When Caroline Bunn was planning her Bozeman, Mont., wedding from her home in Fort Collins, she was able to find vendors near Foster Creek Farm, a rustic yet elegant wedding venue surrounded by four mountain ranges. Along with a caterer and DJ, she even found a college student to transport her dogs to and from the venue to participate in the ceremony since they couldn’t stay onsite.
But finding an affordable hairstylist for the day of her wedding was so tough that she had to settle for someone so problematic Bunn and her friends still talk about it seven years later.
A week before the wedding, the stylist increased her prices by 30 percent, invited herself to the wedding and rushed through the wedding party’s styling time so she could do her own hair.
“The best part was she wore a completely scandalous dress and brought a date, and they made out on the dance floor the entire night,” Bunn says. “To add insult to injury, my hair didn’t look very good.”
Wedding hairstylists and makeup artists spend their days tucking, curling, primping and pinning updos for brides and their wedding parties. The prep time—which might include champagne, food, music and a photographer to capture the fun—has become a bonding experience for brides, their bridal party and even their stylists. Still, finding the right hair and makeup professionals can be a challenge, and they’re usually not cheap.
“I couldn’t stomach paying hundreds of dollars to have my hair done for one day,” Bunn admits, but she learned her lesson by skimping on the stylist.
Though Bunn, her mom, bridesmaids, aunt and mother-in-law all scheduled styling time, it hadn’t been a priority. In retrospect, Bunn recommends hiring a reputable hairstylist and getting a contract, if possible, to have a clear understanding of what you’re paying for.
“I placed hair prep at a three (out of 10), but I wish I had thought more about it,” she says. “We were focused on throwing a good party, and it was great, but I wish I had thought more about who I hired.”
Caroline Bunn’s bridesmaids, Shannon Lavey, Christie Catania and Claire Lowstuter, enjoy time together before the wedding. Photo by David Clumpner.
Trust and planning are key
Like most in the industry, Danielle Bertoch, a hairstylist at Eleven Salon in Greeley, schedules trial runs for brides 45 days before their wedding. During the trial run, she and the bride talk about likes and dislikes and play with different hair accessories, tweaking the look until they’re happy.
“You have to trust your hairstylist because nobody wants to walk out with their hair a mess on their wedding day,” Bertoch says.
Kate Stongle, a hairstylist at Studio Be Salon in Loveland who also runs a makeup business, Beauty by Kate S., forms a game plan two months before every wedding. She enjoys doing trial sessions because it gives her the opportunity to get to know her brides’ hair and skin type, including how it reacts to different products.
“It helps me give them a list of skin prep to do the night before,” she says, noting that brides shouldn’t change their skincare routine within 30 days of their wedding day.
Both stylists include the trial run in the cost of their bridal hair service, which ranges from $95-250. Stongle charges $300 for bridal makeup, which includes cosmetic products. She spends up to three hours with brides during their trial run, experimenting with hair and makeup looks to get it just right.
It costs less to style bridesmaids and other members of the wedding party since they typically get a blowout and curl with minimal pinning. Still, others’ hair and makeup is something to plan for if the bride is covering the cost.
The dress determines the hairstyle
How you decide to wear your hair—a trendy updo inspired by model Hailey Bieber, whimsical braids with flowers or loose curls tumbling down your back—is often determined by the dress you choose.
“Everyone has a vision in mind when they go dress shopping, and picking ideas for hair and makeup mimic that,” Stongle says. “A lot of brides bring their personalities into what goes into their weddings.”
Both Stongle and Bertoch find that the clean aesthetic of updos makes sense if the wedding gown has an intricate back, covered shoulders or a low-cut sweetheart or V-shaped neckline. Bertoch often suggests hair in a side swoop to show off the back’s design.
“In the consultation, we also talk about whether they will have a veil,” she says. “A trend is diamond-studded sprays or clips, and some just do a headband. That plays into what you can or can’t do with your hair.”
If possible, choose your jewelry early since accessories factor into the overall aesthetic. Knowing the wedding colors and theme helps, too. Bertoch recommends bringing pictures to the initial consultation and speaking up about your overall likes and dislikes.
“We’d rather know what we’re doing on the day of to make it special and your most beautiful day,” she says. “Don’t be shy: Be firm about what you want so you feel 100-percent confident.”
Kalina Reid, a bride whose hair and makeup were done by Kate Stongle.
Natural versus full glam
Stongle works with brides during the makeup trial to find their comfort zone, whether that’s an enhancement of their normal routine to elevate the look (and maybe show freckles) or full glam with underpainting that pre-contours and sculpts the face before applying foundation.
“It’s like shadowing: It changes the perspective by defining cheekbones and can change the shape of the face,” Stongle says.
Glam looks typically include full-coverage foundation, fuller lashes, bold eyeshadow and defined eyebrows, whereas fans of a more natural look can accentuate the outer corner of their eyes with half-lashes or lash clusters, she says.
As with hair, makeup costs less for the bridal party and family members, though Stongle says bridesmaids often decide to match the bride’s makeup choices for a unified look. She adds a free three-minute flower girl makeup application of gloss, blush and shimmer for girls up to 12 years old.
“It makes them feel included, and they feel so excited to be a part of it,” she says.
Pop, pour and party
When the prepping starts depends on the time of the ceremony, but a wedding day is always filled with tasks. There may be questions from vendors or parents up until the ceremony starts, which is why The Knot says a task that takes five minutes on a normal day may take 30 minutes on your wedding day. Because of this, many brides dedicate an extra hour or two to the primping to make sure it’s a fun and stress-free part of the day.
Matching pajamas or robes, charcuterie boards, bubbly drinks and music often set the scene, creating a calming yet invigorating party atmosphere where memories are made and “plandids” are captured by a photographer. There might also be peace and emotion, like one of Stongle’s favorite moments when a bridesmaid presented a personalized photo album for each bridesmaid, the bride and the new couple.
Bertoch says she enjoys one-on-one time with bridesmaids as they get dolled up and share how they know the bride. She’s awed by the length of some of the relationships and their background stories.
Stongle agrees that the stories she hears are one of the best parts of the experience.
“It’s amazing to see how much love one person can get from a giant support system,” she says. “I’m always honored to be a part of that and see who is there for you on your wedding day.”
