5 Things You Need to Know Before Booking a Wedding Hair & Makeup Trial and How It Can Save You Money
I think I can speak for every woman when I say we’ve all experienced that “moment” in the hair salon when we’ve asked for a gorgeous hairstyle only to be horrified at the style we walk out with!
Yes, we’ve all dealt with that haven’t we?:-)
My worst hair experience was for my high school prom when I went to my regular hair stylist for an updo. He put a styrofoam cup in my hair and created a massively over sized updo with really tight curls! It was just oh-so-bad! I ran home in tears! My poor father didn’t know what to do to help calm me down. He actually tried to ‘squish’ the cup in my hair to lower the hairstyle assuming that might help. Poor Dad. Of course as you can imagine that only made matters worse!
Many of us have been psychologically scarred by events like this in the past whether it’s with our hair or our makeup.
It’s no wonder brides feel anxious when booking a professional for their wedding day. Let’s face it, your wedding day is a pretty important event in your life right? Making a bad hair and/or makeup decision can be devastating!
Case in point…
This past weekend I had a hair and makeup trial with a really lovely bride-to-be. When I arrived at her home she told me that she had had another trial with a different artist just a few days before our booking and that it ended in disaster. She was feeling very nervous about going through the process again. I can tell you after being in the wedding industry for over a decade I’m still surprised at how many brides go through this. Some brides book 2, 3, 4 or more wedding hair and makeup trials wasting good money by trying to eliminate bad artists. They keep trying to find ‘the one’ at any cost! In reality, finding the right hair and makeup artist for your wedding day shouldn’t cost you the earth and it should be an enjoyable experience. Not a stressful one. So what happened at our trial? The trial ended in success and she has booked me for her big day. I’m sincerely thrilled to have been her chosen as her hair and makeup artist but I do wish I could have spared her that first trial experience. I also could have helped her save money too!
[clickToTweet tweet=”If you want to avoid a wedding hair and makeup trial disaster these are the 5 most important things you should do.” quote=”If you want to avoid a wedding hair and makeup trial disaster these are the 5 most important things you should do.” theme=”style6″]
Don’t Live In a Fantasy World
What you ask for at your trial is what you should be expecting to see on your wedding day.
Now is not the time to live in fantasy land. Now is the time to deal with reality.
This is what I ask my brides at our trial, “You know your hair and skin better than anyone else on this planet, tell me what I should know so that I can give you the best results.”
Is your hair prone to frizziness when you get hot? Do you tend to get shiny even in cold weather? These are the things you need to divulge at your trial.
It’s not reasonable to expect any artist/stylist to be able to change your body chemistry. If you know your hair is prone to frizz you need to be up front and explain this to your hair stylist. Don’t be mysterious or keep quiet about how your skin and hair reacts in certain weather conditions. Do not assume because an artist/stylist is “professional” they can suddenly change your hair or skin texture. A good hair and makeup artist can and will work miracles but there will be limits to their magical powers. Be realistic at all times and save yourself worry, grief and money.
Do Your Homework & Get Your Facts Straight Before Booking; Remember You Get What You Pay For
There are no shortcuts here. You will need to educate yourself in order to find the right fit for your big day. Devote time into your planning by researching, asking questions and making a short list of those hair stylists and makeup artists you’re interested in working with. Try not to base your decisions purely on budget as most hair/makeup artists are competitively priced in many major cities. If you focus strictly on the lowest priced artist, you’ll end up spending more money booking several trials to find the right fit for yourself. Initially search and find those artists that demonstrate within their portfolio the styles you like. Once you have a shortlist of 2 or 3 artists, get in touch with them. You should feel comfortable contacting them online or over the phone. You choose how you want to contact them and then sit back and watch how they initially react to you.
If you’re a type A personality you’ll be looking for an artist who is quick to respond, very professional and answers all your questions without hesitation. If you’re more of a type B personality you’ll want to start building a relationship and getting ‘a feel’ for which artist is a good match for you.
The most important thing is to get all your facts straight before moving forward with a trial. Here are the basic questions you should ask prior to hiring a hair and makeup artist:
- What is included in your price per person? Is airbrush extra?
- Are there any extra charges I need to know about?
- Is there a difference in price for short, medium or extra long hair?
- How about extensions? Do you supply them or do I supply them?
- Will you put my head piece in? Will you help me decide what I should wear in my hair?
- How do you keep your makeup and brushes hygenic?
- Do you book more than 1 wedding per day? If yes, how might that affect my wedding?
- What are your terms and conditions of business and what are your payment options?
Prep Properly
Let’s face it, you don’t book a hair and makeup trial every day of the week so you’ll need some help preparing. Your hair and makeup artist should send you information and/or explain clearly the best way for you to prepare for your trial. Preparation is everything! I can’t stress this enough. From using a particular shampoo to how far in advance you should wax your brows, good preparation will make a big difference to your outcome. You need to understand what’s expected of yourself so that your artist can achieve your desired results.
Below is my hair and makeup preparation sheets. (or as I call them “hair and makeup check lists”) Feel free to download these for your upcoming trial.
Hair Prep
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.vlmakeup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Bride-Hair-Trial-Check-List.pdf” title=”Bride Hair Trial Check List”]
Makeup Prep
[pdf-embedder url=”https://www.vlmakeup.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Bride-Makeup-Trial-Check-List-9.pdf” title=”Bride Makeup Trial Check List”]
Hair and Makeup Trial Etiquette
Just like the game of golf has it’s own etiquette, a hair and makeup trial has it’s own etiquette too. To get the very best results you must work closely with your artist/stylist. At the time of booking your trial, you should know the exact time and location of where the trial will take place. It’s normal for your artist to arrive 10 – 15 minutes early to your trial. They will need a clean clear area to work. If you are not sure what is required, ask. Be open, honest and transparent from the get-go. If you don’t like something, speak up. If you love something, say so. Remember you are the client! You have every right to question and gather as much information as possible so that you can make the best decision for yourself and your wedding party. Your hair and makeup artist will have lots of questions for you as well as they will be gathering information to ensure your wedding day runs smoothly.
Don’t Underestimate The Click Factor
I can tell you from experience that brides-to-be are normally cool as a cucumber at their trial but come their wedding day, it’s often a different story! Getting married is fun but it does come with it’s share of stressful and sometimes anxious moments. On the morning of your wedding you want to spend time with people who keep you calm, keep you focused and more than anything else help you to relax and enjoy yourself. This is your day! 🙂 Surround yourself with those who put you first.
If you don’t ‘click’ initially with your hair and makeup artist at your trial you most certainly won’t click with them on your wedding day. Remember, it won’t matter how talented they are if they cause you stress on your big day. The click factor should never be underestimated.
Ready to book your trial? Let’s talk!