All of your vendors are a vital part of the success of your wedding day. You hire them for their expertise, experience and personality. The wedding day beauty and prep session when your hair and makeup is done is another vital part of the success of your big day.
If you feel great about your hair and makeup, feel that your stylist understood what you wanted and everything ran on time, you'll be relaxed and ready to have an amazing day!
I reached out to Daneene Jensen from Daneene Jensen and Associates to ask professional advice on the topic of wedding day beauty and prep concerns. Here's what she had to say:
I asked future brides what their primary concerns were regarding wedding day beauty and preparation. I received an overwhelming response, but the top 5 wedding day prep concerns were the following:
- Makeup lasting
- Hair lasting
- Sticking to schedule
- Time of day/ makeup gets done being early
- Being on "same page" as your artist-not being overdone
Navigating all the planning details of your wedding day can be quite a challenge, but the wedding day hair & makeup for you and your party doesn’t need to be. This is a time that you should get to relax, enjoy being pampered, and have a great time with your bridal party that you will remember for the rest of your life.
Makeup Lasting
First and foremost- you are concerned with your makeup lasting. Valid concern. After all, you aren’t spending months of planning, purchasing the perfect dress, booking the venue of your dreams, only to end up looking like you handled every other last detail but neglected to put a bit of makeup on!
Most Brides are getting ready hours before the nuptials so they can get most of their photos taken care of prior to the ceremony and possibly have a “first look” with their husband-to-be. This can make for an early preparation on your wedding day.
We find that our airbrush makeup endures through pretty much everything, from tears, perspiration, and hours and hours of wear. Our airbrush makeup is waterproof and silicone based, so it is best without a primer under it.
Whether you choose airbrush or manually applied makeup, your skin will naturally produce oil throughout the day, so you will most likely look shiny in the T-zone area in photos at some point. It’s best to have a compact of translucent powder or oil blotting papers at your access to reduce that shine now and then. Airbrush makeup isn’t for everyone though, so we recommend doing a trial run in advance with your artist to discuss all the options.
There are also some terrific, inexpensive long lasting lipcolor products that can be purchased at your local drug store or market that stay put all night long and are transfer resistant. Our favorites are CoverGirl Outlast and Revlon Color Stay. Quality makeup is the best defense, but we also utilize sealants just as an extra measure.
Hair Lasting
Brides are also concerned with their hair lasting. This one is definitely a bit trickier! There’s a reason why wedding day hair was pulled back severely and solidified with hairspray resembling super glue in years past. It was foolproof! No one could ever say that their hair didn’t last throughout their wedding day because it physically couldn’t move.
Today, the modern client wants hair that looks effortless. Classic, soft updos, or long, loose waves that are partially pulled back, or maybe not pulled back at all. As much as I love these modern down-styles, sometimes they can be downright impossible to keep looking great all day.
When we as stylists factor in our clients’ natural hair tendencies, the weather, humidity, and the duration of the day itself, the challenges are endless. My best advice is to do a trial run and listen to your stylist’s advice about an ideal style for you. One which will factor in your dress, your face shape, the time of year and your hair’s ability to hold a style.
If you dream of having your hair down with loose waves on your wedding day that is expected to be 90 degrees, and your hair doesn’t hold a curl, discuss a “Plan B” with your stylist. Keep a travel-sized can of hairspray and a few bobby pins where you can access it if needed.
Sticking To A Schedule
Sticking to the schedule is another very important concern for a Bride. While there is a “typical” amount of time a service will normally take, there are always members of the bridal party that may take a bit more time, or even a bit less time depending on what they want and how particular they are.
Here are a few things that can be done to help keep things on track:
First, allow your hair & makeup team to delegate the hair and makeup schedule. Personally, I know what my team is capable of, and I schedule accordingly. We typically schedule the Bride last or close to last, but she may ultimately go into hair and makeup whenever she feels most comfortable.
Secondly, have your bridal party come with inspiration photos that they have researched before they sit in the chair. A picture says a thousand words when trying to convey to your artist what you have in mind.
Thirdly- have all the items that your photographer will want to photograph collected and easily accessible, so you don’t have to be interrupted while in hair and makeup. If you are exchanging gifts with your husband-to-be, I suggest doing this before you go into hair and makeup as well.
Being On The Same Page As Your Artist
Brides also expressed concern with “being on the same page” as their stylist. I highly recommend getting together with your stylist in advance so you can openly communicate about what look you are aiming for and see an example of how it looks on you.
Bring photos to give your artist an idea of what looks you love, but keep an open mind as well. On occasion, a client will bring a photo of a style or look that her hair or skin tone is just not conducive to duplicating. An interpretation of that look on her is what is often best.
Sometimes a trial run will also serve as a tool to eliminate styles that you were considering. In this instance, you may want to meet more than once with your stylist to try other options and figure out just what will be best for you for the big day.
I had so much fun writing this and I hope that all our current and future clients find it to be helpful! I am always happy to answer your questions and address concerns. It is my personal goal and absolute pleasure to be a main component to making your wedding day preparation be relaxing, enjoyable and memorable!
Happy Planning!
-DJ
So there you have it! Tremendous info to be considered for your wedding day prep. Many thanks to Daneene for her time and knowledge!!
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