30 Pretty Black Braided Hairstyles for Brides

Looking to sport gorgeous braids on your wedding day? Get inspired by Lupita, Zoë and more of our favorite celebs.
sophie ross the knot bridal fashion and beauty expert
by
Sophie Ross
sophie ross the knot bridal fashion and beauty expert
Sophie Ross
Bridal Fashion and Beauty Expert
  • Sophie Ross is a Senior Copywriter at Adore Me.
  • Sophie is an experienced style and beauty writer.
  • Sophie worked as an Associate Editor for The Knot from 2017 to 2019.
Updated Sep 09, 2020

When it comes to black braided hairstyles—many of which can take hours to achieve—it's important to be as prepared as possible in terms of exactly what style you want for your wedding day. (You'll obviously need to know how much time you'll need to allocate to sitting in your hairstylist's chair for the purpose of sticking to your day-of schedule.)

Good news: We've got you covered with all the black braided hairstyle inspiration you'll need for your wedding day—so you can have your dream style ready for your hair trial, your wedding day and beyond (hey, if you're good at braids, have at it!). Get inspired by gorgeous black braided hairstyles sported by some of our favorite celebs, below.

Cinnamon Bun Braids

Make like Janelle Monae and wear two cinnamon bun braids with beads, pearls or other bridal accessories laced in.

Classic Cornrows

For the ultimate cool-girl look, pair classic cornrows with a white suit, feminine gown or anything in between. (Basically, cornrows just look cool, always.)

Sleek Low Bun

Amandla Stenberg's style is timeless. You can't go wrong with three cornrows pulled back into a low, sleek chignon.

With a Gold Headband on Top

Get inspired by actress Danai Gurira and wear your braids tucked back with a gold headband or—better yet—a bridal tiara. (We still have royal fever, okay?)

Bouffant Braid

Say "yes" to volume with a big bouffant braid like Kelly Rowland. Pair with chandelier earrings to look as glam as she does.

Big Braids

Whether worn down (like Justine Skye) or pulled back, big, thick braids paired with statement earrings (hello, hoops) will always look stylish and wedding-ready.

Stylishly Sideswept

Take a cue from Lisa Bonet by braiding only one side for a sleek and asymmetrical sideswept style.

Curved Cornrows

Add some personality to your braided hairstyle by making sure the part of your cornrows isn't perfectly symmetrical, like model Damaris Lewis's zig-zagged and curved braided hairstyle.

Crown Braids

How amazing are Issa Rae's crown braids laced with sleek gold thread? Ask your hairstylist to wrap as many miniature crown braids around the top of your head, then rock your loose natural hair beneath like Issa did.

Braided Bun

Letitia Michelle Wright's style—complete with cornrows and a twisted, braided bun—is made even more playful and stylish with contrasting bright yellow hair ties.

Ombré Waves

How stunning is Laverne Cox's hairstyle here? Her loose, ombré ends complement the braids up-top perfectly.

Asymmetrical Updo

Lupita Nyong'o is the ultimate style and beauty icon. Take a cue from her red carpet 'do and pile your braids high into a slightly lopsided (in a good way!), asymmetrical updo.

Highlighted Dreadlocks

We're obsessed with how cool-girl Kat Graham wore loose dreadlocks with curled ends and caramel-colored highlights.

Textured Braid Crown

Janelle Monae's textured braid crown is stunning. Get the same red carpet look by having your hairstylist mix in metallic thread.

Flowing Pigtail Braids

Yara Shahidi's long, flowing pigtail braids are the perfect boho bridal style. (We're not saying you should swing them around on the dance floor, but we're also not not saying you should do that.)

Fulani and Cornrow Combo

Why choose just one? Sweep your hair to the side with cornrows, and wear the rest in Fulani braids worn over your shoulder like Serayah.

Contrasting Highlights

Make like actress Logan Browning and throw in some warm, contrasting highlights to add some depth to your braided hairstyle. (We love the half-up top-knot she pulled off here too.)

Pulled-Back Platinum

This is one braided style that's not for the faint of heart. Go bold with a platinum shade, then have it braided and pulled back like Zoë Kravitz. Totally chic, right?

Deep Red Hue

How amazing does Keke Palmer look with her deep red Fulani braids pulled into an updo?

Half Cornrow, Half Natural

Take a cue from Uzo Aduba and let your natural hair shine with some simple, face-framing cornrows in front.

Voluminous Fulani Braids

Whether worn down and swept to the side (like Gabrielle Union) or pulled back into a half-up style, voluminous Fulani braids will always look gorgeous.

Big Braided Bun

How could we even choose a favoite part of Lupita Nyong'o's braided updo? We love the braids at her temple and the bun of swirling braids on top.

Loose Tendrils

We love how actress Ajiona Alexus wears her braids piled on top of her head—but the loose, effortless tendrils framing her face might be the best part.

Caramel Contrast

Whether you want to splash a few highlights into your braided look or go for a totally different shade, all of us can admit actress Essence Atkins's caramel-hued braided hairstyle looks amazing.

Retro Braids

With her hair pulled up and piled asymmetrically on top of her head, Tiffany Hadish is giving us major retro vibes with this braided hairstyle.

Three Tiny Top Braids

Don't feel like sitting in your hairstylist's chair for hours? Wear your hair down, natural and crimped and simply ask your stylist to give you three (or however many you want!) neat braids on top of your hair part.

Naturally Perfect Bouffant.

Tiny side cornrows at the temple are just the tip of the iceberg of actress Yaya DaCosta's stunning braided hairstyle—we love how she wore her natural curls piled high on top of her head in a bouffant.

Slicked Back

We're crazy in love with Beyoncé's braided hairstyle. A slicked back pony and long braid (with another mini braid wrapped around the ponytail) is sleek, chic and—dare we say it?—brings just the right amount of drama.

Lovely Lob

Get inspired by Amandla Stenberg and rock lob-length braids for your wedding. (Bow tie, optional.)

Loose Ends

To pull off cool-girl Zoë Kravitz's braided hairstyle, wear box braids parted down the middle with slightly wavy loose ends. So chic.

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