12 Must-Haves for Your Wedding Morning

Written by Patty McGuire, Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists | Photography by Joy Lyn Photography

The getting ready process on the wedding morning is a fun and celebratory time that sets the tone for the rest of the day’s events. What could be better than having your hair and makeup done to your favorite song with the people you love the most while indulging in champagne and sweet treats?

As a professional hair and makeup team, we are privileged to have witnessed a lot of touching moments during our travels. While there are certain traditions that will never go out of style, we’ve seen some new and meaningful trends that are on the rise. Instead of the focus being solely on the bride or groom, there is a heartwarming shift happening. With more emphasis on lifting up the wedding party members by recognizing them as individuals, our nearlyweds are shining a spotlight on what each attendant means to them. The events of the last few years have made us all want to love harder and to be more expressive when it comes to letting people we care for know how much they mean to us. These 12 must-haves are inspired by the incredible nearlyweds who are taking things to another level and making the wedding day morning truly unforgettable.

SURROUND YOURSELF WITH THE BEST

Choosing the wedding party attendants is not an easy decision, but is an essential part of creating the perfect wedding day. One of the best parts of getting to know our couples is learning about who they’ve chosen to share their wedding day morning with. Whether it’s family members, childhood friends or college roommates, these “ride or die” confidants have walked alongside our nearlyweds through it all. What better way to start the day than with a spirit of celebration, friendship and love?

TIMING IS EVERYTHING

The getting ready process on the wedding day morning takes time. Depending on how many people are having their hair and makeup done, the process can take several hours. While bridal suites are often the most desired getting-ready location, they don’t always work because of the hours they are available. Be sure to ask about how early you’re able to arrive in order to decide on the best location for you and your wedding party. If 10 a.m. is the earliest you’re able to arrive, that likely will not work unless your end time is late afternoon. Choose a location that has plenty of space for the hair and makeup artists, as well as the wedding party. An early arrival time will allow for the relaxed morning you had hoped for.

OWN THE MORNING

Create a unique and memorable getting-ready environment by bringing in some of your attendants’ favorite things that will make the morning truly special. Whether it’s their favorite smoothies, special coffees or sweets, incorporating things that your friends love creates a celebratory spirit that will be remembered.

Real Wedding Example: One memorable moment at a recent wedding was seeing the bride set out a collection of photographs in beautiful frames, scattered around the bridal suite of her and her bridesmaids. Those photos gave the space a personal touch that resulted in a lot of belly laughs and stories from the past.

SPARK JOY

Giving the bridesmaids/bridesmen a special gift is a tradition that never goes out of style. A thoughtful gift with a personal touch is a great way to say “thank you” to your crew for their friendship and participation in the events surrounding the wedding day. Whether it’s gifting them their hair or makeup service, a luxe handmade boho robe or a pair of cozy slippers, nothing sparks joy like a thoughtful gift.

SAY IT WITH A SONG

There has always been special attention paid to creating a fun, upbeat music playlist to enjoy while getting ready for the big day. Music is such a powerful way to communicate our feelings for one another and is an essential part of setting the mood for the day.

Real Wedding Example: We witnessed something really touching recently where a bride selected individual songs for each of her bridal party. The bride chose songs that reminded her of each attendant and presented the soundtrack on a record that had their names beautifully written across each one. These personalized details make the day even that much more special.

PUT IT IN A NOTE

In the days of emails and texts, there is nothing like the handwritten word. A handwritten letter engages our senses in a way that technology can’t. There are often handwritten letters presented to the bride from their fiancé/e, but a sweet gesture we’ve been seeing lately are handwritten notes written by the bride to her bridal party. The letters can contain personal memories, what she admires about them and why she wanted them by her side on such a significant day. Presented in a beautiful envelope with their name on it, these letters are treasured gifts never to be forgotten.

BRING ON THE RAZZLE DAZZLE

Having hair and makeup done on the wedding day is something the wedding party looks forward to and gets excited about. Pamper yourself and your attendants by hiring a professional bridal beauty team that provides luxury services and will travel to your home, hotel or bridal suite. A luxury service includes airbrush and lashes for everyone, a relaxed service timeline and artists who use only high- end cosmetics and tools. Having your hair and makeup done by a team of industry professionals will ensure that your photographs will reflect beautiful, cohesive looks that will stand the test of time.

BE YOUR OWN KIND OF BEAUTIFUL

One of the best gifts a bride can give to her bridesmaids is allowing them to be themselves when it comes to hairstyles and dress selection. Allowing your party to have some input when it comes to their hairstyle and what they will wear gives them the confidence to go throughout the day feeling comfortable and their most beautiful. For makeup, it’s best that there’s a consistent flow that coordinates with the color palette of the wedding and that the bride leads in terms of the style and amount of makeup. Glowy, radiant skin with subtle pops of color produces timeless makeup looks that are soft, natural, and beautiful.

Men’s grooming services are on the rise for the wedding day morning and can include a haircut, shave, manicure and simple makeup touch-ups.

THE BUTTER TO MY BREAD

Be sure to have plenty of food around in the morning to keep everyone’s energy up. Because alcohol is frequently involved in the getting ready process, have a good supply of water bottles so that everyone stays hydrated. Specialty cupcakes, cookies or other treats from a boutique cake shop bring some sweetness that only adds to the celebration.

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND WORDS

With all of the thoughtful attention to details, gifts and creative ways to celebrate the wedding party, it’s important to hire a wedding photographer that will understand the importance of capturing all the planned and unplanned moments that mean so much. While Pinterest can provide inspiration for wedding day photos, allowing the photographer to use their own creativity will most certainly guarantee you getting more exceptional images that are unique to your personal style.

THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

The wedding day morning goes by so quickly, it’s important to stay in the present moment and not jump ahead to what’s coming later. There is so much excitement and anticipation surrounding the ceremony and reception that anxiety can start setting in because of how fast things are moving. Even though it’s very exciting, don’t let what’s to come rob you of staying present and enjoying every last detail and effort you put into making the day so memorable.

THE BEST IS YET TO COME

No wedding day morning is complete without a champagne toast, so before you say “I Do,” let’s finish the morning off right! We love a great photo opportunity and there’s none better than sharing one final celebratory moment with your attendants by raising a glass to family, friendship and love! All the preparations and well wishes have led to this final moment, but the best is still to come. As you walk out the door and head to the ceremony, take with you all the love and support that these special people have brought to your life. Ahead is a whole new chapter that your family and friends are getting ready to celebrate, so enjoy every beautiful moment.

Cheers to love!

The Vendor Team

PHOTOGRAPHY: Joy Lyn Photography
HAIR & MAKEUP: Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists: Brittany Grist, Carolyn Malloy, Nicole Parisi, Rabecca Gaspard, Zalina Tuaeva, Janet Lewis, Kelly Grist, Veronica Radeke, Emme Camp, Megan Price
VENUE: Sanctuary Events
DÉCOR, FLORAL & GOWNS: Wedding Design Studio by 1440 Event Designs
STATIONERY: By Precious Anne
DESSERTS: EK Cakery
SMOOTHIES: Juicehead Smoothies & Coffee
ROBES: The Boondock Quilt Co.
MODELS: Lauren Imbo, Saige Spears, Kate Bakos, Jennifer Polanco, Fia Dudish-Poulsen

Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists Team

About the Author

Patty McGuire is a hair and makeup artist specializing in special event hair and makeup for the past 20 years. As a former salon owner and educator, she gained valuable experience as an artist and mentor. She loves the relationships she develops with her brides and feels it to be an incredible honor to be part of the journey leading up to their wedding day. After years of enhancing brides on their big day, McGuire knows a thing or two about how to create the perfect “before the ceremony” routine.

Under her Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists brand, she has a team of master-level hair and makeup artists who are just as passionate and professional as she is. It has been incredibly important to Patty to hand-select a team that she would trust on her own wedding day.

Patty McGuire Hair & Makeup Artists | pattymcguire.com