How early should I book my Wedding Hair and Makeup Services?

Wedding and Bridal

Apr 5

wedding makeup artist holding her brushes

When and how early should I book my wedding hairstyling and makeup services? The answer: The earlier the better. Booking earlier, rather than later provides you the best options and first choices for your Vendors! Keep reading for what that actually means!!…

Who Am I? Am I a Bridal Beauty Expert?

Hi! I’m Ruth B Medrano, an Event and Wedding Hair and Makeup Artist Professional based In Los Angeles, California! I’ve been a Bridal Makeup Artist and Hairstylist in the wedding industry for over 10 years! Events are my specialty, from smaller events like birthdays and baby showers, to huge, mega events like high-profile weddings and large-company experiences! Some of the my clients have included: Grey Goose, Spotify, Discovery + and Golden Goose. As well as notable faces such as Maria Russell, Alyssa Campanella, and Haley Khalil! I’ve also been featured in many wedding publishings for my Wedding & Event Makeup & Hairstyling (Featured in: BRIDES, Style Me Pretty, California Wedding Day, BRIDAL GUIDE, The White Wren, etc.!)

The Psychology of Scheduling an Important Date

There is something that leads people to desire the same event dates throughout the year. For example: a specific date in August will have 10-15 inquiries, while the next weekend may have only 4-5. In order to get your first choice, book early! The later you book, the less of a chance you have to book your first choice!

What does early mean? Early can mean many different timings to different artists. A tried and true safe bet is to reach out 1 year in advance. Depending on the artist’s popularity and booking practices, a year out is generally the best and most practical time to secure your date. (Not to worry if your date is less than a year out, always reach out to your preferred artist, you never know they may still have your date available!)

My Recommendation on the Best Occasions to Book your Wedding Makeup and Hairstyling:

. When you book your Photographer and before you book your “Save the Date” or Engagement Photo session - At times, Brides will approach me only AFTER they’ve booked and secured their photo sessions hoping I have all their important dates available. If I’m unavailable for just one of their dates, this inevitably causes issues when scheduling to work together. The Bride-to-be misses the chance of working with a top quality artist, because they can’t change their photoshoot dates. It is to your benefit to book both your bridal beauty artist and photographer at the same time to ensure everyone is available for your most important dates.
Before you buy your dress. One of the benefits of a trial is to try out the hair and makeup look for your day. When you go to find the dress of your dreams is it not 100x’s more beneficial to see your whole Wedding-look put together? Even if there are some tweaks or changes to your wedding look later-on, you will get the overall feel and magic of the final look and therefore, make that much better of a decision with the whole vision in mind!

Bridal Party Portraits before the Ceremony

Black and White Photo of Bride and Groom

South Asian Wedding with Bride twirling with the Groom

Bride and Bridal party toasting with champagne

The Perk of Booking your Bridal Makeup Artist and Hairstylist Early

One of the biggest perks in booking your Wedding Makeup Artist and Hairstylist early, is that they will be with you throughout the entire journey. From engagement photos to bridal shower to bachelorette weekend and rehearsal dinner: your artist will be there for all your wedding beauty journey needs! With my brides, I also provide then with a 12 Week Bridal Skincare Prep Guide! Booking in advance allows the bride access to her artist to get all the pro tips to get a head start on looking her best for one of her most important days!

Now you know when to book, how do you find the right artist?

Tips when booking the right Wedding Makeup and Hairstyling services:

Look through all of the artist’s content FIRST. Instagram and their professional portfolios are a great way to achieve this tip. Find an artist who displays similar style to your dream look before reaching out for pricing or availability.
View their reviews to see what other brides and clients are saying about them.
Look for artists local to your area, or the area you will be holding your wedding.
If you’re not finding the right artist in your surrounding area, look outside your area.
After you’ve finished #1-5, you’re ready to request the investment packet. Confirm they are within your budget.
Be willing to adjust your budget, if your dream artist is just out of reach. Remember, you will look at these photos for a long time and it would be a shame to regret a mis-investment on such an important detail on your most special day.
Schedule a phone consultation. This allows you to “meet” the artist, vibe, and discuss your wedding vision!

At this point, whether you’re ready to book your day or a trial, your ready to move forward in booking your bridal glam!