A Guide for Every South Asian Bride for a Stress-Free Wedding Morning

Photographer: Manish & Sung - Bride Khamini

It’s the morning of your Wedding Day and all you have to worry about is waking up on time and showering. The rest of your morning is all about sitting back, relaxing, laughing, and setting the vibe with your favorite playlist. As a Bride, is there anything more important on the morning of your wedding day than sitting back and feeling present in the moment? Trusting that you’ve already done all the hard work to plan your wedding week and hired the right vendors to help deliver your vision is a big part of that. Working with wedding vendors who bring the energy you want on your Wedding Day is key, especially if you’re a South Asian Bride. The first couple hours I spend with my Bridal Clients in the morning are so important in setting the tone for the day. It's usually the only quiet time a Bride has before everything starts to feel real and it's one of my favorite parts of the day. This is why I have one final call with each of my Brides a few weeks before their Wedding Week to share a Bridal Prep Guide to help keep their Wedding Week Stress-Free. Let’s talk about how we can make this happen.

Photographer: Patel Creative - Bride Sonam

A question I get asked often is: "How long will it take to get ready on my Wedding Day?"

I personally recommend blocking off between 2.5 to 3 hours for each Wedding Look. For the Ceremony I recommend 2.5 hours for just makeup and hair prior to your photographer’s arrival for Getting Ready Photos. Getting dressed, putting on your jewelry, and putting on your Bridal dupatta will all usually take place during your Getting Ready Photos. For the Reception, I recommend 15 minutes to undo your morning look and 2.5 hours for Makeup, Hair, and getting dressed. This answer is usually surprising to some clients but yes it does take that long and it’s really worth building this into your timeline so you don’t feel rushed. This is one of the most important conversations you should have with your Bridal Makeup and Hair Artist prior to finalizing your timeline. Every artist works differently and these recommendations are based on how I work with my clients so keep that in mind when having a conversation with your Bridal Artist. If you have any pre-wedding Events for your Indian Wedding such as a Mehndi Event, Sangeet, or Haldi Ceremony, plan out your start and finish times for those services as well.

Photographer: Asaad Images - Bride Rachel

Here are 5 tips I give my Bridal Clients to help keep things running on time.

1. Know how long your artist needs to complete your makeup and hair look for each event.

2. Build this time block into your timeline prior to when your Photographer/Videographer will be coming in. Trust me your Photographer and Videographer will be so happy that they'll also have enough time to do their job and not feel rushed.

3. Keep a clean space available for your artist to set up prior to their arrival so that finding or creating space doesn't cut into your time. For me, an area with a desk or table, a chair for you, near available outlets for tools, and close to a source of natural sunlight is the ideal set up.

4. Pack your outfit, jewelry, hair extensions, and accessories so that it's all in one place and easy to find in Your room or suite. An easy way to do this is to do a mental walkthrough of your overall look from head to toe and from the inside out and make a list. Things that are easy to forget: hair accessories, flowers for your hair, hair extensions, bindis (choose one ahead of time), saree petticoat/Silhouette, heirloom or personal pieces you’re incorporating, a robe or pajamas to get ready in (Pajama Sutra and Sani have really cute and cozy options), extra earring backs… to name a few. Check that list, check it three times. Make sure your jewelry fits and there are no broken clasps or loops. Try on your outfits one last time. Label everything.

5. Limit the amount of family/friends who come in and out of your room especially in the morning so that there are fewer distractions and interruptions. This is a bonus because it also gives you some time to yourself before the pace of the day picks up.

Photographer: Adam Okimatsu - Bride Priya T.

I hope this blog post helps you feel prepared for your Wedding Week! Being prepared and doing all the work beforehand will set you up for a stress-free morning on your Big Day. Remember to communicate with your wedding vendors so they can deliver their best work for you. Let me know which tip surprised you the most in the comments section.

I share helpful tips for Brides on my Instagram page @makeupbymansi so follow me over there for all the juicy Bridal Tips! If you think we would be a great fit for your Indian Bridal Looks, fill out my Inquiry Form and let’s work on bringing your Bridal Vision to life!

With Love,

Mansi