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6 Tips to Make the Most of Your Wedding Day Glam Experience

As a full-time bridal hair & makeup artist of 7+ years, I have been a part of HUNDREDS of wedding mornings. We are the first vendor to arrive and provide our services for the bride, party, and family.


With that being said, there are several things I've noticed that happen over and over at almost every single wedding that cause unneccessary interruptions to the bride's hair & makeup appointment, causing stress for all involved, and ultimately a delayed timeline.


Glam by NWS Artist Canaan || Photo by Holcomb & Co

For many of you, you are paying a premium for your wedding hair & makeup service, and your artist has a certain amount of time allotted for that service. While we do anticipate a couple of minor interruptions (after all, we've done this before!), it is likely that we need and want to use every bit of time allotted to our bride so that we can give you the very best, most detailed services possible. Don't you want to get the full experience from us? Keep reading.


How you feel on the morning of your wedding sets the tone for your entire wedding day. Here are some things you can do, as the bride, to prioritize your wedding day hair & makeup service, prevent a delayed timeline, and minimize interruptions while you get ready for your wedding.


Glam by Madison Dennis || Photo by David Weflen

1) Put your phone away


Listen, I know that today's bride literally grew up with a phone in her hand, but I've worked with one too many bride who spent her entire glam service texting or talking to someone on speakerphone about last minute details, that she couldn't just sit back and enjoy being pampered. Yes, they looked beautiful, but didn't really get to enjoy the full experience. What a waste.


Pro Tip: Designate someone in your party (maid of honor, your mom, sister, etc) to be the point-person and question-answerer on the day of the wedding. Put their number - not yours - on everything! If your other vendors have a question on the day of the wedding, they will need to contact the designated person instead of you. Trust me on this!


Photo by Daria Lorman

2) Know where your "details" are


When a bride has to leave my chair during her service to gather up her "details" it is very disruptive to the hair & makeup process, and definitely causes at least 10 minutes of delay to the overall service. What I mean by "details" is the group of items that the photographer will use to create "flat lay" photos or other stylized photos of smaller items and accessories that are special to the bride. For example, some of the most popular "details" used in these photos are: bridal shoes, rings, earrings/jewelry, decorative hair pins/combs, invitation suite, heirloom pieces, perfume, etc.


Pro Tip: Get a special box for all of your details, and go ahead and put it together the week of your wedding - don't forget to add your ring the morning of! Let your photographer know that week that you will have a special box for them containing all of your details. Go ahead and send them a photo of it, and tell them where it will be, so that when they arrive, they can go straight and find it on their own. They will then have more time to create those special images for you, and you won't even know that they are there!


Hair by NWS Artist Faith

3) Exchange all gifts before your service (or wait until later!)


We think it is so sweet when our brides receive gifts from their fiance, family, or bridesmaids. However, most of the time people forget about giving the bride her gift until she is in the hair & makeup chair. Yes, it's probably because the bride is busy bustling around taking care of last minute details, but when it's the bride's turn for glam, every minute counts! Sentimental gifts almost always result in tears, and that is the last thing you want for the bride when she is on a schedule and trying to get her makeup done.


Pro Tip: If you are the bride, make sure you tell your party before the wedding day that if someone is going to be giving you a gift (hint hint), make sure you receive it at least 1 hour before your start time for hair & makeup. If that is not possible, and you know you are a crier, just wait and open it after all the festivities are over.

(Funny story - On my wedding day, my mom was supposed to give me a gift from my future husband, but she forgot. We wrote our own vows, and during the ceremony my husband had some things in his vows that were also written in the card in my gift. He said I laughed too hard at the vows so he knew I hadn't received the gift. After the ceremony he asked me if I had gotten his gift, and then we asked my mom about it. She felt so bad! So we just saved it and I opened it with him at our hotel that night, which was also super special.)



Glam by NWS Team || Photo by Feiten Photography

4) Have a plan for lunch/brunch


Often, hair & makeup takes place during the morning/midday hours on a wedding day, which means that usually the ladies need to eat during that time. When there is a plan for food, things go much more smoothly. It is less than ideal to have a group of hangry ladies who are trying to figure out what everybody wants to eat, who can go pick it up, or who can bring it to them. Additionally, you want to make sure that the food you do have is not greasy or messy, and ideally doesn't require the eaters to bite into it -- aside from the obvious interference with the lip color, this can also cause the makeup around the entire mouth & chin area to be rubbed off, causing an unneccessary need for additional makeup touch-up which will delay the entire party being finished.


Pro Tip: BEFORE the wedding day, designate one person in the party (or a family member) to be in charge of the wedding day brunch food. This person should think about the best type of foods that will not interfere with their makeup (my favorite is a Chik Fil A chicken nugget tray, fresh cut fruit, etc.) They will also need a plan for ordering ahead of time, and ensuring that the food is delivered to the venue at an appropriate time. Just make sure the entire group of ladies isn't expected to stop hair & makeup service while the food is being served (grab & go is perfect - make sure there are plates, napkins, & forks!)


Glam by NWS Artist Faith || Photo by Rebekah Talbot

5) Limit caffeine intake


The bride especially will already be a bundle of nerves on the wedding day, so adding an abnormal amount of caffeine to the mix can cause anxiety & nausea (trust me, I have seen it!) Excessive caffeine can also cause you to need to run to the bathroom (if you know what I mean) at inopportune times during your hair & makeup service.


Pro Tip: Drink only the normal amount of caffeine that you consume in a typical morning. If you need something to sip on, bring a Yeti-style cup (with a straw!) filled with ice water -- that will keep you hydrated, feeling refreshed, and with a clear mind & body for the rest of the day. But, don't be afraid to throw a mimosa in there too - after all, it is YOUR wedding day!


Glam by NWS Artist Canaan || Photo by Lele & Beane

6) Follow your stylists' directions & limit distractions


Your stylist will undoubtedly set up their station so that so that they can see your beautiful face well while they are applying your makeup and styling your hair. It is crucial to the success of your service that you follow their directions while you are in their chair. Simple things like looking at your phone, constantly looking away at someone who is talking to you, slouching, etc. can drastically delay your makeup service, and therefore your timeline for the entire day


Pro Tip: Sit where your stylist asks you to, with good posture & chin up slightly at all times. Face their main light source, always. Put your phone away (see tip #1). Ask your party, family, & other vendors not to bother you with questions or unneccessary conversation during your service. It sounds harsh, but every little interruption adds up, and I know you want the best result in the shortest possible amount of time. After all, when you are finally done with your bridal glam, you can get going on the rest of your beautiful wedding day! Who wants to delay that?


Glam by NWS Artist Kathryn || Photo by Gipe Photography

Hopefully you found value in these tips and will apply some or all of them to your wedding morning. Most of our brides have never gotten married before, and therefore truly don't know what to expect until the day comes.


With hundreds of weddings under my belt, I hope that my expertise can help you achieve the BEST hair & makeup service on your wedding day, while staying on schedule and eliminating stress for all. Thank you for reading, xoxo

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