How to prepare for your wedding hair and makeup trial

Our 5 tips for how to prepare for your wedding hair and makeup trial to prepare yourself for looking at the most beautiful on your big day:

1. GET PINNING!

There is so much inspiration online for your bridal beauty look and Pinterest is the holy grail for assisting in wedding planning in general. Do remember though images are often heavily edited.

Even if you can’t find the exact style you are envisioning, a collection of images will give your stylist a ‘feel’ of the look you’re going for. Including your dress, colour swatches and and even any room styling can also help!

You can take a look at our many many wedding hair and makeup inspiration boards here.

2. WHAT ABOUT IF I DON’T HAVE A CLUE?

Some questions to ask yourself:

how do you normally wear your hair? There are no rules – if you feel comfortable wearing it down then wear it down! There’s so many clever things your hairdresser can do to still make it look special. A fabulous blowdry can really show off a good head of hair!
when do you get the most compliments? When wearing a smoky eye or just a bare scrap of makeup? When do you feel your best?
how much makeup do you wear every day? You don’t have to wear stage makeup just because it’s your wedding day, I promise.
are you likely to pay attention to your makeup on the day? If not we wouldn’t suggest a strong lip.
is your venue dramatic and dark or light, bright and airy? You can get away with a more intense makeup look in candlelight and at later timed ceremonies.
what’s your dress style? Is it young, fresh and romantic or glam and structured? Is the detail around the neckline? You might want to show that off. This all helps guide your hair and makeup look.
do you love any celebrities personal style. That’ll help us with a reference and starting point.

3. PREP PREP PREP – YOUR STYLIST IS TALENTED BUT NOT A MAGICIAN 🙂

So boring and I wish I had a more a exciting suggestion but drinking lots of water pre-wedding, getting regular hair trims, going somewhere decent to have your brows shaped and having a couple of facials are all going to help you look your best. You’re aiming for a great canvas that we can further enhance.

4. HOW TO ARRIVE AT THE TRIAL

For hair it’s best to wash it the night before but not use straighteners or any heated tools as it affects the hair shaft and make it harder to re-style. If you *need* to wash it every day then come with it washed that morning and the stylist can prep it.

I find it really helpful if the bride turns up with her regular makeup on so I can get an idea of how she looks every day and what kind of makeup she feels comfortable with. Please don’t use waterproof mascara though!

We’d also suggest wearing a white or light top (if that’s the colour you’re wearing) to help you get the feel of the hair and makeup look with the right colouring.

5. WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR TRIAL AND WHEN TO SCHEDULE IT

Scheduling the trial after you’ve bought ‘the’ dress is pretty helpful as it guides the whole look and focuses the mind as to how you’d like your hair and makeup however you don’t need to bring it with you and a picture will suffice. We normally suggest planing the trial 1-3 months before the wedding date.

Daylight is always preferable for your trial and do remember artists are often very booked up at weekends at weddings.

If you have any hair accessories or a veil already purchased then these are helpful to bring but we’re used to working without them so don’t worry if you haven’t decided on them yet. Check ours out here.

We wouldn’t suggest bringing tons of people with you as sometimes lots of opinions doesn’t help!! But a best friend, bridesmaid or Mum is fun. I’d select them on their positive vibes!

It’s good to wear your hair and makeup ‘look’ for an hour or so and take a look at it in different mirrors in your home to get used to it.