OMG she was such a bridezilla....
"She was such a bridezilla! Ugh. First she said she had 5 bridesmaids, then she added 3 more on the wedding day but didn't add any more time! Then she was super stressed out and didn't like her hair-even though it was exactly what we did at her trial run! Her bridesmaids forgot to pay and it was super awkward at the end trying to flag down someone for money. Did I mention I had to start hair at 5am!?? I got there and no one was even ready yet. So I just waited. After getting there early!!!"
Any of this sound familiar? Do you ever get in FB groups and hear rants like this-or talk to others in the industry and these are the stories you hear? Or how about people ask you "tell me about the bridezillas!! Who's the craziest bride you've ever worked with???"
The story above is a bit extreme-but not too far off from things I've heard before. And you know what? It kinda irks me! Why? Because I don't think that the bride is necessarily the crazy one....perhaps we didn't manage expectations well as the pro.
I believe a huge part of our job as bridal stylists is to prepare the bride for the beauty portion of her wedding day. This will benefit both you and the bride because (A) she'll be easier to work with and (B) she'll love you, refer you, and review you!
So how do we manage expectations?? Here are a few of my top tips that have worked well for me in my business:
Create a detailed timeline. Get the full list of who is getting services and their names. Put them in a time slot with the service. Work with the photographer and the bride to nail this down, and have it done at least 2 weeks before the wedding day.
Talk to the photographer. Even if you don't directly talk to the photographer, make sure the bride has discussed with the photographer when she is doing a first look and needs to be totally dressed and out the door by. It's smart to ask the bride if she wants everyone to be dressed and ready to go when she is, or if she want pictures of the whole getting ready process, or if she want pictures of everyone in their robes, etc etc etc. Knowing all of these details will ensure YOU know when to have everyone finished by.
Include the planner. When you've created the timeline, forward it to the wedding planner so they can help keep everyone on track. This keeps you from being the keeper of the time and puts the responsibility on the bride and her wedding planner to make sure the wedding party keeps to the schedule.
Communicate frequently and with detail. The more you communicate with your bride, the more confident and at peace she will feel. Check in with her to confirm details, reconfirm details weeks before the wedding, and help her to know you've got her beauty under control!
Be the expert. For most brides, this is their first rodeo. They don't know how the day should look, what time to start getting ready, how long updos take, etc. Help educate your bride on what needs to be done to make the day go smoothly.
Yes, there are always going to be brides who are crazy stressed out and anxious-no matter what you do. That being said-you can be a source of calm in the morning for your bride and bring her the peace and organization she needs!
