Written by Mimi Nikolova, a professional makeup artist and beauty educator based in Buffalo, NY.
Every bride asks me some version of the same question during her trial: “What time do we actually need to start?” It's a fair question, and your wedding morning is one of the few days where every minute is scheduled, and makeup is often the piece couples plan for last. Here's the timeline I use with Buffalo brides, whether you're getting ready in a downtown loft, a Southtowns farmhouse, or a lakeside venue in Niagara-on-the-Lake.
I arrive 4–4.5 hours before you leave for the ceremony for a solo bride. If I'm doing your bridal party too, we add roughly 45 minutes per additional face, which is why I always ask for the full headcount before your wedding week, not the week of.
I know it feels backwards, but I always finish the bride closest to when you need to be camera-ready. Skin looks freshest 30-45 minutes after application, not three hours after, so your bridal party goes first and you go last, timed so you're glowing right as the photographer walks in.
Buffalo weather is not polite to timelines. Between lake-effect humidity in the summer and a photographer who wants “just five more minutes” of first-look photos, I always build a 20-30 minute buffer into the schedule I give your planner. It's the difference between a calm morning and a stressful one.
I arrive, set up, and begin bridal party makeup.
Bridal party makeup is complete, and detail/photo shots begin.
The bride's makeup application begins.
The bride's makeup is complete: time for the first look and photos.
Buffer time, plus any last touch-ups before the ceremony.
If you're getting married this fall, I'd build your exact timeline together at your trial. That's part of what the trial is for.
You can read more about what to expect at your makeup trial, or reach out any time to check my availability for your date.
