Love is in the air this time of year! When couples seal the deal they want their special day to be perfect, weddings are a great way to offer hair services. There are many wedding opportunities for stylists and barbers to make good money and have fun doing it. But there are some things you should consider before taking on weddings. Here are some points to chew on…

Figure out what you will Charge.

Price by time, not by service or by the head:

PROS: You get paid for the exact time that you work.

CONS: Your clients might not like such an open-ended cost.

Price by day (half day, full day):

PROS: Easy to price out. Straight forward.

CONS: You will need to outline in the contract what happens if you go over the contracted time frame for whatever reason.

Price by package:

PROS: Packages can be good in that you can include products and extra services they might not have thought about. They allow you to be more creative. Different price points allow your client to pick within their budget.

CONS: People might not like everything that is included in the package and will want to pick and choose what comes in the package. Will likely need different tier packages.

Bounce Backs for Future Business.

For those you service who live close to your salon/shop, make sure they have your business card. Make it easy for them to patronize you in the future if they like your work. But even if you service someone not local, perhaps they can refer someone who is. Be sure to give everyone a business card because you never know who your next client will be.

Include Travel Time.

Whichever way you decide to price, be sure the price includes travel time. Time is valuable and if you have to travel several hours to and from, this is a lot of time and gas (if you’re driving). Include other travel expenses that make sense.

Payment

It’s important to ask for a percentage of the fee upfront. You never know what will happen and it’s important to protect yourself where you can to at least cover your initial expenses before the big day.

Go Out to Provide Services.

It’s always best to travel where the wedding party is. The day is chaotic and often things come up that need to be addressed. Being where the action is to make you more available to meet their needs.

Have a Contract

This should be a no brainer. Have a clear contract outlining what you will provide and how much it will cost. This is crucial to ensuring you are on the same page. It is also important to include what should happen in unforeseen circumstances that might happen on the day of the wedding.

Have a Trial Run

Before the actual wedding day, do a trial run. Do the actual hair (and make-up if that’s included) to make sure it’s to the bride’s liking. If you’re doing the groom’s hair, you could also do a trial run if you’d like. Trial runs can be done in your salon or shop.

Showcase Your Bride and Groom Looks

A great way to tell the world that you do weddings is to showcase it on social media. Show your beautiful bridal updos and clean, crisp men’s looks. Be sure to include these photos on any other sites like Yelp or your own personal website. It’s best to have a separate category on your website dedicated to wedding services where you can post wedding-only photos of hair and makeup.

For the Men

Most of the time wedding hair is directed toward the bride and bridesmaids. However, the men need to look and feel good too. If you’re a barber, perhaps provide a package so that the groom and his groomsmen can all get nice hot towel shaves. It’s a unique and fun bonding experience for the men. If any of them have beards or moustaches you can offer a facial hair service. Perhaps line up their beard, give it a good cleaning and conditioning treatment and/or shape it up nicely.

Wedding hair services are big business. They can break-up the monotony of salon or shop life and you get to participate in someone’s special day. Make sure you are organized and clear with your offerings and pricing because it’s important to make the bride and groom feel at ease with using you for their wedding hair. Now get out there and promote your services. Good luck!