Who's on First?

So it's services for you plus your Maid of Honour, your two bridesmaids, your mom and MAYBE your flower girl ...

Who goes first?
 
I am often asked this question when bridal parties are larger in numbers and especially when the call time to get ready is at the crack of dawn ... when everyone if fighting to sleep in, its hard for a bride to determine who sits in the makeup and hair chair first. Does she go first?  Does her mom?  What about her bridesmaids?

Determining start times and schedules is one of the joys (??) of being a bride and when it comes to your beauty services, a schedule is still a must!

As a general rule when I am working a wedding party, I always work with the bridal party first.  As an example, if there are 2 bridesmaids, 1 maid of honour, and the bride, I would start with one bridesmaid, then work on the maid of honour, then the bride, and then the last bridesmaid. Why?  Well, here is my personal theory.

The bride needs time to settle into the start of her BIG day.  I would never work with her first unless she requested.  And while she is settling in, she needs her MOH to help her along (serving her breakfast in bed maybe???), hence the reason, the MOH never goes first either.  That's why a bridesmaid goes first. 

The MOH is next, or at least the person who will go before the bride.  Once she is done, she gets dressed and ready.  Why? Because once the bride is done, the bride will need help getting into her dress and accessorizing herself for the big day and that's the MOH's job!  The MOH needs to be ready to go once the bride is done her beauty services.

The bride goes third, or after her MOH.  This is her time to relax.  She isn't the very last because she needs time to put on her gown and to take pictures prior to departure for the ceremony.  (Leaving her to last can't result in a rush rush situation). This is also a good time because by now a photographer has already arrived and can capture her in the process of getting ready.

Last but not least, the remaining bridesmaid gets her services done.  She will have spent most of the morning tending to all the little details assigned to her.  The bride will already have her MOH and the first bridesmaid available to her to handle all the last minute details by this point, so the remaining bridesmaid can afford to start her beauty services in the hour before departure time to the ceremony.  

It's always good to have a plan before the big day. You don't necessary have to follow my theory above, but you have to admit ... it's a pretty good theory! :)

-bp-