Hairdo that is easy and tough, for a bride on the cheap...

[Butterpie]

So, I can't afford a hairdresser, but i am getting married in six weeks. I have a couple of veils hanging about that I can fashion into a head-dress of some kind, but my hair is rubbish and won't hold a style.

Do I give in and just try to remember to brush it, or is there a magic way of giving it a bit of pizzazz? It is long (bottom of shoulderblades), mousy blonde with natural streaks and quite thick and frizzy.

I would buy a load of kirby grips, curling tong, and get practicing/playing over the next couple of weeks.

I didn't have a veil, just a tiara. I had just about worked out what I would do with my hair when a friend of a friend offered to do mine on the day!

Simple smooth, sleek bun at the nape of yuor neck. Flowers or tiara.

Def a nice neat bun sort of time. Either high on your head (veil attached below) or at the nape of your neck (veil above).

The secret is a bun ring from Claires - brush your hair into a ponytail at your desired location and use a band to fix it. Put the ring over the ponytail, then spread pony out over the ring - then slip another band over the top of the whole thing. Feel for any bald spots and shoogle it round. Then wrap the remaining hair around and fix with hairpins. Spray liberally with Elnett. Does not move all day done this way

the trick is to look like you

if you normally wear your hair up, nice bun or similar is good

if you normally have it loose try a half-up with an elastic to match your hair and stick the veil in above it. Do not buy curling tongs.

I am a normally-hair-up-er and my wedding 'do was basically a topsy tail (remember those? ) with the ponytail shoved through again till there were no ends showing, held in place with a decorated comb. Stayed in all day - moussed hair beforehand for volume and hold, then elnetted once styled.
bit like the bottom right one but without the twist, iyswim

A loose bun at the nape of your neck like this looks lovely,not too severe and soft bits around your face. You need lots of pins and hairspray and probably a friend to help.

Agree with looking like you, just a more polished version. I didn't want my hair up as at the time I never wore it up (now with young DC things are different!).

I know you said money is tight, but if you can't find a friend who is skilled enough to do it, I would seriously try and save/borrow/ask for as a wedding present, the money to pay for it to be done. It's easier to save wedding cash by buying a dress in the sale etc, doing your own nails, than to get a decent hairdo IMO - and it makes a huge difference to how you look. Maybe contact a local college and see if you could get a student to do it for a good deal? I would say don't try and do it yourself unless you have plenty of time to practise and can be confident of doing it on the day - remember you'll be busy and stressed and that may impact on how good a job of your own do you can, er, do.

I'm already doing my own, well, everything. Dress was in the sale at £120 and is by far the most expensive thing about the wedding.

I can maybe stretch to £20, but I'm worried that if I get someone else to do it they will get the straighteners out or do something really elaborate and uncomfortable. Plus people touching my hair makes me stressed anyway.

I will have a try with some of these ideas though, thanks!