How to choose your perfect hair and make-up artist - with Somerset's Tracy Pallari

You've booked your venue, chosen your dress but where do you start in your search for your perfect wedding day hair and make-up in a massively oversaturated market? Hair & make-up artist Tracy Pallari has worked on over 1,000 weddings, here are her top tips to help guide you through the maze and find your perfect match:

- Make sure you book an artist with professional qualifications, relevant insurance and, while we're talking paperwork, contracts. Terms and conditions and a contract ensure you totally understand how your supplier operates and gives you peace of mind that you're covered for every eventuality.

- Real bride reviews are invaluable, and a great artist will have testimonials and recommendations from their own real brides. Do search them out and read them all as they'll help you decide if the qualities they loved about their hair and make-up artist is what you're looking for from yours.

- Book early - The best hair and make-up artists get booked up much further in advance than you might think - 12 to 18 months is quite normal! Choose a shortlist of three and if the one you love best is available, secure your date with them as soon as you can before someone else snaps them up!

- Choosing someone with experience is not just about trusting them to perfect your look, you'll also want to book someone who is used to dealing with the stress and issues that can sometimes arise on a wedding morning. An experienced artist will have seen it all before and know how to handle any situation in a calm, professional manner… from managing time schedules and complex bridal party personalities to fixing wilting flowers and last-minute dress disasters!

- If your chosen stylist isn't available, do ask them for recommendations. They'll more than likely have colleagues of a similar style and standard who they regularly recommend that'll save you time searching. We all have our tribe! Photographers are also a great point of contact for referrals; they will know which artists can supply long-lasting picture-perfect makeup and hair that stays put until the last dance!

- Do your research and look carefully at website portfolios, Pinterest galleries and choose artists with a wide selection of pictures showing different looks on real brides. Look for experience in dealing with all hair types and styles as these will be the people who know the tricks and techniques to create your dream wedding hair. Instagram images of makeup can be extremely misleading due to the overuse of filters and editing tool - this is going to be of no use to you at all on your wedding morning! Professional models in styled shoots are great for showing off real make-up talent and creativity but before-and-after photos of real brides are just as helpful.

- Wedding planning involves a frenzy of emails and messages, but you really need to develop a rapport with your artist. They are going to be spending the most important morning of your life with you so pick up the phone, arrange a consultation coffee straight away, and get your favourites booked as soon as possible!

For more information, visit www.tracypallari.com

Image courtesy of www.instagram.com/biancagossphotography
Make-up courtesy of www.sashalouisepallari.com
Hair couresty of www.tracypallari.com