Congratulations! You're engaged! Can we take a moment to "eek" together?! And you're now at the stage of considering makeup artists for your big day. Where do you start? What should you expect? I'm here to tell you what you need to know when picking your hair and makeup artist for your big day.
1. Where do I start?
Decide what your needs are! Are you having a destination wedding? What's the theme of the wedding? Do you have a certain style in mind? Is there a specific look you're going for? Or do you prefer to have the more natural elegant look? Do you have to have waterproof makeup? Is there a certain brand you're skin can't handle? Do you want someone who is licensed? Do you want to spend as little as possible? What kind of coverage do you want? Do you need touch ups? Is there multiple looks you'd like to do on the big day? These are all questions you should ask yourself before reaching out to a stylist for your wedding day.
2. Start doing some research!
Ask around! If you have friends who recently got married, ask them who they hired and what they experienced. The best form of reviews are often from real people about real experiences. If that doesn't get you started in the right direction, you can always check out Yelp! Set your filters and start giving HMUA's calls to see how they are on the phone. Some people like to cross check their sources with wedding planning sites like TheKnot or Brides.com. Read their reviews and see if they are genuine and hit some key points of what you want from your HMUA.
3. Ask questions!
Okay, so you have some consultations lined up to see who works best with you. What are you supposed to ask? Here are some questions you can ask your stylist during your consultation:
- What's your experience?
- How much time do you need per service?
- Are lashes included?
- Do you do airbrush makeup/does it make a difference?
- What brands of makeup do you use?
- How many ____ makeup styles have you done? (depending on specifics)
- Do you also do the wedding party or do you bring a team onsite?
- How do you accept payment?
- What do you need to hold my wedding date for me?
- Do you offer a trial session?
- What does the trial entail?
You can ask anywhere between 0-100 questions, but the reality of it is, you have to feel comfortable with your hair and makeup artist. They are one of the rare people who apply products to your face directly and play with your hair after all.
Choosing a hair and makeup artist can be a tedious task for your wedding day, and is often forgotten about until the end of the planning process. Make sure you book your stylist at the very least, 3-4 months prior to the wedding day. As the day grows nearer, the availability may be difficult to find, and pricing can significantly rise too!
Did you have other questions you asked that I haven't listed? Help out other brides on the hunt by leaving your questions in the comment section.
For availability and a consultation, contact me and we can chat!
Peace, Love, and Lipstick,
Rosheen Ahmadi