How Much Time Does a Bridal Party Need for Hair and Makeup?

On the day of the wedding, every minute counts leading up to the start of your ceremony!

It is very important to find out exactly how much time you should be dedicating to your hair and makeup services.

In this post, you will see an example of a hair and makeup timeline I like to use along with other time factoring elements to take into consideration.

Starting with the end in mind, build a timeline for how you want the day to look and feel as you and your bridal party are getting hair and makeup done.

Factor in when you need to arrive at the venue, how much time you need for pictures before the ceremony, and of course, factor in what time the ceremony starts.

It’s important you speak directly with the stylist you’ve hired, but here is a sample timeline we use at Mountain Bridal Artistry on a wedding day.

- 30 minutes per person for bridesmaids’ makeup.
- 45 minutes per person for bridesmaids’ hairstyling.
- 15-20 minutes for junior bridesmaids and flower girls hairstyling (we don’t typically do a lot of makeup).
- 60 Minutes per person for Mother of the Bride and Mother of the Groom hair and makeup.
- 90 Minutes for Bride’s hair. 60 Minutes for Bride’s makeup.

3 things to keep your timeline on schedule

1. Everyone arrive 15 minutes prior to their scheduled appointment.

2. Bride already have styles chosen for the bridal party. Consult with your professional stylist on the desired style to make sure this fits into the timeline.

3. Bride decide on a color palette for eyeshadow being applied to bridesmaids.

3 things that can really throw your whole timeline off

1. Members of the bridal party showing up with wet hair. Depending on the density of the hair this can throw your timeline off by 20-25 minutes resulting in your bridal stylist being very rushed or you leaving late.

2. Styles not chosen for the bridal party. Come on we know those certain people who have a very difficult time making decisions. No one has time for anyone scrolling through social media for minutes trying to pick a style.

3. Members of the bridal party not showing up on time.

Feeling panicked and overwhelmed on your wedding day is not fun. Establishing your timeline will give each individual the attention she needs to feel special.

If you take the time and develop a realistic morning of timeline you will be much more relaxed heading into your day!