Planning a wedding is stressful. The endless checklist of wedding duties. The food, the venue, the dress, the bachelorette party, every tiny little detail of the reception. Where does your wedding makeup and hair fit into this list? How soon should you book your stylist, and what is the best way to do that? 

When do I call to inquire a date?

A Saturday wedding

-One year before your wedding is the safest way to inquire a beauty professional to ensure you get the date you want.

Just like your desired venue, hairstylist and makeup artists sometimes book up years in advance on Saturdays.

A Friday or Sunday wedding

-One year to eight months would be best to inquire your stylist. Friday and Sunday give you a little more leeway , but why risk it? If you want great results book ahead!

Any other day of the week

-Weekday weddings can be booked closer to 6 months before the wedding. 

Elopements

Spontaneous elopements are hard, hopefully your number one choice can squeeze 

you in, but it is definitely risky. Contact someone as soon as you know details of your elopement.

Tip

If you call a stylist and they say they are unavailable, always ask for their recommendation of someone else. The beauty industry is a tight knit community, usually they have friends or colleagues they can refer. 

I always say, If you have a date and a wedding venue, why don’t you have your hairstylist and makeup artist picked out? All eyes are on you, thousands of pictures are taken of you marrying the love of your life. Even if you don’t regularly wear makeup, or don’t do much with your hair, looking great on this important day matters. You will be looking back at these beautiful pictures for the rest of your life.

Who should I inquire?

Most brides have an image in their mind of what they want to look like the day of their wedding. The pinterest board is made, the dreams are starting to come to life. The dress is purchased, next on the list is who do I want to do my hair and makeup? How do I know who is going to be the best? 

1. Follow the instructions above and inquire stylists early. If you have someone in mind contact them immediately. 

2. Start by asking around, referrals are your best friend when it comes to hair and makeup. Weeding through thousands of vendors can take a lot of time. Recommendations are a great way to meet someone, and also hear how someone else’s experience was with this vendor.

3. An up to date portfolio or website should be available to see some of their work. Every stylist is different in how they were trained, and the bridal styles they are skilled at. Take a look and see if they fit the look you desire. 

4. The cosmetologist should respond back quickly within 24 hours. With that said, you should also respond quickly. Most stylists require a deposit to secure your date, otherwise it is open to someone else until they hear back from you and receive the deposit.

What should I ask when I inquire about a date?

1.  Is my event date available?(nothing else matters unless the artist has your date available)

2.  Ask about a website or portfolio (if you haven’t seen their work)

3.  Pricing information and deposit (find out what the deposit is and where to send it to secure your date. If you are unsure, book a trial as soon as possible.)

4. Book a trial (a trial is so important to find out if it is a good fit.)

With all of this information, please take with you that it is very important to think of your beauty vendors early on in your planning. As quickly as you think of booking your number one photographer, you should be booking your stylist. Your face and hair are just as important as the desired live band you booked as soon as you were engaged. A wedding is one of the biggest days of your life, you need to look perfect in those gorgeous pictures. Happy planning ladies!