Bridal Hair & Makeup Trials
…and how to prepare for the big day!
Your wedding-day hair and makeup trial is about more than simply making sure you like your hair and makeup. It’s our chance to try things, make adjustments, talk through the little details, and create a plan so that when your wedding morning arrives, we already know exactly where we’re headed.
And while you certainly don’t need to arrive at your trial with every detail figured out, a little preparation can make your trial so much more helpful!
Hair Trial
Truly, this is the easiest one to prepare for!
The biggest piece of advice I give my brides as they prepare for their wedding-day hairstyle is to spend a little time scrolling through Pinterest, Instagram, and even my own portfolio. Save styles that speak to the overall vibe of your wedding day—whether that’s soft and romantic, polished and classic, boho and effortless, or somewhere in between.
As you’re looking, try to find inspiration photos featuring hair that is similar to your own in color, texture, density, and length.
Why does that matter?
A beautiful, dimensional blonde updo can photograph very differently on dark brunette hair. A style created with extremely thick, waist-length hair may need to be modified for someone with fine, shoulder-length hair. And sometimes what appears to be an effortless head of curls is actually hiding approximately 47 extensions. 😉
With AI, extensions, filters, and editing becoming more common, it can also be difficult to tell exactly what we’re looking at anymore!
That’s why I recommend bringing a few different inspiration photos rather than setting your heart on one exact picture. At your trial, we can talk through what you like about each style and determine what will work best with your hair while still creating the overall look you’re envisioning.
What Happens at Your Hair Trial?
Your hair trial is really a working appointment.
We’ll start by looking through your inspiration photos and talking about your dress, veil or hair accessories, wedding style, and anything else that may influence your hairstyle.
From there, I’ll create the style while we talk through things like placement, volume, softness around the face, and how everything feels. This is the perfect time to say:
“I think I want this a little lower.”
“Could we leave a little more hair around my face?”
“I thought I wanted a ton of volume…but apparently I do not.” 😂
That is exactly what a trial is for!
Sometimes we nail it almost immediately. Other times, we discover that something you loved in a photo simply doesn’t feel like you once you see it on yourself. Both outcomes are helpful because the goal isn’t to perfectly recreate an inspiration photo—it’s to create a wedding-day style that you feel beautiful and comfortable wearing.
Makeup Trial
Bride Emma with her trial makeup application on the left and her wedding day look on the right!
The wedding-day makeup trial is arguably one of the most important things a bride can prepare for as she approaches her wedding day.
Think about it: your face is in nearly every photo. You’re one of the main focal points of the entire day, right alongside your groom.
Wedding makeup should photograph beautifully, last throughout a very long day, and—most importantly—still look like you.
There’s nothing worse than pulling out your wedding album years later and having your children ask, “Who is that next to Daddy?”
Speaking from experience. 😅
Your wedding day probably isn't the day to completely reinvent your face. Instead, I want to enhance your features, even and perfect your complexion, define your eyes, and create a polished version of you that will translate beautifully both in person and in photographs.
With that being said, here are my top five things a bride can do to prepare for her wedding-day airbrush makeup.
1. 6–12 Months Before the Wedding: Dial In Your Skincare Routine
Great makeup starts with healthy, well-prepared skin.
In the months leading up to your wedding, take a look at your current skincare routine and see whether there are areas you could improve—especially hydration, texture, and overall skin clarity.
At its most basic, a consistent skincare routine should include cleansing and moisturizing, with other products added according to your individual skin's needs. Depending on your skin, that might include gentle exfoliation, blemish treatments, serums, or hydrating treatments.
The key word here is consistent.
Your wedding week is not the ideal time to decide you're going to completely overhaul your skincare routine with seven products you've never tried before!
Give your skin plenty of time to adjust to new products, and if you have significant or persistent skin concerns, consider working with a licensed skincare professional or dermatologist well before the wedding.
2. Keep Up With Facial Hair Removal
Airbrush makeup creates a beautifully smooth finish, but foundation can naturally catch on facial hair—particularly around the brows and upper lip.
Now, I'm not suggesting you suddenly decide to wax your entire face!
But if brow shaping or upper-lip waxing is normally part of your routine, keeping up with those areas can help create a smoother canvas for makeup application.
One important note: don't wax immediately before your makeup application. Give your skin some recovery time so we're not applying products over freshly irritated skin.
3. To Tan or Not to Tan…That Is the Question
Whatever you decide, consistency is helpful!
If you plan to have a spray tan or maintain a natural tan for your wedding, ideally your skin tone at your makeup trial should be reasonably similar to what you're expecting on the wedding day.
The closer we can make your trial to the real thing, the better idea you'll have of how your complete look will come together.
And if your plans change? That's okay! Just communicate that with me so we can make any necessary foundation adjustments.
4. Style Your Hair, Add Jewelry & Wear a White Top
This might sound like a small thing, but it can make a surprisingly big difference.
If possible, style your hair, put on some jewelry similar to what you'll wear for the wedding, and wear a white, ivory, or similarly colored top to your makeup trial.
Why?
Because bridal makeup can feel completely different when you're wearing a white top with styled hair and earrings than it does with a messy bun and your favorite old sweatshirt.
No judgment on the sweatshirt. I have those too. 😉
Giving yourself a few visual clues of the complete wedding-day look can make it much easier to decide whether your makeup feels right.
5. Give Your Skin Some Extra TLC From the Inside Out
In the weeks leading up to your wedding, focus on the things that generally help your skin look and feel its best: staying hydrated, eating a balanced diet, getting enough sleep when possible, and limiting foods that you personally notice tend to aggravate your skin.
Some people find that high-sugar diets seem to coincide with more breakouts or inflammation, but everyone's skin responds differently. Rather than making drastic dietary changes right before your wedding, focus on healthy, sustainable habits that help you feel your best.
Because wedding planning is already stressful enough. Nobody needs to add “I can never eat a cookie again” to the list.
What Happens at Your Makeup Trial?
First, we'll talk.
Before I start applying anything, I want to know how you normally wear your makeup, what you love, what you don't love, and how you envision yourself looking on your wedding day.
This is also where inspiration photos can be helpful—but just like hair inspiration, they're a starting point rather than a formula we have to copy exactly.
We'll talk about coverage, skin finish, eye makeup, lashes, brows, blush, lip color, and the overall amount of definition you're comfortable with.
Then I'll create your look using professional products and airbrush foundation, adjusting as we go.
One thing I encourage brides to remember is that bridal makeup has to do two jobs at once: it needs to look beautiful standing three feet away from you and translate well through a professional camera.
That can sometimes mean slightly more definition than you're accustomed to wearing every day. The goal, however, is never for you to look in the mirror and wonder where you went!
At the end of the trial, we'll evaluate the complete look and make notes about anything we'd like to change for the wedding day.
And please—tell me what you're thinking!
I would much rather hear, “Can we soften this?” or “I think I'd like a little more blush,” during your trial than have you quietly wonder whether you should say something.
Trials are specifically designed for experimenting and refining.
Preparing for Your Wedding Morning
You've done the trial. We've made the decisions. Now it's finally here!
A few simple things can help your wedding-morning hair and makeup run smoothly:
Come with clean, completely dry hair according to the instructions we discussed at your trial. Every hairstyle and hair type is a little different, so we'll talk about exactly how I'd like you to prepare yours.
Arrive with a clean face. Skip the full morning skincare routine unless we've discussed otherwise. I will prep your skin appropriately for the professional products we're using.
Wear something that doesn't need to go over your head. A button-up shirt, robe, or zip-up top is perfect. We don't want to finish your beautiful hair and makeup only to realize you're wearing a crewneck sweatshirt that now has to somehow come off!
Have your accessories nearby. Veils, hairpieces, extensions, special jewelry, or anything else we've planned to incorporate should be ready to go.
Stick with what we know. Wedding morning isn't the time for a new facial, a brand-new self-tanner, an aggressive exfoliating treatment, or a skincare product TikTok promised would “change your life overnight.”
Let's not conduct science experiments on your face 12 hours before the ceremony.
One important thing to remember: it’s completely okay to change your mind after your trial! Your trial is meant to help you narrow down your vision, and sometimes seeing the full look helps you realize there’s something you’d like to tweak. If you do decide to make any changes, just be sure to let your stylist know before the morning of your wedding so they can come prepared and make sure your wedding-day look comes together just the way you’re envisioning.
And finally…
Give yourself permission to enjoy the morning.
One of the biggest benefits of having professional hair and makeup—and having your trial completed ahead of time—is that this part of your wedding day shouldn't feel uncertain.
We've already talked through the details. We know the plan. Now you get to sit in the chair, take it all in, and watch your wedding-day look come together.
Your Trial Is About More Than Hair & Makeup
Ultimately, a bridal trial isn't about creating a “perfect” version of you.
It's about creating a look that photographs beautifully, lasts throughout your wedding day, complements everything else you've chosen, and still feels like the person your groom recognizes walking down the aisle.
Your inspiration photos give us a starting point.
Your trial gives us a plan.
And your wedding day is when we get to bring it all together.
If you're a current Studio bride preparing for your trial, come with your inspiration photos, questions, and ideas—we'll work through the rest together!
At the end of the day, your hair and makeup should be one less thing to worry about and one more part of your wedding day to enjoy. A little preparation, a good trial, and open communication along the way allow us to take care of the details—so when the big day arrives, you can sit back, enjoy the moment, and feel completely like yourself… just a little extra polished for the occasion. 🤍
