GUEST POST: How to Select Your Makeup Artist

Susie Chhuor Studios as a guest on our blog, sharing expert tips on how to select the right makeup artist for your day. Susie Chhour has beautified brides at so many of our clients’ weddings – not to mention several amazing styled shoots (Including this beauty…Fig and Gold Inspiration)
Research, Budget, Portfolio Analyzing, and Testing! Let’s face it, who doesn’t want to look their absolute best on their wedding day? Finding the right stylist for you that will be able to give you that flawless look can be daunting considering all the options, packages, and reviews you’ll have to go through. Here are some simple steps to help you choose the right vendor.
Research Keeping track of a simple spreadsheet is key in helping you organize your vendor research and allows you to easily look back and review your options. We always recommend researching stylists in your area or near your day of wedding getting ready area first. Create a small excel spreadsheet to keep track of the vendors that you’ve contacted, list their prices for bride hair & makeup and then for the bridal party and then move on to the next. Go through 15-20 different vendors so that you have a wide range of options and price points and be sure to eliminate vendors with anything less than 3.5 star reviews. This is important to do to make sure you have quality vendors. Most of the time a vendor will receive lower than 3.5 star reviews because they either lack professionalism, are unresponsive, don’t show up, or handle the service and situations that may arise poorly. You want a vendor that you can count on and won’t have to worry about on the day of the wedding.

Budgeting Keep in mind that vendor costs will range from one location to another so this is a great way to make sure you have a realistic idea of what the going rates in an area are. Often times when bride and grooms begin to budget for their wedding, they do this “blind” without knowing the actual cost. This leaves them in sticker shock and even worst, disappointment when they realize how much the actual costs are versus their original estimates. It’s always better to have a realistic budget by first researching before pulling out random numbers. Once you’ve completed your research and have a list of vendors and their pricing available you will have a better sense of the budgets for hair and makeup services in your desired regions. Select the stylists within your budget range that you feel the most comfortable and financially able to select.
Portfolio Analyzing Now that you’ve narrowed down your hair and makeup selections to stylists that are within your budget, you don’t have to worry about the possibly of falling in love with someone that isn’t within your budget. Take this time to look over the stylists that have made it in within your budget. We always suggest looking over their portfolio work first and seeing who you are drawn to and who fits your personal style best. When looking over portfolios, be sure to ask yourself these questions: · Do they have photos of actual weddings that they’ve done? If so, is there a good variation of couples in their portfolios? o Often time newer stylists will have a large portfolio but only have 2-3 of the same brides. This should ring a bell and let you know that their experience level that they may just be starting out. · Do they have photos of actual clients (not photographed by the photographer)? o Having real photos of clients are always one of the most important things that you want to look for. A look of brides will naturally just search for the professional photos, however, keep in mind that these photos are post processed. You will want to see what the hair and makeup looks like in regular cameras and cell phones without the filters and editing. Be sure to also read and add to your spreadsheet how the booking policies for these stylists work (how much deposit do they require, what is their refund and cancellation policies, etc). Remember, keep organized so you don’t get confused.
Setting Up Your Trial Session The research prior helps you to filter out the stylists under 3.5 stars, the stylists within your budget and then the stylist you feel the most connected with. By doing this, it helps you maximize your results and takes into consideration both your financial capabilities and wedding day beauty goals. When you’re ready, the true test and the real moment of truth is when you meet with the stylist and do your trial session. The only way to really ever know if the stylist is a good fit for you is when you have the actual hair and makeup done on yourself and you get to experience their work. Wedding planning can be a headache. We hope that these simple steps help you to narrow down your hair & makeup stylist search. This method can also be applied for other vendors as well. It’s quick, easy, and allows you to get to focus on the things that matter the most: money and good work.