Last weekend I had the honour of heading to Tapnell Farm on the Isle Of Wight for the lovely Hannah and her bridesmaids to have their nails done the night before Hannah’s wedding day. As this had been pre-booked for quite some time the anticipation had began to build but I was fully prepared and
excited to help everyone feel pampered for the big day!
The challenge was eight sets of nails from 5pm - My largest party so far. I wanted to ensure that I was as prepared as possible so that I could complete the treatments in a reasonable time and make sure the bride had time for some beauty sleep ready for the wedding day. A few of the ladies had regular polish with the majority opting for gel. I started with the bride first which I think is a great way to go, this ensures you can take your time and means that once finishes they are able to socialise, get excited about the upcoming day and have time to wind down (Or try at least!). I would then suggest (If some of your clients are having regular polish) to get a couple of those clients started on next as they will need drying time between layers. Between the layers drying there are openings to begin your next gel client and so on. One of the ladies had Shellac currently on her nails so I used one of the spaces between regular polish to soak off the polish. Each client had a Rituals scrub treatment leaving the hands exfoliated and soft to finish.
The natural light had long gone but I managed so snap a few quick pictures and took another on the wedding day itself.
Tips:
A few things I found helpful….
• Discuss the brides vision prior the big day so you know what they expect and the style of nails they would like. E.g. Nail art, plain, nude etc. This is also a good time to discuss timings and prices.
• Write up as simply as possible everything discussed and pop it in a email to the bride. This gives you both something to refer back to and makes making any necessary changes or adjustments easier.
• Make a plan of how you would like the appointment to go and jot it down so you can refer to this if needed.
Example:
1). Bride: Gel - Small Flowers
2).Mother Of Bride: Gel - Pink
• Write a list of the equipment/ products you need that you already have and then a list of what you may need to purchase.
• Pack your kit a few days before If possible as if there is a couple of bits still missing you have a few days buffer to add these items.
• Probably an obvious one but double check your kit to make sure you have everything you need and to give yourself piece of mind.
Extras:
Things may be a helpful extra to consider prior to the appointment….
• What the venue is like - Whether you are heading to the brides home or the wedding venue itself it is worth checking if you will have access to a table/ what space you will have to work with.
• Setting out a few reasonable requests of your own. (Example: If you are happy for clients to come with polish on or if you want it taken off before the day).
• What colours/ possible art the client would like so you can refine down your kit and only take what is needed.
Finally relax, have fun and remember, you can do this and you will feel so accomplished when you do!
Here is a beautiful photo Hannah sent over this morning of her nails on her honeymoon with her husband Rob.
I mean… This has to be the best client pic so far!
A massive thank you to Hannah for booking me for her nails, I loved every second of the evening and want to wish you both a future of happiness, love and adventure!
For Fellow Nail Techs ….
I have created a bridal kit check list for any fellow techs that are about to go into the wedding nail industry or thinking of going mobile. I have left a small section for you to add a few of your own essentials as your preferences may differ to mine. This however, is what I found useful and hope it can be of some help!
How to use:
These lists can either be printed as many times as you wish or saved and filled in digitally via your phone or tablet.
I find it works well to save to camera roll (You can then make a album to keep all you nail stuff in one place), click edit & use the ‘draw’ tool in the top right corner.
So far I have used on my iPhone however I am sure this would also work for android / on other apps.
I have also filmed a quick ‘What’s in my bridal kit’ on my Instagram stories, this is saved in my highlights.
If you would like to check It out head to:
@gelnailsbybecca on Instagram.
I hope you enjoyed this read, let me know if you have found any of this helpful or comment below if you have done wedding nails and what your little tips & tricks are!
Bye for now! x
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