First things first: we call it a bridal preview.
You’ll often see it called a bridal hair and makeup trial – and, after years in the industry, I still accidentally call it that myself! – but I’ve never particularly loved the word.
You’re not auditioning your face.
A preview is a chance to explore how you’d like to look, work with your artist, try the details and see everything begin to come together before the wedding… and it’s supposed to be enjoyable!
So here’s everything I’d want a bride to know before hers.
When should I have my bridal hair and makeup trial?
My preferred window is around four to eight weeks before your wedding.
I generally wouldn’t recommend going earlier than three months.
There’s a temptation to get everything organised as early as humanly possible, but your bridal preview is one area where earlier isn’t necessarily better.
Have it six months beforehand and you may change your mind.
Your hair may change.
Your accessories may change.
Your ideas may change.
Instagram will undoubtedly show you another 4,000 hairstyles.
Equally, leaving your preview until immediately before the wedding can create unnecessary anxiety if there are decisions you still want to make.
For most brides, somewhere around a month to two months beforehand works beautifully.
Book your artist early to secure your date and then have your preview later.
This distinction is important.
Don’t wait until you’re ready for your preview before booking your wedding hair and makeup artist.
Particularly for weddings between March and September, popular dates can get booked up well in advance.
You don’t need to know exactly how you want to look before securing your date.
Book your artist, relax a little (with another thing checked off the list!) and explore the look later.
There can be a financial benefit to booking early too, as rates may change from one year to the next.
Ideally, choose your wedding outfit first
Your dress, suit or wedding outfit can influence your hair considerably.
Think about the neckline.
If you have a high neckline, a low hairstyle sitting against it may rub throughout the day and affect the style.
If you’re wearing something off-the-shoulder, you might decide you love the clean line of having all your hair up… or discover you feel too exposed and prefer softness around your shoulders.
Neither is right or wrong.
But it’s useful to see the bigger picture.
The same applies to veils, jewellery, hair accessories, colours and the overall aesthetic of your wedding.
Your hair and makeup shouldn’t exist in isolation from everything else you’ve chosen.
What should I bring to my bridal hair and makeup preview?
Bring inspiration.
Pinterest boards are great. Saved Instagram images are also great! Photographs from previous occasions when you really loved your own hair or makeup are particularly useful because they’re actually photographs of you.
If you have your veil, bring it.
If you’ve bought your hair accessories, bring those too. But if you haven’t chosen them yet, then that’s absolutely fine – Your stylist can advise you once you’ve established the hairstyle.
You don’t need to arrive carrying your entire wedding in a suitcase.
When saving hair inspiration, look at the FRONT!
I see this all the time.
A bride falls in love with a photograph of the most incredible up do.
It’s intricate. Romantic. Beautifully textured.
There’s only one slight problem.
The photograph is entirely of the back of somebody’s head.
You have no idea what the hairstyle actually looks like from the front.
And unfortunately, that’s the bit you’re going to see for most of your wedding day.
When you’re collecting bridal hair inspiration, try to find front, side and back views. Video can be brilliant for this.
Also look for people with hair colour and texture similar to yours. An intricate style can read very differently on blonde, highlighted hair than it does on very dark hair, for example.
Be slightly suspicious of Pinterest perfection
The same principle applies to makeup.
Look for inspiration featuring skin tones and features similar to yours where possible.
And remember:
That photograph may not be real life.
Professional images can be retouched, social images can be filtered, lighting can be extremely flattering. Images can be overexposed.
Your artist isn’t there to burst your Pinterest bubble, but they are there to help translate the thing you love about an image into something that works beautifully on a real human face in daylight.
That’s a much more useful goal.
How should I prepare my hair for a bridal hair trial?
For most styles, wash your hair the day before.
Freshly washed hair can be extremely soft, slippery and flyaway, which isn’t always ideal for styling or longevity…
But there are exceptions… If you have very fine hair that becomes oily quickly and you’re considering wearing it down, washing it on the day may work better. We can introduce grip using professional texturising products and dry shampoo.
If you’re unsure, ask your artist beforehand.
And what about my skin?
Come with a bare face if practical.
If you’re travelling to your appointment and don’t fancy crossing London without makeup, that’s also fine! We can remove it when you arrive.
What I don’t recommend is suddenly changing your entire skincare routine beforehand.
We want to see how your skin normally behaves.
Your preview is also a brilliant opportunity to discuss your wedding preparation – skincare, brows, lashes, fake tan and anything else you’re considering.
How many hairstyles should I try at my bridal preview?
Usually two is plenty.
Perhaps you’re deciding between an up do and half-up, half-down.
We might explore both, make adjustments and then refine the direction you prefer.
Three different styles would generally be the maximum I’d recommend.
Trying six completely different hairstyles isn’t necessarily going to make you six times more certain.
It might just make you confused.
The conversation we have before we start styling is important because it means your artist isn’t simply throwing hairstyles at your head to see what sticks.
What if I don’t like it?
Tell us.
Please.
This is exactly what your preview is for.
Before we start, we’ll talk about what you normally wear, how you style your hair, how much makeup you’re comfortable with, what you love, what you don’t and what you’re hoping to achieve.
We’ll also work with you as the look develops.
But if something doesn’t feel right, say so.
You aren’t going to offend us.
A good bridal artist would much rather hear, “I’m not sure about that,” than have you smile politely, go home and worry about it for the next six weeks.
Our job isn’t to make you like our idea.
It’s to find your look.
Do I have to decide on the day?
No.
Sometimes a bride loves two options.
Take photographs. Go home. Think about them.
Perhaps you haven’t chosen your earrings yet? Perhaps you’re still deciding on your veil? Perhaps you simply need to sleep on it?
You can let your artist know afterwards which version you’d like to recreate on the wedding day.
Should I have hair extensions for my wedding?
Maybe.
Not every bridal hairstyle requires extensions, and my personal preference is to work with as much of your natural hair as we can.
But extensions can be brilliant for adding volume or length – particularly if you’re creating a half-up style and pinning up your natural hair leaves very little underneath.
If you’re considering extensions, talk to your bridal hairstylist before having them fitted.
Permanent or semi-permanent extensions can sometimes restrict where we can create lift or secure the style.
I often prefer clip-in extensions for bridal styling because we have greater control over exactly where they’re placed. They need to match your own hair, so your stylist can advise you on what to purchase.
Your preview can do double duty
Here’s one of my favourite practical tips:
If you’re already having beautiful professional hair and makeup done, use it!
If possible, coordinate your bridal preview with your engagement shoot or potentially your wedding dress fitting. We always try to do this with your brides at CJC because it means you aren’t going home with fabulous hair and makeup just to sit on the sofa while your partner wonders why you’ve suddenly become so glamorous on a Tuesday afternoon.
More importantly, seeing your hair, makeup and dress together can help you visualise the finished look.
An engagement shoot also gives you the opportunity to see how your makeup photographs.
The preview isn’t just about the finished look
This is the bit I think people underestimate.
Yes, we’re deciding on hair and makeup.
But we’re also meeting.
Talking.
Getting comfortable with one another.
You can ask all the questions you’ve accumulated about your wedding morning.
Your artist learns about you.
You learn how your artist works.
So when your wedding morning arrives, a stranger isn’t walking through the door.
You know them.
They know you.
You both know what you’re creating.
And instead of sitting down wondering whether you’re going to like your wedding makeup, you can sit down, have a chat and enjoy having somebody else take care of you.
That’s why, while bridal previews aren’t compulsory at CJC, I strongly recommend them.
It’s not really a trial.
It’s one less unknown on a morning when you want to be thinking about everything except your hair and makeup.
Ready to plan your bridal hair & makeup?
CJC Hair & Makeup provides bridal hair and makeup previews and wedding-day styling across London, the UK and internationally.
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By Camilla Collins, Founder of CJC Hair & Makeup – Camilla founded CJC Hair & Makeup in 2010 and has spent more than 15 years working with brides and wedding parties across the UK and internationally.
