How much time should be allotted for the bride's hair and makeup?

When it comes to the big day, all eyes are on your beauty. A bride deserves soft curves and radiant skin in their wedding photos. How much time should be allotted for hair/makeup: Let's take a quick moment - Bride should be allocated:

• 90 minutes for hair 
• 90 minutes for makeup 
• 2 hours of time available post the completion of hair and makeup
• Services in advance of the bridal party

90 Minutes for Hair and Makeup
Have you heard the saying "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure?" This rings especially true when it comes to getting ready for your wedding. Most brides have wished that they had more time before their big day. 

We haven't had a single bride complain about being ready early, not a single one but I have had many of brides complain about the wedding starting late, missing out on dancing during the reception, first look, personal photos, sunset photos, and just moments in general.  
 
Trust us, it can feel like too much time but consider a traditional salon experience, your stylist has all her tools setup at her disposal and access to everything that she could need or she can ask her counterpart for something quick but on your wedding day, they are often traveling with alot of tools and doing their very best. Plus the salon doesn't have 5 of your besties all chatting, drinking, and talking all at once. There is so much to take in. 
 
Not only are these things happening around you but your stylist and makeup artist who may have only one interaction with you might find that you want some changes made to your hair or some adjustments to your original look, like tell me you had your makeup trial and didn't go into a dark hole on Instagram for other looks? Guilty?

Be ready 2 hours before the wedding ceremony start time.
Does being done with hair and makeup 2 hours before your wedding sound insane? Well, let's break down what you may still need to do after you are done with hair and makeup: 

• Wedding party robe photos
• Putting on your wedding dress
• Putting on your wedding undergarments and accessories
• Taking a potty break
• Tidying up the room for videographers and/or photographers
• First look with your spouse 
• First look with your parents
• Bridal portraits
• Pre-planned pre-ceremony photos
• Room reveal(s) 

It sounds insane right now but just ask a recently married bride why their wedding started late, oftentimes you'll find that this is simply due to the fact that they ran late with hair and makeup.  

Brides should (almost) NEVER go last for hair and makeup on your wedding day.
For the love.... please just look at the list above. Your maid of honor, bridesmaid, mother, sister, auntie, great cousin, niece, or whomever you have in your mind is not thinking of the million things swirling in a bride's head on their wedding day. Even if they are conscious of the timeline and love you to the moon and back, they will still have time to get finished without missing out on moments. 
 
The bride should (almost) never be last in the chair unless there's a situation where the vendor has to leave early to get things done and it still leaves us two full hours of being fully complete and ready to go for the wedding day.
 
You know what they say, "The bride is always on time but the makeup and hair never are." So when it comes to your big day? Make sure you're giving yourself enough prep time by starting early!

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What if you're antsy in the waiting? 

• Eat
• Relax and drink champagne
• Perfect your vows
• Make thank-you notes
• Pack up your personal items from the bridal sweet for a smooth post-wedding transition
• Write your spouse a love letter that they can read on your anniversary. 
• Be your own paparazzi (grab your phone and start taking some BTS photos) 
• Enjoy your bridal party
• Take a potty break

 
What if you don't have the kind of time needed to allocate the recommendations for a bride's hair and makeup timeline? 

• Do the best with what you can have.
• Ask your vendor providing services to provide the best recommendation to ensure that you aren't cutting important corners. 
• Start at the hotel versus your wedding venue (makes for additional logistical considerations when having vendors travel to a new location)