Wedding planning has a million moving parts, and the hair and makeup timeline is one of the easiest things to get wrong. Booking too late means missing your stylist of choice. Booking your final color too close to the wedding means it has not settled. Starting the wedding morning at the wrong hour means you are still in foils when the photographer arrives.
Here is the timeline we use at Sølvi Salon in downtown Boise. It is built around real Treasure Valley weddings and the way our calendar fills throughout the year.
12 Months Out: Initial Inquiry
If your wedding is on a Saturday in May, June, September, or October, you are competing for the same dates as half the Treasure Valley. Reach out a year out. We confirm date availability, walk you through the bridal program, and put a hold on your date with a deposit.
This is also the month to decide who is in your bridal party for hair and makeup purposes. Knowing the count locks in your stylist team size.
9 to 10 Months Out: Booking the Trial
Trial slots get booked 4 to 6 months out, which means you should pick your trial date 9 to 10 months out so it is on the calendar. Trials run 90 minutes for hair, plus an extra 60 to 90 minutes if makeup is included.
6 Months Out: Color Direction Decision
If your color needs significant change, this is the month to start. A corrective session, a complete tone shift, going significantly lighter or darker, all of it needs runway. Six months gives us room to take it slow and protect the hair integrity.
4 Months Out: Trial Date
The trial happens roughly 4 months before the wedding. Bring inspiration photos, your veil, and a top in a color close to your dress. The trial documents the look so the wedding morning is repeatable.
If extensions are part of the look, we order them at the trial.
2 Months Out: Final Trim, Possible Extension Install
Get a maintenance trim. Not a length change. Just clean ends. If you booked hand-tied or k-tip extensions, this is the install month so the hair has 4 to 6 weeks to settle.
4 to 6 Weeks Out: Final Color
Your wedding day color happens here. Three weeks is the absolute closest we will go because color settles. Six weeks is the absolute farthest because root grow out shows up faster than people think.
1 Week Out: Stop Trying New Things
No new shampoo. No new face products. No experimental nail polish colors. The week before the wedding is for sticking to what works. Get sleep. Drink water. Stay calm.
Wedding Morning: The Schedule
Here is how we build the morning of timeline backward from the first photo.
First photo time: typically 12:30 to 1:30 PM.
30 minutes before first photo: bride is fully dressed. That means hair and makeup are completely finished, accessories are in, dress is on, veil is placed.
2 hours before first photo: bridal hair starts. 90 minutes for the styling, 30 minutes for makeup if both are happening, plus a 30 minute buffer.
3 to 4 hours before first photo: bridal party hair starts. We work through the party while the bride is in last minute prep. Each party member gets 45 to 60 minutes for hair, 30 to 45 for makeup.
So if the first photo is 1 PM, the morning starts around 8 or 9 AM. For larger parties or for brides with very long or thick hair, we sometimes start as early as 6 or 7 AM. We confirm this exactly at the trial.
Travel Time Adjustments
If we are traveling to your venue, add the drive time on both ends. Travel within 30 miles of downtown Boise is offered for sites in Middleton, Garden City, and across the Treasure Valley. The morning of timing accounts for setup and breakdown so we leave you on time.
Common Timeline Mistakes
Brides booking final color the week before the wedding. Don't. Color needs time to settle.
Brides booking the trial the week before the wedding. Don't. The trial is for design and revisions, not for last minute reassurance.
Brides starting the wedding morning too late because the schedule looked tight on paper. Don't. Build in buffer time. Wedding mornings always run a little long.
Booking Your Wedding Hair
If you are getting married anywhere in the Boise area, our Bridal Hair and Makeup hub walks through every service, the full process, and the pricing.
For maintenance leading up to the wedding, our brides love Davines Oi Oil for shine and softness. Contact Sølvi when you are ready to book, or call (208) 608-4734.
We are at 104 S Capitol Blvd, Suite 200 in downtown Boise. Book online.