Feeling clueless about your wedding day hair and makeup? Well don’t fret; here are a few tips that I’ve learned in my eight years working with hundreds of brides all over Southern California. As the owner of Beach Bridal Beauty, I have encountered it all and would love to share some of my wisdom so you can avoid any wedding day hair or makeup disasters!
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| Photo by Damaris Mia // Florals by Bella Bloom Florals // HMUA: Ralukiss |
Hire a professional stylist:
This may sound like common sense, but with the financial strain of a wedding, many brides opt to “do it themselves” or hire a friend of a friend who can get them a super good deal. If you are only focused on your budget this might sound like a good idea, but with all my years of experience styling brides, if there were only one thing I could recommend it would be to hire a professional (and yes, not all stylists are professionals, so choose wisely!). A few obvious signs of a professional stylist are someone who has a full kit of supplies, is sanitary, and confirms all your wedding day details with a legal contract. Follow your gut. If their kit is super dirty or they are difficult to get in contact with, move on!
Always have a preview before your wedding:
If you have the time and budget, definitely schedule a preview appointment with your chosen stylist two to four months before your wedding date. The preview is a practice run of your wedding day hair and makeup, so it’s the perfect time to work with your stylist and create the perfect wedding day look. Also, it will give you the opportunity to see how your face reacts to your stylist’s makeup and to see if your hair will stand the test of time. You don’t want any surprises on your wedding day, so do a trial run so you can ensure your styling runs smoothly!
Don’t go “trendy” go “classic”:
If a bride, aka you, looks back at her wedding pictures ten years later, will she still love how her makeup looks, or will she be appalled because she went with the latest trend? It’s definitely easy to get caught up in all the unique trends plastered on Facebook and Pinterest, but just remember, your pictures will be displayed in your home for years and years to come, so don’t opt for a look that you might cringe at five or ten years down the road.
Waterproof everything:
No bride wants her makeup to run or smudge, so make sure that all your makeup is waterproof or water resilient. Your wedding day will be a long day of emotions and activity, so make sure your makeup can handle the stress. Most professional makeup artists will know to use waterproof products, but don’t be afraid to ask and double check!
Your styling should look good in person AND in pictures:
Before you give the final seal of approval with your hair and makeup look, make sure to take several pictures of your finished look in different lighting so you can see how your hair and makeup translates in pictures. I’ve had so many brides who thought their makeup was too dramatic or their hair was too big, but then after seeing it in pictures, they thought it was just perfect! Pictures diminish the intensity of makeup and the look of volume in your hair. Since you are probably going to spend thousands on your photos and will be displaying them for years, you’ll want to make sure you love how your hair and makeup looks in both your pictures and in person.
Have realistic expectations:
This can sometimes be a touchy subject because some ladies have been envisioning looking like their favorite celebrity on their wedding day, but the sad truth is that sometimes it’s impossible to make you look like the latest “it” girl. Now don’t fret, this doesn’t mean that you don’t have movie star looks, it just means that if you are pale skinned with thin hair, it may be tough for your stylist to transform you into Kim Kardashian. It’s a great idea to show your stylist inspiration pictures of looks that you like, but remember that they are just that, inspiration, and that your stylist will do their best to create your dream look, but sometimes it’s impossible to do an exact replication.
Don’t try any new beauty regimes right before your wedding date:
Now I know all your lovely ladies can’t wait to get your spray tans, lash extensions and fresh highlights for your wedding day, but please don’t try anything new during the weeks before your wedding day. There is absolutely nothing worse than getting lash extensions for the first time a week before your wedding and then unexpectedly getting an allergic reaction and end up with red and puffy eyes on your wedding day. Or imagine, trying a new hairstylist just weeks before your wedding and you hate the haircut they give you. How do you fix it if your wedding is just days away? Bottom line, feel free to beautify yourself before your wedding day, but just make sure you are not trying anything new, so you won’t have any catastrophes that you can’t correct before your big day.
Article by SCB Preferred Vendor, Natalie of Beach Bridal Beauty.
