aside and the hair being finished first. This is a sequencing point rather than a style and it saves the morning. Pulling a dress over a finished hairstyle disturbs it every time, particularly anything with a high neckline or a zip at the back. Do the hair first, then dress her by stepping into the dress from the floor rather than pulling it over her head. Every professional does it this way.

The step diagram shows a low bun with a small comb-fitted veil pinned just above it. If she is wearing a veil or a headpiece, the hairstyle has to accommodate it rather than the reverse. A low bun leaves the crown clear for a comb to grip, where a high bun or a topknot leaves nowhere to fit one. Test the veil with the finished hairstyle the day before, since a comb that will not grip is discovered too late on the morning.

The step diagram shows a small pouch containing spare pins, a mini elastic, a comb, and a travel hairspray. Twelve hours is long enough that something will need fixing, usually just before the group photographs. A small pouch handed to an adult who is not in the wedding party solves it. Include the same pins used in the original style, a couple of spare elastics, and a small comb. This costs nothing and saves the one photograph everyone will keep.

The step diagram shows a low ponytail with a fabric bow, on a toddler-length head of hair. For a very young flower girl, an elaborate style is neither achievable nor necessary — she will not sit for it and it will not survive her. A low ponytail with a soft fabric bow photographs perfectly well and takes under a minute. Choose comfort over complexity entirely at this age, since a two-year-old pulling at an uncomfortable style during a ceremony is a far worse outcome.

The step diagram shows the problem items grouped as a reference: a metal tiara with combs, a style with one securing point, satin ribbon expected to hold, a crown fitted on the morning, and hairspray-heavy styling on a child. Each is a preventable failure. Metal tiaras dig in and are removed within the first hour. A single elastic loosens at the temples well before the reception. Satin slips out regardless of how tightly it is tied. A crown fitted on the morning is a crown discovered to be the wrong size at the worst possible moment. And heavy hairspray on a child's hair is uncomfortable, smells strong in a warm venue, and takes a full conditioning wash to remove.