So… your date is set…the venue is booked… you’ve decided on your wedding theme and have ordered your dream wedding dress. Now you are starting to organise the finer details and have been looking into your bridal make up!
Although some brides look at hair and makeup as being less of a priority for their big day, I would consider factors such as what will almost always be seen in the wedding photos- your hair and makeup! Will your shoes? Nope! Will the cake? Almost certainly not! But many people prioritise these things over booking in with makeup artist.
Some brides worry that they will not look like themselves on their wedding day, which I personally understand (please see the ‘Why Victoria?’ section of my website). What I explain to brides is this is why you book a trial. I always allow 1.5 hours for a trial as this gives the time for us to discuss the look you’re after, complete the application and then tweak it so it is exactly what you want. I always apply makeup lightly first, then build from there, as this gives you the control and the opportunity to build the look to the depth that you require. Completing your trial in the morning also ensures you have time to live with the makeup through the day, see how it lasts, check that you are happy with how it looks in different lights etc.
So, hopefully you’ve now decided to book a makeup artist (ahem, read: book ME!!) and have booked your trial. There are a few simple steps you can take to get the most out of your trial, and to ensure that on the wedding day you are confident that you are going to look absolutely beautiful!
Send your makeup artist a few pictures of what you want the look to be (and carefully consider specifically what it is about the pictures you like). This is so important as I can almost guarantee that your version or ‘natural’ or ‘smoky’ will have some subtle differences compared to the next person
Consider whether you want the look to tie in with your wedding theme or colours.
Be realistic about the pictures you choose. Certain makeup looks only work for certain eyes shapes and face shapes- any good makeup artist will advise you of this on the trial so please be open to suggestions. Plus remember photos you look at in magazines etc. are always edited.
Arrive at the trial with a clean, makeup free face. Your makeup artist will generally cleans it before the application but this just saves on time and allows the fun to begin quicker!
Try to ensure that personal grooming has been completed- pluck those hairs away!
If you are planning on having a spray tan on your wedding day, it helps to have this on the trial, but isn’t crucial. However, it will help you to have an idea of the finished look.
If you are not used to wearing makeup, even the lightest of applications will feel strange to you. However, bridal makeup needs to be strong enough to show up on the pictures. Even if you feel a little too made-up after the trial, please just try to live with it for the day as I can almost guarantee you will love it by the end of the day! I have had lots of lovely ladies who are not used to makeup leaving their trial feeling a little apprehensive, who then contact me a few hours later to tell me how much they love it once they are used to it!
Bring a friend! If you are feeling a little nervous, bring someone along that knows you, that you know you can rely on to be honest and give you their opinion. This can also be really helpful for the makeup artist, especially if you feel you can’t be honest about how it looks. Friends will always be honest with the makeup artist in my experience and therefore help to get to the desired look you want
Enjoy it! On the day this will be part of your whole wedding experience, to be pampered and made to feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. Be honest and discuss any apprehensions at the trial, so on the day you can sit back and sip your glass of fizz with confidence that all you need to do is slip on your dress and turn up!