You’ve selected a date, found the perfect venue, booked the photographer and caterer of your dreams… the list goes on and on! Commonly, I find that hair and makeup services are the last items (or very close to the last items) to get booked for your amazing day. Girl, all I have to say is why!? As a makeup artist in the greater Central Minnesota region, most of my clients are incredible and organized, and they book well in advance of their special event. I have had quite a few clients reach out just days before their event, and while I am always so happy to accommodate this, there are some important reasons to consider booking as soon as possible. As professionals, we never want your makeup to be an after thought, or have you feel as though you were rushed through the booking and trial process. Here are some common reasons why I suggest booking your beauty services as soon as you fall in love with a makeup or hair artist.

First and foremost: Availability. Some beauty pros offer a full roster of makeup artists for your booking pleasure, however, many freelancers are a one man show. Take my beauty business for example, my clients hire me for my unique approach to makeup application, and they love my vision and style. You can give two artists the same products, an exact set of brushes, and identical twins, but the finished product will never be an exact replica. That is because makeup and hair are both art forms, and if you love someone’s style you want to book them quickly or someone else might. I can only speak for myself, but for October 10th, 2020 – I have already had to turn away 8 brides so far because I have a wedding party of 8 already booked.

Second: Your Trial Session. I cannot begin to express the importance of your beauty trial. For all of my brides, I do require a trial makeup application (and hair if applicable) because this is our opportunity to get to know each other, work out any discussion with the bride’s vision, and it gives us the opportunity to create a bond. While the wedding is so important, I put so much time, effort, and love into my trials as well because on wedding day, most artists do not have time for a do-over or complete change of vision. My trials average about an hour, but I block out two hours for you. We discuss skincare – what you are using, what is working and what isn’t, what you should try next, and how to properly implement it into your daily routine. I place such a big importance on skincare, and I am thorough in helping you find the best regimen for yourself. We discuss your vision and go through your Pinterest board, we touch on what is important to you and how we can mold and change things to find your unique eye or face shape. And finally, we get to know each other! I think I speak for the masses when I say that on my wedding day, I do not want some random artist showing up that I’ve never met before, this causes so much unneeded stress and you should never have to worry about that on your wedding day! By learning each other’s communication style during the trial, it creates an easy flow of energy for your wedding day!

Third: Travel Costs. Wedding season is usually peak travel season as well – especially in Minnesota! All of my Brainerd, Alexandria, and North Shore brides usually get married in late summer or early fall, and I do charge a one night hotel stipend if I am traveling over two hours to the venue to ensure I am on-site in time to start glamming you bright and early! Consider the supply and demand chain, as the wedding date gets closer, hotels and Airbnb’s will book up quickly, and what’s left will be expensive. The sooner you get your beauty professional booked, the better your odds are on saving a hotel fee. I’ve personally witnessed a room cost go from $89 to $175 in a matter of two weeks, so to ensure you (and the artist) aren’t forced to overpay, book early!

Finally: You Get To Choose. This sounds silly, but think about it – the earlier you book your beauty pro, the greater the amount of artists you will be able to choose from! Maybe a specific style is important to you, and you dream of an artist that specializes in full glamour transformations: if you wait until the last minute to book an artist, you may end up with someone who doesn’t have a lot of comfort or experience in your makeup style. This seems trivial, but I know that one item I never personally offer on wedding day is winged or cat eyeliner. I’ve found that many of my clients do not love that style, so it’s something I personally do not advertise as a specialty, but also I’ve found that [for me] it can be too time consuming on the wedding day to do an entire bridal party with this style of makeup. If you book early, you have time to sort through the artists and find someone who specializes in specifically what you love! Maybe budget is something you are conscious of as well? By booking a year in advance, you will usually qualify for the pricing from that period. The closer you get to your wedding date, the higher the prices will potentially climb. Again, supply and demand.

By all means, do whatever is best for you and for your budget! In no way is this meant to shame someone who may be a last minute planner, I know that I personally am the worst about things like meal prepping or coordinating travel for my own personal events, but something as special as your wedding day deserves (and takes) extra planing and care. These are just some helpful reasons to consider booking beauty services, or any vendor for that matter, as early as possible!