Let me set the scene for you; you just got engaged and now you are super excited about planning your special day. The first thing I would recommend is that you and your fiancé prioritize your wedding vendors and set your budget. This will help you tremendously in booking your dream vendor team, such as your Photographer, Makeup Artist, DJ, Caterer, etc. Once you have determined your preferences and budget, it’s time to book your most important vendors to lock your wedding date in their calendar. It’s essential to think about what you will not budge on. For example, is it hair and makeup? Makeup and Hair Artistry is a very important category for most brides because they want to not only look their very best, but feel their best on the wedding day and rightfully so.
Which leads me to my topic of this blog post, bridal trials.
What exactly is a bridal trial?
A bridal trial is more than just a practice run for hair and makeup. It is the perfect opportunity to get to know your Artist’s personality and skill level. Also, this helps determine if they are the right fit for you in both personality and how well they can execute your vision for your big day.
Today we will explore more about my Bridal trial process and answer the most frequently asked questions that I receive regarding these trials. Please note, these answers will vary based on the Artist.
Should I get a bridal trial?
This depends. Let me explain further.
Brides will always ask me if they should do a trial before booking. I always say it depends on your comfort level. Approximately 75% of my brides will book me before having a trial. This is strictly based on my reputation and trusting my work. They want to lock in their wedding date before it’s unavailable and then worry about a bridal trial later or closer to their wedding date.
The few that would rather have a trial before booking are brides that have either had a bad experience with makeup or never loved how makeup looks like on them. In this case I can empathize and I completely understand. It’s my job now to hear all of their concerns and gain their trust. My goal is to help them have a good experience with makeup and styling their hair to help them feel beautiful and confident in their own skin.
Once the trial is done, the potential bride will have two days to make a decision and to lock in their event dates with a deposit and signed contract.
Due to my schedule, scheduling a trial is not as easy as it was before because of my limited availability. I typically do not schedule trials more than two weeks out. This means if you call me today, I will only have the next week and that following week available for your trial.
Are trials only for brides?
Yes, trials are only reserved for brides.
Sometimes I receive trial requests from other family members in the wedding party, however I prefer to focus all my energy on my bride and perfecting her look. Once the bride is happy everyone else will follow suit.
Does the bridal trial cost?
Yes, it costs, but it’s definitely worth it because you will be paying a small percentage of what you would be paying for your wedding day services. Also, you will get comfortable with your Artist and know what to expect.
Can I schedule my bridal trial for an event or photoshoot?
The answer is NO. The bridal trial is not meant for an event or photoshoot. Hence, the price point. This is supposed to be a time for you to see how you will look on your special day. Do not share this look prior to your wedding day. Also, if you’re caught using a trial for such events, then you will ruin the relationship you have with your Artist.
How much time should I carve out for my trial?
Typically a trial can take up to three hours. During this time we will discuss and collaborate on your various looks, vision, and theme for your wedding. If you have several events, such as my South Asian weddings, we will discuss all the looks so we have a game plan. Then I will conduct one full look of makeup on you.
What happens during the trial?
In addition to perfecting your makeup and hair look for your special day, the trial gives me the opportunity to suggest anything that you will need to do to prepare for your big day. For example, sometimes I’ll notice that my bride’s skin is very dry or have excess skin so I’ll suggest some products to help get her skin ready for the big day. Perhaps the bride may not have enough length or volume of her own hair in order to achieve the full bridal hair style that they envision. I might also suggest that the bride will need to purchase 100% human hair clip in extensions which will no doubt take the bridal hair style to another level. This is one of the best investments a bride can do for her hair style.
Can I do more than one look for the trial?
Due to the nature of my brides wanting a visual experience, the brides will see how they look with full makeup and their hair styled. The moment you start playing around with several makeup looks, it will start looking messy and the makeup will not look clean. A lot of my brides have several events, which is why I will execute their most important or most concerning look out of all of their looks.
Before doing a bridal trial, you will want to consider several factors:
- Confirm availability of your Artist. Please note: just because they are available when you asked does not mean that this will be the case later.
- Be aware of their available services, packages, and pricing. Also, confirm that it fits within your budget.
- Make sure you bring a picture of your wedding dress(s) and any hair accessories that you may want to see how it will look like styled. Also, inspiration pictures will help the Artist know what looks you are wanting for your day of.
- Before scheduling a trial you have to have your wedding dress. It’s like walking in the dark not knowing which direction you are going if you do not have your wedding dress. Your wedding dress makes a significant impact on how you want your hair and makeup to look like.
- Fully understand their booking process and how to secure your wedding date with them.
What if I don’t have time to do a bridal trial?
That’s not a problem at all as I will do a consultation over the phone and discuss everything that concerns you and what look you want. I will make sure I come prepared and ready to execute the look day of.
Where do I go for my bridal trial?
In the past, I would provide a bridal trial only at my home studio. However, since COVID 19 arrived, trials are now only conducted at my North Dallas JTorry Studio at 13151 Emily Rd, Ste 210A Dallas. I understand that bridal trial is a family affair, due to the pandemic brides must come alone. Family opinions matter, so brides are welcome to face time with their family members and get their thoughts. Honestly, you know deep down if you loved the look or not. At any rate, I always make sure the Bride enjoys her session and help her feel more excited for her big day.
What to consider when choosing your Bridal Makeup Artist?
Choosing your Artist is essential; it’s literally having someone in your private space on one of the most important days of your life. This means that personality and budget must match what you are looking for. Remember, price point matters; there is an old saying that states “you pay for what you are getting” Think about this analogy: it’s like going to Dickeys versus Del Frisco’s. You know the reputation of both, and you expect the services that both businesses provide. At the end of the day you have to see that the services you are receiving as an investment. It’s an investment on your most important day. Your bridal hair and makeup can cause a domino effect on every aspect of your wedding. It affects how you feel; then, it affects the pictures; and the videos you paid for, and it can hinder your confidence level in front of your guest. It sets the tone for the rest of the day, and it will be part of your memories for the rest of your life. Yes, it’s that profound that it can either make or break your day.
Yes, the trial not only gives my bride a glimpse of how they will look like on their wedding day but also provide a peace of mind knowing they are in good hands. To be honest, my full bridal energy doesn’t fully unleash until the day of, and my brides get blown away even more so on the day of. This is such an exciting time for you and allowing myself to be a part of your beauty journey and special day something I don’t take for granted.
I hope this further clarifies how bridal trials work and answers your pending questions about this process. Please check out my bridal hair and makeup on my website here: www.jtorryart.com & follow me on IG @jtorrymakeup & Youtube. If you want to learn more about becoming a bridal makeup artist please visit: www.jtorrymakeupacademy.com
XoXo,
Jenny Torry
