To nab your preferred makeup artist and hair stylist, schedule at least five months out. Just keep in mind that if your wedding is on a Saturday during peak wedding season (late spring through early fall), you should probably plan even farther ahead. You’ll also want to set up consultations/trials – your style preferences may change as you get closer to the big day, so shoot for four to six weeks out.

If you’ve opted for trials, Gina Ludwig, owner of Hair Comes the Bride, which sells bridal accessories, and beauty services, recommends bringing images from magazines to illustrate design ideas you like (or don’t like). It also can be helpful to bring pictures of your dress.

For the makeup trial, wear a white T-shirt to simulate what your face will look like with your gown, or asking the artist to wrap a white towel around your neck. Arrive with a clean, well-hydrated and exfoliated face to ensure that the makeup sits more evenly on the skin. For the hair trial, Ludwig also likes brides to show up with clean, dry hair. “It’s easy for the stylist to ‘dirty up’ hair with product, but if hair is too dirty or oily, it’s very hard to style,” Ludwig says.

The best look for you depends on your coloring, facial features, haircut and personality, but right now we love shimmery peach/bronze shadows (especially on blue eyes or for summer soirées), paired with bronzed skin, peachy cheeks and glossy lips, and also retro looks.

For hair, Ludwig is a fan of the classic styles of the ’20s, ’40s and even ’50s, as well as softer, easy, deconstructed styles, which she feels are more flattering on most brides. “I think it’s important for guests to notice how gorgeous a bride looks, not how gorgeous her hair and makeup looks.”