Not sure if i want to get my hair done or do it myself

Most weddings last 5 hrs minimum. It's totally up to you. It is ok to get pampered. If you're not in a wedding dress, the salon won't know it's for a wedding, saving you a few significant dollars.

I think it all depends on what you want to do to your hair and your comfort level doing it. I'm not very girly either. Aside from washing and brushing it, I do literally nothing to my hair ever, and I don't wear make up. However, I wanted to look fancy for my wedding, and I knew I didn't have the skills to do anything nice, especially that would stay all day/night. I figured, if there is ever a time to go all out, it's your wedding day. I still went for a natural look, and my hair was in a braid with a hair vine woven in, so it was fancy but not like a crazy updo or anything.

I think it depends on what look you are going for. I was also contemplating this myself if I should hire someone to do my hair. If I was planning on just curling it and then adding a hair piece I was going to do it myself. Then I had decided well maybe I want a fancy half up braid, but I'm not good braids on myself. I had shared with one of my bridesmaid the look I was going for and she said she could do the braid for me and then I was just going to curl it myself.

I ended up changing my mind on the hair look I wanted, and shared again with my bridesmaid and she can still do the new look I want. So I'm not doing my own hair but my bridesmaid is helping me with it.

Another wedding I was in the bride did the same thing! She had another bridesmaid help her with an updo look and then adding in a hair piece to it.

View Quoted Comment This is very common. Or having at least one person in the general family and their SO who have skills enough on HMU. Outside of those going to resort type venues, I have never known anyone in my home state to have hired HMU on site. And if the fact that for years The knot and Wedding Wire had few listings of people who would travel ( relative to the huge number of weddings) it is still rare outside resorts. Not the view TV gives.

I'm eloping and I'm getting my hair professionally done

Agree with the others- depends on the look you’re going for. I’m great with my hair & makeup but I wanted a stress free morning so I opted to hire someone to do it. I wanted to feel pampered that day.

You’ll regret not getting hair and make up. They can dial it to a comfortable level at your dry run. Every single person I’ve dealt with that did it themselves said it was one of the bigger regrets for sure

I dont wear makeup and fiance prefers i dont anyways, and i am having my sister do my hair, she is in coz training right now, just adding in a few curls and halo extensions!

I think it really depends on what style you want for the day. If you're envisioning something a bit out of your norm or slightly intricate I would probably have it done by someone else - potentially save yourself stress and time on the day. I know a few people that did their own hair and half the time the process included some frustrating moments/fights/tears, not achieving the desired look, hairstyles not lasting, etc. For myself I am definitely having someone else do my hair, but I think I'm going to do my own makeup since I'm not really deviating from the usual look & I don't see any sense spending money on something I 100% feel comfortable and confident in.

Dear Jennifer,

For me; it's all about what I do and don't want to spend money/time on. We're getting married about an hour away from three major cities, and I am not willing to pay a stylist to drive out here to do my hair and makeup. I'm just wearing a straight (my hair is naturally very straight) high-pony, and am literally using lipstick (my tried and true hack) for my entire face (minus mascara, eyeliner and a little eyeshadow for highlights and contrast). I won't even be wearing foundation; just lotion, because my skin gets so dry!

The only downside of this, to me, is that I will be assigning a bridesmaid to tell me "girl, you need more makeup on your face," and the fact that I won't have someone to pamper my bridesmaids... I really wish that I could treat them to a full, kind of spa-like morning. Having said that, my MOH is actually a beautician and I'm sure she will be there to help in any way that she can!

So, like I said, for me; it all came down to the price and time. Do I want to travel and meet with several different stylists, try on different hairstyles, etc? No way! Do I want to pay several people for consultations and then be embarrassed when I absolutely hate what it looks like? Never again! Luckily, I've decided on a really simple updo and very minimal, natural makeup. I'd say that if you're going for the same kind of look; why would you hire someone else?

Besides, no one knows what looks better on you than you and your family/friends! Thanks so much for your post and I wish you the best of luck! I'm excited to see what you decide on!

Aubrianna Abbema

A compromise could be to go that morning to a lower cost place like Hair Cuttery and have them wash and do a basic style. I’m wearing my hair down and just plan in that - when they blow dry it it’s so much shinier.

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Dear Erin,

I love that you're not wearing makeup! I don't want to! I never, ever, ever wear makeup. I haven't since I left high-school. The women in my family hate it and reprimand me constantly... Foundation makes me feel like I have old-lady lines; heavy mascara or fake lashes always hide my eyes; and I have very low, heavy eyebrows, so there's not really much room for anyone to even see any kind of eyeshadow while my eyes are open. Whenever I know someone is going to make a comment about me not wearing makeup, I pull out the "lipstick" hack and use it for basically everything other than eyeliner and mascara. I feel like adding a little "rouge" is the only way for me to still look like me with makeup on. I'll hold a cross up to foundation, that stuff is evil (who would cover their beautiful complexion just to paint it back on afterwards with blush )?

Anyways, I just wanted to say kudos! If my mother and grandmother weren't going to be there the morning-of, I'd like to think that I'd have the courage and confidence to work-it like you do: authentically! Thanks again for your response and I look forward to reading more of your posts throughout planning. Thank god for the cosmetology bridesmaids/ family members, am I right ?

Aubrianna Abbema

Im a hairstylist so personally im doing my own hair and makeup because I have control issues lol. If you want to attempt it yourself I say go for it ! You will look more like you.

I don’t think that’s a bad idea if you’re good at doing your own hair

I would use this day to have someone else do it. Even if you aren't going all out-- being fussed on a bit before embarking on the hecticness of the day is nice. If you're going simple simple, even a hair school may be a good option.

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I didn't know this! will it be too risky to try and make an appointment without saying I'm a bride? lol

I will be doing my own makeup because I enjoy it and will save me a few dollars but will try and get my hair done. I don't want to mess with a possible bad hair day since my hair is way/curly.

View Quoted Comment It's entirely up to you. A good stylist will do your hair the same either way. They just charge more for wedding services.

There are so many factors that go into all of this, and they've pretty much already been mentioned so I'll spare you the repeat. I have a ridiculously artistically-inclined friend who is doing our bouquets and my makeup. The makeup she's doing for the wedding is the exact same thing she did for our engagement shoot yesterday - super simple and natural with just a light dusting of gold shadow on my lids. I never wear makeup normally, but I've got acne and skin that doesn't like to be the same tone all over, so it's mostly just to even things out so I don't have to look at those pictures and hate how my face looked for the rest of my life. I'll post a picture or two in a bit when I've got my phone handy...

If she hadn't offered to do my makeup, I would have just figured out how to make foundation and cover up work and just done it myself. As for my hair, I'm narrowing down exactly what I want, but it will definitely be something simple enough that I can do it if it comes down to it. Ideally, I'd like my sister to do my hair. She's always been good at it and pretty much always did my hair for things like high school dances, so that's a bit of a special thing for us. However! She's also my MoH and is...... not great with time management. So yeah, I'd ideally like her to do it, but if timing is an issue I want something simple enough that I can do it myself.

Hair and makeup were never things I wanted to spend money on since they're just not me. I don't wear makeup normally and my hair just gets thrown up in a ponytail on a daily basis. I didn't want to look like a totally different person on my wedding day just because "that's what you're supposed to do".

So this is my makeup for wedding day! And no, I was not intentionally matching my hair to my shirt, I promise!