Your Bridal Beauty Plan
Cristina is great and not just because she (like I) loves sour beer. She is great because you can tell that the person she is is such a great fit for you. As a bride, getting ready in the morning, you want to set a good tone for the day. You want to be excited but not manic, you want to be prepared but not panicky. Cristina is totally that person, absolutely a good fit. Listen to the episode and take notes, or just keep scrolling for my version of the show notes!
WHEN DOES IT ALL START?
You want to have ample time to get ready in the morning, especially if you and 8 other people are going to get hair and makeup done. 8 is not an exaggeration. If you have 5 bridesmaids, if there are two moms, and a flower girl, then 5 + 2 + 1 = 8.
Cristina suggests keeping your hair and makeup time slot down to 4 or 5 hours, because after that the hairspray fumes start depriving your brain of oxygen... kidding. Because 5 hours is a long time to get ready.
Remember in college when you and your gal pals would sit on the floor in front of those mirrors from Target - primping and preening and sipping on poorly made drinks? Well after 5 hours you called it a night and changed into pajamas, cause at that point you were NOT going to leave the apartment.
That was a weird tangent, but I'm keeping it, because it reminds me of my old suite-mate Gretchen.
In order to keep the time slot to a manageable size (4 or 5 hours) you might need to hire additional stylists, I think you should do this.
Working backwards from the time you need to be ready for, the first look or bridal party portraits, you can easily sketch out your bridal beauty timeline. A 1P first look has you getting dressed around 12P, with the help of your sister and your momma. Your sister (the maid of honor) and your mother need to be dressed before you, so they should be done with hair and makeup by 11:30A.
See how this is working? Make sure that you communicate with all the vendors so that the timeline you are envisioning is actually executable.
WHO IS INVOLVED IN CREATING THE TIMELINE?
There is a general order of events when it comes to creating a timeline for getting ready in the morning. First, determine who will be getting hair and/or makeup done. Second, determine where hair and makeup will happen, if it is at the venue ensure that the venue allows you to be in the space that early. If it is at a hotel or salon, ensure that you allow for ample travel time.
Either you are getting into your car with your wedding dress - which takes skill and patience - or you are getting dressed at the venue - which takes time. Envision the steps you will take and then add time buffers so you don't feel rushed and close the car door on your train OR forget your bra at the hotel.
Third, contact hair and makeup with the details: the number of people and the services they are opting for, the time you need to be ready by, the location you are getting ready at.
Your stylist will work some story problem magic and either advise that you start getting ready at 6A or that your hire another stylist. We all know what the best choice here is.
Fourth, once you have something drafted, share it with your photographer + videographer, with your moms and wedding party and personal attendant and confirm with the venue access times.
All the while your planner should be involved (if you have one), if you do not, uhm, feel free to join the Facebook group and ask for help. This part of planning need not be the part where you lose your marbles or scream at bridesmaid #5 for waffling on her airbrush no airbrush decision making.
WHEN DO I DO A TEST RUN?
Itching to do a trial with your hair and makeup artist? I don't blame you. Schedule something for 6-8 weeks prior to your wedding. At this point you have determined a lot of important details, like the accessories you will have, the timeline of the day and your vision for what you want to look like.
For the appointment (which might be an hour or two) you should bring:
Images
Veil, hair accessories and jewelry you will don on the day of
Wear a white top
Bring a buddy who has a supportive and loving demeanor
THE BEST BRIDAL BEAUTY REGIME
Here's what I got out of our chat about preparing and tending to your skin in the coming months:
Don't change your skin care routine in the last 3-4 weeks. Wear sunscreen (grooms you too). Drink lots of water and stay hydrated. Don't wax your eyebrows the week of, and never wax your mustache - embrace it because it's a thing that men and women have.
CRISTINA'S BEST WEDDING ADVICE
Just relax, it is all going to be okay. Don't get caught up in all the tiny details. Don't forget to eat.