Choosing your wedding hair and makeup artist might be the most important decision you make if you are a bride and are concerned with looking like the most beautiful version of yourself on your big day.
Yes, the wedding dress is the focal point of the day, but you, the bride, are going to have all eyes on you. For most women this is the closest to being a celebrity on the red carpet, and being the most glamorous version of yourself is of the utmost importance.
Your wedding photos will live on forever, so make sure to choose a professional who can help you be the most luminous bride you can be.
How far in advance should I book my wedding hair and makeup artist?
Many brides book me about one year in advance, and yet there are many that save this decision to the last minute. I have gotten bookings just a few weeks before. I think the best rule of thumb is to book your wedding makeup and hair stylist about 3 to 4 months before your wedding.
Be sure to do your trial as soon as possible. It is so important that you know exactly what style you will be getting on the day of. You also want to find out whether you will be doing trials with 2 other wedding hair and makeup artists.
Sometimes doing 3 trials helps you make the best decision on which artist will give you the very best look for the most important day of your life.
How do I know what hairstyle to get for my wedding?
This is determined by the theme of the wedding: daytime or evening? Formal or casual or boho? Vintage or contemporary?
What does your dress look like? The dress style can tell you if you will be wearing it up or down, or incorporating braids, etc. Your hairstylist will help you figure out the right style to go with your dress and your theme.
How do you know what makeup looks good on you?
This definitely is the skillset of the wedding hair and makeup artist, and underscores why a trial is SO important! This is the time to talk with your makeup artist about products, your wedding colors, and which makeup style looks best on you.
The trial will help determine the look for your wedding and you will know if it is the look for you. I have brides know immediately upon looking in the mirror that YES, this is the most glamorous version of themselves.
Should I do my own wedding hair?
You definitely can, and there are so many tutorials out there right now. If you are doing Old Hollywood glamour waves you can take a look at my tutorial for Hollywood glamour hair for all the steps, OR you can ask a wedding party member who has practiced a lot and is good with hair to do it for you.
As a rule of thumb though I would actually hire the professional for the big day because, at the very least, it is hard to see in the back when doing your own hair!
Is it OK to do your own wedding makeup?
You certainly can do your own wedding makeup. See my tutorial with a list of products to help you do this. IF typically you are comfortable doing your own makeup, and nowadays with all the youtube tutorials available, many women are well versed in this, then you certainly can do your own makeup.
Just entrust your little touch up makeup kit to one of your bridal party members, as you will be too distracted during your big day to worry about touch ups for the camera.
How can I make my wedding makeup last all day?
Choose long lasting products, and AVOID drugstore products. They just don’t last, and even if they say they’re waterproof, from my experience they simply aren’t.
Most important components: face primer to ensure long lasting foundation, and then setting powder! Keep touching up with powder throughout the day and nite, so that you look shine free for the photos. Then, of course, eye primer, waterproof mascara and eyeliner because, we are fairly certain, there will be some happy tears on your big day.
Here are some of the pro products I swear by. My reputation is on the line, as a wedding professional.
What is the average price for wedding makeup?
This varies throughout the country, but expect to pay on average about $300 for the bride’s makeup and hair, and about $150 per person for makeup and hair for bridal party members.
How to do bridal makeup step by step?
As I stated above, if you are comfortable doing your own makeup in general you CAN do your own makeup for your wedding. Just use some of the pro tricks I have learned over the years, and follow my 12 steps with product suggestions.
6 steps to finding the best wedding hair and makeup artist for your wedding day
Hiring a beauty professional is a very important decision for the bride to be. Your photos will live on forever, and a professional will understand how to do makeup for the camera. She will deliver makeup that will look flawless in person AND be long lasting.
She will have experience and knowledge of all the makeup products out there, and she will help keep you calm on a very exciting day. Makeup and hair should be one thing you won’t have to worry about.
Step 1. Hire a professional, not a friend
If you aren’t comfortable doing your makeup like a social media influencer, then hiring a professional is a fantastic idea. A bride’s makeup and hair budget should not be the place to skimp on your wedding day.
Your best friend or cousin may be taking makeup classes or watching social media makeup artist influencers. The most important day of a woman’s life however is the time to hire a professional wedding hair and makeup artist.
Wedding photos will live on for many years, so it’s crucial to hire someone with lots of experience. A professional wedding hair and makeup artist knows how to make you look great in photos. She also will make you look beautiful in person.
No one wants to see heavy makeup that doesn’t sit well on the skin. No on wants to take chances with an imprecise application; crooked lipstick, lashes that are falling off, and the dreaded uneven cat eye liner.
Step 2. Look at reviews, ask friends and family for referrals, and look at their photos!
Hiring a makeup artist / hairstylist for your wedding day is one of the most important decisions a bride will make. Once again, your photos will live on for years after your wedding, so having an experienced bridal beauty professional is crucial.
When evaluating a prospective stylist: consider her experience. How many years has she been in business? Certainly check her yelp and google reviews, as well as any wedding vendor website such as The Knot or Weddingwire. Ask a friend for a referral.
Things to ask: are they reliable? Did they arrive on time, finish on time, provide professional service, etc. Look at the stylist’s photos. How does the makeup and hair look in every picture?
Step 3. Consider the best style for your wedding
What is the theme of your wedding? Your dress and your venue? Is it vintage, contemporary, bohemian, traditional, or very formal?
This will tell you what style your makeup and hair should be. When interviewing your bridal beauty stylist make sure they do this style and have examples of this style in their portfolio.
IF you are having a retro / vintage style wedding, it is best to find someone who specializes in this look.
Step 4. Be sure to book a bridal trial with your wedding hair and makeup artist.
This sounds obvious, but you would be surprised how many brides look to skip this step to save a few dollars. This isn’t the time to narrow your budget!
Don’t consider doing your makeup and hair look without a trial run. This could end disastrously on your big day!
Sometimes brides are encouraged to do 3 trials with 3 different beauty professionals to get the perfect look for their wedding. Take a friend or relative with you to the trial to help you decide if this is the look for you. They can really be helpful.
Step 5. After your trial: How well does the makeup and hair last throughout the day?
Did it hold up? Take some photos as you go about your day and see how well it translates.
Another tip: schedule your trial for the day of your bridal shower or engagement photo session. This can be a wonderful way to get opinions from family and bridal party members, and to see how it looks in pictures.
Step 6. And lastly, consider the personality of the artist.
Did you have a good rapport? I can honestly tell you that you are going to appreciate having a calming presence during the getting-ready portion of the wedding. This is a very active time with lots of personalities present, and your makeup artist should be grounding and calm and help you stay relaxed and focused.
The makeup and hair portion of the day can be the most fun, pampering, spa-like part of your day! Make it as soothing and relaxing as possible. Because after that, you’re on! You will be in the spotlight and on the “red carpet”!
I hope that these tips will be useful in helping you feel like the most beautiful, glamorous version of yourself on your wedding day. Please stay tuned for more tutorials, and other useful tips and tricks for the best makeup and hair.
Please contact me if you have any ideas for content you would like to see in the future.