Achieve Your Dream Bridal Look with These Essential Beauty Planning Tips
BRIDAL BEAUTY - Top tips form the professionals
We are lucky to work with many talented professionals, from photographers to make-up artists, florists, and videographers.
In this month’s Guest Blog, one of our fabulous extended team shares their secrets for success on your wedding day…invaluable advice for any couple!
Lucy Pearson tells us everything you need to know about wedding hair and make-up in her bridal beauty blog this month.
1. What should you consider when choosing a stylist for your hair and makeup?
Look at different hair and makeup artists’ work, on their website, Instagram or linked to other suppliers you are already working with. Are they showing the styles you love and that would be perfect for your wedding day? If they are, then it’s a good fit!
With micro weddings and elopements, it can help to use a stylist for both hair and makeup. If you have a larger wedding party and are getting married earlier in the day, you will probably need at least two or more stylists to look after your wedding party.
2. What will a professional need to know when I make an enquiry about a booking?
Try giving as much information as possible, starting with how many people need hair and makeup, what styles etc, and the ceremony time and location. This way, you will know immediately if one or more stylists can accommodate your needs.
If you are looking for specific products, now is the time to ask this question. This could be related to any allergies you have or your preferences for cruelty-free or vegan products. Providing as much detail as you can helps to get an exact quote and idea of what is possible from your first enquiry.
3. Is it essential to have a trial before the wedding day?
Before the pandemic, most of my clients requested a trial. Post-covid, we are more comfortable communicating via video calls, sharing storyboards and styling via Pinterest, and many clients are happy to plan what they would like remotely. Only you know if you want or need a trial. My advice is to go with your gut feeling; f you don’t feel comfortable waiting until the big day, it’s a good idea to arrange a practise first. But if you’re relaxed about not meeting in person, or if distance and other commitments make a trial impractical, it’s easy to have an online bridal beauty consultation.
4. How can I make sure my professional understands what I like?
Get acquainted with Pinterest, as here you’ll find a vast amount of information. It’s important to show visuals to your hair and makeup artist as a description can get lost in translation! When you chat with your stylist, emphasise what it is you like about specific styles. Choose styles from models with a similar hair colour or skin tone to you. Your hair makeup artist will be able to give you advice as to what will work best and how to achieve a certain look.
5. Should I prepare my hair and skin in advance?
Book a trim or colour a couple of weeks before the wedding. Either wash your hair the night before or on the day itself, as my preference is to work with clean hair and use products to create texture. If you are not having a blow dry, use a hairdryer before styling, but not tools like straighteners or curling wands.
Your skin preparation ideally needs at least six months. If your skin is in its best possible condition, you will need less makeup to achieve your look. Online prescriptive services like Skin + Me are useful, or if you have a trusted bridal beauty therapist, ask for their advice in advance.
6. How do I make sure I still feel like ‘me’ on my wedding day?
It’s important not to let a hair and/or makeup artist take away your look. I think you will make the most beautiful bride by always being the most perfect version of yourself. It is SO important that you feel amazing! Make sure your makeup artist or hair stylist listens to exactly what you would like.
7. What is the secret to makeup looking good in photographs?
It’s a myth that you need more make-up to look good in front of the camera. Many wedding photographers work with natural light and heavy makeup can be visible.
With flash photography, be sure that the right products are being used and are ‘flashback free’. This way, you’ll be able to wear an SPF on a sunny day and use a powder on your t-zone, if necessary, without causing any issues. If you have had any reactions in the past to products on your face or scalp, be sure to mention this and try to find what it was. Patch testing can often be arranged by sending samples in the post.
8. What can help my hair and make-up styling last all day?
A good stylist will layer products for the best hold and finish. Using primers, setting sprays and long-wear products to match your skin type is key. If your make-up wears quickly in places, point this out. Blotting papers or pressed powder may be needed throughout the day. Lip products wear differently, with gloss being the least hard wearing and matte shades the most. Use hair products to suit your hair type by and discuss how your hair usually behaves. If it won’t hold a curl, then maybe an updo is best. For naturally curly hair, do you prefer to work with your curls, or have them smoothed? You know your hair best. Tell us as much as possible, so we can get it right.
9. What should I consider if a lot of my wedding is outdoors?
The Lake District is known for having a few seasons in one day. I often recommend to my brides to have a contingency plan for the styling of their hair, especially if your plans are to get out into the Lakes with your photographer. Options can be discussed well in advance of the wedding day.
You will be able to relax knowing that your hair and makeup will be up to the job!
10. How long will my wedding party need for hair and makeup?
Different stylists will vary but check with them (and your venue) about advised arrival times and if there are a few of you. A schedule can be useful so you are not waiting and wondering who will be next! Generally, I will allow at least 2 hrs to do a bride’s hair and makeup.
For bridesmaids, Mums, and guests I allow 45 minutes for either hair or make-up.
Before the wedding day, I ask for more detail about the wedding party’s hair and makeup in case a requirement might take longer. If you are marrying with a registrar, then hair and makeup should be finished around 1 hour before the ceremony time. This allows 45 minutes to get dressed, be interviewed, and have pre-ceremony photographs.
Thanks
Many thanks to Lucy Pearson for writing such a wonderful and informative Bridal Beauty Blog.
You can find out more about Lucy’s work here on her own website: LUCY PEARSON MUA AND HAIR
A special thank you to our wonderful photographers who have contributed their amazing photos too.
You can find out more about our Wedding Suppliers here and our Recommended Wedding Photographers here
If you are a regular wedding supplier here at Cote How and would like to contribute to our wonderful wedding blog, please get in touch.
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