Wedding Morning Preparations

Photo by: Inman Productions

Having worked as a bridal stylist for three years, I have experienced numerous memorable wedding mornings! Based on what I have seen, I have put together some tips and tricks to help make sure your wedding morning runs as smoothly as possible!

The first most important part of the morning is having a hair and makeup timeline to guide the morning along. I always provide a hair timeline for my brides, and they plan a certain order of girls depending on who needs to be done at what time. Before you can plan the hair and makeup timeline, you need to check with your photographer to see what time they need to start taking photos so they are done in time before the ceremony. I recommend planning to have everyone’s hair and makeup done two hours before the ceremony starts. This will give you time for photos, first looks, private vows, and travel time if necessary.

After the timeline is established, share it with everyone who is receiving any hair or makeup services. The most important part of the morning is everyone arriving at least 30 minutes BEFORE they are supposed to receive their hair or makeup service. This will ensure the morning runs smoothly and everyone is done on time. In addition to being early, it is also important that everyone follows the prep guides provided by the hair and makeup artists. I send a prep guide one week prior to the wedding day so everyone receiving services knows exactly what to do with their hair based on the style they want. 

In addition to the timelines, there are a few other important details I have noticed when being a part of these exciting mornings. Have a portable steamer just in case the venue does not have one. Dresses and the veil should be steamed BEFORE hair and makeup is done. The steam will make the curls drop and the style frizz. Speakers tend to be most forgotten when it comes to getting everything together for the morning, so make sure someone brings a small bluetooth speaker! I love the idea of having matching pajamas for the bridal party, just be sure they are button up so everyone can safely change after their hair and makeup is done. Having a box of wedding details ready to go for your photographer when they show up later in the morning will save you time of running around when they arrive. Having breakfast either picked up or delivered for the bridal party is an easy and great way to be sure everyone eats prior to the ceremony.

The ultimate goal of the wedding morning is to have fun and be with those who are closest to you! There are so many preparations that go into the day, and the morning is supposed to be one of the fun and relaxing parts of the day. The morning goes by quickly, so be sure to soak it all in.