Your Wedding Morning Timeline: When Should Hair and Makeup Start?
A relaxed wedding morning starts with a good timeline. When it's clear who gets styled when and when you need to be ready, you can truly enjoy the hours before your ceremony. Here's how to plan your morning, based on my experience from many weddings.
How to work backward from your ready time
Start with the time you want to be fully styled and work backward. These are my guideline times:
- Your bridal hair and makeup2.5 hours
- Hair and makeup for your loved ones (per person)1.5 hours
- Hair only1 hour
- Makeup only30 minutes
- Fresh-up for the groom15 minutes
An example: You'd like to be ready at noon. Besides you, your mother is getting hair and makeup and your maid of honor makeup only, plus a fresh-up for your groom. Altogether, that's just over five hours, so your styling morning starts shortly before 7 a.m.
It's even easier with my “Ready to Marry” schedule planner: enter your time, choose who's getting styled – done.
Who gets styled when?
There's no fixed order. What matters is who needs to be ready when. If you're planning a first look – the moment you see each other before the ceremony – you both need to be ready earlier than if everyone sees you for the first time at the ceremony.
Usually the mothers go first. Not because I decide that, but because they often still have a lot to do that morning.
If it gets very early
If your styling would need to start before 5:30 a.m., I can bring a second stylist from my team if you like. We'll split the styling, and your morning can start at a more pleasant time. We'll agree on this together in your quote.
Your styling is your time
Choose someone you trust, such as your maid of honor, who knows all the details and plans and takes care of everything for you that morning. While you're being styled, this is your time. Your styling isn't an item on your to-do list – it's part of this special day and gets you in the mood for everything that follows. I often see brides being interrupted constantly, and that's exactly what creates stress.
My tips for a calm morning
Don't plan your morning too tight. Most brides do. Time flies that morning, and every open item on your to-do list adds stress. We plan your styling precisely – but the time around it, for getting dressed, photos and travel, is often underestimated.
Hand off what you can. You don't have to do everything yourself. It's a huge relief, and your loved ones will be happy to feel needed.
Music. Think about whether you'd like music, and which. The wrong music makes many brides more nervous than they expect.
Exchange emotional gifts before makeup. Exchange touching gifts and letters before your makeup starts. Often this happens just before leaving – and then eyes are red and puffy. Enjoy these special moments calmly beforehand.
Who's in the room? Think about how many people should really be there while you're being styled. I've often seen it become too much for brides when lots of excited people are in the room. Excitement spreads quickly.
