Your Wedding Hair & Makeup Questions: Answered by the Expert!

Over the course of the months that we work with each of our brides, we receive many questions about wedding day hair and makeup. May brides want to know how their gown choice may impact their wedding day beauty, and they have questions about what to look for when finalizing their style and their beauty vendors. We brought in THE expert, Liz Gonzalez - owner of both Beauty on Location Studio and L Style Bar - to answer some frequently asked wedding hair and makeup questions! 

LWD: How far in advance of the wedding should brides book hair and makeup services?

Liz: 6 months is ideal, but we can often accommodate last minute appointments. 

LWD: What should brides look for when researching hair & makeup artists for their wedding?

Liz: We recommend looking for a team of experienced artists who offer both hair and makeup to avoid paying double the travel fees for two separate companies. It's important that your artist is equipped with professional-grade hair and makeup products to ensure your hair and makeup stay put all day long.

LWD: What are some tips and tricks for deciding on a wedding day hair & makeup look?

Liz: Always take your dress into consideration. If the back of the dress is simply spectacular, make sure you opt for an updo. Also, take weather into consideration. Down-dos are just fine for winter weddings, but it would be difficult to keep your hair down during a hot July day. For makeup, we recommend enhancing what you normally do. If you typically wear a full face of makeup with lashes etc., then go for a dramatic, full coverage makeup look. If you normally don't wear makeup, we would recommend enhancing your beautiful features with a natural look. But of course, we can do whatever makes you feel most beautiful and confident!

LWD: Airbrush or no airbrush? What factors should brides consider when deciding between the two types of foundations?

Liz: There are so many different types of airbrush, including water base, alcohol base, silicone base, etc. They are all meant for different skin types, similar to traditional foundations. We have mineral base, HD, etc. The makeup trial is the best time to decide which foundation will be the best fit for your skin type and the look you are going for.

LWD: How far in advance should brides come in for their trials and how can they prepare?

Liz: We like doing the trial run 4-5 weeks before the wedding but we can be flexible with any bride's timeline. In preparation, we like brides to come in with clean and dry hair (unless otherwise discussed) and clean eyebrows. We encourage brides to bring inspiration pictures to help gather an understanding of a bride's likes and dislikes before getting started. 

LWD: What are some pros and cons to paying for the whole bridal party to have hair & makeup done versus offering it as an option to the bridal party to pay for themselves?

Liz: We love it when everyone gets both hair and makeup done - it looks the most consistent in pictures. Sometimes it's easy to tell which bridesmaid opted to do her own hair and makeup when standing next to 6 girls who had it professionally done. 

LWD: What is the general price range for bridal and bridesmaids hair & makeup?

Liz: Bridal services cost $250 for full hair and makeup with bridesmaid's full hair and makeup starting at $160. Our full price list can be found on our website at www.beautyonlocationstudio.com.

Vendors

Hair - Beauty on Location Studio

Makeup - Faces by Liz

Photography - Sara Lynn Photography

Gowns - Mira Zwillinger at Little White Dress Bridal Shop