How to Find the Right Hair & Makeup Artist for Your Wedding Day
One of the most common questions brides ask us is:
“What time should hair and makeup start for my wedding?”
It may not be the most glamorous detail of the day, but it is one of the most important. A beautifully planned beauty timeline is the secret to a calm morning, flawless glam, and running on time so you never miss a single magical moment.
Let’s break it all down.
How Your Hair & Makeup Timeline Is Created
Your timeline begins with one key piece of information:
What time do you need to be completely ready?
That “ready time” is usually decided by your photographer. If you’re doing a first look, pre-ceremony portraits, bridal party photos, or detail shots, they’ll need you ready earlier than your ceremony start time. If you don’t have photography, your planner will set the schedule. And if it’s an intimate event with no planner or photographer, your glam team will base your timeline on your departure time.
After that, everything is built backward.
Average Service Timing
Bride Hair & Makeup: ~1 hour per service
Bridal Party / Moms: ~45 minutes per service
Artist Setup Time: 10–20 minutes before the first service
Touchups: 15–20 minutes at the end to make sure everyone looks freshly finished
Some looks may require extra time, including:
Hollywood waves
Full glam or very intricate styles
Lots of hair that needs blow-drying (this is an additional service)
The best timelines come from honest communication. The more your artist knows about hair type, inspiration photos, and what each person is getting, the more accurate the schedule becomes.
Sample Timelines for Different Ceremony Times
Let’s use a 4:30 PM ceremony as an example.
Guests usually begin arriving around 4:00 PM
Bride should be tucked away by 3:30 PM
If doing a first look or pre-ceremony photos, photography may begin around 2:00 PM
If you aren’t getting ready onsite, add time for travel
Most brides like at least one hour to get dressed without rushing
That puts your “beauty done” time around 1:00 PM.
Example: Bride-Only Hair & Makeup
Done by 1:00
Start around 11:00 AM
Example: Bride + Two Additional Hair & Makeup Services
Bride: 2 hours
Two guests: ~3 hours total
Start around 8:00 AM
At Fairytale Hair and Makeup, our artists can typically handle up to 8 services depending on timing and style needs.
How Many Artists Do You Need?
The amount of artists depends on:
Your “ready by” time
How many services you’ve booked
The complexity of the looks
Nobody wants a 5 AM start time, but sometimes early mornings are necessary. To keep things efficient and relaxed, we assign the number of artists needed to complete everything comfortably without rushing.
If you’d like to shorten your morning even more, you can add an additional artist for an extra fee since they will have fewer services. This can significantly speed things up for larger parties or tighter timelines.
Why Starting Early Is Actually a Good Thing
Many couples build their wedding timeline without realizing just how long the getting-ready process takes. Before you know it, what felt like “too early” becomes “right on time.”
Starting early:
Keeps the morning calm and enjoyable
Ensures every service is done beautifully
Prevents rushing that can affect quality
Protects your photography timeline
Helps you avoid additional vendor fees for delays
Guarantees your glam lasts through the entire event
Hair and makeup is the very first vendor of the day. If glam is late… everything is late. We’ve seen couples lose out on photos or pay thousands for vendors to stay longer because the morning didn’t begin early enough.
Saving sleep at the expense of timing will always cost more than it helps.
How to Keep the Morning Calm, Fun, and On Track
Your getting-ready time should feel like a warm, happy pre-party to your celebration. Here’s how to make the magic happen:
1. Trust Your Artist’s Start Time
They’ve built the timeline with intention, based on your needs, your photos, and your group size.
2. Have Everyone Who’s Receiving Services Present
We don’t assign names to specific time slots on the timeline, and here’s why it works so much better:
Some hair takes 20 minutes
Some takes 60
Some makeup looks need a little extra detail
It all naturally evens out
What doesn’t work is trying to stick to a name-based schedule.
Often the person “up next” according to the timeline isn’t present. They might be in another chair, stepping out for food, chatting with vendors, getting dressed, or handling something unexpected. When we try to follow a name-specific schedule, it immediately falls apart and actually causes stress for the bridal party. Everyone starts worrying about being in the “right” spot at the “right” time, and that slows everything down.
Sticking to names on the schedule tends to make things run late, because we’re waiting for the “right person” instead of keeping the momentum going.
By keeping the process flexible, all we need is someone in the chair at all times.
This keeps everything running smoothly, prevents bottlenecks, avoids delays, and keeps the morning calm, fun, and totally stress-free.
3. Bring Inspiration Photos for Both Hair & Makeup
Not knowing what you want can take up valuable time. Pictures help us ensure we’re on the same page from the start.
4. Prep Hair Correctly
Follow your artist’s instructions for washing and drying. Most brides and bridal party members should arrive with dry, day-before-washed hair unless told otherwise.
5. Wear a Button-Down, Robe, or Zip-Up Outfit
This protects your finished look from being smudged or tugged.
6. Complete Any Steaming Before Glam Begins
Steam can melt makeup and frizz hair, so it’s best to get it done early.
7. Keep the Vibes Fun
Matching PJs, snacks, mimosas, music, and laughter… yes, please. This is part of the celebration.
8. Communicate With Your Artist
Share your likes, dislikes, concerns, and goals. Your glam is a collaboration, and communication helps us give you exactly what you envision.
Final Thoughts
A well-planned hair and makeup timeline is truly the backbone of a smooth wedding morning. With realistic expectations, great communication, and a trusted glam team by your side, the entire process becomes fun, relaxed, and magical from the very first curl.
If you ever feel unsure about what time you should start or how many artists you’ll need, our Fairytale team is always happy to help build the perfect timeline for your unique da
