So, you’re a bride-to-be and facing dozens upon dozens of options: menus, flowers, the dress!, DJ or band?, how you want to look on your big day, and more. While all of the possibilities may feel overwhelming, the good news is that there are many professionals out there to help you realize and execute your vision.
It gets even better! When it comes to perfecting your wedding day look, there’s no shortage of beauty stylists out there. But how do you find the makeup and hair stylist best suited to your precise needs, tastes and budget?
Searching and finding the right stylist is not unlike recruiting – a job I did for nearly ten years. It’s all about listening carefully to find the right fit, making sure the stylist can fulfill the requirements of the most important job in the world: making you look and feel gorgeous.
We all know that time is money. Sifting through directories and scouring referrals can be time-consuming, cumbersome and sometimes frustrating. So before you spend your time and energy searching, it’s helpful to know the key questions to ask a bridal stylist. And learn what to look for during your makeup and hair consultation or trial appointment.
For starters, do they have a portfolio you can review? Can they provide you with client references? Do they specialize in bridal services? Are they asking you questions to flesh out your vision and preferences?
There are some brides, however, who may shirk away from asking these, and other, necessary questions for fear of sounding bossy or like a Bridezilla, or perhaps they’re just shy. I understand.
I’m the kind of person who doesn’t like to make waves and who used to believe that I should let the expert take the lead. Time and time again, I’d leave the makeup or hair appointment only to wipe off my eye shadow and take down my hair. Once, after arriving at a red carpet event, I took my hair down in the restroom the moment I arrived because my updo began falling down on the way to the venue.
These disappointments and experiences have taught me one very valuable lesson: You can’t get what you want without speaking up!
Once you’ve chosen an expert to provide your beauty service, you can’t assume they can read your mind. That is to say, if you don’t explicitly articulate your vision throughout the appointment, you should consider yourself accountable if you do not achieve the look you want.
My point is, when you don’t speak up during your appointment, the artist is going to assume you like what they are doing. You must give direction, as you would with any other wedding service provider. Remember, celebrity stylists and those who work with magazines or on the runway usually receive direction from the director of photography or the celebrity themselves.
When a celebrity sits down in the chair, they know what they want, and they say it. And you should too. You will not offend the stylist, and if you do, they’re not the professional you want to work with.
Go. And be gorgeous!