How Much Time Do I Need for Hair and Makeup?

Sadie Young
December 11, 2023
Weddings

When putting together your wedding plans, it’s helpful to have aspects of your big day perfectly timed out. Some things can't be planned (because life is freaking unpredictable 90% of the time), but when it comes to your hair and makeup, wedding makeup artists have timing pretty under control. Our lovely Columbus makeup artists and hair experts at 614 Beauty will help out with the stress of the big day by staying in the time frame discussed with you. We’re all busy little beavers over here and we certainly know what we’re doing!

As a general rule, you will want to refer to your beauty professional to work out a timeline (duh), but you can plan on every service taking about 45-60 minutes. Depending on how intricate it is, it may take longer. This is one of the reasons a trial is super recommended when planning out your wedding makeup and hair.

More specifically, when deciding how much time you need to get ready before the ceremony, you should consider the following:

How many people are in your bridal party?

Let’s do some math here (yeah, it’s not my favorite either, but it’s elementary stuff!). If you talk to your artist and they need 60 min per person and your bridal party is 8 people,  then you would need 8 hours! But wait, that’s not quite right either. Most artists cap out at around 5 or 6 people for a wedding so you’ll need to hire a second makeup artist in this scenario.

How many makeup artists and hairstylists do you have on the wedding day?

Back to the math thing because we added a few more variables in there (sorry! It’s still easy math, I promise). If we’re continuing with our 8 people scenario, then you will need to have two artists for your big day. Splitting that up, 4 bridal party members for each person and 60 min per person, we come out at 4 hours total! Much better than 8. If your party is more than 10 people, we recommend hiring another artist as well (keeping to the 5-6 bridal party members per artist). Some brides have a tighter schedule as well and want to keep it around 3-4 hours so they will hire another to cut down the time even more. Our 614 Beauty experts have done it all ways, so whatever works best with your budget and time frame!

How intricate is the hair and makeup going to be?

Another factor to consider is the intricacy of the makeup and hair. All styles and looks should be discussed with the artists beforehand  (don’t forget that trial too!) so they are well prepared for your wedding makeup and hair needs. Some styles just take longer, but our killer Columbus wedding makeup team will give you a time estimate for whatever style you choose AND we’ll make sure to stick to it as close as possible.

Are you going to do any first look photos with the family or fiance?

This one is up to you brides! If you’ve got pre-wedding pictures make sure you plan your beauty sessions with enough time to fit that in. Wedding days are hectic so make sure you give yourself the proper amount of time for every detail. You got this!

As professionals who know the business and know what to expect on your amazing (but busy day), we’ll take some of the stress out of it by keeping on time and within your time frame. As long as everything is discussed before the day and we know what to expect, your makeup and hair will be one thing you don’t have to worry about. You and your party will look and feel amazing!

Photo: Juniper and Pine

Our latest

Blog posts

Hourglass Cosmetics Red 0
March 6, 2024

Unveiling Carmine in Cosmetics: From Beetle Pigments to Vegan Alternatives

Dive into the world of carmine in cosmetics, from its historical roots to ethical alternatives like Hourglass Cosmetics' Red 0. Learn more here!
Milia near eye
March 27, 2024

Understanding Milia on the Face: Causes, Prevention, and Treatment

Learn how to manage milia on your face with expert tips on causes, prevention, and treatment options for clearer, healthier skin.