How soon is too soon to book your hairstylist and makeup artist for your wedding?

This is a question I come across quite often and honestly there is no right answer. As a hairstylist and makeup artist of 8 plus years in the wedding industry, I have seen both ends of the spectrum. There are brides who will book 18 months before their wedding date, and then there are ones who book the day before! (Yes, this has actually happened to me, but only once) 

As with anything, there are pros and cons to booking well in advance versus a couple of months in advance for your wedding day beauty. 

Whether it's a year in advance or a week in advance, booking your bridal hair and makeup artist shouldn’t feel like a chore. I try and make the process as smooth and easy as possible!

Some pros to booking a year or more in advance are

You are most likely to get the exact artist you want as most makeup artists only start booking clients up to 18 months in advance. If you have particular skin or hair issues that concern you, your chosen hair stylist or makeup artist can advise you and provide a plan to help improve your skin and hair, ensuring they are in optimal condition for your wedding day. 

Most hairstylists and makeup artists update their pricing annually. Booking early means you can lock in your makeup artistry and hair styling services at their current pricing before any potential price increases. 

Some cons for booking your bridal hair and makeup too far in advance, if you don’t have a timeline yet, artists may not want to block the whole day for you. If you do have a proposed wedding day timeline at the time of booking, but closer to the wedding day, things change; your hairstylist or makeup artist may not be able to accommodate these timeline changes. 

Booking your bridal hairstylist and makeup artist slightly closer to the date does have its advantages. You are more likely to have your wedding day planned out, so you have more info to provide potential artists, and therefore you can book the person that fits into your wedding day. 

Some cons, though, are possibly not having a lot of options for hair stylists and makeup artists who are still available on your wedding day, or finding that your first choice of artist is already booked. Another con is that If you have any skin or hair issues that need to be addressed, there may not be enough time to change your skincare or hair care routine in order to make improvements. 

Planning your wedding can feel like a full-time job, so it’s easy to forget sometimes the most obvious things. Whatever type of wedding you are having, you can count on me to help guide you along the way with your hair and makeup decisions

One thing is for sure: never assume a hairstylist or makeup artist is already booked up based on what you might see online. Sometimes, existing clients may need to postpone or cancel their wedding, which can make a popular wedding date available. If you do happen to be having a bit of a shotgun wedding or simply forgot to get things earlier, don’t be embarrassed to reach out. As long as we’re available, we have no problem accommodating last-minute appointments. 

If you have started planning for your wedding, feel free to reach out and see how I may be able to help with your bridal hair or makeup…or both!