For the bride, having immaculate hair and makeup for the wedding day comes only second in importance to finding the perfect dress. The bottom line is, it’s a big deal, so of course you need to make sure you pick the right makeup and hair people to suit your style and have you looking a million dollars on the big day.  But here’s the thing, there are literally thousands of professionals to choose from, so it makes sense to be prepared and trial out their services well in advance. Hair and makeup trials can be fun, but many brides can also find them somewhat stressful, if they go in unprepared or end up with a look that’s just not them.  Don’t forget your wedding pictures will last a lifetime so it’s important that you are 100% happy with your look on the day.

So in a bid to help you get the most out the experience, we’ve put together some of our insider tips, gathered from our years of working with our many happy brides, to help you breeze through the hair and makeup trial like a pro. If you’d like to chat about how we can help you with the planning of your wedding day then please email us

Like most wedding plans, preparation is key. Have your hair and makeup trials done at least 3 months in advance of your wedding, but be advised that many professionals can book up early for the weekends or indeed may be at other weddings, so if you’re interested in having a trial with a specific person, book earlier rather than later.

Try and have your dress chosen before you go for the trial. Your dress will frame your entire hair and makeup look on the day, so having a trial without having chosen the dress is a bit of a waste.

Do your research, check out wedding magazines, blogs and Pinterest for hair and makeup looks you like. Bring your top picks to the trial so your hair and makeup people have an idea of the vibe you’re going for. Similarly tell them if there’s a hair style or makeup look you don’t like.

Also having freshly washed and dried hair will give you more time at the trial, as will going with no makeup on.

It can be tempting to bring your makeup or hair stylists a picture of your current celeb girl crush and ask to look exactly like them. Say for example you want the whole dark and mysterious Kim Kardashian effect.  However, if you have a super pale complexion and blonde hair, then her look is unlikely to work for you.  Instead, you need to go for something that’s going to suit you. Forget trends and celebrities and instead focus on your own features. Discuss them with your hair and makeup experts and they will help your natural beauty to shine through.

Speaking of your natural features, if you are self-conscious about something, say your ears for example, then make sure tell the hair stylists so that the style does not accentuate that area. Equally tell them what you like about your features so they can help to show them off.

Don’t be tempted to bring a huge entourage of ladies with you. The makeup trial is essentially about you, so bringing one person like your mum or sister or best friend is a good idea. Essentially you want someone who cares about you and your wedding, but also someone who will also be honest with you.

Definitely make sure to bring along any accessories you might be wearing on the day, such as headbands, clips, slides or veils. Bring pictures of your dress too as it will be helpful for both the hair stylist and makeup artist to get a sense of the overall look you’re going for.

Try and schedule your hair and makeup trials for the same day as this will give you a better feel for what you’ll look like on the day.

Also try and have the evening of your trial free so you can go home and put both the hair and makeup through its paces. This way you’ll know if the makeup will stay put, are the lashes staying in? Are any bobby pins sticking into your scalp? Are you getting a headache or does the hair loose its shape quickly. Going home and taking the makeup off and hair out immediately defeats the purpose of the trial.

If you don’t like something about the hair or makeup, either at the trial or afterwards when you go home, then be sure to discuss this with the stylists. Make sure to go selfie mad and take lots of pictures in different lighting and angles to make sure you’re totally happy.

Also, while it’s good to know what works for you,  don’t be afraid to take the professionals advice and try something new in the trial… you never know it might be just what you were looking for.