How to pick your bridal hair and makeup artist.
Wedding planning can at times feel overwhelming – there are so many options for everything! In recent years the wedding industry has flourished which is amazing when you’re looking for that one really niche or specific thing – the great news is this probably exists now! However when you’re trying to pick a photographer or a hair and makeup artist or another important service it also means there are hundreds of options so how do you know which to pick?
Leading bridal hair and makeup artist Tori Harris shares her top tips on how to pick the artist right for you.
There are so many hair and makeup artists these days it can sometimes be really hard to know where to start when selecting someone to use on your big day. Whether you’ve got a recommendation from a friend who is already married or you’re looking on google there are a few key things that I think are important to bare in mind:
• Style
• Personality
• Price
• Professionalism
Style
Does the hair and makeup artist you’re looking at have images of similar hairstyles/makeup looks that you’re looking for? This is quite a challenging one as we all tend to just look at the pretty models and brides on peoples websites and think they’re amazing so try not to look at the person but more at the actual makeup and hair.
Trials aren’t cheap and so you don’t want to have multiple trials with different artists trying to find someone who can achieve the look you’re going for. Also if you’re wanting to wait until closer to the wedding to have your trial – perhaps because you’re trying to grow your hair – you will most likely have to pay a deposit to hold the wedding date in your chosen artist diary so you want to be sure you’ve selected the right artist. If you’re looking for a really heavily contoured makeup look it’s best to book someone with plenty of examples of this – that’s not to say another artist couldn’t do this look but makeup artists tend to have a portfolio representative of our favourite looks and the ones we feel most comfortable creating. Likewise if you’re looking for a really loose and romantic up do look for someone who has examples of this on their website – it doesn’t have to be the exact style you want but along the same lines is a great place to start.
Don’t be afraid to email a potential artists a selection of images of the look you’re going for so that they can advise if they’d be able to recreate this for you. Although it’s hard to tell prior to meeting you and seeing you hair and or skin in person you can quickly suss out if what you’re looking for is within their skill set.
Personality
This one you can’t tell from a website. While you can get an idea of what someone might be like from their reviews or manner of typing I really recommend giving your artist a call and having a chat about your hair and makeup and how things will work on the wedding day. This person is going to be there with you and your nearest and dearest on the day at a time when you will feel particularly nervous so they need to be someone who makes you feel comfortable. It’s incredibly intimate doing someones hair and makeup for a wedding at The Tori Harris Pro Team we take time to ensure we not only offer artists with a high standard of hair and makeup but also who are calming, work well under pressure and keep an eye on the time! We take it as our responsibility to make sure you’re ready on time including giving bridesmaids a cheeky nudge when it’s time to go and get ready!
Price
Weddings can be really expensive and everyone ultimately has a set amount of money they can spend. While I would be cautious of anything that sounds to good to be true prices do vary throughout the industry. Most hair and makeup artists are independent traders or small boutique agencies like The Tori Harris Pro Team. For example we have four pricing options available – our
cheapest option being our artists who are newest to the industry – this doesn’t always mean new hair and makeup artists many have worked in TV or film but we feel you need a unique skill set to work on weddings so we always ensure our more experienced artists are not only amazing hair and makeup artists but know the whole wedding morning process inside out! That said – just because someone is really expensive doesn’t always mean they are the best or the right fit for you either. I would advise you to do some research on average costs in your area before you set a budget for hair and makeup as prices vary throughout the country some of the figures present in bridal press can be misleading.
Professionalism
This ties into my previous point to some extent, remember how I said some deals are too good to be true well your wedding day isn’t the day to find this out the hard way. You’re relying on this person to arrive on time, complete their job on time and to the highest standard that they can. As a bridal hair and makeup artist you can’t have an off day at work because that day is someones most important day! I usually recommend booking a hair and makeup artist who is used to do doing weddings, who has a proven track record of turning up on time and getting brides ready on time! A lot happens during your wedding morning and I’ve heard many a horror story of people running off schedule or their makeup artist tucking into the champagne too! We always send out a timetable prior to our weddings so not only do we know exactly where we’re supposed to be at what time – so do you! When you’re enquiring with hair and makeup artists look for those who reply promptly to emails during working hours. At your trial your artist should also be on time and prepared – if not this is a huge warning sign that things may go wrong on the day too. You are putting a lot of trust and money into all of your wedding suppliers so you want to ensure you’re going to get what you have booked.
Hopefully this gives you a little guidance on who to book for your bridal hair and makeup. Having your hair and makeup done for your wedding is such a wonderful and fun experience you just want to ensure you have the right artist for you there on the day! If you need more advice check out our definitive guide to booking your hair and makeup artist.