How long does Wedding Hair and Makeup Take

You’re getting married! Let’s talk timelines, and how long wedding hair and makeup should take. The day you have been planning for is just around the corner, and now you want to make sure everything runs as smoothly as possible. Wedding days can move at the speed of lighting! I mean, it takes you a year (more or less) to plan for this BIG day, and then it goes by in the blink of an eye. But before all of that happens, let’s rewind to the part where we get you and your besties ready…let’s talk timelines.

Photographer: Pharris Photography

What is a timeline?

A Timeline (in this case, a beauty timeline) is a schedule of services to be rendered and the times in which the party should have services started and completed. Timelines are created by either your artist or wedding planner in order to keep everyone on track so that your wedding day can go off without a hitch.

I like to design my timelines according to how the wedding party walks down the aisle. Since mom has to walk down first, I usually put her at the top of the list so she can go and get herself together while you ladies pop bottles and get your twerk on! After moms, bridesmaids are next on the list, as well as the bride.

Photographer: Epic Productions

How long will hair and makeup take?

You’ve asked your sister, best friend, sorority sisters, and your cousins to be by your side during one of the most significant moments in your life. You’re all excited for the big day until you realize you have to be up and at em’ at 9 am to start hair and makeup for your 4 pm wedding. Why? I’m glad you asked!

Hair and/or makeup services average about 45 minutes per service per person (not the bride). That means if your wedding is at 4 pm, you’ll need to be ready by 3 pm so that you can get dressed and be lined up by 3:45 pm. Beauty services (with two artists) for five bridesmaids, moms, and the bride will start around 9 a.m. that morning. Keep in mind that the more people in your wedding party, the more time will be needed to service everyone. Sometimes, artists bring an assistant (or three) to service everyone in the party because of the number of people or a tighter timeline.

Another thing to consider for your timeline is that if you and/or your bridal party need extensions put in or have longer or thicker hair, this will also add to the costs of your service and additional time to your timeline. And don’t forget about those styles are very detailed, they’ll need more time too.

Since you are the star of the show, your services will take longer; therefore, you’ll need to be second to last to get your hair and makeup done. With that being the case, there is more attention to detail and more work to be done, so your wedding hair and makeup will generally take about 2-2 1/2 hours to complete. See my sample timeline below.

Consider bringing snacks, having a catered lunch or ordering room service because it’s going to be a loooong day. I’ve seen bridesmaids get light headed at the ceremony and almost pass out because they hadn’t gotten a chance to eat anything. As your artists, we love snacks too! Especially if we’re going to be with you all for 7+ hours.

Where should we have hair and makeup done?

Most brides choose to get ready at their venue so they won’t have to worry about drive time and the chance of not getting to the chapel on time! This is a good idea, mainly because our Houston traffic and/or road closures can be so unpredictable.

Keep in mind that some venues only allow you to come in 2 hours before your wedding. If this is the case, you may end up paying for extra time to use the venue space earlier. One thing to think about is the room's space and the lighting. You want to have an adequate amount of both to create an open environment for your bridal party (7 of you), the two artists coming, and your photographer and videographer.

If your venue won’t let you in early or is too dark or small, the other option would be a hotel suite or even an Airbnb. This way, everyone can spread out and be comfortable without being in such a cramped space. You have to remember that the artists are bringing A TON of stuff, so they’ll need room to put it all…and so will your photographer.

This brings me to my next point, which has nothing to do with timelines but has everything to do with considering your artists (and potentially other vendors). Since we have to bring multiple bags, a chair, and lighting, it is extremely helpful when your “getting ready” location is on the first floor or has a working elevator. Stairs can be a nightmare and an accident waiting to happen. I’ve been to venues with more stairs than in my house, with no elevator in sight! It takes several trips (and deep breaths because I’m out of shape) to get up those stairs, so PLEASE keep that in mind when you pick your location.

Photographer: Tomas Barron

I hope this helps you get a better understanding of timelines and how important they are to have them and also how they work.

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