Your Wedding Morning Beauty Prep Guide
You’ve planned the dress, the flowers, the photos and about a thousand other little details. Now let’s make sure everyone arrives ready for hair and makeup! Please share this guide with everyone receiving hair and/or makeup services on the wedding day. A little preparation before sitting in the chair helps our artists stay on schedule and gives your finished look the best possible foundation.
HAIR PREP
First, let’s retire the “dirty hair is better” rule.We promise: we prefer clean hair over dirty hair.
Your hair does not need to be freshly washed the morning of the wedding, but it should fall somewhere around the middle of your normal wash cycle. For example:
- If you wash your hair every day, washing it the night before is perfect.
- If you wash your hair every other day, washing it the morning before is usually great.
- If you wash your hair once a week, washing it about three days before may be ideal.
The important part? When in doubt, choose cleaner over dirtier. Our artists have powders, texture sprays, waxes and plenty of other products that can add grip and texture to clean hair. What we cannot do is make dirty hair clean. And despite its name, dry shampoo absorbs oils, but it does not actually shampoo your hair. If you are a bridemaids reading this at 11pm the night before because you forgot to before hand... we get it! And we are just happy you are here now! Go ahead and WASH YOUR HAIR. We can add the products tomorrow!
Please arrive with DRY hair.
This one is important! Unless wet styling has specifically been discussed with your stylist ahead of time, everyone receiving hair services should arrive with their hair completely dry. Blow-drying wet hair takes valuable time away from styling and can put the entire wedding morning behind schedule.
Dry and prep your hair the way you normally would.If you normally blow-dry your hair, blow-dry it.
If you love your natural curl pattern and want your stylist to work with your curls, prep and dry your curls using your normal routine.
You are also welcome to use your regular prep products. A mousse, volumizing spray, curl product or similar lightweight styling product can actually be helpful. Just avoid anything that makes the hair hard, stiff or crunchy, such as gel or a heavy hard-hold hairspray.
Please don't flat iron your hair first.
No Flat Ironing Hair since the last time it was washed.
Unless you know from experience that your hair curls beautifully after being flat ironed, skip the straightener before your appointment.
For most people, flat ironing smooths the hair in a way that makes it much more difficult to hold a curl afterward. Once that has happened, there may be very little your stylist can do to change it. This includes using a straightener days before hand. In most cases, once a hair has been flat ironed, it must be washed (fully wet to dry) before it can hold curl again. If you're unsure, simply dry your hair normally and leave the rest to us!
Have your hair accessories ready.
If you're wearing a veil, comb, pins, headband, flowers or another hair accessory, have those items out of their packaging and ready for your stylist. If an accessory needs to be added later rather than during the getting ready timeline, your stylist can show someone in your group how to place it.
SKIN + MAKEUP PREP
Start with clean, moisturized skin. Please arrive with a clean face, free of yesterday's makeup, mascara and other residue.
Your normal moisturizer is perfect. In fact, skin that is properly hydrated generally creates a much better canvas for makeup. Skipping moisturizer that morning can actually make your skin produce MORE oil throughout the day.
Wedding morning, however, is not the time for a 12-step skincare experiment.
Avoid piling on unfamiliar serums, oils, masks, heavy creams or other products simply because it feels like you should do extra skincare before professional makeup. Too many layers underneath makeup can affect how products sit and wear, especially if we don't know how those products will interact.
Stick with skincare your skin already knows and loves.
And while we're talking about prep...
Brush your teeth. Blow your nose. Get the eye boogies. 😂
Seriously.
Take care of all the little getting-ready things before sitting in the makeup chair. You'll be much happier doing them before your beautiful makeup is finished!
Inspiration Photos
Inspo photos are wonderful — but they're inspiration. We LOVE photos. They give your artist a visual starting point and often communicate preferences better than words can. But remember that inspiration photos are just that: inspiration.
Different facial features, eye shapes, skin tones, hair textures, hair lengths and densities will naturally make the same style look different from person to person. A few photos of looks you love are helpful. An entire pinterest board potentially will confuse your stylist to what you are really wanting. Limit your inspo photos to just 3.
Even better? Bring a photo of yourself from a time when you really loved how you looked.
That photo can tell your artist so much about what makes you feel beautiful: how much makeup you're comfortable wearing, how you like your brows, whether you prefer a softer or more defined eye, how much skin you like showing through and more.
Our goal isn't to turn you into the person in your inspiration photo.
Our goal is for you to look like the very best version of YOU.
Touch Up Products
Everything our artists use is selected with longevity in mind, but professional makeup isn't magic — you're still going to eat, drink, hug, laugh, cry, sweat, kiss and live your wedding day!
At minimum, we recommend having:
Your own lip color
Anyone receiving makeup should bring a favorite lip product or simply something they know they'll be comfortable using for touch-ups throughout the day. If you'd like, your artist can use your product or choose a longer-wearing product in a similar shade during your application.
Powder
A pressed or loose powder is helpful for reducing shine later in the day, particularly through the T-zone.
Beyond those two things, bring whatever you normally find yourself reaching for during a long day. You know your skin and comfort level best.
Blotting papers can also be handy for anyone who tends to get oily, especially for warm-weather weddings.
Hair Spray as well as a curling iron are also handy especially in the case of front pieces. Your stylist can show you the best way to manage those pieces.
Eye Drops
We love the Lumify Eye Drops in particular to help eyes stay nice and bright! Buy the individual package ones for ease (and also sicne they are preservative free, they are safer to put in after contacts have been put in!)
Touch Up Kits may be able to be purchased from your artist but they will need to know IN ADVANCE to have them prepared for you. The cost can depend on what all you are asking to be included but are generally around $10-15.
A FEW WEDDING MORNING TIPS
Wear something easy to remove.
A button-down shirt, robe or top with a wide neckline keeps you from having to pull clothing over finished hair and makeup.
Contacts first!
If you wear contact lenses, put them in before makeup begins whenever possible.
Eat and hydrate.
Please don't forget to eat because you're worried about ruining your lipstick later. Wedding mornings can be long, and nobody wants a fainting bridesmaid!
Have everyone nearby when services begin.
Even if someone isn't scheduled first, they should be at the getting-ready location and ready to go. Wedding mornings move quickly, and having to hunt down the next person can create unnecessary delays.
Don't disappear when you're “done.”
The photographer may need you, your stylist may want to make a quick adjustment, or your bride may simply need her people nearby. Build in time to relax and enjoy the morning together.
Save steaming for before hair and makeup whenever possible.
Heat, humidity and steam are not exactly friends of finished hair and makeup! If dresses need steaming, try to have it completed before beauty services begin or in a separate room. Even better, take care of this the day before whenever possible or designate someone not in the bridal party to take care of!
Be Mindful of your order!
Contrary to what many believe, the bride should NOT go last! Somewhere in the middle to 2/3rd of the way thru the timeline is ideal for when the bride sits with her artist(s). This ensure she is done when she is needed at the end. The end of the service time is just that, when the artists are finishing with the last services. Trying to get PJ pictures in at 1:30 when the timeline is scheduled to finish at 2 is only going to put strain on your artists. If there are to be pictures at the end, make sure the last client(s) to go will not be needed in those pictures.
Give your artists some working space.
A clean surface, accessible outlets and good natural light are wonderful. Keeping food, drinks, purses and everyone's personal belongings away from the artists' work area also helps us stay organized and efficient.
AND MOST IMPORTANTLY...You do not need to spend the wedding morning worrying about whether everyone is running exactly on schedule.
That's our job.
Prepare beforehand, have everyone ready when services begin, and then enjoy the morning. Drink your coffee (or champagne!), take the pictures, laugh with your favorite people and let us take care of the beauty part.
We can't wait to get you ready!
— Cotton Rouge & Company
THE WEEK BEFORE: PLEASE DON'T GET ADVENTUROUS 😂
We know the temptation. Your wedding is coming, so suddenly it feels like the perfect time to do ALL THE BEAUTY THINGS.
This is actually the time to keep things boring.
In the days leading up to your wedding, stick with the skincare, haircare and beauty routines you already know work for you. A surprise reaction, breakout or irritated skin is the last thing anyone wants to deal with on wedding morning.
Don't try a brand-new facial, peel or aggressive skincare treatment. If regular facials, peels, dermaplaning or other treatments are already part of your routine, follow the timing recommended by your trusted skincare professional.
But wedding week is not the time to try one for the first time.
The same goes for at-home exfoliating treatments, strong acids, retinoids or that miraculous peel you saw someone use on TikTok.
Even a product that's supposed to make your skin look amazing can cause redness, flaking, irritation or breakouts if your skin doesn't react well to it.
Familiar and hydrated beats freshly exfoliated and angry every time.
Don't introduce new skincare products. That expensive new serum can wait.
Keep using the cleanser, moisturizer and other products your skin already knows. Even products marketed for sensitive skin can cause a reaction in someone who has never used them before.
And definitely don't decide that because you're getting married Saturday, you should suddenly start a completely new seven-step skincare routine on Monday.
Don't pick at your skin. We know. That one little spot is practically begging you to mess with it.
Please don't.
A makeup artist can usually camouflage a blemish surprisingly well. An open, irritated or scabbed-over spot is much harder to cover and may not safely hold makeup at all. Treat it gently and leave it alone.
Be thoughtful about waxing, threading and other hair removal. If you regularly wax or thread your brows or facial hair, keep your normal routine and give your skin enough time to calm down before the wedding.
Avoid experimenting with a new hair-removal method immediately before your wedding, particularly on the face.
And if you're using prescription skincare, retinoids or other products that can make skin more sensitive, talk with your skincare professional before waxing.
Freshly irritated or damaged skin and makeup are not a happy combination.
Don't try dermaplaning for the first time. We love beautifully prepped skin, but you do not need to remove your facial hair for professional makeup.
If dermaplaning is already part of your regular skincare routine and you know your skin responds well to it, great!
It definitely can be a wonderful thing especially for clients that get a lot of "peach fuzz" on their face. However, if you've never done it before? Your wedding week isn't the time to find out.
Don't experiment with your brows. Please don't suddenly decide to completely reshape, aggressively tweeze, tint, laminate or otherwise reinvent your eyebrows right before the wedding.
If brow treatments are already part of your normal routine, carry on with the timing your regular professional recommends.
Otherwise, put down the tweezers. We'll work with what you've got!
Don't get your first-ever spray tan right before the wedding. If you love spray tans and regularly get them, you probably already know exactly how your preferred formula develops and fades.
If you've never had one before, don't make your wedding your test run. If you want to try one, do a trial well in advance so you know how the color looks on your skin, how it fades and whether you experience any reaction.
And remember: your face and body should still look like they belong to the same person. 😉
Don't suddenly change your hair. Wedding week isn't the ideal time for a dramatic new haircut, bangs, major color change or a brand-new extension method.
Routine trims, root touch-ups and color appointments with the stylist you already trust are one thing. Deciding you've always wondered what you'd look like with a pixie cut or bangs four days before your wedding is another.
If you're planning a significant hair change, give yourself enough time before the wedding to live with it — and enough time to change course if you don't love it.
Don't forget the boring stuff. Drink water. Eat normally. Get as much sleep as wedding-week excitement allows. Keep your lips moisturized. And please don't intentionally bake yourself in the sun trying to get some last-minute color.
A sunburn is uncomfortable, difficult to cover and can change the color and texture of your skin considerably.
And yes, wear your sunscreen.
THE BASIC RULE If you've done it before, know you love it and know how your skin or hair responds to it, you're probably fine following your normal routine.
If the sentence begins with...
“I've never done this before, but I thought I'd try it for the wedding...”
Our vote is almost always:
Wait until after the wedding. 😂
We know the temptation. Your wedding is coming, so suddenly it feels like the perfect time to do ALL THE BEAUTY THINGS.
This is actually the time to keep things boring.
In the days leading up to your wedding, stick with the skincare, haircare and beauty routines you already know work for you. A surprise reaction, breakout or irritated skin is the last thing anyone wants to deal with on wedding morning.
Don't try a brand-new facial, peel or aggressive skincare treatment. If regular facials, peels, dermaplaning or other treatments are already part of your routine, follow the timing recommended by your trusted skincare professional.
But wedding week is not the time to try one for the first time.
The same goes for at-home exfoliating treatments, strong acids, retinoids or that miraculous peel you saw someone use on TikTok.
Even a product that's supposed to make your skin look amazing can cause redness, flaking, irritation or breakouts if your skin doesn't react well to it.
Familiar and hydrated beats freshly exfoliated and angry every time.
Don't introduce new skincare products. That expensive new serum can wait.
Keep using the cleanser, moisturizer and other products your skin already knows. Even products marketed for sensitive skin can cause a reaction in someone who has never used them before.
And definitely don't decide that because you're getting married Saturday, you should suddenly start a completely new seven-step skincare routine on Monday.
Don't pick at your skin. We know. That one little spot is practically begging you to mess with it.
Please don't.
A makeup artist can usually camouflage a blemish surprisingly well. An open, irritated or scabbed-over spot is much harder to cover and may not safely hold makeup at all. Treat it gently and leave it alone.
Be thoughtful about waxing, threading and other hair removal. If you regularly wax or thread your brows or facial hair, keep your normal routine and give your skin enough time to calm down before the wedding.
Avoid experimenting with a new hair-removal method immediately before your wedding, particularly on the face.
And if you're using prescription skincare, retinoids or other products that can make skin more sensitive, talk with your skincare professional before waxing.
Freshly irritated or damaged skin and makeup are not a happy combination.
Don't try dermaplaning for the first time. We love beautifully prepped skin, but you do not need to remove your facial hair for professional makeup.
If dermaplaning is already part of your regular skincare routine and you know your skin responds well to it, great!
It definitely can be a wonderful thing especially for clients that get a lot of "peach fuzz" on their face. However, if you've never done it before? Your wedding week isn't the time to find out.
Don't experiment with your brows. Please don't suddenly decide to completely reshape, aggressively tweeze, tint, laminate or otherwise reinvent your eyebrows right before the wedding.
If brow treatments are already part of your normal routine, carry on with the timing your regular professional recommends.
Otherwise, put down the tweezers. We'll work with what you've got!
Don't get your first-ever spray tan right before the wedding. If you love spray tans and regularly get them, you probably already know exactly how your preferred formula develops and fades.
If you've never had one before, don't make your wedding your test run. If you want to try one, do a trial well in advance so you know how the color looks on your skin, how it fades and whether you experience any reaction.
And remember: your face and body should still look like they belong to the same person. 😉
Don't suddenly change your hair. Wedding week isn't the ideal time for a dramatic new haircut, bangs, major color change or a brand-new extension method.
Routine trims, root touch-ups and color appointments with the stylist you already trust are one thing. Deciding you've always wondered what you'd look like with a pixie cut or bangs four days before your wedding is another.
If you're planning a significant hair change, give yourself enough time before the wedding to live with it — and enough time to change course if you don't love it.
Don't forget the boring stuff. Drink water. Eat normally. Get as much sleep as wedding-week excitement allows. Keep your lips moisturized. And please don't intentionally bake yourself in the sun trying to get some last-minute color.
A sunburn is uncomfortable, difficult to cover and can change the color and texture of your skin considerably.
And yes, wear your sunscreen.
THE BASIC RULE If you've done it before, know you love it and know how your skin or hair responds to it, you're probably fine following your normal routine.
If the sentence begins with...
“I've never done this before, but I thought I'd try it for the wedding...”
Our vote is almost always:
Wait until after the wedding. 😂