The ultimate wedding day beauty timeline, from wake-up to aisle

Whether you’re a type A person (organised to the exact second) or a type B person (let it fly, caution to the wind!), you’ll want to be on time on your wedding day to save from any last-minute panicking. But if you’re unsure where to start regarding the timeline of the day and your beauty, we’ve got you!

You want to make sure you’ve got your makeup set to last, and your hair done at just the right time to make sure you’re not rushing out the door. 

Perfect wedding day beauty timeline

First things first, you need to be prepared to… you know… be prepared. What we mean is you’ll need to have a few things done in the lead-up to the wedding day to make the wedding day run smoother. 

Three to six months before

Book your hair and makeup artists

These suppliers book out far in advance, and you want to find the one who really gets your vision.

Start your skin prep

Don’t experiment with new skincare just a few weeks shy of the wedding. You want your skin to be well-adjusted and well-looked after, which means leaning on familiar products you know your skin loves.

One to two months before

Hair and makeup trial

You can’t be organising this on the day of, but you want to make sure that you and your hair and makeup artist are on the same page. Get the trial done and make any tweaks in the meantime. This means you can message your makeup artist in the lead-up and let them know that you want darker eyeliner or a different lip liner. They’ll be more prepared this way, and you’ll have no surprises on the day.

The week of the wedding

Eyebrow threading/waxing/tinting

It’s time to get those brows done!

Manicure and pedicure

You’ll need something special for your wedding day. Your nails will be one of the final cherries on top of your complete look, so don’t forget to make that booking at your local salon.

Need some nail ideas? We’ve got the best themes for 2025.

Wedding day

6-8 hours before the ceremony: wake-up and breakfast

Eat a nutritious and filling breakfast, and drink lots of water! Your wedding day will go by in such a blur you’ll probably not have many chances to sit down and eat, so use this as your opportunity. A morning stretch, a coffee, and a balanced/filling breakfast.

5-6 hours before: hair and makeup begins

Whether you’ve got a cast of thousands or a small, intimate wedding party, you’ll still need a few hours to prepare. Traditionally, the bride goes second-to-last for makeup, with bridesmaids, mums and others taking the hot seat first.

4-3 hours before: final touches and photos

Your hair and makeup should be almost done by now. It’s time for some final touches and to relax (which is hard to do on your wedding day). Now’s also a great time to start with some of the bridal party photos. You know the ones – the candid ones of you and your girlfriends having a nervous boogie and a glass of champagne. Your final moments of freedom!

1.5-2 hours before: get dressed

The bride will be the last to get dressed, but with about 90 minutes before the ceremony, it’s time to (carefully) get dressed and avoid makeup smudging – this can be an art itself!

1 hour before: final touch-ups

A little lipstick, a sprits of perfume and maybe some gum to get fresh breath. This is the last little bits and pieces of the ‘getting ready’ process, as it’s nearly aisle time! Ahh!

30 minutes before: first look

Looking forward to showing your father or someone else special the first look of you as a bride? Now is the time. Just make sure someone has some tissues on the ready, the tears could start.

5-10 minutes before ceremony

Check your veil, check your lipstick, do a teeth check. And that’s it, you’re out the door, down the aisle, and the festivities are really about to kick off!