help - how to make my hair curly/wavy

I have fairly straight hair and I've never had any luck curling it.  Scrunching it never looks quite right either.  Nothing holds.  And I hate hairspray because it doesn't really work.  I'm going to a wedding tomorrow and I want to do something other than flat iron my hair.  What should I use?

Using hair spray and a curling iron takes foreve and won't hold.  I was thinking of using curlers and some texture hold product.  Would that work?  My hair is past shoulder length, it's fairly long.  It's not particularly fine or thick, just average.  What can I do?  The more detailed the suggestion the better.  Thank you.

Thank you for the response.  If I braid my hair, will the top end up looking flat?  Do I need to add anything to make it hold all day?  I've never had any luck with curlers - hard or soft, but I've never really tried the braid thing.  Will it make my hair look crimpy?  Some soft waves are what I'm looking for.  Thank you again for answering my question.  :)

Thanks again.  I tried the braid technique.  I split my hair into four sections and braided each section while my hair was damp, left it overnight.  The next morning it just looked crimpy and messy.  My hair never cooperates.  I wound up straightening it.  I think I'm just incapable of doing my own hair lol.  Thanks for your help!