The wedding morning goes faster than you think. Photographer, hairstylist, the dress, family coming and going — and in the middle of it all, makeup for the bride and her party. The surest way to a calm morning is a good schedule. Here is how we plan it together.
About 90 Minutes per Person
I allow about 90 minutes for each person. That is the time it takes for proper skin preparation, careful application and a result that lasts from the ceremony to the last dance. It is not time that can be cut — it is what makes the difference in your photographs.
Work Backwards
The simplest way to plan the morning is to start from the end: the time everyone needs to be ready — before the getting-ready photos, for example. From there we count backwards, 90 minutes per person.
If we are preparing the bride plus three more people, we need about six hours of makeup in total: to have everyone ready by 5 PM, we start around 11 AM. With the bride plus four — the full bridal party I take on as standard — it comes to about seven and a half hours.
We Decide the Order Together
Who gets ready first and who last depends on the day’s schedule: who is photographed earlier, when each person sees the hairstylist, who needs to leave first. That is why we talk before the wedding and fix the order together, so on the day you don’t have to think about a thing.
The Same Hands on Every Face
I apply every look in the bridal party personally. The schedule runs at a steady, predictable pace — and in your photographs the bride and her party look like one harmonious whole, with the same quality on every face. For larger parties, we find a way by special arrangement.
What to Send Me Early
- How many people we are preparing, and who they are.
- The time everyone needs to be ready.
- The hairstylist’s and photographer’s schedules, so we can coordinate.
- Where you will be getting ready — home, hotel or venue.
Would you like to plan your own wedding morning together? Send me a message — and read more about bridal makeup and the bridal party.