Wedding Hair & Makeup Timeline Tips
This might not be top of mind, but prepping for your hair and makeup timeline can and will set the tone for the rest of the day. Since it’s typically one of the very first things done,iIt’s extremely important to us to ensure you are relaxed and enjoying yourself the morning of! Your beauty team will help you settle on a timeline, but it’s always a good idea to grasp what your timeline will look like. Let’s review the hair and makeup timeline tips we recommend for a fun and smooth morning!
1. Determine who will get hair and makeup done professionally
If you’d like your bridesmaids to have a clean and consistent look, we recommend having everyone join in on the party and get their hair and makeup professionally done. Talk to your bridal party and any other important people well in advance (mothers of bride and groom, grandmothers, etc.) so you have numbers ready when it’s time to book your beauty team.
2. Hire your hair and makeup team
It’s so important to choose a team that you feel good about. Give yourself plenty of time to research and consult with the beauty teams and artists you’re interested in. If you’d like to learn more about choosing the right beauty team check out our blog! We discuss the right questions to ask during your consultations as well. Choosing the perfect bridal team will ensure the energy of your wedding morning is exactly what you want it to be!
3. Determine How Much Time you'll need
On wedding day, timing is everything. Planning your timeline well in advance with the help of your wedding vendors will ensure everything goes smoothly and you’re not rushing.
Makeup for Bridesmaids
For bridesmaids’ makeup, we like to schedule 45-minute blocks for each person. The actual time makeup for bridesmaids will take varies by the desired look, but we’ve found 45 minutes is a good place to start.
Makeup for Bride
For the bride, we want a little more 1:1 time together, so we set aside 1 hour for makeup. You may need more or less time depending on your desired look. Your beauty team will have a better idea of the time you’ll need after your makeup trial.
Hair for Bridesmaids
Each bridesmaid will take a slightly different amount of time based on their desired look and their hair length and thickness. To be safe, we like to set aside at least 45 minutes per service for each person.
Hair for Bride
Hair often takes a bit longer for brides, so we set up a minimum of 1 hour to complete bridal hair. Your trial will give us a good idea of how long we'll need. We take that into consideration when doing the schedule, as a bride with very thick, long hair or a bride who wants clip-in extensions will take more time than a bride who is getting a short-hair blowout.
4. Add buffer time
Add plenty of buffer time in your schedule for unexpected delays. So many things could come up! Here are a few common ones we see for bridal party members:
Forgetting to put matching PJ set on, finish breakfast, grab a mimosa, etc.
Looking for inspiration pics to show the beauty team
Having leftover makeup on that the beauty team will need to remove
How to avoid unexpected delays:
Everyone should be completely ready 10 minutes before their time slot. All skin prep and inspiration research should be done well before this point.
Brides have even more distractions that may come up: you may be stopped for a photo, cheers, gifts to your bridesmaids, and more. There may be tears of joy or memories that get brought up so you may need a minute or two before jumping right into hair and makeup.
Other things to know about wedding hair and makeup
We always prefer the bride to have their makeup done first (before hair) so that the makeup product and brushes don’t affect the hairline. This is especially important when the bride has a sleek updo.
When possible, adding one more time slot after the bride in the timeline helps add buffer time, so the bride is not rushed should something else delay the timeline. This also gives the bride time to sit in her hair and makeup and let it settle in, which allows the beauty team to really make any last-minute adjustments before sending her down the aisle.
Whoever is helping the bride get into her dress should always be done at the same time or before the bride, so everyone looks their best in the photos.
If possible, hair and makeup should be done when the photographer arrives. Although they still need to shoot detail shots, it's important that the ladies have time to relax, gather their bags + do a final check-in on their glam for any adjustments. This is the perfect time for us to do a final touch-up on everyone before you are pulled into PJ/Robe shots or making a toast for the photographer!
We know everyone loves to sleep in, but your wedding day is not the day. You will have so much adrenaline throughout the day that you won’t need to worry about those extra minutes of sleep that may take away from your beauty team performing their best. Believe us, we have seen it all!
Before the day starts, gather all of your detail shot items and have them organized and in one spot. Photographers tend to ask for your shoes, jewelry, perfume, invitations, and anything of importance you want to be photographed.
Allow time for steaming your dress in your timeline if you don’t have a day-of coordinator to help with that. If you are a bride in NY and you are considering hiring someone to help with this, we recommend Jenn from The LI Bridal Attendant!!
Frequently Asked Questions
When should hair and makeup be done for your wedding?
This is something we cannot answer for you until we have your final timeline from the photographer, but typically hair and makeup are completed by the time your photographer arrives.
I know you may think, “But they have to come and shoot detail shots, and we don't need to leave until an hour or so later?!” But you will need that buffer time for the little things that come up that were unplanned. You will want that time to breathe, take selfies with you, eat, use the bathroom, and grab last-minute things before it’s time to leave!
And of course, you have to remember that if the photographer plans to take photos of you making a toast with your gals, everyone will need to be hair and makeup ready. Once we know when your photographer will arrive, we can work backward to create your hair and makeup timeline.
Where should you get ready for your wedding?
Your venue may have a designated get-ready space. Always do a walk-through of the bridal suite space and ask questions! You want to make sure you will comfortably fit all your ladies and have enough room for your hair and makeup team to set up. Your space should also have ample natural lighting.
Pro tip: Ask what time you are allowed inside the space! Most venues have restrictions on when you can start getting ready on-site. This could potentially be an issue if you have a large group that needs to get ready. If you're looking to book a place to get ready, make sure it's somewhere that isn’t too far from your venue.
When should the bride get hair and makeup done?
We suggest the bride get her hair and makeup done towards the end of the schedule. Depending on the wedding hairstyle you choose, you may need to be prepped by your stylist first, but then you’ll get time to chill while your ladies go. Then you’ll get back in the chair towards the end to finalize your look. No matter who goes first, your hair and makeup team should always do a final check-in with everyone to ensure everything is holding up okay and any adjustments that need to be made are made, leaving everyone happy and ready!
How long does wedding makeup last?
We use professional, tested products to ensure your look lasts the entire day. This is another reason your trial is so important! During your trial, your hair and makeup team will play around with styles to ensure your day-of look is flawless and holds up until the very last dance.
How many stylists should you have on-site?
This all depends on your final headcount and your timeline. Adding stylists will cut back on getting ready time, but sometimes comes with an additional fee.
Why choosing the right bridal team is essential
You only get one chance at your wedding morning! Your bridal team plays a huge role in how your wedding morning will run, so choosing a team you feel confident in is so important.
The Elite Bridal Beauty team has worked with hundreds of brides, so we have a ton of experience in keeping hair and makeup timelines running smoothly. If you’re interested in learning more about our services, you can do so here!
