DIY wedding hair: Chestnut bun

When I got married, I never would have thought of doing my own wedding hair, but my friend (and hair genius) Caroline swore this beautiful chestnut bun was simple enough for brides to do themselves. So, I invited her to a West Village wedding shop to explain the steps (and play dress up), and the wonderful Jamie Beck took photographs. Doesn't the elegant bun look like something Grace Kelly would wear? Would you wear it?

Here are Caroline's steps, if you'd like to try it out...
1. Gather your hair into a high ponytail and secure it with a rubber band. You want the band to be pretty tight (otherwise the sides of the ponytail will droop after you do step three).

2. Next, slide your rubber band down a little so it's no longer tight against your scalp.

3. Create a little "hole" in the loosened part of your hair (between your scalp and the rubber band).

4. Pull your ponytail through the hole you just created.

5. Note: Be sure to pull the ponytail UP through the hole (instead of DOWN through the hole, like the topsy-tail we used to do in the 80s:)

6. Pull the ponytail all the way through so it hangs over the top of the rubber band. You may have to fan out the ponytail a little to create an even shape.

7. Next, loop the end of the ponytail under, towards the rubber band. If your hair is super long, you may have to wrap the ends of the ponytail around your hand a few times before you tuck it under. (I did!)

8. Pin the ends that you just tucked using a few bobby pins. Make sure it's pinned very securely. Then keep pinning the sides and bottom of the bun until it feels secure. You can spray with hairspray for extra hold, and feel free to bring some extra bobby pins for touch-ups throughout the night.
Voila, that's it! What do you think, my dears? Would you do your own wedding hair? Isn't this surprisingly simple? xo Thank you, Jamie and Caroline! And most of all, congratulations to all you brides-to-be out there!
P.S. More hair tutorials...

(Photos by Jamie Beck for Cup of Jo. In the step-by-step photos, Caroline is wearing an Eberjey robe. In the wedding photos, Caroline's adorable wedding dress is by Ivy & Aster from Lovely, a bridal boutique in the West Village. Her jewelry is from her own line, Brvtvs, and her red lipstick is Rouge Dior Lipcolor in Red Muse.)

Wedding hair

Isn't this bride's twisted bun beautiful? She looks right out of a Jane Austen novel.

(Photos by Steep Street)

Holiday hair

Whoa! I literally gasped when I saw this fiery red side chignon. The instructions are here, and her tomato red lipstick is Clinique's Red Red Red. Even if you wore a black turtleneck and jeans, you'd be the most glamorous girl at the party.

(Via HipHipGinGin, This is Glamorous, and Wit & Delight. I couldn't help reposting!)

City Hall Wedding

My dear readers, over the next few weeks, I'd love to share a few cool weddings of some friends. First up? Bill and Fanny, who recently tied the knot at New York's City Hall...
"We got married really early in the morning," says Fanny. "I put flowers in my hair; then we picked up Simon (our best friend and witness) and drove our old white Volvo into town, picking up coffees on the way."
"Getting married at City Hall was perfect," she says. "You could feel the tension in the waiting rooms--the expectations and the wedding nerves. It was really nice to share that with the other strangers."
Aren't Fanny's white overalls awesome? "A couple days before the wedding, I was looking for something to wear, and Bill suggested popping into Steven Alan. When I saw the dungarees, I knew they were right. I wanted to be comfortable and low-key. My mother would have cringed, but she was unknowingly going about her day in Sweden."
"After we got married, we called our families," says Fanny. "Then we had brunch at Cafe Cluny and went to a spa. The night was spent with friends at the Jane Hotel bar. It was such a beautiful, magical experience; I was in a daze all day." Huge congratulations, Fanny and Bill!

P.S. Fanny rides a bike, and see their awesome apartment on The Selby.

(Photos by Simon Howell)

City Hall wedding hair

Jess and Mike got married at New York's City Hall, and I love that she just wore her hair down. Beautiful and so relaxed.

(Photos by Heather Waraksa, via Oncewed)

My wedding look

This morning, I rode my trusty bike to Cutler and Make Up Forever for my wedding hair and makeup trials. I was a little nervous, but I ended up having such a great time and was totally thrilled with how it turned out (especially the sweet little braid). Now I want to get married immediately.

More photos on Glamour.com...I really hope you like it :) xoxo