A sleek low bun is one of the most elegant wedding hairstyles a bride can wear: smooth and gathered at the nape, it leaves the face and neck completely clear. It looks simple, but how clean it stays depends on how it is built underneath. Knowing how it is made, which finishes it allows and which details make it yours helps you arrive at the trial knowing what to ask for.
The base that holds the bun
Everything starts with the base, and the base depends on the style you want. If you would like an updo with some pattern to it, woven and textured, it is worked over a braid that is coiled around itself. If you prefer it smoother and sleeker, it is built over a filler, a soft pad that gives the bun its shape: layers of hair are wrapped over it one by one, and each layer is pinned firmly so the whole updo does not move all day.
The finish is a choice too. For a matte result, the lines are kept drier. If you want more shine, it is finished with a layer of spray wax, which gives it that polished gleam.
The wet look
Many brides ask for a low bun with a wet look, that shine that seems freshly combed. It comes from layering spray wax and finishing with a coat of hairspray, which sets the style and seals the finish. If the hair allows it, wet-look gels can even be used.
With curly or wavy hair, though, gel is not a good idea when the aim is a smooth updo. The hair ends up going back to its natural shape, and the curl comes through again as the day goes on.
Can you do a sleek low bun with curly hair?
It is not the best choice if you want a smooth finish. Curly or wavy hair tends to go back to its natural shape, and the curl comes through as the day goes on.
Which hairstyles make the most of curls instead of fighting them is in curly wedding hair, and whether an updo or a half-up style suits them better is in updo or half-up for curly wedding hair.
Middle part or side part
Choosing the parting is, above all, a matter of taste. The trend in a sleek updo today is a middle part, and it is the one you see most. A side part, on the other hand, softens the features, which is why I sometimes recommend it. Even so, nothing is fixed: how you are used to seeing yourself counts too.
Should a sleek low bun have a middle or side part?
It depends on your taste. A middle part is the current trend, and a side part softens the features. How you are used to seeing yourself counts too.
Face-framing pieces or a completely clean bun
A very sleek updo, without a single hair out of place, can feel strange to a bride who is used to wearing hair around her face. When that happens, a few soft pieces are drawn out to fall beside the face. The updo keeps its elegance, and she recognises herself and feels comfortable when she looks in the mirror.
Jordan wore a sleek low updo at her wedding in Deià, in Mallorca.
If you can picture your wedding hair in a sleek low bun, tell me at the trial. That is where the base, the finish and the parting are decided on your own hair.
