How Early Should You Book Your Wedding Hair & Makeup?

It’s the question we’re asked more than almost any other: when should I reach out about hair and makeup? The short answer is “earlier than you think.” The longer answer depends on your season, your guest-of-honor count, and how flexible you are on the morning. Here’s how we actually think about it after twenty-six years of fully-booked spring calendars.

The simple rule

Once your date and venue are set, beauty is one of the very first vendors to lock in, right alongside your photographer and planner. Good artists take a limited number of weddings per day, and the best dates fill first. We recommend reaching out 9 to 12 months before the wedding. If your wedding lands on a popular Saturday or your party is large, lean toward the twelve-month end.

How far ahead, by season

Demand isn’t even across the year. In the Piedmont, our calendar follows two clear peaks. Use these as a planning floor, not a finish line. Sooner is always safer.

1. 01
   Peak season · 12 months

   Late April through June, and September through early November. Saturdays here are the first to go, many a full year out. If your heart is set on a peak Saturday, treat 12 months as the target.
2. 02
   Shoulder season · 8–10 months

   March, early April, July, August, and late November. Still busy, especially for Saturdays, but you have a little more breathing room on the calendar.
3. 03
   Off-peak & weekdays · 4–6 months

   December through February, and Friday or Sunday dates year-round. More availability, though popular artists and holiday weekends are the exception.

The date doesn’t hold itself. A signed agreement and a retainer do.

What actually holds your date

This is the part that surprises people. A quote, a friendly email thread, even a verbal “yes.” None of those reserve your day. We hold a wedding date only once two things are in place:

• A signed service agreement that spells out your date, location, services, and the number of people getting ready.
• A retainer (a deposit applied to your package balance) that takes the date off the calendar for everyone else.

Until both are done, the date is open, which means a couple weeks of “I’ll get back to you” can quietly cost you your first choice. If you love a team, the kindest thing you can do for your own morning is to make it official.

Big parties need a bigger head start

The more faces in the room, the more artists the morning requires, and the earlier you should book. A bride alone is one kind of scheduling. A bride plus eight bridesmaids, two mothers, and a flower girl is a small production that needs a team of artists arriving together. Those team dates are the most limited of all, so for parties of eight or more we’d gently nudge you toward booking the moment your date is set.

Booked early? Here’s what comes next

Reserving early doesn’t mean every decision is locked a year out. It simply secures the team. The details come together on a comfortable timeline:

1. 01
   9–12 months out

   Sign your agreement and place your retainer. Your date is now yours.
2. 02
   2–3 months out

   Schedule your trial (if you’d like one) and confirm your final head count.
3. 03
   2–4 weeks out

   Lock the morning timeline, arrival time, and getting-ready location.

The brides who feel calmest on their wedding morning almost always have one thing in common: they handled beauty early, then stopped thinking about it. If your date is set, that’s your sign. Tell us your date and we’d love to check our availability for you.