Wedding Season Is Coming! How to prepare for the wedding season kick off
- ALCHEMY BEAUTY ACADEMY
- Mar 17, 2022
- 8 min read
Wedding season just starts to pick up in the Spring, so the peak of it is going to be here before you know it! (Fun Fact: October is the busiest month for weddings here in San Diego)
With nearly 40% of engagements occurring between the months of November and February, Now is when most of those brides are going to be seeking out their bridal beauty vendors. So that means wedding hair & makeup artists need to shift their focus (even for just an hour or two at a time) towards sprucing up their overall presence, updating systems and workflows, and evaluating what’s working (and what may not be working anymore) in their businesses.
These quick tips will help you maximize this crucial time and set yourself up for a productive (and successful) wedding season ahead.
MAKE SURE YOUR CONTRACT IS LEGIT
A contract protects both the brides who hire you and yourself. When done well, it outlines the expectations you have for the bride (so she doesn't spring "just one more bridesmaid" on you the morning of the wedding), as well as what she can expect from you so there are no disappointments caused by miscommunications.
Almost all vendors who provide wedding services require a contract and beauty pros are no different. Sure you may hear of some artists out there operating without one, but it is definitely not the norm and isn’t best practice for you to work without one. After all we are all about creating careers and not just hobbies here at Alchemy so of course we are only going to teach best practices when it comes to your business.
Once you have a contract drafted you should really consider having it looked over by a contract lawyer. Services like LegalZoom make this incredibly easy and affordable. The peace of mind that knowing your contract is truly legit makes this worth every penny.
We cover the key information, sections, and clauses you should include in your contract during our Beauty Makeup Artistry course to get our grads started on the right foot.
MASTER HOW TO DO A KILLER PREVIEW
Unless you put in the effort to really deliver at the trial session, you definitely won't be booking up all those wedding dates you want to. The key to being a successful bridal beauty pro is to give a great experience on the wedding day as well as during the preview. Here are some things to think about to ensure those trials are smooth sailing for you and the bride...
Give yourself lots of time! 1.5 hours for makeup only and 2.5 hours for hair and makeup. Don’t rely on communication of what they want through email alone before the trial. Do an in person consult as well as gather basic info from them via a questionnaire ahead of time so you can ask questions and get more clarification in person. Communication is KEY when it comes to nailing the preview.
Ideally you won’t do previews at the clients house. You really should consider having a space for them to come to for the trial. This can be either a studio, or a space in your home that is set up just for trials. This is a game changer for so many reasons! Play music to set the vibe, create great lighting to they can truly see what they look like them ( raise of hands if you have ever had a bride go and take a terrible selfie under the awful lighting in their bathroom after you have finished their makeup 🙋♀️ when you have done a trial in their home). The more in control you are of the space the better the experience you can create for them.
Timeline of the trial
First 15 to 20 minutes= Consult: offer a beverage and sit down together and discuss what she wants and look through the photos she brought. Give her your professional recommendations and decide together on a look before you start doing makeup/ hair.
Remainder of time= Application. Don’t do too many different looks because it confuses them. Deliver what it is that you discussed during the consult time and only do slight variations if they aren’t 100% sure about the first look. Ask “is there anything that is throwing you off?“ Instead of “is there anything you want to change?“.
Have that legit contract we talked about ready for them to sign right then and there to lock in their wedding date! Make things as easy as possible for them to book you.
People don’t like surprises so be sure to warn them before the trial about your policies. Some examples…
* They only have 48hrs after the trial to book otherwise you can no longer gaurantee that you will still be available for their date. You give an expiration on it for their benefit so that no brides (including themselves) are left hanging in the inquiry stage waiting for a response from you while you are left in limbo after a preview session unsure if they are going to move forward to book. Don’t officially reserve dates for weddings until a contract is signed and a retainer has been paid. This 48 hours is a soft hold before that wedding date is released for another bride to potentially scoop up.
* Think about if you want to allow them to bring anyone else to the trial- if someone does come and you have a policy of no guests you can give them directions to a great little coffee shop nearby. The trial is the bride’s only time to really figure out exactly how they want to look on their big day and they don’t need someone else’s opinion to get in the way of that.
UPDATE YOUR PORTFOLIO
As wedding season is right around the corner it is so important to have quality PROFESSIONAL images in your portfolio with a wide range of skin tones and hair textures. Brides and clients LOVE to see themselves represented in your images to get an idea of your artistic style and ability.
If you find yourself missing certain elements in your portfolio or just need NEW images you can either coordinate a photoshoot by booking a photographer, model, stylist, etc. OR sign up for our Portfolio Workshop and get 2 days worth of images working with multiple models and professional beauty photographers. If you're unsure of how to create stunning beauty images that will make you stand out don't worry because our Alchemy Instructor @kimmdicato will be there to demonstrate how to get gorgeous results for close up photography as well as how to build multiple looks on each model to give you more variety in your portfolio. Kimm will be there for makeup guidance as you do your own applications while instructor @hollieberrybeauty will be there to assist with hair for photography.
While you are at it, you should probably take a moment to Audit your Website & Branding too. Your website is your business’ home on the internet, and it is important to review and refresh just as you should your portfolio. Block some time on your calendar to take note of your images and make sure your copy is saying what it needs to be saying. Additionally, test all of the links to make sure everything functions correctly. Then, dive into this website review checklist so you can feel great about what your website is saying about you.
REFINE YOUR SKILLS
Now is the perfect time to pick up some new tips or tricks to wow your potential bridal clients. Even for those who are established in the industry it is important to continue to learn and grow and expand your skill set. We think it is so important we dedicated a whole blog post to continuing education- you can read it HERE.
For experienced Hair Stylists out there looking to take their bridal hair skills to the next level we actually created a Brand New Workshop specifically for you! We partnered with the incredible bridal hair specialist (and Alchemy Grad!) Bridal Beauty By Phoebe to bring you 3 days of advanced hair styling focused on her most popular signature styles. Click the link below to learn more about it and get your tickets!
Some of you may be just looking to shake off the rust from the slow season and get your hands back into the swing of doing hair styling on a gazillion bridesmaids on the regular. That is exactly what a doll head is perfect for! For even better ergonomics that mimic working on a real live person pair that doll head with a proper stand and then get to practicing! Build your stamina back up and you will be feeling ready for the upcoming season in no time.
Maybe this season is the time to expand your horizons and add a whole new service to your repertoire. It is no secret that dual artists book more weddings. Brides love the ease of having one vendor for both hair and makeup. If you are currently hair only, think about getting some makeup training and vice versa. Our Hair Alchemist Program is perfect for those makeup artists out there wanting to learn hair. In just 3 weeks we can take you from beginner to being able to create gorgeous bridal styles. And our Makeup Alchemist Program is perfect for those hair stylists needing to learn makeup. Over the course of 9 weeks you will learn everything from skin prep, to custom mixing and matching foundations, corrective contour & highlight, and of course beautiful bridal looks that not only last but photograph incredible.
RESTOCK YOUR KIT
To prep your kit for the busy bridal season ahead make sure you have plenty of the key things you will go through the quickest. Otherwise you will find yourself over paying for last minute purchases made in a pinch, or worse finding yourself without some of the key things you need to do your job.
Disposables: Everything from mascara wands, to bobby pins you will need to make sure you stock up on these types of single use items.
Skin Prep: We are big fans of the ARCONA Triad Pads! These little pads infuse Cranberry Toner in convenient cotton pads to help cleanse, tone and hydrate the skin, leaving it glowing and refreshed. Perfect for quickly prepping the skin before doing moisturizer & eye cream.
One of our favorite lines for Skin Prep is Georgette Klinger. Not only are these products great for sensitive skin and feature natural ingredients, they are very kit friendly with pumps and squeeze bottles (no risk of contamination!) and makeup goes on over this skincare like a dream. You can check out our favorite products from this line HERE and if you are local in San Diego you can even come and shop with us.
Lashes: My oh my do makeup artists go through lashes like crazy during this time. Keeping multiples of an assortment of styles on hand at all times is imperative!
Complexion Products: You MUST have a full global range of shades that can be custom mixed to make the perfect shade for every person who sits in your chair. Invest in a pro brand that gives beautiful results as well as longevity. Double check to make sure all of your foundations and concealers are still good and you have plenty of each shade left. We highly recommend brands like Face Atelier & Kryolan for some kit staples in this category.
Quality Hair Tools: It would be a nightmare to have your hot tools crap out on you mid way through a bridal party. The initial investment in good quality hair tools more than makes up for itself with the reliability that comes with going for professional irons like these BaBylisse ones.
Hairspray: You will go through more than one can of hair spray in a single season guaranteed. Have back stock of your favorite flexible hold and high hold ready to go at all times to make it through without needing to do an early morning run to the store to grab whatever they have before racing off to your wedding for the day. For us it is all about the amazing KENRA Volume Spray 25 & Working Spray 14 to get the job done.
We LOVE helping artists break into the bridal biz, or take things to the next level for those who are already established. Hope these tips have gotten you thinking and prepping for a busy season ahead!
If you are looking to do more wedding makeup and/or hair here in San Diego we would love to hear from you and see if any of our trainings and programs may be a good fit to help you make those dreams a reality. Book your tour to come in and see us!
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