How to choose your hair & makeup artist for your wedding
Picking your hair and makeup artist for your wedding can feel really overwhelming - there’s an awful lot of choice out there, where do you even start? If you’re someone who doesn’t usually do much with their hair and makeup, it can feel even more daunting. Hair and makeup play a really important part on the wedding day, if your artist does a good job you’ll leave for your wedding ceremony feeling relaxed, confident and ready to face the day - so picking is good one is essential! Never fear, in this blog post I’m sharing my top tips, to help you choose the best bridal hair and makeup artist for you.
Photo by Lissimore Photography
Think about your preferred wedding hair & makeup style
Before you can choose your perfect bridal hair and makeup artist, it’s a good idea to know what you’re looking to get from them. This doesn’t mean you need to know the exact style you would like, but having an idea of the vibe you’re after will be incredibly helpful. Are you a full glam girly who wants big hair, sparkle and drama? Or would you be more comfortable in a look that’s more relaxed, pared back and natural? Having a think about this before looking for a hair and makeup artist will make the job infinitely easier. If a hair and makeup artist doesn’t match your desired vibe, then take them off your list!
Photo by Costa Weddings UK
Make sure you’re looking at artist’s portfolios
Once you know the vibe you’re wanting for your wedding hair and makeup, you can start searching for an artist who matches that vibe! Most hair and makeup artists will have a bit of a style or niche, so you want to book someone whose niche matches your style for best results. You wouldn’t go to an Indian restaurant and ask for a pizza, and picking a hair and makeup artist is similar to that. Make sure to have a good look through their portfolio (whether it be on their website or social media), and if you can’t see the kind of style you’re after then they’re probably not the artist for you. For example I specialise in modern, natural hair and makeup (peep my portfolio here), so someone looking for full glam probably won’t see much they like in my portfolio.
Photo by Pure Image
Check out their reviews
Once you know a hair and makeup artist offers the kind of style you’re hoping for, next you need to check if they’re reliable! Customer service and reliability is such an important factor for wedding suppliers, the last thing you want is to be let down by someone on your wedding day. The best way to check this is by reading any reviews or testimonials you can find. After you’re married you’ll have lots of requests from wedding suppliers asking you to leave them a review, and this is why! Having proof that we’re going to be professional, reliable and work to a high standard is super important. The best places to look for reviews are Google, Facebook and on directory websites such as Hitched or Bridebook.
Photo by Julie Clarke Photography
Speak to your chosen hair and makeup artist
Other than maybe your photographer and videographer, your hair and makeup artist is the wedding supplier you’re going to spend the most time with. Having your hair and makeup done is also quite an intimate service - you’ll be face to face with your makeup artist for at least an hour! With that in mind, you need to make sure you gel on a personal level with your hair and makeup artist. You want your wedding morning to be full of fun, relaxing memories, not a memory of spending the morning with someone you don’t really get on with. The best way to do this is just to chat to any hair and makeup artist you’re considering booking. Most suppliers will be happy to have a chat either via email, text message or over the phone (sometimes you can even meet a supplier if they’re going to a venue open day or wedding fair), and this is usually the best way to make sure someone is going to be a good presence on your wedding morning!
Photo by Liam Gillan
Make sure your budget aligns with their pricing
As with all wedding suppliers, prices for bridal hair and makeup artists can vary greatly. If you’re keeping things on a budget, then a high end, luxury hair and makeup artist with celebrity clientele will probably be out of your price range, so make sure to look at an artist’s pricing and get a quote before committing to anything. However it is good to remember that often you do get what you pay for, so going for the cheapest hair and makeup artist you can find can sometimes mean you’re going to be sacrificing on their skill level and/or their level of service. Finding the right balance between what’s affordable for you, and the level of service you expect is good to bare in mind!
Those are my top tips on how to choose your hair and makeup artist for your wedding. It can be a hard decision (isn’t wedding planning full of those), but hopefully these tips make it a little bit easier for you. No matter who you are, or what style you’re after there will be a hair and makeup artist out there who will be a good fit for you! If you’re looking for a modern, natural hair and makeup look created by someone who is organised, kind and calm then pop me an enquiry here to find out if we might be a good fit.