I am not married, and have not yet been through the boggling task of organising a wedding. In my heart of hearts, I do have a vision of walking down an aisle between our friends and family, speaking well-thought-out, meaningful vows, and committing our love, lives and dreams together forever in front of our chosen audience.
Whilst I am in a relationship and have a child, house, mortgage, rates, insurance, washing and all the other general admin that comes with a partner and children, it strikes me as somewhat ironic that I spend so much of my time supporting others in the endeavor of marriage, which has eluded me thus far.
I am not unhappy about this work, it is a lovely experience to be involved in someone’s special day as a makeup artist – a brief welcoming into someone’s life, family and excitement.
I thought a blog on weddings should be my first as I am right in the middle of my wedding season, and as it is fresh in my mind, I wanted to record some of the observations I have made, makeup-wise and other, to hopefully help you be at ease on your day; if you are not ‘in’ your day, enjoying it, then I think that would be tragedy after all of your planning. So here, in my opinion, are some key ingredients for your day’s success.
The biggest fear most brides have is about everybody looking at them. This becomes very real for them as their make-up goes on. My advice is always the same: we rarely get to feel nerves, and when we do, it’s because we’re out of our comfort zone, which generally means we are close to something important to us, something that will grow us, something new. How lovely! That in itself is such a great experience. And yup, everyone is looking forward to seeing YOU and hearing your vows and celebrating your love. Take some rescue remedy, a few deep breaths and enjoy those rare, jittery feelings!
Livvy looking relaxed on her wedding day. Photo Credit: Billie Brooke
Think about who you want around you when you are getting ready. If you like quiet, and need time to prepare yourself, don’t have a rowdy bunch of friends and family; if you need distraction and a bustley vibe, then organise a full house.
Above all, have someone there dedicated to supporting you and your needs during the progression of your day – be it your MC, maid of honour, mother, sister, best friend, groom – someone to make sure you’ve eaten, have a drink in hand, that the music you want is playing, keeps an eye on the time, locks-up the accommodation, turns off the lights, has your bag packed, or theirs if they’re not coming back to your accommodation. The happiest brides, I have observed, are the ones that have the least to think about and someone totally ‘there’ for them.
The time flies by! Do your daily rituals that keep you feeling good: run, yoga, have a nice brekkie, and then hand-over to the professionals you have employed for your day, they will provide you with their timeline, trust it – they have seen it all before and know what works best.
Have your nails done the day before and your tan done at least 3 days in advance, you’ll love not having to worry about them or fit them in on your day and consider ‘green’ alternatives when planning these tasks.
I am not going to tell you how to choose a makeup artist. I am sure you will be recommended someone, or have googled someone in your area. Instagram is a great way of visually seeing someone’s work. Most artists who speciaise in weddings are well-versed in what they do, so it should be hard to go wrong.
The most common feedback I receive from brides is that I am calm, considerate and I really listen to what they want. For me this is the best praise, as these are the qualities I would want my makeup artist to have. When picking someone, trust your instincts, I think we generally find those who we are the best fit for, then you can just enjoy having your face touched and your hair done – it’s so rare that we are pampered in this way.
I always ask brides to consider green, natural or organic makeup choices, beauty is undeniably important, but so is your skin’s health and our planet’s wellbeing.
It is a magic day, love that you are loved, and enjoy the fruition of all of your organisation and decision-making.
xxAmy