Planning a wedding is a lot of work (and I speak from experience), especially if you are doing it without the help of a planner. There are dates to remember, deadlines to hit, and a ton of vendor options to sift through to find the right fit. Personally, I found this process to get even more stressful when I began enlisting the help of The Knot and their checklist. Let’s just say, get comfortable with feeling like you are constantly behind!

When it comes to hiring your makeup team, we can offer some advice.  Hiring the right makeup artist is as important as choosing the right DJ. Your makeup artist is in charge of your look for that day. Of how you will appear in photographs for years to come! They can also play a large role in setting your mood for the day since they are with you from the beginning. Whether you go with the KiSSandMaKeUp team or not, look at these do’s and don’ts submitted by our artists to point you in the right direction.

Pam Contreras- Do your research.

While doing your research, the first thing you need to do and make sure you set a budget and only reach out to artists who can remain in that budget. Money causes stress and if you are trying to go an inexpensive route, while your artist is trying to work her craft, that could cause unnecessary stress on your wedding day.

Here are a few other things to consider while researching artists:

1. Look at their portfolios. Make sure that you see photos of their work that inspire you. If the artist has a portfolio full of glam makeup shots and you are looking for a natural look, you should probably keep looking.
2. Ask what brands are in their kit. After determining if they are in your budget and they have done work that you like, it is good to find out what they have in their kit. Remember, you want only the best for your big day- it needs to stand up to a lot of tears and sweat. 
3. Once you narrow your list down and are doing trials, bring photos to your trial. This will help your artists get a good idea of what you are looking for. It will also give your artist the opportunity to make suggested based on your skin.
4. Bonus: Make sure they are insured!

Katie Callahan- Try to book a year in advance.

Brides tend to book venues and photographers a year in advance but wait on hair and makeup because they think they can book a couple months before. That is not the case and often times they’re disappointed that their first choice is already booked!

Vanessa Pergolizzi- Really get to know your artist.

The number one thing I can say is to make sure you feel a connection with your artist. You want your artist to feel like your best friend on the day of your wedding, not a stranger.

We have collected a few don’ts from our artists. These are things to consider when you are booking your makeup team for your wedding.

• Try to stay away from trends. Trends are tricky. Imagine looking back at your wedding pictures in ten years and you decided to go with squiggle brows on your wedding day? Yikes. 
• Don’t have unrealistic expectations. Here’s the deal- If you don’t look like Beyoncé before you sit in the chair, chances are you won’t look like her when you leave the chair either. Be realistic.
• Don’t be on your cell phone while your artist is doing your makeup. Besides the fact that it’s completely rude, don’t make your artist keep asking you to reposition your face. 
• Don’t hire family unless they are professional. This goes for everything in life. Nobody wants to tell their favorite cousin that they hate the makeup she just did. 

When all is said and done, as long as you stay in your budget and have an artist you feel comfortable with, you are all set. I guess it is safe to say that our last “Do” is to book with us for your special day!