Every bride knows just how important bridesmaids are. From planning the hen celebrations, to helping source suppliers, or even just a shoulder to cry on if wedding stresses are getting a bit too much, we all need a bridesmaid or two on hand while we prepare to say ‘I do’ to the love of our life.

But when it comes to the all important hair and makeup for your bridesmaids, how on earth do you choose? Whether you have 1, 2 or 10 bridesmaids, the chances are you will have to decide upon styles to suit not only your bridesmaids, but possibly your colour scheme and theme too…. and the wedding morning is definitely not the time to be doing that!

A bride will usually have a trial before the big day so will know exactly how she’s having her hair and makeup. However when it comes to bridesmaids, they don’t always have a trial so it’s important to be prepared and plan in advance.

Bridesmaids can be dotted all over the country (or world!), so logistically it may be difficult to get everyone together for trials beforehand. Cost is another very important factor when it comes to trials. I would always recommend a bride factors in a hair and makeup trial for herself in her budget, but with the average UK wedding costing in the region of £25,000, bridesmaid hair and makeup trials are understandably not always possible.

If you don’t plan to have trials for your bridesmaids, it’s definitely a good idea to get everyone together before the big day to discuss likes and dislikes, even if it’s on the phone or in a group message chat. That way you all have a good idea of what the bride’s expectations are when it comes to hair and makeup, what will work with colour schemes and themes, and what everyone else likes or doesn’t like.

The more bridesmaids you have, the harder it’s likely to be to have everyone with the same hair and makeup style. Hair lengths, thicknesses and types vary greatly, as do skin types and tones and face shapes, and what suits one person may not necessarily suit another. But don’t worry if you have your heart set on a uniform look for all of your bridesmaids, as it’s not impossible to achieve a consistent style.

Sometimes it just takes a small tweak to make a particular hairstyle work for someone, or you could incorporate something like a braid or a certain hair clip or comb across different styles to tie everything in together. For makeup, similar colours can often be used, but perhaps slightly heavier or lighter, depending on how each of your bridesmaids usually wears their own makeup. Or go with a certain style to tie in with your theme, but vary it slightly to suit each bridesmaid.

It’s often also the case that a bride is happy for her bridesmaids to choose their own hair and makeup, and this too looks lovely so there really is no right or wrong when it comes to choosing bridesmaid hair and makeup. A lot of it is down to personal preference.

The best advice I can give though, is to plan in advance, whether you’re having trials or not! Talk to one another and choose styles that everyone is happy with (especially the bride!), and feel free to ask your hair and makeup artist as many questions as you like before the big day, as an expert opinion is always good to have.  A bit of preparation before the wedding morning means happy bridesmaids, and most importantly a happy bride!