frequently asked questions

We recommend booking with us a year or more in advance. We book on a first come first serve basis - our schedule books up pretty quickly, and we don't want to miss out on the opportunity to work with you!

We have a team of highly trained, certified, and licensed stylists, so YES we absolutely can accommodate larger parties! No party is too big! Each artist has their own unique skill set and style secrets. We pride ourselves on having the ability to whip up diverse, unique styles that are customized to each client that sits in our chair. We also create a more enjoyable experience for you and all your favorite gals!

No party is too small either! We've done hundreds of Bride only services! We do typically have a minimum of 3 for on-location hair & makeup depending on the location, but we can definitely make accommodations for smaller parties. Contact us for more details if you have a small party, and we'll be happy to work something out with you!

As far as you need us! The travel fee is based on location and distance. We can discuss alternatives for fees to mitigate pricing depending on the circumstance.

Unless discussed otherwise, we do not typically set day-of timelines.  You will have a set start time which will be determined by the number of services needed, the photographer's arrival time for “getting ready” pics, and departure time. If you have multiple people in your bridal party getting services done, we ask that everyone arrive at the set start time and come prepared with day-old, dry hair for styling and a fresh face for makeup. 

The reason we do not offer time slots is that everyone's hair type and desired hair/makeup style will be different. Some looks take longer than others. We like to have everyone there and ready so things go smoothly on both ends.

We uphold a first come first serve commitment. We do quite often we receive multiple requests for the same date, a retainer and signed contract is the only sure way to secure your wedding date.

The only way we will hold your date is with a 40% retainer fee based off of the wedding day total, and a signed contract.

The retainer is 40% of the wedding total, and non-refundable because just like your wedding day takes a lot of planning, so does planning services on our end. The 40% retainer fee covers correspondence with the Bride, and most importantly, secures an artist(s) for your big day!

If we're being completely honest, if someone is only asking for a small retainer fee, that is a major red flag. The retainer fee and contract gives our Brides/Clients peace of mind that we will absolutely be there on their wedding/event day. We have never (NOT EVEN ONCE!) cancelled on a Bride, and we never will! Especially not last minute!

When you sign your contract and pay your 40% retainer fee, you are 100% booked with our team, and we will be at your wedding, rain or shine!

All of our services require a signed contract and 40% retainer fee to protect you, and us! We require a contract so that you know we're coming to your wedding, and we're holding up our end of the deal.

Our contract was written by a lawyer in plain English (no lawyer jargon!) so it's very easy to understand. If we send you a contract, please read it all the way through, and please feel free to ask us any questions!

Yes! Absolutely! We can add on up to 2 services/clients, up to 30 days prior to the wedding. We do request a roundabout confirmed headcount before booking so we can ensure we secure an appropriate amount of our artists for your wedding/event.

Adding on more than 2 services/clients after signing the contract may result in an additional artist fee depending on how big the party is to begin with, and how long your getting ready timeframe is. Additionally, we may not be able to make accommodations for your party if more than 2 are added on too close to your wedding day.

We need a headcount so we can secure an appropriate amount of our team's artists for your big day. We like to be prepared! The moment you book with us, we secure your artists (and an appropriate amount of them for your party size) for your big day!

We hand pick your artist(s) based off of your look inspiration. You want soft romantic glam? We'll put you with our lead soft glam artist. You want glam waves? We'll put you with our lead glam hair artist.  

While our entire team is trained extensively on every hair & makeup look, we always match our Clients with our artists that specialize in the style they want.

If you book a trial with us, the artist(s) at your trial will be your artists on your wedding day to ensure consistency.

Stuff happens, illness, accidents, things that are completely out of our control! While it may be a major bummer, if something happens and your artist can't make it, we always have a talented backup artist(s) ready to go just in case. We take extensive notes and photos at all trials, and all of our stylists are trained on how to follow them to a T. 

Yes! All of our artists are licensed and insured through the Bride Squad, LLC. This allows us to work anywhere, at any venue, at any time, not just in your hotel room. If your vendor is requesting a certificate of insurance (COI,) we are more than happy to provide one!

We are team of true professional hair and makeup artists, all with over 15+ years of experience. 

The need for extensions depends on the look you're going for, your hair thickness and length. Send us your inspo pics, and a photo of your hair, and we're happy to help you out! 

We recommend Bellami or LuxyHair extensions, as they are 100% human hair, which means heat can be applied to them, and they can be dyed in advance for a perfect color match.

Just a side note, we do not get any profit from Bellami or LuxyHair, we simply love their extensions, and can't recommend them enough!

We highly recommend you don't, and for a few reasons:

1. Hygiene: People return things to Amazon all the time. Since customers can send back items to the Amazon warehouse whenever they want, most of the time, customers use the items before they send them back. Amazon will then turn around and resell the returned items to other customers. Things like hair extensions, which are worn directly on the body and come into contact with bodily fluids, could be used by different clients more than once before being sold again. (I know, gross.)

2. Fake Reviews: It's no secret that a lot of Amazon sellers offer free items for reviews. It can be hard to tell if you are getting a true picture of what the item is actually like. This can waste time and money and give less-than-satisfactory results.

3. Low Quality: Hair extensions from Amazon are often low quality, or not 100% human hair (even though they say they are.) This means heat and dye will damage them and make them unusable. This also means that the hair extensions could potentially damage your hair over time.

We highly recommend investing in high quality, 100% human hair extensions, like Bellami or LuxyHair.

No! Absolutely not! We never filter our work, we want to show you exactly what it looks like! Filtering photos of beauty services is very misleading, and we are very transparent with our work. We just want to set realistic expectations for our clients!

You can contact Melissa at bridesquadllc@gmail.com to schedule your trial at any time, however, we recommend scheduling the trial in the same wedding season you're having your wedding, or 3-6 months before your wedding date.

Trials are offered Monday through Thursday with the earliest appointment scheduled at 9:00 a.m. and the latest appointment at 5:00 p.m. Due to limited seating please do not bring your wedding party with you unless previously discussed with us. 

Upon leaving your trial, we would advise you to try on your dress or something in a similar style or color. Hair and makeup can change its appearance against different clothing colors. 

Please take a moment to examine your hair and makeup after your trial and if there are any changes that you would like us to note, please contact us at any time to update your file notes for the day of. 

Our whole team is really good with constructive criticism, it won't hurt anyone's feelings, we just want you to be 100% happy and comfortable with your look!

Mornings! A morning trial appointment allows you to see how your hair and/or makeup lasts throughout the day. This gives you the opportunity to give us some feedback, and we can make adjustments for your big day to make sure your hair/makeup lasts through anything: happy tears, a humid day, anything!

If you're unable to make a morning appointment work, that's fine too! But the earlier, the better!

If something comes up and you need to reschedule your trial, please let us know as soon as possible. 

Trial runs are not only important for you as the bride, but for your stylist as well.

SEND US YOUR INSPO

Why Trials are so important?

• Trials give your stylist the opportunity to get to know your hair texture and pliability
• Trials help the stylist identify which hair and makeup products work best for a long-lasting look on your special day.

How much time should I allot?

• Hair – 1-1.5 hours
• Makeup – 1-1.5 hours  
• Hair and Makeup – 2-3 hours 

What should I bring?

• Inspiration images of hair and makeup that you are considering for your look – You can also send your inspiration to Melissa and she will send it over to your artist(s)
• Any hair accessories or a veil that you are considering wearing so your stylist can give ideas on how to incorporate them into your desired hairstyle

Will my stylist make recommendations for styles?

• We always do our best to achieve your desired look based on the inspiration provided, keeping in mind that not all styles are easily executed or best suited for specific facial features or hair types and lengths/thickness

What should I wear?

• We suggest that you wear a button-down shirt that allows you to change your outfit without ruining your hair and makeup, wear a color similar to the color of your dress so you can get an idea of how the colors/style will look next to your dress!

When should I wash my hair?

• It is recommended that you wash your hair the night before your trial, towel dry, add either mousse or gel, and blow dry your hair straight back with either a round or paddle brush. If you would prefer to arrive with wet hair, a blow-drying service can be added to your trial for an additional charge. Please let us know if you would like this service PRIOR to your trial. Failure to communicate this service will result in a fee due at the time of trial.

What if I come after work?

• While we prefer that you arrive to your appointment with a clean face using only moisturizer that does not contain an SPF, we do have makeup wipes you can use to remove your makeup.

Will I have the same stylist for my trial and my wedding?

• If you're already booked with us, unless discussed otherwise prior, yes!
• If you're not booked with us, we try our hardest to schedule your trial with the same artist that is available for both your wedding day and the trial, and a good fit stylistically for your wedding day services. However, we reserve on a first-book, first-serve basis, so scheduling is based on availability.
  • It is important to reserve our services as early as possible as we may have many brides booking for the same dates.
  • If a stylist falls ill, we will be able to replace the stylist, following extensive notes and pictures taken at the trial.

When are trials offered?

• Monday through Thursday with the earliest appointment scheduled at 9:00 a.m. and the latest appointment at 5:00 p.m.
• We highly recommend a morning appointment so you can see how your hair and/or makeup lasts throughout the day. This allows us to make adjustments for your wedding day. 
• Trials must be scheduled in advance to ensure availability.

What if I want to make changes after my trial?

• Trust us, you wouldn’t be the first bride to want to make a small tweak here and there. Just shoot us an email so we can make necessary notes in your file and inform your stylist.  99% of the time, an additional trial is not needed.