Making the Most of your Trial Run

The trial run is so exciting!!! This is when you get to meet your stylist and experience your wedding day look and feel before the big day. 

While you’re focused on seeing the hair and makeup from Pinterest come to life, this is also the time to meet your stylist in person and get a feel for how you connect! This person will be with you for hours on your wedding morning, so the trial run is a great time to see what her vibe is like and make sure you feel good about her participating in your big day!! 

In order to make your trial run the best it can be and see your wedding day vision come to life, there’s a few things I like my brides to do and bring to be ready. 

If you’re a bride-to-be or know someone who is, check out this list to make the most of the hair and makeup trial run day. 🧖🏼‍♀️

1. Bring inspiration photos— hair and makeup inspo from Pinterest, past looks you’ve seen or worn, and anything that can help your stylist see what you’re envisioning! Keep in mind your hair color and hair type with these photos. Try to find things that match your skin and eye coloring so that she can bring the vision to life with your beautiful features!
2. Wear white (or the color of your dress)! This will help you see the look with the color you’ll be in that day. Bonus: if you have a top that is a similar cut or neck line as your wedding dress, wear that! It’ll help you see how the hair falls around the neckline and what your makeup looks like with white on. 
3. Prep your skin with a skincare routine. A proper routine includes four steps: cleanse, prep, treat, protect. Make sure you have a daily skincare routine that includes exfoliating and on the morning of your trial, exfoliate your face and moisturize. Skip the serum on trail day! (Check out this blog for more on how to prep your hair, makeup, and skin for your trial run and wedding day.)
4. Wash and blow out your hair— the day before your trial or that morning, make sure it’s clean and dry! If it gets oily quickly, wash it the morning of the trial. A blowdry ensures it’s fully dried and ready to be played with! 
5. Come prepared for what the trial won’t include— if you’re doing makeup only, come with your hair done in your favorite way or how you intend to do it on wedding day. If you’re doing hair only, have your makeup done how you will on your wedding day. This will help you see the full picture of your glam!
6. Get your brows shaped! It helps you see the full look when your makeup is complete if you come with your brows done and ready just as they will be on wedding day. 
7. If you know you want hair extensions (even clip ins), tell your stylist ahead of time! This way, she can have them ready to go at the trial and you can see the full effect in action that day. If you’re not sure you will need extensions, talk to your stylist about it prior to the trial so she can have the option available for the trial run appointment. 
8. Bring your mom or a friend— someone who knows what you want and will keep your preferences in mind with her feedback. You want someone with you who will not just hype you up (we love that too!) but will be able to keep in mind what you asked for and said you wanted and can give a second opinion on the look. It can feel overwhelming to tell a stylist you’re not loving something, so bring someone who can help speak up with you and make sure you have the dream outcome! (Trust me, your stylist wants that for you too!) 
9. Spray tan: if you’re planning to have a spray tan on your wedding day, also plan to have one for your trial run. This will help you see how it all works together and allows your stylist to work with the skin tone that will be true the morning of your wedding!

Most importantly, have fun!!! The trial run is great to schedule on the day of your bridal shower, engagement photos, or just a date night with your soon to be hubby. Really let yourself test it out … wear the look all day, take notes and photos, see what it’s like 8 hours later and have a little dance party to make sure it can withstand the dance floor! 

Be sure to let your stylist know your thoughts and feedback throughout the day so that on your wedding day, she can make it even better and perfect the look you’ve been dreaming of! Take it from a bridal hair and makeup artist of over 15 years, we want you to look and feel your best on the big day! 

Cheers, 

Emily