After working with so many brides, there are a few things I wish every bride knew before her wedding morning.
There is so much planning that goes into a wedding, and it is easy to focus on the big things while forgetting about what the morning itself is actually going to feel like.
Your wedding morning should be enjoyable. It should give you a chance to spend time with the people you love, get excited about the day ahead and, most importantly, actually take it all in.
Your hair and makeup appointment is a big part of that.
Timing is about more than getting everyone ready
One of the biggest things I talk about with my brides is timing.
It is easy to look at a timeline and think that if everyone has an allocated time for hair and makeup, everything will run smoothly. In reality, there is a lot more happening that doesn't make it onto the schedule.
You still need to eat breakfast, brush your teeth and use the bathroom. You need time to get dressed, put on your jewellery and find those shoes that were definitely put somewhere safe.
There may be a photographer arriving, a supplier with a question or someone who needs help with their dress.
None of these things are unusual. They are just part of a wedding morning.
This is why I prefer to allow some flexibility rather than schedule every minute. Being finished a little earlier gives you options. If something takes longer than expected, you have time to deal with it without everyone suddenly feeling rushed.
Your time in the chair should feel like a break
This is something I feel quite strongly about.
When you're having your hair and makeup done, you should be able to relax and let someone else take care of you for a while.
There will be plenty of decisions to make throughout your wedding day. Your time in the chair doesn't need to be one of them.
If you want to chat and enjoy having your bridal party around you, that's lovely. If you would rather have a quieter morning, that's completely fine too.
What can make things difficult is having lots of people asking you questions while you're trying to have your makeup done, or constantly being pulled away to sort something out.
I really encourage my brides to nominate someone else as the point of contact for the morning. It could be a bridesmaid, family member or wedding planner. That way, if a supplier needs something or a question comes up, it doesn't automatically come back to you.
You are the bride, not the wedding coordinator.
Give yourself time at the end
When I create a bridal hair and makeup timeline, I work backwards from when you actually need to be ready rather than simply from the ceremony time.
If your ceremony starts at 2pm, for example, I don't want your hair and makeup finishing at 1:45pm.
You still need to get dressed, use the bathroom, have photographs taken and make your way to the ceremony. You may also want a few quiet minutes before you leave.
That final bit of breathing room is important.
I would much rather have you finished and relaxed with some time to spare than still putting on lipstick while everyone is waiting for you to leave.
An example of a relaxed bridal morning
Every wedding is different, so there isn't one perfect timeline. Your ceremony time, location, number of people having hair and makeup and photography plans will all affect it.
As a general example:
7:00am – Artist arrives to set up
7:15am – First service
8:15am – Second service
9:15am – Bridal service
10:15am – final service
11:15am – final checks
11:30am – Start getting dressed/Photos etc…
The exact times aren't important. The space between them is.
And remember to allow time for the things that don't normally appear on a wedding spreadsheet. Toilet breaks count. Brushing your teeth counts. Eating counts. Finding your earrings definitely counts.
The preparation starts before the wedding morning
A relaxed morning actually begins with what you do in the weeks leading up to your wedding.
There is no need to completely overhaul your skincare routine or spend a fortune on treatments. In fact, keeping things consistent is often the best approach.
Stick with products your skin already knows and avoid introducing anything new right before the wedding. If you are planning a facial or other treatment, give your skin plenty of time to settle afterwards.
The same goes for your hair. Make sure you know how I would like your hair prepared for your appointment. Whether it should be washed the night before or on the morning can depend on your hair type and the style we are creating.
Good preparation gives us the best possible starting point on the day.
Don't forget to look after yourself
It sounds simple, but eating and drinking can easily get forgotten when everyone is excited and there is so much happening.
Have something to eat before or during your appointments and keep some water nearby. You don't want to arrive at your ceremony running purely on coffee and adrenaline.
It is also worth getting the practical things organised ahead of time.
Have your jewellery together. Know where your shoes and veil are. Keep your dress and accessories somewhere easy to find. If your photographer needs particular details photographed, have them ready rather than trying to locate everything at the last minute.
The more of those little jobs you can take care of beforehand, the more you can enjoy the morning itself.
Let other people help
You don't need to be responsible for everything just because it is your wedding.
If someone can answer supplier questions, let them.
If a bridesmaid can keep an eye on the timeline, let her.
If someone else can make sure everyone has eaten and knows where they need to be, even better.
Delegating some of those jobs means you can stay present rather than constantly thinking about what needs to happen next.
Your wedding morning is part of the day
I think this is the part that can easily get overlooked.
Your wedding day doesn't begin when you walk down the aisle. The morning is part of the experience too.
The people you are surrounded by, the music playing while you get ready, the conversations, the excitement and even the little moments of quiet will all become memories.
So give yourself the opportunity to enjoy them.
Let someone else deal with the questions. Sit in the chair and allow yourself to be looked after. Have something to eat. Take your time getting dressed.
And when everything is ready, take a moment before you head out the door.
Look around. Take a breath. This is the day you have been planning.
Your hair and makeup should be about more than simply looking beautiful when you walk down the aisle. It should also be an enjoyable part of getting there.
Because long after the wedding is over, you are far more likely to remember how the morning felt than whether your makeup took an extra five minutes.
