Choose the artist whose trial leaves you looking like yourself, book her nine to twelve months ahead for a peak date, and get the price, the timings and the cancellation terms in writing before you pay a deposit. That is the whole answer. The rest of this guide is how to do each part well.
I have done bridal hair and makeup for 19 years, from my studio in Stansted, just outside London, to weddings in the Cotswolds, Ireland and Lake Como. The brides who have the calmest wedding mornings are the ones who asked good questions early. These are the questions.
Start with the work, then the person
Look at the portfolio before anything else. You are checking for two things. First, does the artist work on brides who look like you, with your hair type and skin tone, and do they still look like themselves? Second, are the photographs from real weddings, and not only styled shoots? Real wedding photos show how the work holds after eight hours, a ceremony and a dance floor. Instagram is a good place to look, and so is the artist's website, but ask for full galleries from one or two weddings if you want to be sure.
Then read the reviews, and read them for a feeling rather than a score. Brides write about the morning more than the makeup. "She instantly put me at ease." "I knew I was in safe hands." "She kept me calm throughout all the chaos of the day." You are hiring someone who will be beside you for the most photographed hours of your life, so you want to mesh with her. One of my brides said it best: you want to be sure about your artist, because she will be with you all day.
Do I need a bridal hair and makeup trial?
If you are marrying in the UK, yes. The trial is where the look is designed, and it is where you find out whether the two of you understand each other. At Botias, brides come to the studio in Stansted three to four months before the wedding. We test the ideas you have brought, I show you what I would change and why, and you leave knowing what you will look like on the morning. Bring your inspiration photos, a picture of your dress, and a good idea of how you will wear your hair with your veil or any accessories.
The trial matters for one more reason. It is the only rehearsal your wedding morning gets. If something is not right, you find out with months to spare rather than at 9am with the photographer in the room.
Booking from abroad, or from the other end of the country? Many of my destination brides book without a studio trial and meet me for the first time at the venue. In that case the trial becomes a detailed video call and a run of voice notes, sharing photos and every detail of the look, so that nothing is left to chance when the morning comes. A bride who booked me from overseas wrote afterwards that she had so much trust in the process from the planning alone. That is the standard to hold a video trial to.
When should I book?
As soon as you have the date and the venue. Popular dates, especially May to September, go early, and the artists brides recommend to each other are booked a year or more ahead. Destination brides typically book nine to eighteen months out. Booking first and holding the trial three to four months before the wedding is the normal order, so do not wait for a trial to secure your date.
The questions to ask before you pay a deposit
This is the checklist. Ask them all, and ask them before the deposit, because a good artist will answer every one without hesitation.
The booking and the contract
- What exactly does the quote include: hair, makeup, or both, and for how many people?
- What is the deposit, when is the balance due, and what is the cancellation policy if I change my date or my venue?
- Is there a contract, and can I see it before I pay?
- Do you have public liability insurance, and can you tell me the insurer if my venue asks?
- What happens if you are ill on the day? Who covers you, and will I have met them?
At Botias every wedding is quoted individually, with your styling, the bridal party and any travel in one clear figure, agreed before you book. There are no packages to fit yourself into and there are no surprises later.
Travel and the venue
- Do you travel to the venue, and are travel fees included in the quote or charged separately?
- Do you arrive the day before for weddings far from home, and is accommodation part of the quote?
- Have you worked at my venue before, or one like it? What do you need in the room: a table, natural light, a plug socket?
The bridal party
- How many people can you do on the morning, and at what point do you bring in a second artist?
- If I have a large party, is the team your own, and do they work to your standard?
For larger weddings, the Botias Agency is a hand-picked team of stylists who work alongside me, so mums, bridesmaids and flower girls are all finished calmly and on time.
Hygiene and the kit
- How do you keep your kit clean between brides? Are brushes cleaned and sponges replaced between people?
- Which products do you use, and can you work with my skin if it is sensitive or reactive?
- Do you use false lashes, and are they individual or strip? Can I try them at the trial?
- If I have allergies, when do you need to know?
The morning itself
- How long do you need per person, and what time will you arrive to finish me on time for the photographer?
- Do you stay after the ceremony for touch ups, and is that included?
- Will you help with my veil and my dress, and are you there for the first look and the photographs?
At Botias the morning does not end when the last brush goes down. Touch ups, look changes, veil placement, dress fastening and a familiar face beside you through the day are part of the work, at home or abroad.
How long does bridal hair and makeup take on the wedding morning?
Work backwards from the time the photographer wants you in the dress, and let your artist build the schedule from there. Every artist works at her own pace and the honest answer depends on the looks chosen, so ask yours for her timing per person at the trial and write it into the plan. Two rules hold for everyone. Book the bride last in the chair, not first, so the look is at its freshest for the ceremony. And build in twenty minutes nobody is allowed to use, because someone will be late.
The one test that matters
After the trial, look at the photos the next day, not in the mirror on the day. If you see yourself, polished, calm and unmistakably you, that is your artist. If you see someone else, however beautiful, keep looking. The wedding morning is too important to spend with a stranger, and a trial that makes you feel at ease is the surest sign of the day you will have.
If you are planning a wedding in London, Essex, the Cotswolds or abroad, tell me your date and venue and I will come back to you personally.
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a trial if I am booking a makeup artist from abroad?
No. Many destination brides book without a studio trial and meet their artist at the venue. The look is planned over a video call and voice notes instead, in as much detail as a studio trial, so nothing is decided on the morning.
How far in advance should I book wedding hair and makeup in the UK?
As soon as you have your date and venue. Peak dates from May to September are often booked a year ahead, and the trial is then held three to four months before the wedding.
What should I bring to a bridal makeup trial?
Inspiration photos, a picture of your dress, your veil or hair accessories if you have them, and an honest note of anything you have not liked about your makeup before. Arrive with a clean face and your hair as you would normally wear it.
Should the bride have her hair and makeup done first or last?
Last, or close to last. A bride finished first waits the longest before the ceremony. Your artist will schedule the bridal party so that your look is the freshest in the room when the photographer arrives.
What questions should I ask a wedding makeup artist before booking?
What the quote includes, the deposit and cancellation terms, whether she is insured, who covers her if she is ill, whether travel is included, how many people she can do, how she keeps her kit clean, whether she uses false lashes, and whether she stays for touch ups.
About the author. Boe Wright is the founder of Botias, a luxury bridal hair and makeup studio based in Stansted, Essex, working across London, the Cotswolds, Ireland and destination weddings in Italy and France. Her work has been featured in Vogue Australia, Harper's Bazaar and SheerLuxe, and Wezoree lists her among its top five London makeup artists. She also mentors working bridal artists through the Botias masterclasses. Read her Google reviews, see her profile on Wezoree, or find out about mentoring.
Sources and further reading: Botias Google reviews · Wezoree profile · SheerLuxe, 17 make-up artists to book · Gosfield Hall, bridal makeup trial guide
