First up... Time keeping. Although it is important for most of the wedding day, it can be a silent killer with bridal preparations. Make sure you have plenty of time to get everyone ready and allow a little bit of extra time in case something goes wrong or if hair / makeup takes a little longer than you planned. If you're getting ready at your wedding service location, you might have a little extra time if needed but if you're getting ready at home or at a different location and the wedding car is arriving for a certain time, you'll start to feel the pressure if you're running really late. Don't forget, your wedding car / transport might have another job on that day so can only be late to a certain extent! You don't want them leaving you behind and then having to get a taxi to your own wedding!
As a wedding photographer I know that good lighting is everything. But this should also apply to both hair and make up also. You'll get much better results when the lighting is as natural as possible. Emma, my wife, always does her make up in front of the window in our bed room as the soft natural light you get from a window gives good results, though I'm biased as she's my wife so she always looks amazing. I rock up to a lot of weddings to find hair and make up being done well away from natural light under the warm glow of the bulbs. This always gives you an orange / warm feel to your photos and depending on other light sources can lead to some pretty unflattering colours that can't always be corrected. The easiest way to avoid this is to ask your hair and make up artists to sit you close to natural light to get the best results.
The last little section of bridal preparations brings me to the room. 'If it's in the room, it's in the shot'... So make sure the room is clean! I know the morning can be a little manic, but unless you want socks all over the floor, unmade beds and stuff everywhere in your photos, I'd advise a quick 'all hands on deck' for 5 minutes to make sure the room looks as good as it can before photos take place. "Tidy Room, Tidy Mind"... It will be one less thing to worry about and you'll be able to find all the things you need on your wedding morning.
