Bridal Stylists: 5 Tips For Working During A Pandemic

A Look At Bridal Styling During A Pandemic

COVID-19 may have thrown a wrench in a lot of brides’ plans, but that doesn’t mean bridal stylists are any less busy. We talked to five bridal stylists across the country to see what business is like for them in the midst of a pandemic, plus got tips for virtual consultations, pricing and even teaching brides how to style their own hair. Keep reading to see what they shared!

1. Add Flexibility To Your Schedule

With a pandemic comes unpredictability, which can result in last-minute bookings and changes to weddings already booked. The best way to prepare? Give your schedule some flexibility. “A lot of brides are having to change their plans, whether it’s the date or location or something else,” explains Utah-based bridal stylist Stephanie Brinkerhoff (@hairandmakeupbysteph). “I’ve had to be more flexible with my scheduling to leave room for changes…I’ve also tried to leave some openings for myself for last-minute brides.”

If you find yourself with newfound availability after all the changes and cancellations, Florida-based Shayla Robertson (@samirasjewelry) recommends announcing your openings on social media for clients to see. Doing so will give you the chance to replace those openings with appointments. 

2. Create A Scheduling Link To Make Things Easier

Between the brides who are changing their wedding dates and locations to the new brides planning ahead, it’s easy for things to get a little crazy. So to keep her schedule more streamlined, Florida-based Bianca M. (@aubridalhairdesigns) created a scheduling link and added it to her Instagram bio so new brides can easily book complimentary 15-minute phone consultations at their convenience.

3. Make The Switch To Virtual Consultations

Your health and safety is just as important as that of your brides, which is why it might be worth considering virtual consultations. Dominique Nicole (@dommiecole), who is based in the District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia area (DMV), started doing online consultations and says they’re turning out way better than anticipated.

“At first I thought it would not get the same outcome or a good feel of their hair if I couldn’t touch and see it in person,” she shares. “Of course nothing is like the real thing but this option most definitely works. It’s more convenient and the safest in these times.”

4. How To Still Service Brides Who Choose To Do Their Hair Themselves

In an effort to scale back financially, some brides may choose to do their own hair. But that doesn’t mean you have to lose out completely money-wise. Virtually teach clients how to style their themselves for a small price, like Chicago-based bridal stylist Annette Waligora (@annette_updo_artist). She charges $100 for a 45-minute Zoom appointment and has taught her brides things like how to do a simple low bun, clip in extensions and curl their hair section by section. 

5. Your Pricing Options

The pandemic has many considering if it’s time for a price raise, but the reality is a lot of bridal stylists have kept their pricing the same throughout 2020 (with minor changes to packages and deposits). Both Dominique and Mexico-based Cintia Jasso (@cintiapjasso) are offering smaller service packages to better accommodate a scaled back budget while Stephanie is temporarily hitting pause on non-refundable deposits so she can be more flexible for her brides. 

However, with 2021 fast approaching, there’s no better time to debut a price increase than at the beginning of a new year (which is what Annette has planned).

6 Pieces Of Advice & Insights

1. “One major change that blindsided my business was the amount of consultations that poured in,” shares Bianca. “With just as many people canceling, there were more that were hopeful that things would be different for 2021/2022 and wanted to plan ahead.”

2. “Some brides have requested a COVID-19 test prior, and some venues also have been doing temperature checks,” notes Dominique.

3. “We request to be the only person with the bride at the getting-ready time. If a makeup artist is also working at the same time, there is no problem,” explains Cintia. “But we try to ask for the bride’s friends and family to wait for us to finish our work and try to keep social distancing as much as possible.”

4. “I doubled my style time per client,” shares Annette. “Allowing extra time is key during this time.”

5. “The only difference is that there are less people to work with now,” says Shayla. “Bridal parties are a lot smaller as some relatives and friends are not traveling out of their state.”

6. Lastly, be sure to pack extra masks, sanitizer and sanitizing products like disinfecting wipes in your toolkit. 

How COVID-19 Is Affecting The Bridal Styling Business