Wedding Hair & Makeup Planning Template

## CONTEXT
Wedding hair and makeup is one of the most personal aspects of the bridal experience, with the average bride spending $300-$600 on her own hair and makeup and an additional $75-$150 per bridesmaid for wedding party styling. According to industry data from StyleSeat, 89% of brides hire professional hair and makeup artists, yet 31% are dissatisfied with their results due to poor communication during trials, unrealistic expectations set by filtered social media images, or failure to account for venue conditions like humidity, wind, and lighting. A well-planned beauty timeline that includes thorough trial sessions, product discussions, and day-of scheduling prevents the morning-of stress that can set the emotional tone for the entire wedding day.

## ROLE
Act as a Bridal Beauty Director and Hair and Makeup Planning Specialist with 12 years of experience preparing over 600 brides and their wedding parties for the biggest day of their lives. You hold certifications in professional makeup artistry from the International Make-Up Association and advanced bridal hairstyling from Aveda Institute, and you have worked backstage at New York Bridal Fashion Week. You specialize in creating long-lasting looks that withstand tears, dancing, weather, and flash photography while making each person feel like the most beautiful version of themselves.

## RESPONSE GUIDELINES
- Create a comprehensive beauty planning framework covering the full timeline from initial research through day-of execution for the entire wedding party
- Include a trial session preparation guide that helps brides communicate their vision effectively and evaluate results objectively with specific evaluation criteria
- Provide a hair and makeup style guide that accounts for face shapes, skin types, hair textures, and the technical differences between how looks appear in person versus in photographs
- Develop a day-of beauty scheduling template with realistic time allocations per person based on service complexity
- Include a beauty emergency kit checklist and touch-up strategy for the bride and wedding party throughout the event
- Do NOT recommend specific products or looks without addressing how they perform under different conditions including heat, humidity, tears, and 12-plus hours of wear
- Do NOT ignore the hair and makeup needs of the groom and other family members who may also want professional styling

## TASK CRITERIA
1. **Beauty Vision Development** — Create a framework for establishing the bridal beauty vision including mood board creation, reference image collection with notes on specific elements liked (not just full looks), and a style vocabulary guide that helps communicate preferences using professional terminology that beauty artists understand
2. **Artist Selection and Vetting** — Develop a hiring guide for selecting hair and makeup artists covering portfolio evaluation criteria, review analysis, trial session policies, contract terms to review, pricing structures (per person versus flat rate versus hourly), and questions to ask during initial consultations
3. **Trial Session Protocol** — Design a comprehensive trial session plan including what to bring (dress fabric swatch, accessories, veil, reference photos), evaluation criteria for lasting power, photography test shots in natural and flash lighting, touch-up assessment, and a feedback communication framework for requesting changes without offending the artist
4. **Skin and Hair Preparation Timeline** — Create a pre-wedding beauty preparation schedule starting 6-12 months before the wedding covering skincare routine establishment, facial treatment timing, hair care and growth plans, tanning or self-tanner schedules, and a final-week beauty countdown with specific daily recommendations
5. **Day-of Scheduling System** — Develop a morning-of beauty schedule template with realistic time allocations: full bridal hair (45-60 minutes), bridal makeup (45-60 minutes), bridesmaid hair (30-45 minutes), bridesmaid makeup (30-45 minutes), mother of the bride (45 minutes), with built-in buffer time and a method for determining artist-to-wedding-party ratios
6. **Weather and Venue Adaptation** — Provide specific product and technique recommendations for different venue conditions: outdoor summer heat and humidity, winter cold and wind, beach saltwater and sand, evening indoor events, and mixed indoor-outdoor celebrations with transition considerations
7. **Touch-Up and Longevity Strategy** — Design a day-of beauty maintenance plan including a bridal emergency beauty kit checklist, designated touch-up person instructions, scheduled touch-up moments in the wedding timeline, and techniques for refreshing hair and makeup between ceremony and reception

## INFORMATION ABOUT ME
- My hair type and length: [INSERT YOUR HAIR TYPE, TEXTURE, AND LENGTH]
- My skin type: [INSERT YOUR SKIN TYPE e.g., oily, dry, combination, sensitive]
- My beauty style preference: [INSERT YOUR PREFERRED LOOK e.g., natural and glowing, glamorous and dramatic, romantic soft, boho effortless]
- My wedding party size: [INSERT NUMBER OF PEOPLE NEEDING HAIR AND MAKEUP]
- My venue and season: [INSERT YOUR VENUE TYPE AND WEDDING SEASON FOR WEATHER PLANNING]
- My wedding start time: [INSERT YOUR CEREMONY TIME TO CALCULATE BEAUTY START TIME]
- My beauty budget: [INSERT YOUR TOTAL BUDGET FOR ALL HAIR AND MAKEUP SERVICES]
- My known skin or hair concerns: [INSERT ANY RELEVANT CONCERNS e.g., acne, thinning hair, allergies to certain products]

## RESPONSE FORMAT
- Open with a beauty vision questionnaire that captures style preferences and practical considerations
- Present the artist hiring guide as a structured evaluation checklist with scoring criteria
- Include the trial session plan as a step-by-step preparation and evaluation protocol
- Provide the pre-wedding preparation timeline as a monthly countdown with specific action items
- Format the day-of schedule as a minute-by-minute template with customizable time slots
- Close with the emergency beauty kit checklist and touch-up strategy as a printable reference card