Bridal Beauty in the ‘New Normal’

The corona virus epidemic has had a huge impact on weddings, which has meant couples all around the world have been forced to postpone or even cancel their eagerly awaited big days. However, with lock down beginning to ease and micro-ceremonies being allowed from 4^th July we can finally start to think about celebrating weddings once again.  Bridal beauty, however, remains as important as ever.

What changes can we expect to see at weddings in this post-covid world?

Well, weddings are certainly going to look different for a while. Weddings are going to be a lot smaller for the time-being – current restrictions on wedding ceremonies from 4^th July have a maximum of 30 people (both staff and guests) with social distancing rules in place. For now, receptions will also be very limited as no food or drink can be consumed and loud music should be avoided so that people will not need to raise their voices. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel and for couples desperately wanting to get married this lift in restrictions has come as much-welcomed relief.

Of course, in time there will eventually be more easing of restrictions, but we still need to make sure we are being safe and that will mean extra precautions being taken on your wedding day.

So, what does this mean for bridal beauty?

Makeup Consulting

Although though we are very much hoping restrictions will be eased in the next few weeks, current guidelines mean that even though hair styling services can go ahead from 4^th July, makeup services have not yet been given the green light.

This may mean your makeup artist suggesting “consulting” on your bridal makeup whilst they still aren’t able to actually apply makeup. I have been suggesting to my brides whose wedding dates may now be affected by the current makeup restrictions that I will give them step by step guidance on how to apply their makeup to achieve their desired look. I will provide them will all the bridal beauty brushes and products they need – de-potting product onto stainless steels palettes or into pots for them to use safely.

Health Questionnaires

Prior to your wedding day you can expect your hair and makeup artist to get in touch with questions about the health of you and your bridal party members. If anyone has experienced corona virus symptoms, or been in contact with anyone who has, then you should let your artist know immediately.

Personal Protective Equipment

Because both hair styling and makeup application are such close contact services and social distancing measures will not be possible, appropriate PPE is very important. Of course if you are getting your hair and makeup done it will not be possible for you to wear PPE and so you can expect your artist to be kitted out in various forms of PPE to make sure both themselves and their clients are kept safe and protected. You can expect masks, visors, gloves and aprons to be worn by your artist on your wedding day.

Safety & Hygiene

Hygiene has always been of high importance in the bridal beauty industry, but we know it is more important than ever to ensure the safety of our clients (and ourselves) by practicing the highest standards of hygiene.

Here are some of the hygiene precautions you should be expecting from your artist:

• Hand sanitiser should be available for both the use of artist and clients
• Gloves should be changed regularly, or the artist should be making sure to regularly wash/sanitise their hands so to not cross-contaminate anything
• Appropriate PPE to be worn by the artist, and client where possible
• All surfaces worked on should be disinfected both before and after use
• Disposables to be used where possible
• No double dipping – cream products should be scooped out using a spatula and put on a palette for the artist to work from
• Powder products should be sanitised after use using an antibacterial spray
• Any tools used by the artist should be disinfected/sanitised after use – you may see artists carrying large bottles of Barbicide or Saloncide to ensure this
• Makeup brushes should be used on one client only. Properly sanitising makeup brushes after use is time consuming and so you can expect to see artists having individual brush sets for each client they are working on

Additional Time

Due to all the extra safety precautions artists are having to take, you should expect hair styling and makeup application to take a little more time than usual. Your artist may alter schedules to add in extra time for disinfecting their workspace and tools etc in-between clients. This may mean earlier start times for everybody but please keep in mind that this is all to ensure everyone is kept safe and so please don’t see this as an inconvenience – we have your best interests in mind!

What will your bridal beauty artist be expecting from you?

Your artist is likely to ask you to ensure some extra precautions are being met from your end. Making sure these things are taken care of in advance of the wedding day will avoid extra time delays and a stress-free morning.

Workspace

You will need to provide your artist with a decent size workspace, free from any clutter, so they will be able to set up their kit properly and have enough space to ensure they can work safely and efficiently.

Ventilation

You will need to make sure the room the artist is working in is kept well ventilated. Preferably the artist will need to set up by a window, which not only helps with light but also to ensure ventilation to keep both the artist and clients safe. This may mean the room being a bit cool at times so please bear this in mind.

Hand Washing Facilities

You will need to ensure there are hand washing facilities available for both the artist and members of the bridal party to use regularly.

Social Distancing

To minimise the risk of transmission, you can expect your bridal beauty artist to ask that only the artist and the person they are working on at the time is allowed in the “getting ready” space, or even in the room. Please keep your artist in mind on the wedding morning and respect the 2-meter distancing rule wherever possible.

Work Together

We know that some of these extra precautions may mean that your wedding morning will not look exactly like how you had always planned, but hair stylists and makeup artists are working hard to ensure everyone is kept safe and that is the most important thing to consider. If you are concerned or have any questions about your bridal hair and makeup, get in touch with your artist – they will be more than happy to help! Work together with them to ensure your wedding preparations are as enjoyable and stress-free as possible – and most importantly – safe!