The half up half down hairstyle is undoubtably the most requested bridal style of 2022, and I think it’ll be popular into 2023 and beyond!

And it’s not surprising because this style is probably the most versatile of them all. Want it boho? No problem. Want it vintage? You’ve got it. Want it classic? Done.

What’s really interesting, is that after the lockdowns, I noticed a big increase in requests for half up styles (and down styles actually!). I’d say that I do at least one of these styles at nearly every single wedding. So…

how do I get my instagram half up hairstyle of dreams?

There are a few things to consider to achieve your half up half down wedding hair of dreams. These are my top pieces of advice.

How Much Hair Do You Have?

I’m starting with the most important point. If you read nothing else, remember this!

Half up styles take away about one third to one half of your hair, which is used for plaits and twists. You need to have very thick hair if you want the hair that is left down to look thick and luscious.

Even if you have an average amount of hair, the amount left down will probably feel thin to you, because a lot of your hair has been used for the ‘up’ part of the style.

How do you get round this?

There are two solutions.

1) The first is clip-in extensions (100% human hair is best). These will have their own blog post soon.

2) If you don’t want clip-ins for any reason then you’ll need to take less away for the detailing (e.g. the plaits and twists). This means a less chunky/voluminous plait or twist, but you will have more hair down. You’ll have to choose which part to compromise on.

how would you like the back/sides to look?

What makes this style so versatile is that you have so many options on how this looks from each angle. You can have twists, braids or just keep it classic OR you can have combinations. Remember, plaits take up a lot of hair, so you’ll either need very thick hair or extensions. Here are just a few variations!

How do you want to wear it around your face?

The three main options are:

Keeping lots around the face, using the hair further back for the detailing.
Keeping only small strands framing the face, using the rest for detailing (you’ll get a bigger twist of plait with this option because they’ll be more hair to use!)
Taking all the hair away from the face (great for outdoor ceremonies) or very hot days!