15 Celebrity-Inspired Wedding Braids

Watson's updo that stays simple in the front and looks complexly stitched in the back ensures all eyes will be on you as you walk by on the special day. Isabel Guillen, hairstylist at the John Barrett Salon and weave whiz at its Braid Bar, boasted about the versatility of this look: "It would truly work with any personality, occasion, or theme you're trying to achieve." To create the style, Guillen said to first rake strands with Shu Uemura Essence Absolue Nourishing Protective Oil "for excellent shine and just enough control." Next, create a side part and form two French braids that begin right above each ear. Join the braids at the back of the head, continuing to weave them all the way down to their tip. Finally, coil them around each other and pin them up into a bun. To finish the look, Guillen recommended John Barrett Be Hold Styling Balm "to tame any flyaways."

The wispy and wavy texture of Nicole Kidman's spiraled updo lends it a romantic feel. John Nollet, the hairstylist behind the showstopping look, suggested it would pair perfectly with a minimal gown in particular. "It adds something delicate and angelic to a simple and modern wedding dress," he said. To achieve the labyrinthine braids, Nollet used his fingers and hairspray. Starting at the center of the head, he began a French braid that spiraled around and around, only adding sections of hair to the outer side of the plait rather than to both sides. As he progressed, he misted the style with his trusty L'Oréal Elnett Satin Hairspray. "I hoard Elnett everywhere I go because it strongholds the hair, but still keeps it looking natural," he admitted.

Ashanti's soft braided bun is well-suited for a black-tie affair. "It's a clean and elegant updo, which gives it a sense of pure formality," the singer's go-to hairstylist, Shereese Slate, said, adding that the flattering height in the front "adds inches to a short bride and adds length to a round face." To attain the voluminous top and the substantial bun, Slate stressed the importance of extensions. "Add clip-in extensions to the whole head, except for the perimeter," she instructed, recommending SheWear extensions specifically. "The hair lasts up to a year and they won't shed or tangle," she said. For a bun with added dimension, Slate recommended splitting a low ponytail into four sections and alternating between braids and fishtails before coiling them around into a large knot.

Leave it to actress and fashion darling Fan Bingbing to put a glamourous spin on a braided bun. For this polished look, only the most stately of events will do. But don't fret over maintaining its perfection throughout the night. "If it slowly unravels, the more romantic it will become," said Guillen. To reproduce this look, Guillen instructed first drawing a side part. Next, cornrow three braids along the front of the head to the nape of the neck, followed by cornrowing two braids along the side of the head to the nape of the neck "for a 3D effect." After gathering all five braids into a low ponytail, "carefully wrap them all around the palm of your hand to ensure a clean finish when forming the bun," she recommended. Secure the whirled knot into the hair with pins and "a generous (but distant) misting" of Shu Uemura Sheer Lacquer Finishing Spray.

Brides with backless gowns would be wise to consider this cascading plait. "It's a less contrived way to style your hair with a cutout back than the standard off-the-neck version," said Lisa Laudat, who is credited with giving Cole this look that she wore on the Cannes red carpet. "There's something sexy and womanly about seeing a woman's hair on her bare skin." As for the charming black ribbons, Laudat suggested selecting a color that matches your flowers or bridesmaids dresses rather than the obvious alabaster option. "If you choose white, it can look too matchy-matchy and not as cool," she explained. "Ribbons that match your wedding colors look more creative and intentional."

Instead of wearing a tiara to celebrate your nuptials, Caroline Wiseman, who works with Panettiere, recommended a thick inverted plait as an alternative. "The braid here gives the effect of a crown," she said. "It's the perfect style for a bride who wants to look like a princess." To create it, Wiseman suggested starting with detangled, flat-ironed hair, which enables you to easily grab each section as you weave. Plait hair by braiding under, not over, for a circlet that sits on top of the head, rather than into it. Wiseman also recommended "keeping the strands neat and the hands close to the head" for the sharpest results, then slightly deconstructing the style with fingers "for a dose of softness and femininity."

There's perhaps nothing more classic than a topknot for the big day, but Alba's adds intrigue with an inverted braid that snakes up the back. "It was meant to look like a spine that rims the back of the head," explained Jen Atkin, who was inspired by the hair on Badgley Mischka's fall 2013 runway. "It's the perfect style for a dress that's more structured, because this hair will give it a more regal look." To get this look, Atkin first separated hair horizontally into two sections at the top of the ears and sculpted a bun out of the higher half. After flipping Alba's head over, she then crafted an inside-out French braid from the nape of the neck to the crown. "You want to make sure you braid it tight to achieve that spinal look, instead of a limp braid," she said. After swirling the rest of the hair around the original topknot, Atkin recommended spritzing a toothbrush with Oribe Superfine Hairspray and running it along the hairline to banish flyaways and achieve a sleek finish.

With a gold leaf Jennifer Behr headband laced into a braided coronet, the pop star's style would make an excellent option for a country wedding. "I wanted to stay true to a strong Italian Dolce & Gabbana vibe with this hair," Atkin revealed. "A gold headband would be a unique and creative replacement for a veil," she added, explaining that choosing gold for the big day instead of the common silver or rhinestone accessory lends a richer and more luxe feel. Atkin split Perry's long hair vertically in two from top to bottom and French braided both sides before folding them over each other to encircle the entire head. She then masked the center part with Rita Hazan Root Concealer "to make the hair look fuller in photographs and prevent any strange parting. Hiding the center part makes the look revolve around the braids without any distractions. It makes this style look more like a halo than like a Heidi braid."

Takisha Sturdivant-Drew, the hairstylist behind Washington's half-up 'do, sourced two popular looks from the '60s as her inspiration: "The bouffant combined with the braid meld the aesthetics of Mad Men with a Bo Derek-like hippie," she said. Since plaits tend to be less visible on women with dark hair, Sturdivant-Drew recommended weaving different colored hair extensions into the braid to draw attention to all the handiwork—as she did on the Scandal star. "The added colors also add an edgier and more interesting vibe to this makeshift headband," she added.

When crafting Stewart's style at this year's Kids' Choice Awards, Adir Abergel referenced a woman who just emerged from the ocean and haphazardly fishtailed her own saltwater-soaked mane as his muse. "This fishtail pony is the ideal look for a beach or a humid destination wedding," he said. To get the weave's hefty effect, Abergel stressed using texturizing products. He recommended Fekkai Perfectly Luscious Curls Wave Activating Spray to enhance natural waves; saltwater spray for a rougher feel on damp hair; Oribe Supershine Light Moisturizing Cream for a piecey look after diffusing; and Serge Normant Meta Revive Dry Shampoo for added thickness as a finisher. "After you fishtail, don't forget to open it up to make it even fatter," he said.

"It's perfect for the adventurous bride who wants something different, but not too extreme," said hairstylist John D. of the updo he gave Michele for this year's People's Choice Awards. But beyond its uninhibited effect, John also praised the practicality of this look. "It will be a style that won't budge throughout the whole day—even after the veil comes on and off, through all of the hugs and hellos, and even after cutting it up on the dance floor," he said. When forming the reeling and rolling weaves, John emphasized the importance of working on day-old hair for extra grip. After French braiding arbitrary sections throughout, slightly pull the plaits apart "to rough up the texture and lend a more easy, boho vibe," he said.

"I was going for a British-meets-punk look that's still romantic and almost gothy," Atkin said of Kelly's style at the Met Ball, which she mentioned could work beautifully for a ceremony at a centuries-old mansion. "There's a fallen romance to the look," Atkin added. For the final touch to this ring of plaits, she deconstructed a necklace into two parts and pinned them on either side of the hair so they laid on top of the braid. "Pick a necklace that has large chain holes so you can loop a bobby pin into a hole and hold it in place more securely," she said of using jewelry as a hair accessory. "Crisscross pinning is also key rather than parallel pinning to lock a necklace in place."

Two braided wreaths and a loose, free-flowing gown evoke the look of a Grecian goddess, according to Renato Campora, who is credited with being behind the actress's hairstyle at a Grown Ups 2 premiere. For Hayek's updo, Campora first loosely braided various-sized sections of hair for volume and tons of texture before gathering them all together and pinning them up and away. "Braid the hair at first like you're not even thinking about it," he recommended for the willy-nilly weaves. Next, he tightly plaited a long matching extension and tethered the voluminous 'do with two wraps of the DIY headband "to accentuate the height at the top and give balance and proportion to the style," he explained.

With the country starlet's feathery fringe and wispy weaves, softness is the reigning word for this look. "The naturalness of an outdoor setting really lends itself to hair pinned in soft braids," said Jemma Muradian, who invented this style. She suggested first spraying Kérastase Powder Bluff into the roots, which "makes it easy to mold the hair however you'd like." Next, form a regular braid from behind both ears and overlap them on top of the head. Then at the base, shape two half-French braids ("this means only grab and add strands from one side—in this case near the neck"), and crisscross them "to create a basket-like look," Muradian said. After pinning in place and setting with Kérastase Laque Dentelle, massage the hair around the face for a slightly rumpled effect.

For the no-fuss bride who prioritizes easiness over extravagance, Saldana's plait-accented style is a beautiful option. "It's great for a woman who wants to look [like] herself on the big day and doesn't want to deflect from the moment," said Guillen. "It plays up the bride's natural features and doesn't distract from what's truly important: her face." After a voluminous blowout, she suggested granting texture and curls to the entire head with a one-and-a-half-inch curling iron. Then slightly tease the roots for additional height. To devise the diminutive braid, grab a slight section from directly above one ear, weave to the ends, then drag it across the top of the head and pin it in place behind the opposite ear for a touch of individuality.