10 Mar Hair and Makeup Tips for A Perfect Wedding Look
Wedding planning is an amazing time in a person’s life. Preparing for a wedding, on the other hand, is a huge undertaking and often leads to stress. At Hollowsands, we want you to have the day of your dream’s without sacrificing your sanity. We partnered with Maggie Armstrong a professional makeup artist with more than 15 years of experience to give you some makeup tips for your wedding look!
We asked Maggie the following questions:
Do you really need hair and makeup services on your wedding day?
The answer for you may be no – if you are the au-natural bride who doesn’t plan on wearing much makeup or doing anything with their hair then no, probably not. However the vast majority of brides would like some styling on their wedding day, and for those clients, I would highly recommend it. It’s one less task to think about that morning, and a professional stylist has experience and products that you or your Aunt Sally who did updos in 1987 may not have access to.
When should I book a stylist or start researching?
Hair and Makeup is a vendor that tends to be a bit further down the line in planning, but don’t save
it for very last. Some very popular and experienced stylists/companies can book out for dates a year in advance – so if you have someone in mind start contact with them early. 6-8 months for most stylists is about average
Should I do on-location services or go to a salon?
Decide if you want to go to a salon or brick and mortar space, or if you want someone to come on-
location. On-location services may be more expensive but do offer the convenience of not having to leave your home/hotel and dealing with the travel logistics. Often Salons may also want you to come in very early so that they can still accommodate their regular service clients.
Some companies may have minimums for on-location services so if you have a smaller bridal party or are just looking for yourself make sure they can accommodate you.
Where do I start looking for stylists/companies and what should I look for?
You can use referrals and the internet to do research. Make sure to look for reviews of your stylists and also make sure they have some kind of license or certification in hair and/or makeup. Also be sure to always sign a contract for services – so often brides go with stylists that are casual about the booking process and don’t have clients sign anything. These are the stylists that will bail out on you at the last minute.
I’ve found a company I like – now what?
Once you’ve found a company or stylist you like, be sure to set up a trial run and ask them about their
booking policies. Even the most laid-back brides can benefit from a preview of their look. It’s money well spent since it also gives you the opportunity to see a stylist’s work first hand. You’ll want to do this closer to your wedding – 2-3 months prior so that you have most of your stylistic details picked out and
won’t have too much time to over think it.
What about my bridesmaids/other attendants?
Decide if you will be paying for your bridesmaid’s hair and makeup or if they will be covering the costs. Most companies will require a head count before the day of so be sure to confirm these services early. Also be prepared to pay for everything yourself upfront and then getting money from your bridesmaids if they are paying. There are very few companies that accept individual payments outside of a salon
What should I do to coordinate and schedule the services?
If you are working with an on-location team, any decent company or stylist should work
with you on some kind of schedule. If you are going to a salon, be sure you schedule appointments with enough buffer time for redos or unexpected hiccups in travel.
I’m worried about the weather – what can I do to prepare?
Weather can be a factor in your “look” – any professional worth their salt can create styles that are fairly weatherproof but nothing is perfect. If it’s hot and humid plan on touch-ups throughout the day versus someone getting married indoors in the winter. Wearing your hair up or considering airbrush makeup
application (which is, in general, a bit longer wearing) for the warmer weather will help.
What should I budget for these services?
Prices vary – but you should plan on spending anywhere from $150 – 250 per person, not including travel or assistant fees.
The stylist/company I booked bailed on me last minute – what do I do now?
Pick up the phone and start calling companies ASAP. Focus on larger companies with several teams of stylists rather than individual stylists as they may have more availability. Also, consider going to a blow-out bar (salons that offer styling only services) as they don’t tend to book up as much
in advance as a traditional salon.
Makeup Tips for Your Wedding
Often around a wedding, a bride will start trying new beauty routines, workouts, diets, procedures – make sure to start anything new far enough in advance to your wedding day so that if you have a
negative reaction, you will have time to rectify it. Want to try a new haircut or color – do it 6 months or more in advance so if you hate it you have time to fix it? How about a facial? Some people break out horribly from facials especially if you’ve never gotten one so think about getting into a routine of
them so that you know how your skin reacts and how much time you’ll need to heal. Spray tans – pick a company and technician ahead of time and get a trial run done at least a month in advance. If you don’t like how it looks or it becomes splotchy – you’ll have time to fix it. Little things like this can throw
off your whole envisioned look – so don’t be too adventurous in the few months leading up to the event.
As you can see, there are a lot of factors that can influence your makeup routine and planning for your wedding look. The key takeaway is early planning. Try new colors, haircuts, tanning and beauty routines as early as possible to avoid complications down the road.
If you enjoyed this post, be sure to check out more Street Smart Planning Videos on our YouTube channel and join our private wedding planning group on Facebook for special offers!