Tiara Mehndi

Booking Your Bridal Henna!

Now that you have established what henna style you are looking for, and found some henna artists that fit in with that style. It’s time to start making calls and getting ready to actually book your bridal henna. This post will take you through factors to consider with regards to the booking details, and some helpful questions to ask the henna artist.

What date should you book bridal henna for?

At Tiara Mehndi we use only natural mehndi which takes 48 hours to reach its darkest colour, so we recommend booking your henna 2/3 days before the wedding.  For example if you are getting married on a Saturday the henna can either be applied on the Wednesday or Thursday. Most other henna artists will normally recommend the same but it’s always useful to tell them the wedding date and ask them which day they feel is best for application.  If you are looking for the darkest colour possible then getting the henna applied 3 days before is optimal as it will be at its darkest colour on the wedding day. However you will have to ensure that you are looking after your stain properly (after care blog)for 2 days before the wedding which can be difficult. That’s why 2 days is sometimes recommended as the stain will be dark and would have been affected less by daily life.

What time should you book your bridal henna for?

After the day is set the next thing to think about is what time you should have your henna applied. There is no magic time of day that will ensure that your henna will come out super dark, but there a different benefits of having your henna applied in the morning or afternoon. It is mainly up to you and how well you think that you will be able to look after your design after it has been applied. Again it is helpful to ask the henna artist if they have a preference time for application, as I know some henna artists that feel they work better in the morning for example.

Morning Application – Normally during this time it is less busy which mean less disturbances to your henna application. Also you will be awake whilst the paste is on. However it can be harder to keep the paste on for as long as you would want to. As you use your hands more during the day than at night. Although if there is an evening function,  the henna would have been on for a decent amount of time before it starts flaking off. Which it will most likely do at a function.

Afternoon Application – I personally prefer an afternoon application as it means that any small jobs that may require the brides hands have been completed and everyone is alert and awake. If application starts in the afternoon then it will be finished in the evening which makes it easier to sleep with the henna on. This will help to keep the henna paste on for longer resulting in a deep dark stain. However if you have an evening function it is advised not to have henna application in the afternoon unless you know you will be able to look after the paste properly.

Evening Application – Unless you are having very minimal  bridal henna I would advise against evening application. This is because the application time can be quite long, resulting in the mehndi not being finished until late into the night. Both you and the henna artist will be tired and it could affect the quality of the work.

Helpful questions to ask your henna artist

This list isn’t everything to ask but can help get a conversation going between you and the artist. Here are some questions:

• The first question is to check their availability as there is not much point in going through everything if they are not free on the day!
• It is useful to ask if they make the paste themselves and if not where they get it from. Most henna artists will make the paste themselves or source it from a reputable supplier that will prepare the henna freshly. Try to establish if they use fresh henna or shop bought cones, as the shop bought cones can be dangerous as it is not always clear what is in them. Also whilst on the topic of paste let the henna artist know if you suffer from any skin sensitivities. A paste made with Lavender Oil and without lemon juice is normally good for sensitive skin.
• If you are looking for a particular style show them pictures of the style and ask if they are able to do it. Also ask for pictures of their work in that style so you can see if it is what you are looking for.
• Do they have a style preference and what do they consider to be their specialty. Most artists have certain elements that they are amazing at and if you are aware of this you could incorporate them into your final design.
• What charges are involved so that will be aware of the costs.
• Do they offer a consultation and what is the overall design process for your design. Do they design the bridal in advance or come up with it on the day? This will let you know if your styles are compatible and help you to know what to expect in the build up to the application.

Information to have ready for your henna artist

For the conversation to be as efficient as possible it is useful to have the following things already prepared so that the henna artist is fully able to understand what you are looking for. If you do not have all the information it’s fine as the henna artist will be able to guide you, especially around the design aspect.

•  When the wedding is and what date/s you are looking for.
• If guest henna is also required and roughly how many guests if you know.
• How detailed and how much coverage you would like for your bridal henna, would you like hands and feet done.
• What style of henna you are looking for, if there is anything special you would like incorporated. See Bridal Basics Part 2 for more information on this!
• What else is happening on the day of application as they may be able to advise you on things you may not have even considered.
• What your budget is, at Tiara Mehndi we work with your budget in mind and will not suggest anything over your budget unless specifically requested.

Thank you for reading! Please let me know if you have any questions!

Jaz x