Wedding Day Hair and Makeup

You have the dress, the shoes and all of your wedding day accessories. Now it’s time to book the final piece to your wedding day hair and makeup! Here we provide you with eight expert tips to consider as you are booking this important vendor.

1. Professionals only please.

You might love the vlogger on Youtube and really like how she does her makeup. Or perhaps you have a cousin who knows how to do an awesome blowout. That’s great for a casual evening out, but not your wedding day hair and makeup. For your wedding day you need to hire a professional who understands lighting, what photographs well and how best to prep your hair and makeup to last all day. You will have your picture taken hundreds of times throughout the day; you want to look your absolute best. Hiring a professional also means you are working with someone who considers this their career, not just a weekend gig. Meaning they are invested and committed to ensuring a great experience for you and your bridal party. Their reputation and livelihood depend on it!

2. Visit their website and get familiar with the company before reaching out.

Once you’ve searched for a team on local wedding websites or asked friends for referrals, get familiar with the company. Follow them on social media, visit their website, read their reviews, look at their portfolio. Do they post pictures of actual clients, is the content on their website fresh and inviting? You can tell a lot learn a lot about a company by doing your homework before contacting them. Many companies list their prices, travel distance and some, availability, right on their website. Save yourself, and them, time and do a bit of homework before submitting an inquiry.

3. Give lots of details!

When you finally decide to reach out to a few companies provide lots of information. Your wedding date, location where you will be getting ready the day of, estimated number of people receiving services. Providing tons of information will help determine availability and eliminate unnecessary back and forth.

4. Confirm pricing and payment schedule.

Bottom line: You need to know how much each company charges. Once you’ve visited their website and familiarized yourself with their pricing confirm the details. Are there travel fees? What is the cost of the trial? What deposit is required, when and is it refundable? When is final payment due? Forms of payment accepted on the day of?  It’s best to ask for this information up front so there are no surprises down the line.

5. Be clear on the terms and get it in writing.

Contract, always, always sign a contract. One of my favorite quotes is by wedding planner Brian Green, “A contract is subject to execution and penalty. A favor is not.” Do not be scared of a contract, they are in place to protect you and the vendor. Read through your contract carefully and ask for clarification (in writing) of anything that does not sound right to you. Ask what happens in the event you are not happy at your trial. Will they offer another? Free of charge? Their cancellation policy should be clearly noted, what time they are scheduled to arrive and their finish time (super important), the number of services they are providing, all deposits given/due, overtime fees and the location where they have agreed to travel to on the day of. If you are struggling with the contract ask your wedding planner to read through it. We are well versed in contracts and know the red flags.

6. Have a trial!

I can’t stress this enough, you should always have a trial at least 2-3 months prior to your wedding day.* The trial, not the wedding day, is the proper time to go over your wedding day look with your artists. Bring inspiration of styles you like, a photo of your dress and a picture of yourself dressed as you are on a regular day. All of this helps the artist make suggestions based on what your personal style is and what is going to look best based on your complexion, dress and even your hair color. Don’t skip this step!

*I recommend having the trial 90 days prior to your wedding because by then you have a clear vision of what your wedding style is. Nothing worse than a bride who does a trial a year in advance and goes for ultra glam and ends up having a soft, romantic wedding. I know it’s exciting and scary to wait but try to wait until you have at least selected your venue and wedding dress.

7. You are not Kim Kardashian.

Repeat, you are not Kim Kardashian. I hear from so many of my beauty industry friends that brides walk in and request to look like Kim Kardashian and how insanely aggravating that is. Listen ladies, Kim doesn’t look like Kim underneath all that contouring and highlighting. Use celebrities as inspiration, yes. Do not try to duplicate what they have going on. That soft low bun on Blake Lively totally looks amazing but she also has a hair team following her around providing touchups. On your wedding day you need a style that will last 10+ hours long after the beauty team has left. Be inspired, but be yourself and allow the professionals to guide you.

8. Relax, you are beautiful.

You are beautiful. The man of your dreams wants to marry you despite whatever insecurities are looming in your head. Be confident in knowing that to him you really are the most beautiful you everyday, not just your wedding day. Do not feel pressured to live up to Pinterest. He wants to see you walking down the aisle, not a made up version of who you are.

What did you find most important while vetting your beauty team? Leave us a comment and share your experience.

Until next time, happy planning!

Photo Credits & Beauty Teams In Order:

Melani Lust Photography: Simply Gorgeous by Erin

Rachel Girouard Photography: Beauty Entourage

Melani Lust Photograpby: Simply Gorgeous by Erin & Upstyle Co.