Some brides choose to tackle hair and make-up themselves, but the vast majorities turn to the professions. When hiring any vendor for your wedding day, I believe personality plays a huge part in being a good fit for each bride. I tend to refer the vendors that will mesh well with my girls and lend themselves both to the type of work the bride is looking for and the "character" that works for that individual. When it comes to hair dressers and make-up artists, I'm very particular about who my girls work with. These professionals start off the day with the bride and essentially set the tone for the entire day and whether or not we stay on schedule, stress out the bride by rushing or running behind, or ease her mind by allowing her to relax with her girlfriends!
With that in mind, I've spoken to some of my favorite professionals who always stay on schedule and make my girls feel relaxed.
Kellie Bode (Kellie Bode Professional Make-up Artistry - www.kelliebode.com), Katie Malone (Katie Malone Make-up studio (pixie make-up salon) www.katiemalonemakeup.com), Trish Popovich (style squared – www.stylesquaredneworleans.com) and Hair stylist Anne Kirsch (anned324@yahoo.com).
One way to keep the day relaxed is to let the bride sleep as long as she can!!! No one wants the bride/bridesmaids to have to start their day at 7am just to so that the there's enough time to get everyone's hair and make-up done. So you have to decide whether or not you want one hair stylist/make-up artist or two and that all depends on the number of girls you have who need the services and the time that you have to get ready. Although all four of my professionals have done and can do weddings of up to 15 girls on their own, the average number of girls they feel works for majority of the time frames on a wedding day is 8. Again, they can definitely handle more, but for a stress free, sleep-as- late-as-you-can wedding day, that's the magic number.
It was agreed upon that it traditionally takes about 30 minutes per face on the wedding day (for bridesmaids) and 45 minutes for the bride and it takes anywhere from 30 to 45 minutes per head (for bridesmaids) and an hour for the bride.
But Kellie Bode reminds me that she "does an amazing job no matter what the role in the wedding". She actually spends the last 30 minutes touching up all of the girls, especially the girls that had their makeup done earlier in the day (those that were first or second in the lineup). I think making sure that each girl is fresh before pictures and the start of the actual event is so important, especially since that's why no one ever wants to go first on the morning of the big day.
As far as the line up goes, I personally think the bride should be someone in the middle of the pack, but closer to the end. I do not like for her to go first, but I do not like saving her for last either. Katie and Kellie both agree that the bride should be second to last or third to last so that she has her morning free to spend time with her friends, get any last minute details together and then she has time after her make-up is done to relax and get dressed early if she needs to.
Another suggestion that I make to my girls is to do a trial with your hair dresser and make-up artist if at all possible. And if you can use them prior to the wedding for real events, that certainly helps as well. Katie tells me that she finds it helpful when the girls come to her before their bridal portraits, engagement session or rehearsal dinner. She says that it allows her to get to know the bride's face and even her personality which can really make the wedding day more personal to the girls.
I do believe a hair trial is a definite necessity so that the hair stylist can learn your hair type, especially if you are hoping to have a more detailed hair style. But truth be told, some of the most detailed styles are coming from the bridesmaids. Trish has noticed the bridesmaids have gotten way more into their hair styles as of late and it's not just about the bride anymore. I think it's a great way for the bridesmaids to have their own individuality but we are always careful to make the bride the star of the show. A good way to accomplish that, and also a huge trend right now for brides, is to have a hair accessory such as a feather or flower. And with the help of pinterest and etsy, there are millions of options out there for the brides to find. What brides do not realize is that these accessories are not always "one size fits all".
Sometimes hair can be too thin for the accessory the bride is bringing in, so Anne has taken things one step further and she actually sells these accessories to her brides so that she can match each bride with the best fit for her! Anytime you have an option to buy something specifically from the professional you are working with thereby making it a little more customized based on your hair, face, body or budget, take it!
No matter what, choose a hair dresser and make-up artist that make you feel comfortable. Create your schedule wisely and make sure you book the appropriate number of stylists to keep your day running smoothly. Take advice from the professionals whenever possible and do a trial before your big day. And here are some last minute tips I'd like to throw in: bring pictures of hair styles (and make-up), show up with a clean face and clean/dry hair and have the hair dresser/make up artist come to you whenever possible. Relax, sleep as late as you can and call one of my professionals to ensure a great wedding day!!!
