So you are getting married, you are super excited, but you have never had your hair and makeup done professionally? Sound familiar?
I get countless clients wondering what a hair and makeup trial entails, and I often get asked what they should expect and what they can do beforehand. So I decided to write this blog post to help you understand the trial process a little bit more, so you can feel more prepared and relaxed in the lead up to us meeting.
Why A Trial Is Vital
A trial or consultation with your chosen hair and makeup artist is probably one of the most vital parts of your wedding prep - right up there with dress fittings! You want to look and feel your best right? You have already done the hard part, which is finding the right artist who you instantly felt resonate with you. You love their work and you also connect with them. It is a very personal experience, and it is crucial that you have a good rapport with your artist.
The trial is a chance for you to meet your stylist in person ahead of your day, and discuss ideas you may have (I shall touch on this later) and to walk through your visualisation of the day. This helps your hair and makeup artist picture the feel for your wedding, and together you can make decisions on which look may work better for you and your wedding concept.
Sometimes at a trial we have to walk through a few hairstyle choices, or make amendments to the makeup as we progress to find exactly the look you are after. This hopefully will start to put your mind at ease as you start to visualise how you will look for your wedding.
The wedding day can be quite overwhelming, with lots of excitement and maybe a few nerves. Knowing you have had a trial and you were happy with your look, can make you feel 100 times better and calmer. This is why a trial is vital, for both parties, so the wedding morning can be as relaxed and as fun as possible for you. The whole day is a gorgeous memory and we want you to have an enjoyable experience. It would be awful to not feel like you, and its our role to help you still feel yourself, but just a bit more glowing ;)
What Do I Need To Do To Prepare Before My Trial?
It is a great idea to have your dress/ outfit before you book in for your trial. We usually recommend around 3- 4 months prior to your wedding day, but this can be booked before if you wish. Your dress is probably the most important thing for us artists to know about during the trial. The dress can help you and your chosen artist visualise how your hair should be worn, so that A) you feel comfortable but also B) so it can compliment the dress.
It would be great to think about the detail of your dress, like the neckline for instance, does it have detailing that you would like to show off? Then perhaps a hair up option, or something a bit more away from the face may be a great idea.
Your hair and makeup artist should then ask you to start looking at images of hairstyles you are drawn to, things that you love. BUT we do ask that you also bare in mind your hair length, and your hair colour. This can also change how a hairstyle looks, but also what will work with your length/ thickness. Of course padding and extensions can be used for certain hairstyles, so if you are really keen on one particular hairstyle, but you are wondering if your hair can manage it, send it across to your hairstylist and they can advise on what may be required.
It is also a brilliant idea, to select some hairstyle images that show off the front of the hair. We tend to find, and be drawn to, lots of images of the back of the hair, but often I find that what makes or breaks a hairstyle is often the small differences to the front. This is what we and others see most, so it is quite important to at least think about the front detail.
In regards to finding makeup images, I often say to my clients that it's great to see some "inspiration images" but as makeup can look very different on different peoples faces, I often just love chatting through peoples comforts, and seeing images of what YOU wear on a daily basis. This allows me as an artist to picture what you are used to seeing yourself as. I can then form a look that is not too dissimilar, but more polished so that you feel happy and comfortable, rather than trying out something brave for the first time. I must also stress that your wedding day is NOT the time to be trying out the latest trend. You want to be the best version of YOU, not testing out if something is a new look for you.
Where Can I Look For Inspiration?
Pinterest is always my number one go to, especially for images of hairstyles. Its a great tool, if you do not use it already for gathering ideas and creating essentially a digital mood board. This is great to show your stylist, so they can see any themes or ideas that are starting to trend which allows your artist to see and articulate what you love.
You can also look on your stylists website and social media pages. I usually post 3- 4 times a week on my Instagram account with various hair and makeup ideas. By finding images you like from your chosen stylist, you already know they can achieve those looks, and its a great way to compliment your artist as well :)
How Should I Wash My Hair Before A Trial?
This can vary slightly on hair type. I love to work on clean hair, all in all. Gone are the years that you have to have quite greasy hair for your hair to "hold" YUK YUK YUK! Who wants to feel like that on their wedding day? There are countless products out there that we now use to create "grip" and to make hair less fluffy or flyaway. So I always ask my clients to wash their hair that morning, which most clients are super happy about :) However if you have really unruly, or curly hair that is a lot better behaved the day after, then please wash the day/night before so it can be a touch calmer to work on.
Please DO NOT use any tongs or straighteners on your hair, this can hinder how well your hair holds a hairstyle. You can of course blow dry your hair as normal. Same goes for no leave in products, so no mousses, leave in conditioners or treatments please :)
How Long Is A Trial?
On Average a hair and makeup trial lasts 3 hours, however if we are really close to perfecting your look, with a few small changes then this can extend to around 4 hours. I also really love to chat so sometimes this happens if we are just getting along great :) We as artists really want to make you feel as comfortable and as happy as possible. However in some instances if we are just not "feeling it" it may be that you need to go back and look at some more images, and really focus on what you do and don't like. This may require another trial. It can be a bit of a minefield, and sometimes its better to stop and come back, than to keep on going where you may start to feel stressed. This can be quite normal as you have never pictured yourself as the bride before. Please don't panic if this happens. This is why we allow 3- 4 months prior to your wedding, so if we do need to tweak anything we have time to do so.
Can I Try A Hair Up And A Hair Down?
Of course you can try both, it can be really difficult to visualise until you see it on YOU. Sometimes as well if you have not worn your hair up much, then it can be great to "try" and see if you feel comfortable with this choice. Usually we would start with the hair down option first and then try out a hair up. Don't worry if you love both, this can happen sometimes. You don't need to make a decision right away. Take lots of photos and maybe ask friends and family what they think. Ultimately though its what you feel most comfortable with. This should be the one you go for!
What Do I Do After I Leave My Trial?
I always before my clients leave take lots of photos on your phone for you. Sometimes a 360 degree video of your hairstyle as well. This allows you to see the whole hairstyle, rather than just the front and back in a mirror. This also means you can look back at the photos and make sure you still love it.
I will then ask you to wear your hair and makeup for as long as possible, so you can note any changes that may happen. For instance if your hair drops slightly, or you become oily in your T-Zone. This allows me to then make any changes on the day to limit this happening for you.
Keep checking in with your look, and make sure you are happy with how it is sitting and wearing and ultimately please be honest with us. During the trial and afterwards, please let us know if you are unhappy with anything. We can CHANGE things and we will not be offended, as its a two way consultation, and for you to be happy we need the communication to help us do the best job we possibly can to make you feel amazing!
Lastly enjoy your trial - its going to hopefully be one of the more "fun" days of your wedding planning, along with wine and cake tasting -or maybe that is just me ;)
If you are keen to book a trial consultation and to see if my team or I are the right artist for you, then please contact me via phone - 078702003739 or email - amanda@amandawhite.co.uk Alternatively fill out my contact form on my contact page. We very much look forward to meeting you! :)
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