Yay! Isn't it great getting penciled in, confirmed, people hired/deposits down. Starting to feel real now?
I'm using Randy Chapman & Stan Severance at STVS video. And Tim Herring as our officiant. What I did was email them around my pencil in date just to see if they were open.
All of them said yes, so far. And since yesterday was my confirmation date, I followed up with them again to make sure they were still open, they were and I've now sent in my deposits for Randy & Stan.
I haven't for Rev Herring yet, because I would like to meet him in October if I can, just to make sure there's a "connection". Or at least talk on the phone. I've met Randy & Stan before at my girlfriends Disney wedding.
But she used sadly, Rev Jack Day (this still makes me sad). Otherwise I would have used him because I loved his personality.
With your hair stuff, my girlfriend paid for all of ours as a gift. But you're already paying for their accommodations, that to me is a great gift already. If I were in your party, I'd pay for my own hair & makeup since you were covering my room stay. That's super generous. but everyone is different. I don't think it would hurt to contact the artist, give them a tentative head count, ask if they can modify it later if things change. And find out if they require a certain deposit too.
I'm sure they would be willing to work with you.
And we've firmed up our photo shoot days, times, and locations with both sets of photographers. 
We also got penciled in with one of our two prospective photographers (still have to email the second to get penciled in with them). As of right now, no one else wants our date & locations, and I'm really hoping it stays that way (though we have a long way to go still and anything can happen).
