Who are you getting ready with?

I’m getting ready with 7 bridesmaids and my mother and MIL. I asked them if they want professional hair and makeup done with me, but they’d be paying for it. Three said yes. You don’t have to pay for professional services for everyone, unless you’re requiring a certain makeup/hairstyle. But get ready with who you want to, it’s your day.

I will be getting ready with my BMs, MOHs and my mother (FMIL was invited to get ready with us, but she will have her 2 yo granddaughter at that time , so she will be having her own stylist doing her services at her home). We are having an adult only wedding, so we opted to not have flower girls or ringbearers. Had we had a flower girl though, I don’t think I would have provided professional hair or make up services for her/them. It just seems like a waste of money for children. Plus kids bring an air of chaos and unpredictability, and require constant attention. I want that time to be all about relaxing and having fun!
I am not requiring hair and make up to be done professionally. If anyone wanted to do their own, I would’ve been fine with that. But everyone chose to have their services professionally done. We will be paying for everyone’s hair and makeup services.

I would suggest only getting ready with those you feel comfortable and calm with. This time is going to set the tone for the ceremony, so you don’t want to be surrounded by negativity or drama. Pick those who will be supportive and make the experience fun!

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Thanks! I asked my mom if she wanted her hair done and she said no, so I'm going to need a new plan since the vendor I really like has a minim of 10 services and I won't be nearly at that many with just Me, my MOH and my mother in law if she wanted her hair done....

View Quoted Comment I feel like some of these HMUA minimums are crazy! If it’s just the two of you getting ready, you may want to look into just booking an appointment with someone at a salon. I know all the artists I inquired with had minimum services you had to meet in order for them to do on-site services.

My three bridesmaids (my two adult daughters, his adult daughters) and a few close friends who are going to help decorate and stuff. They’ll be in and out. I am fine with a few others being in and out. I’m not having any professional hair and makeup so no one has to be there the whole time.

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Thanks Ava, I def get why they would need minimums especially if they are traveling

I plan to get ready with my MOH, my four bridesmaids, my two flower girls, my mother and my MIL if she wants to be included on our side. One of my bridesmaids will be under 18, so her mother will be there as well. Most of the vendors I like for Hair and MU don’t have crazy minimums, or they do in dollar amounts. I plan on paying for myself, my mom, my mother in law and my two flower girls. My bridesmaids can pay for themselves if they want or do their own if they want.

I’m getting ready with my five bridesmaids. We have a flower girl but she is 2 so no need for hair and make up. My MUA minimum is 4 people including the bride. I’m paying for either their make up as part of the bridal party gift and if they choose to do their hair, it’s on them. I’ve specifically told them professional hair and make up is not required but if they would like to get them done, I’ll pay for the make up and they can pay for the hair.

I’m getting ready with my matron of honor who is my only bridal party member. Her daughters are my flower girls & they will be there too. My mom and future mother in law will be getting hair/makeup done with us but they won’t be around for all of it.

I originally had my best friend as my MOH and was planning to just get ready with her and maybe my mom. I had no other bridesmaids.

Covid happened, wedding celebration was postponed, and my MOH dropped out because she was having a baby (due same week as the wedding). My mom kinda stresses me out and just getting ready with her was going to be anything but enjoyable and stress free for me, so I ended up asking three friends to help me do flowers beforehand and get ready with me at the wedding. It ended up working out beautifully, and my mom got ready at home but joined us in the bridal suite at the end, so she got to share some of that moment with me without completely getting in the way and causing me to have a meltdown.

The three friends I asked I asked were a friend from grad school and two friends who live locally. My grad school friend was traveling for our wedding and coming solo, so I figured her getting ready with me would work well because she would be in town already and she wouldn't have anything to do earlier in the day, and she wouldn't be inconveniencing a date who would either need to travel solo or just kind of hover around the wedding venue for a couple hours before. So it made sense if she was going to drive all this way that we got to spend more time together. The other two are super close as are their partners; I know them through my husband's work and us three couples have vacationed and done holidays together and all of our dogs are best friends. While I don't have as tight of a relationship with them they asked if they could help with the wedding at all and they were so eager to help make my day fun. All three LOVE flowers, so they were really excited to play with fresh flowers for our table arrangements, and then getting ready with me was a logical fun bonus, plus it was nice for my grad school friend to meet some other guests before the wedding since my other grad school friends didn't come. And since those two are super close and their partners are super close it was easy for them to come together and then the husband and fiance to come together and meet up with them at the wedding, so no one was inconvenienced. While I would have loved to have bridesmaids and have my best friend with me, getting ready with those three girls was honestly super fun and completely stress free.

I had a difficult time finding a HMUA that wasn't a total flake or didn't charge a fortune or have a minimum I wasn't going to meet, so we all did our own hair and makeup (one of the girls helped with my hair). It ended up being nicer because I got to be on site all day instead of having to travel to a salon or pay hundreds for someone to come to me. Also I think my hair came out better than it did the year before, when I had a pro do it for our elopement. So win-win!

How long do you have until your wedding? HMUA stressed me out the most too, just because all of the people I would contact were so unprofessional and wouldn't get back to me or didn't have clear policies. I'm also not a "fancy" person who puts a ton of effort into my everyday appearance, so always feel a little intimidated going to salons because everyone there is just so primped and that's just not me. Like I like to look nice, but I don't wear makeup most of the time and pretty much only style my hair for special events, I don't blow it out daily and spend 10 minutes in the morning every morning making my eyebrows perfect. I usually feel like I'm being judged whenever I go into places like that and that I just don't belong. I ended up hiring a HMUA from a salon that my friends go to (actually the two girls who live locally and got ready with me) and she is an awesome stylist but not good at the level of organization required to book and successfully do weddings (she's the wedding coordinator at the salon, which is NOT a job well suited to her talents). Long story short, the salon screwed me over, so I decided I would NOT use them again after my elopement. So I started watching YouTube videos and practicing, and got comfortable enough to do my own makeup confidently and also try different styles in my hair. Then my friend stepped in, and she and I together made a stunning updo, that I swear was better than when I used the salon for our elopement.

I do feel like hair and makeup is a skill but depending on what you are going for its not impossible for you to learn. I wanted a more natural look and a textured/messy do, so those looks are easier to pull off and require less perfection than super dramatic makeup and perfectly coifed finger curls, for example. I LOVE how my hair and makeup came out for our big day.

I have two bridesmaids, plus both mothers and one friend coming to have their makeup done.

or could you have some friends who are guests come, just for that portion?

BREATHE!
I'm only having a MOH, we're getting ready together, and I'm paying for hair and makeup. I had to do a LOT of research on finding someone willing to do just us AND travel to our venue...but it can be done!

I don’t have a large bridal party, so I had to shop around to find a HMUA that had a low minimum number of services and was able to find a few! If your state or general area has a wedding FB page, ask there for suggestions! I’m getting ready with my MOH and bridesmaid, possibly mom and FMIL too, and was able to find a HMUA I liked whose minimum was only 4 services total!

I’m getting ready with my mom and my bridal party of 8.
My MIL will get her hair and makeup done with us but will be leaving my bridal suite after she is done getting beautified.
My bridesmaids are paying for their hair and makeup but I am giving each of them money towards a service. I am paying for my mom 100%