Bridal preview, practice updo, sneak peek, wedding test run, bridal trial … no matter what we call this appointment, we all know of its importance. It helps establish a healthy working relationship and guarantees a successful wedding day with a beautiful, happy bride!

Let’s go beyond the basics of making sure we as the professional look and act the part. Simple things like being punctual, using premium products, offering refreshments and having a clean, well lit work space are the absolute bare minimum. We should be making sure that our brides feel well taken care of throughout the entire process, from booking to the day of the wedding. This, of course, parlays into the bridal preview.

Now, I’d like to share with all of you, as bridal beauty professionals, two simple, four-step checklists. One for you and one for you to offer your brides as a guide to ensure they come well prepared.
 

Checklist #1: For Bridal Beauty Pros

 2. Ask The Bride to Wear White
Many brides have a really hard time picturing what they will look like as a bride. Wearing something white with a similar neckline helps bring the vision together as there is less left to the imagination!
 

 3. Tell The Bride How To Arrive For The Preview
The bride needs to know what state you expect her hair/skin to be in upon her arrival for her bridal preview. Do you prefer freshly washed hair? “Day dirty”? Do you want her to apply moisturizer to her face or do you have a preferred product you’ll use? She needs to know these things to make sure you have a successful appointment. Personally, I believe that we as hair pros can “dirty” hair with all of our professional potions and products, and Marlo Beauty is here to help with that! If you ask me, formal styles lasting better on “day dirty” hair is a myth, started in the 1980s. Never have I ever spoken to a bridal professional who wanted to work with a dirty canvas!
 

 4. Remind Her to Bring Inspo and Accessories!
Inspiration pictures can help you both understand what the bride wants. They are a fabulous tool and should be encouraged! Asking them to look for similar haircolor is helpful so that they have a realistic idea of what their hair will look like. If a brunette brings a photo of a highlighted blonde, the preview will never have the same dimension as the inspiration photo. Suggest she look on Pinterest, Instagram or wherever you prefer. Have the bride bring all accessory options. Veil, tiara, flowers, earrings, necklaces and all the sparkly bits and baubles. Anything she is seriously thinking about adorning her final look with. I always have a few options on hand as well as a sample veil. This feeds into my “be prepared for the unexpected” mantra. Even with the best of intentions, sometimes things are forgotten or left behind. It proves to be helpful to have some options on hand in case the bride’s accessories are backordered or otherwise missing in action!

Bonus: During a bridal preview appointment I like to offer refreshments and go over the final timeline of the day. Although the timeline is likely in your proposal and contract, things are often tweaked over the year or more that it takes to plan a wedding. I find it best to firm up my call time while face to face with my bride to ease any bridal worries that she may have about the flow of the day.

At the end of the preview appointment, we want our brides to be elated and beaming with excitement for their big day!! Setting ourselves up for success doesn’t have to be complicated or stressful. Making sure both you and your bride have a clear idea of what is expected is the key!

Everything will run smoother if you are well prepared and they understand what to expect. When they have a clear, concise checklist of what to do prior to their arrival, they are at ease with the process and you as the beauty pro have already instilled trust and professionalism into the relationship. This helps you provide a successful outcome and a beautiful, happy bride!

Happy pinning!!