Every barber gives a wedding haircut. Sometimes, you don’t even know it until the client consultation. They sit down, tell you what they want and then casually drop that they’re getting married in a few days. You wish you knew ahead of time so you could’ve scheduled more time.

If you’re reading this, it’s because you’re a barber and are looking to offer special wedding services. Before I share a few practical tips for how to get started, here’s the backstory for how I created a business around wedding haircuts.

Coming up with the Idea

The idea for Big Day Barbers came when clients asked if I could cut their hair for the big day. In some cases I was a groomsman, so I was gonna be at all the wedding festivities anyways. In other cases, I was a guest and they asked me to come early to cut their hair on either Friday or Saturday morning.

I’d bring my tools and set up shop in the kitchen of the Air BNB or by the window of the hotel room. I’d cut the groom, most of the groomsmen and sometimes family members. Eventually, I realized that Saturday morning was a great time to do it. While the ladies' hair and makeup started at 7am, the fellas oftentimes had no idea how they were going to fill the morning. And so that’s when I would cut hair. Some guys were playing video games, eating breakfast or hanging on the porch while I cleaned up anyone needing a refresh.

The services varied by person. Some needed a neck trim, others a full haircut, others a beard trim and others just needed help styling their hair. Weddings aren’t the day to try anything crazy, they just need to look cleaned up for the photos. No one wants to have that one groomsman walking down the aisle looking all haggard and not groomed for photos that last forever.

And so I started offering on-site barber services for the Big Day. I called it Big Day Barbers. I’m really glad you’re reading this because every barber should offer this service. I’ll give you a few reasons why and then we’ll end with some practical tips for how you can book your first wedding.

Reason 1: It’s a great time!

Spending a few hours in the morning before a wedding is a great time. You get to hang with the groom and his closest friends on one of the biggest days of this person’s life. It’s an honor to serve a client on such an important day. Not to mention, beautiful wedding venues are a nice change of scenery from the shop.

Reason 2: You’ll get paid

This is a luxury service. You’ll charge significantly more than you do in the shop. In most cases, you’ll make just as much money, if not more money, than you would working a full Saturday. Each barber will need to come up with their own pricing structure for the services, but regardless, you’ll get paid good money.

Reason 3: On-site barbering experience

Weddings are similar to cutting a high-profile client or cutting for a brand photo shoot. Your wedding day clients will be in front of a camera. And these photos are not cheap. They need to look their best. You’re playing a crucial role in making this happen. If you’re someone who aspires to cut celebrities or work with brands on commercials or photo shoots, weddings are an amazing place to refine your skills and get reps in. Learning what tools to pack, how to set up, where to set up, working on a time crunch, coordinating with other vendors, negotiating quotes. Offering this service is way more than just a haircut. You’re gaining valuable experience that could lead to more opportunities.

Reason 4: Get professional photos

When you work weddings, you’re likely receive professional photos of you cutting hair and of your clients. You’ll want to coordinate the timing of cutting the groom with the photographer to ensure they capture photos of the moment. These professional photos of you doing your thing are a huge asset. In most cases, the professional photographer will give you these photos for free! All you need to do is give them credit by tagging them whenever you post them. You could use these photos on social media and your website. As a BarberEVO columnist, I’ve used these photos for many of my articles.

Anthony Trevino from Big Day Barbers at the famous Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, California

There’s more reasons I could rattle off, but I think those 4 reasons should be enough to talk you into trying to book your first wedding. So let’s talk about how to do it.

*I’m currently working on the ‘wedding barber playbook’ that will help you book your first wedding. It will include a step by step guide with templates, checklists and scripts to help you book your first wedding. You’ll simply copy and paste from the playbook. If you want to be notified when this playbook is available, add your name to the waitlist. You’ll be the first to know when it’s live.

Alright, let’s dive into the 10 tips.

Step 1: Ask for the opportunity

Think about all your regular clients. Are any of them getting married soon? For me, that’s how it all started. One of my loyal clients was getting married. We naturally started talking about the best day for him to get his haircut and I offered to do it Saturday morning. I would travel to him and could cut any of the groomsmen. It all starts with finding an opportunity and then asking for the chance to do it. Once you have someone interested, it’s time for step 2.

Step 2: Create a quote

They’re going to ask you how much you charge. Keep in mind, your price can go up with every wedding you do. The first wedding you do will likely be the lowest you ever charge. Here are 2 simple pricing options:

Price by services + travel fee

I started by simply doubling my service prices. If your haircut price is $35 then charge $70. If your haircut + beard is $50, then charge $100. Add up all the services you’re going to give, and then add a travel fee. Use the standard mileage reimbursement rate of 70 cents per mile. For example: 50 miles x 70 cents = $35 travel fee. This is the minimum. I typically charge a flat rate of $50 for a travel fee.

If the client is only looking for 2 services, you can implement a minimum fee. You want it to be worthwhile. So, you could say there is a $300 minimum to do anything.

Flat rate + travel fee

If you don’t want to track the number of services, you can offer a flat rate. This is similar thinking as the minimum rate. You could offer $500 flat rate + a travel fee or $1,000 flat rate + a travel fee.

When thinking about price, consider how much money you make on a fully booked Saturday. You want to make at least that much.

Step 3: Negotiate

After you send a quote, there may be some negotiation. When negotiating, know your bottom line. The bottom line is the lowest number you’re willing to say yes to. How much money do you typically make on a Saturday? That should be your bottom line. Again, you want it to be worth your while.

*Keep in mind, those photos are worth way more than you think. How much would it cost to bring a professional photographer to do a photoshoot for you? Remember, you’re getting those photos for free.

Step 4: Collect a Deposit

Once you’ve agreed on the number, collect a deposit to officially reserve the day. I typically collect a $100 deposit and then will collect the remaining balance on the Wednesday before the wedding day. You could collect a 25% deposit of the total amount as another method.

Step 5: Send a Schedule

After the deposit has been collected, create a schedule of events. I typically use Google Docs. This outlines the timing of clients and services to ensure you have enough time to fit everyone in. If there are edits needed to the schedule, you can easily use the document as your collaborative space with the groom. The schedule will be a place to collect the photographer and/or videographer’s information as well.

Step 6: Coordinate with the Photographer/Videographer

Before the wedding, you’ll want to meet the photographer and videographer. Send them an email or DM on Instagram. Introduce yourself and arrange the schedule so that they’ll be able to shoot the groom getting their services.

Step 7: Tools Checklist

Think of all the services you’ll be giving. Make sure you have everything you need. Clippers, trimmers, blow dryer, product(s), combs etc. Other items you’ll need: hand mirror, hand vacuum, broom, chair. Personally, I invested in the Purcy Chair. If you’re not quite there, bring a foldable chair.

Step 8: Extras

To elevate the service, think of something special you can bring. For me, I bring a complimentary bottle of whiskey. Before the big day, I’ll ask the groom what whiskey they prefer (Bourbon, Rye, Irish etc.) I’ve also given a Wolf Project face mask to the groom as well. It’s the little things that go a long way.

Step 9: Create Content

I like to create a reel for each wedding. Since there will be professional photos taken, I’ll focus on video instead. Simple footage of driving into the venue, setting up your station, before and after 1 or 2 clients and then ending with cleaning up your station.

When you post the reel, tag the photographer, wedding coordinator, venue coordinator and any other vendors. These vendors can become referrals for future weddings. The wedding industry is a tight knight community, you never know what one referral might lead to. The market for wedding barbers isn’t over saturated, you’ll likely be able to get high up on a referral list pretty quickly.

Step 10: Post Wedding Follow Up

Within 24 hours, follow up with all the wedding vendors including: photographer, videographer, wedding venue and wedding coordinator. A follow up can look like following on social media platforms and then sending a DM saying something like ‘It was great meeting and working with you yesterday!’ You want to begin nurturing those relationships that could end up leading to future referrals.

There you have it. 10 steps to book your first wedding as a barber. Reminder, if you’re interested in getting the wedding barber playbook, add yourself to the waitlist. You’ll be the first to know when it goes live.

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