Choosing your Wedding Makeup Artist - 8 Questions to Ask

Booking your wedding makeup artist is a very similar process to choosing your wedding hairstylist. Check out our guide on booking your wedding hairstylist to find out how to determine the style you want to go for, find vendors who cater to that style and finally screen them to find the perfect stylist/makeup artist.

In this guide, we are going to outline the key questions that you should be asking potential makeup artists. This is the only part which differs slightly from booking a hairstylist:

1. Do you specialise in wedding makeup?

Make sure you go for a makeup artist who has worked on weddings before. A fashion makeup artist has different expertise and may not be as familiar with wedding make up.

2. Can you do bridesmaids/mother-of-bride makeup also?

If you have other guests from your wedding party getting ready with you on the morning of your wedding, ask if the makeup artist can do their makeup too?

3. Do you offer wedding hairstyling?

Many makeup artists also do wedding hair. You may not want to use the same person for both however as this can increase the time it takes to get ready. If you have bridesmaids getting ready with you too, 1 person doing both hair and makeup could be a challenge.

4. Do you work on location?

Before booking your wedding makeup artist or hairstylist, you need to decide where you will be getting ready on the morning of your wedding. This could be at home, at a hotel or at the wedding venue. Most makeup artists will be willing to travel to you on your wedding day(although some may not). Having your makeup done in the same place you are getting ready is much easier and less stressful as you don’t need to consider travel arrangements. Check if they charge travel costs as you may not have accounted for them. If you are getting ready at home, ask the makeup artist if they require a certain amount of space for their equipment so you can prepare for this in advance.

5. Do you offer a makeup trial?

This is a deal breaker. You need to get a makeup trial prior to your wedding. The great thing about the trial is that you can feedback areas of the makeup that you don’t like to the makeup artist to allow them to amend this on the wedding day.

6. How would you like me to prepare for the make-up trial?

Ask if they have any specific requirements of you for the makeup trial? They may want you to leave your hair un-styled or ask you to bring some accessories that you will be wearing on the wedding day.

7. What makeup brands do you use?

Do some research on the brands they use and make sure they are not going to irritate your skin on the day of your wedding!

This is especially important if you have sensitive skin. Ask them how they have dealt with previous clients who had sensitive skin.

8. What if you are unwell on the wedding day?

It’s a horrible question but what happens if they can’t make it on the day of your wedding? Check if they have a backup option. You don’t want to end up with no makeup artist on your wedding day.