Bridal Beauty Timeline, A Guide To Creation

Answering Your Questions

Recently I asked on a wedding forum, “When it comes to your makeup and hair on your big day, what do you need more info on?” One bride mentioned, she would like some insight into “how to create a bridal beauty service timeline.” And from there, a bunch of ladies questioned, “Who goes first? “Should hair be done before makeup?” “How many assistants should come to help with my party?” And so on… Grab your coffee, friend, and let’s get into the nitty gritty details….

Why Bridal Beauty Timelines Are Essential

Timelines are a super important part of your wedding day as they organize what key people (family, bridal party, vendors) should be doing, and when. Whether you’re doing your own makeup, or you’ve hired a professional, it’s recommended to have a set schedule the morning of your wedding . Trust me, it will go much smoother if the people in your wedding, aka bridesmaids, mother of the bride, flower girls etc, know what time their bums need to be in the chair. When the bridal party starts their application on time, we can be assured no one is left behind. If an appointment runs too long, it can be devastating. Imagine peaking over your shoulder to try and soak in those special moments- like the magic of the bride getting in her dress. It is no fun from afar.

My Systems

While every makeup artist will do things slightly different, there are definitely some pro tips that you should take into consideration when building out your bridal beauty timeline. I’ll just jump into giving you an insight on how I build my timelines, and then send you off with some must ask questions for your beauty team.

First Step To Bridal Beauty Timelines

Firstly, I start by asking my bride when they have to be at their first look, or ceremony location. Let’s say that’s four o’clock. We are going to then assume the bride need a certain amount of driving time between the getting ready location and the venue. Let’s say that’s three o’clock.

Second Step To Bridal Beauty Timelines

Secondly, I leave a buffer hour. Let’s say that’s two o’clock. Why you ask? We need to work backwards that extra hour to account for the shuffle of the day and little things that pop up. Likely, your photographer is going to want to snap a few pics of you getting ready, right? In addition, putting on your earrings, receiving a letter or a gift from your mom and dad, or having a much needed snack etc…. Essentially, starting from this endpoint is where we can now build out a bridal beauty timeline. At this point it seems appropriate for all services to wrap up by two.

Third Step To Bridal Beauty Timelines

Thirdly, it’s time to decide how long to leave per face/head. This calculation is dependant on how intricate each service and the speed of the stylist. A typical allocation of time is one to one-and-a-half hours. The calculation goes time the number of services by the time it takes per services. The results are the amount of working hours needed for your bridal beauty timeline. Subsequently, choose how many assistants you need to get everyone done in a timely manner. I prefer to schedule a girl glam sesh of no more than four to five hours total. If you have four makeups and four hairs and four hours to work with you need two stylist minimum. Hope your brain doesn’t hurt too much from that math haha.

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Ask Your Beauty Team These Q’s…

1. “Can you come 15 minutes ahead before the first appointment to set up.” This is important so that the artist can get started right on schedule.
2. “Do you need any certain types of chairs, or lighting?” Typically, a makeup artist will ask you to get a high chair set near a nice window with some counter space. A hairstylist will ask to be close to a plug on a lower seat so they can have access to the top of your head.
3. “Is the buffer time adequate from when we’re finished to leaving for the first look.”
4. “How many artists are you bringing with you?”
5. “Do I need to wear a certain outfit?” “Do you recommend a button down shirt or a robe?”
6. “When will I be able to get the timeline?” (Usually we send timelines about three weeks before the wedding when everything is solid and in place)
7. “Is there anyone that you need to be in contact with to help make this timeline accurate?” (Yes, we usually need to be in contact with the day of coordinator to double check on the timing of events.)
8. “When do you suggest the bride gets done?” We suggest the bride gets done in coordination with when the photographer gets there. We recommend a minimum 15 minute overlap. If your photographer is coming for an hour to begin photos, the bride should be finishing up her makeup upon arrival. That way she can snap those “finishing touches” shots which are so dang cute.

Final Thoughts On Timelines

I know that was hella long, but hopefully some of that information resonated with you. The wedding day can be overwhelming with so many moving pieces. Make sure to be assertive ahead of time and if you’re not sure about something, speak up and ask.

Happy planning y’all!

-Meagan

Photos by Angela Marie Photography