Bridal Trial Information

Bridal hair and makeup trials are usually done 4-6 weeks before your wedding at your stylist’s home or yours. To prepare for your bridal hair and makeup trial there are a number of things you can do to help you get the most out of it and to ensure it goes perfectly! 

• Wash your hair the day before (not on the day of your trial). Hair that is a day old is much more workable into your chosen wedding hairstyle. This applies to both up dos, loose waves or half up half down hairstyles. Don’t worry if your hair is slightly greasy, it won’t be once your hairstylist has finished with it! Products such as dry shampoo will be used to make it feel perfectly clean, your hairstyle will last longer, have more volume and texture and it will look much better! So even if you normally wash your hair everyday, for your wedding day I would strongly recommend washing it the day before just this once! This also applies to your bridesmaids’ hair too, so please tell them before your wedding day!
• Send photos of your bridal hairstyle ideas before your trial. It will be helpful to send photos of how you’d like your hair to look from the back and the front. Depending on your chosen hairstyle, we may need to use added hair padding or to give your bridal hair a fuller look. Once we know your chosen style, we can be fully prepared for your trial and make sure we have any extras that are needed. 
• Bring your bridal hair accessory and/or veil.  We can try them out with the hairstyle; find the best position for them and the best way to work them into your hair. It will save deciding on these things on the day of your wedding. The same applies to if you’re planning on wearing clip in hair extensions on your wedding day - please have them with you for the trial.
• Bring a photo of your wedding dress. This can help us get an idea of your personal style and help us decide together on your hairstyle based on your dress’ neckline. 
• Come prepared knowing your likes and dislikes. Before we start your hair trial, we’ll be asking you some questions about your likes and dislikes, for example if you’d like curls - do you prefer loose waves or ringlets, do you prefer a sleek look or messy boho appearance, do you like volume or more of a natural look on top, do you like some movement in your hair or would you like it to stay in one place. All these things will help us create your ideal bridal hair masterpiece!
• Bring a photo of yourself with your hair styled how you normally wear it. This will help us get an idea of how you’re comfortable wearing your hair, your preferred parting position and the general look that you usually like to go for.

• Wear white clothing. This will help you see what the makeup looks like against the colour you will be wearing on the day i.e. your wedding dress! It’s helpful to look as much like you will do on the day as possible, and a white vest top/t-shirt will help give you a good idea of how the makeup will look against your chest and dress.
• Have a completely makeup free face. Moisturiser is fine, but leave anything else off so we can start with a completely blank canvas. Hydrated skin and lips are a good base for your bridal makeup to be applied so moisturiser and lipbalm are a good idea but leave everything else off.
• Look at bridal makeup inspiration before your trial. Pinterest, bridal magazines and social media are good places to look at different styles of bridal makeup. See which looks you do and don’t like to get an idea of what sort of makeup you would like to have on your wedding day. At the trial we will show you different bridal makeup looks before we start and make a decision about what’s best for you, however if you have a rough idea of what you do and don’t like this will be helpful.
• Think about the makeup you normally wear for a special occasion (if any). We’ll be asking you what makeup you wear normally to gauge an idea of what you’re comfortable with. Think about whether you prefer your skin to look matte or dewy, do you prefer to have an emphasis on your eyes or your lips, do you like a natural look or more of a dramatic smokey eye look. If you have a photo of yourself from a recent special occasion that would also be helpful to show us your usual makeup look.
• Consider having a spray tan for your trial if you're planning on having a tan for your wedding day. This means the colour of your foundation for the trial will be correct for the wedding day too. Don't worry too much if this isn't possible as your foundation can be re-matched for you on the day if needed.
• Have something planned for the evening. It’s a great idea to have something planned for the evening of your makeup trial, to allow you to show others, and see how you feel wearing the makeup for the rest of the day. Look at it in different mirrors and lights and get your friends and family’s opinions on your chosen look.

Bridal hair and makeup trials last between 2-3 hours so please allow enough time on your trial day. The trial is a chance for you to try out your chosen look, and make any necessary tweaks in the process to ensure your look is perfect. The trial will last until you’re 100% happy with your bridal hair and makeup.