24 Questions to Ask Before Booking Your Hair and Makeup Artist

Booking a glam squad for your big day? We love to hear it. But before you say “yes” to the artist who’ll be up close and personal on one of the most photographed days of your life, let’s make sure you’re asking the right questions. Whether you’re dreaming of barely-there bridal or full-on glam, here’s what you’ll want to know before locking it in.

Trust us, your future self (and your timeline) will thank you.

Let’s Talk Experience and Style

1. How long have you been doing bridal beauty?
Years in the game mean they’ve navigated all kinds of wedding mornings. Tenure also means they should have a decent amount of reviews that will help to inform you of the types of experiences they have provided over the years. Keep an eye out for poor reviews and if they are one of scenarios or a pattern of poor business practices.

2. Can I see a portfolio of your recent work?
You want to see consistent results and variety across different skin tones and styles.

3. Do you specialize in natural glam, full glam, or somewhere in between?
Firstly, make sure this person working in bridal and weddings. Just because they do makeup doesn’t mean they offer on-location services, or understand all the logistics that go into executing a seamless wedding morning service. Once you’ve established this understanding their individual style helps you figure out if they speak your beauty language. When booking an artist you need to understand your own aesthetic and do the necessary research to find artist who align with your goals. Refrain from booking solely on price, but focus on finding professionals who specialize in the looks you desire.

4. Do you have experience with my skin tone, texture, or hair type?
Representation matters. So does knowing your artist has the range. Brides with textured or curly hair will want to be especially mindful of booking stylist with experience working with their hair type and can offer lots of options for your consideration. Some styles also require appointments leading up to the wedding like extension installs, blowouts or silk presses, loc retwists etc. You will want to know will all of this be occurring on wedding day or will they have the availability to space out the services needed to achieve your wedding day style.

Money, Packages, and What’s Included

5. What’s included in your bridal package?
Hair, makeup, trial, touch-up kit? Get it all in writing. Not all teams/artists are built the same. Some offer the bare necessities while others offer high level luxury experiences that require longer timelines or personalization.

6. Are trials included or charged separately?
Trials are a must so you can test-drive your wedding look. Some companies will offer trials without requiring a contract or deposit as way to audition for the client. Many companies, especially those who are booking into the next year often won’t offer stand alone trial services without securing the date, because it’s extremely common that the date couples inquired about gets booked by someone else before the trial appointment comes. They instead, will include trials as a part of their packages so that brides will still get the same trial run before the big day, but can rest easy knowing their wedding day is locked in. They will also often offer the option to book additional trials, if scheduling permits, to test out additional hairstyles or makeup looks.

7. What’s the investment for bridesmaids or family members?
Make sure the full party is covered and budgeted.

8. Do you charge travel, early morning, or holiday fees?
Many artists do, and it’s totally fair. You just want to be in the know. Understandably, none of your bridesmaids are eager to get their hair and makeup done at five and six in the morning, your beauty team likely had to wake up hours earlier to prepare to travel to perform your services so understand that Early AM fees are not only to compensate them for providing services outside typical operational hours, but sometimes they are for the safety of the artists arrival. If you venue is several hours drive away and you have an early start time, your artist or team may charge additional fees so they can secure lodging nearby so they can arrive safely and well rested to service you and your entire party.

9. How much is the deposit and when is the final payment due?
Get clear on the money timeline so there are no surprises. Set reminders in your phone for expected due dates to avoid late fees or contract breaches as well as for out going deposits so that you’re able to stay on top of your budget.

10. Do you offer a contract?
Please say yes. Contracts protect both you and your artist. This really should be a non-negotiable.

Team, Timeline, and Wedding Day Flow

11. Will you personally be the one doing my hair and makeup?
Some artists have teams. Ask who’s showing up on the day. The benefit of booking with a single artist is knowing all of their portfolio is sourced from the one person who will be arriving of your wedding day and trial. With larger beauty teams, there are often time several freelance artists on their roster and their social media accounts may not showcase an equal amount of work from each of their artists. You will want to know if you’re booking a larger team that all of the artists being assigned also reflect your aesthetic and service needs.

12. Can you accommodate my full bridal party?
If your crew is big, you might need additional artists. Check if that's available and understand how that will impact the pricing. Will each additional artist require a travel fee or early am fee etc. Additionally, your artist and stylist will know how much time they will require for each person, trust their suggestions. If you’re not willing to wake up as early as they require, you may want to explore investing to additional team artists or bringing in another company if your party exceeds 6 people. Many company will already take this into consideration for you, but you should still ask to make sure you are covering all your bases.

13. How long does each service take?
Good to know when you're building your morning timeline. You will want to know how long everyone has, so that you are not only mindful of the time available when selecting your look inspiration, but also to be aware of how the morning of will flow. 45min services are fairly quick, you may not have a lot of extra time for alterations or interruptions. You’ll want to know how things will flow from person to person, as well as how you will transition from hair and makeup to your venue or to photos in a timely manner. Does your artist have a plan if delays occur.

14. Do you help with veil or accessory placement?
Bonus points if they do. One less thing to worry about. We will also grab a mom or maid of honor to show they how to place and remove the veil so that your hair style doesn’t get disturbed when your ready to party during the reception but stays secure enough to not slip out while your making your grand entrance down the isle.

The Trial and Planning Process

15. When should I schedule my trial?
Some artists book months out, so get it on the calendar early.

16. What should I bring to my trial?
Inspo pics, your veil, maybe even your favorite lip color. Some pros have their own guides or suggestions for they want their clients to prepare.

17. Can I try more than one look at the trial?
Not all artists offer this, but if you're undecided, it’s worth asking. Most professionals are offering their trial services with an additional built in 30-60mins on top of what the wedding day service time would be, to conduct a more in-depth consultation or as an opportunity to build report with their client. While many will welcome minor changes to perfect the hair or makeup look, major changes may require more time then the appointment has allotted. If you’re torn in very different direction with your hair style or makeup look, you will want to discuss this before the trial to determine if additional appointments may be required or if additional time can be added.

18. How do you prefer to stay in touch before the wedding?
Email? Text? A shared Pinterest board? Find your rhythm. You won’t want to hop from platform to platform sending various messages, you should establish a main thread of communication so that both you and your beauty pro can keep track of all your correspondence, but also to avoid overlooking important details or changes to your plans.

Products, Skin Prep, and Customization

19. What brands or products do you use?
Look for long-wear, photo-friendly, and sensitive-skin options. Ask them why they carry certain brands, are they using items due to years of experience and expertise or because its trending.

20. Do you offer airbrush makeup?
Some brides love it, others don’t. Know what you’re getting.

21. Can you work with allergies or sensitivities?
If you have known issues, this is non-negotiable. Your artist should also be asking about these things, so if they aren’t this could be a red flag.

22. Will I get a touch-up kit?
Lipstick and blotting papers go a long way after the ceremony.

Contingency Planning and Professional Vibes

23. What happens if you’re unavailable last minute?
Life happens. Make sure they have a reliable backup plan.

24. Are you insured or licensed if required by my venue?
Some venues ask for this. It’s also a good sign of professionalism.

Final Thoughts

Asking these questions doesn’t mean you don’t trust your artist. It means you do trust yourself to make informed, confident decisions. The right pro will appreciate your attention to detail. It shows you're serious about creating a seamless, stress-free wedding morning. Ready to connect with an artist who vibes with your vision and brings the calm to your glam? Let’s chat and see if Faces by Amelia is your perfect match.