What to Wear Wednesday | Hair and Makeup by Enlightened Styles

Meet Jacquelyn from Enlightened Styles. I have worked with Jacquelyn several times for various photo shoots. She always does an amazing job on hair and makeup and I am confident that her work will photograph beautifully! So naturally I wanted to have her give some advice to my clients! If there is one piece of advice that I can give you; it’s please, please, please hire a professional hair and makeup artist for your photo shoot and/or wedding. They are invaluable, save you time and stress, and can ensure that you will look amazing for the whole day! But enough of my endorsement… here’s the advice that Jacquelyn has for you!

When should you book your hairstylist for your wedding day?

With all the craziness around a wedding it’s hard to know when to book certain vendors. A lot of the times hair stylist and makeup artist and be on the the last things you think about. But here’s why you should start looking earlier and book your stylist!

Think about your wedding day and what do you envision your style being?

You’ve picked out your dress and now you have to finish the beautiful look with your hair and makeup. It’s a big part of your day and you want to be able to look back at your pictures and feel that same wonderful feeling knowing that your dress, hair and makeup were the very best for your big day! You also want to think about the feeling you have on the day of your wedding. Will you and your bridesmaids be running around to salons and fighting the traffic? Or do you want to enjoy your day at your venue and have the professionals come to you while you enjoy relaxing time with your bridesmaids? Now you have the option of the stylist coming to your at the location your are getting ready.

Timeline for looking for your hair and makeup stylist:

6-12 months: Start looking at reviews and ask your other vendors that you have booked and trust for their recommendations. Bridal shows are always a good way to find great vendors and see their work. I would recommend booking your stylist as soon as possible especially if you have one of the poplar wedding months. This way it will cut your stress later in the process!

3-6 months: Book your trial date with the stylist you have chosen. Go over your vision for your hair and makeup. Make sure you try all your options and take pictures. I would also recommend trying to book your trial date on a day that you could go and try your wedding dress on so you could see the whole look.

Day of the wedding timeline:

Bride’s hair and makeup : One hour and a half. This gives enough time to get it right and make any tweaks or changes from the trial run. The brides makeup should be done while her hair is being set or after her hair is done. Which ever is best for the bride.

Bridesmaids’ hair: 30-45minutes per person.

Bridesmaids’ makeup: 30-45 minutes per person.

Hair can range from just a few minutes for a simple primping to an hour or more for an intricate updo. I would suggest overestimate how much time you’ll need – that way your schedule will allow for different styling choices and last-minute add-ons, as well as late family members, interruptions, and other unanticipated (but often unavoidable) wedding day chaos. If you have a very large group and you know you’ll be tight on time, ask your hair and/or makeup artist to bring a assistant.

The order: When your hairstylist arrives, have her start on your bridesmaids first. The bride go in the middle to last so that when her photographer arrives, they catch those last-minute ‘getting ready’ shots, and the bride looks the freshest.

Most of all enjoy your day and try to relax!

Interested in booking a beauty or boudoir session? Fill out a contact form here, or send Kristen a note at kristen@kristenlynne.com!