Traditional ceremony or casual courthouse nuptials? Red napkins or white? Veil or no veil? Invite all 45 of my husband’s cousins I’ve never met before or keep within our budget? If, like me, you are planning a wedding, these are some of the big decisions you are contemplating. Another big one: Glowy skin or full-on glam? And that’s a question we can actually help you answer.
For me, it wasn’t a big debate. After nearly 15 years as an editor (talking to a whole lot of professional makeup artists) and dancing on stage for double that amount, I know what makeup best emphasizes my features and how much I need to apply for it to show up in pictures and withstand sweat. So, for my wedding, I knew exactly how I wanted my makeup to look, from the lip color down to the amount of lashes (individual clusters, please). But, as I was talking to my makeup artist, I realized that, for a lot of brides, choosing their wedding makeup might be just as daunting as the other hundreds of decisions you have to make leading up to the big day. Your makeup is tied to so many other elements of your big day—your dress, your hair, your jewelry, and oftentimes, one of the biggest expenses, your photos.
So if you’re a bride who doesn’t know where to start, here’s another definitive guide to add to your pre-wedding reading list. And as you prepare for your wedding, remember that while your makeup is important, it’s not the star of the show. “Because weddings are such a life event, you always want to remember how you felt that day rather than remember what you looked like,” says makeup artist Daniel Martin, who famously did Meghan Markle’s makeup for her royal nuptials. “So keep that in mind when strategizing your makeup. It should feel elevated, polished but still you in the end.”
Think about your personal style … and your dress
Before you start a mood board, or book a makeup artist, or scream into the void from the stress of it all, take a moment to reflect. And while you do, think about how you typically do your makeup. Are you super glam or very low-key? Do you have a signature look? Or do you often skip makeup altogether? Those answers are your starting point. “Your makeup should reflect your personal style—you should feel like you, but elevated,” says Rossy Medrano, a makeup artist for The Key Look, a luxury bridal beauty agency in New Jersey. “If you wear a red lip all the time, then wear a red lip for your wedding. Ultimately, you should do what makes you feel the most comfortable.”
That said, maybe you never wear makeup—and this is the day you want to. If you plan on a complete transformation, “it’s important to know what you want before you get started,” says Alana Maria Schmidt, a makeup artist and co-founder of Kindred Beauty Co., a bridal beauty agency in New York’s Hudson Valley region. Ideally, book a trial run, or at least a phone call, before you commit to a day-of look—more on that below.
Either way, you’ll want to keep what you’re wearing down the aisle in mind. “Rule of thumb, it’s always the dress first and build hair and makeup around it, which is the same rule for red carpet moments,” says Martin.
Be picky when selecting your makeup artist.
You will spend a lot of time with your makeup artist on your wedding day, and having someone you trust makes it that much more enjoyable. “Nine times out of 10 we’re the first vendor the bride encounters on their wedding day,” says Schmidt. “So as much as the artistry aspect is important, so are the vibes, and you want someone who brings both.”
To find that person, it’s important to do your research. “A lot of decisions around your makeup happen organically once you find the right artist,” adds Schmidt. A great place to start: Ask your friends who were recently a bride or bridesmaid. The best way to find a makeup artist is often word of mouth. Wedding planners also tend to build relationships with makeup artists they’ve worked with in the past and trust.
If you don’t have luck there, look for a makeup artist or bridal beauty agency with a portfolio that matches your personal style (see, we told you this was important). “If you don’t love glam makeup, then I wouldn’t book someone whose Instagram or website is only full of very glamorous makeup and vice versa,” says Schmidt. Once you have it narrowed down, find out about their prep process. Do they ask to see inspiration photos and a makeup-free selfie of you ahead of time? Do they want to see the dress or do they send you a questionnaire? These are all steps the most highly sought-after bridal beauty pros take ahead of time to ensure your trial (and wedding day) goes smoothly.
In addition to asking your real-life friends for recommendations, spend time reading reviews online. “Beyond artistry, we’ve heard stories about other artists, sometimes with loads of followers on social media, showing up late, arriving with a dirty kit, even eating rice cakes while doing a bride’s makeup,” says Schmidt. Crummy, no?
Get on Pinterest (and Maybe Stay Off of TikTok)
Even if you can visualize exactly how you want to wear your makeup, it’s still important to have reference images of the look you want. “Makeup artists are visual people so it’s really helpful to show pictures,” says Martin. “Share photos of what you like and what you don’t like. This helps the team understand better.”
Similar to getting your hair colored at the salon, having images also makes it crystal clear what you mean when you say words like “natural,” “smoky,” or “timeless.” “After over 10 years doing bridal makeup, I’ve come to realize that those terms mean different things to different people, so by sending me pictures of exactly what you mean, it puts us on the same page,” says Joy Adenuga, a London-based celebrity makeup artist.
Makeup artists love a Pinterest board when it comes to weddings, and feel free to add non-beauty details, like your dress, flowers, and even your cake. “Meghan and I created an inspiration board on Pinterest because we couldn’t find time together to do a makeup trial,” says Martin. “It really helps you see everything together and get a sense of your creative journey with how you want to look on the big day.”
These same makeup artists aren’t as enthusiastic about using TikTok for inspo, as the app prioritizes trends, time spent, and newness over anything else. “If you’re using the word ‘timeless’ to describe the look you want, I wouldn’t use TikTok as a guide because every morning, something else on there is trending,” says Adenuga. “Don’t let your For You page lead you astray and convince you to deviate from your personal style.” (There’s that phrase again.)
As you gather inspiration from across the web, keep in mind that videos and images online are often edited, says Schmidt. “Having realistic expectations and understanding that many of these photos are heavily airbrushed is really important to keep in mind when you’re picking a look.”
When it comes to inspo, it’s quality over quantity
When gathering beauty inspiration, it’s ideal to pull photos of people with the same (or very similar) coloring as you. “It doesn’t have to be your favorite celebrity in the world, but they should have similar hair color, skin tone,” says makeup artist Vincent Oquendo (who, full disclosure, is a longtime friend and doing my makeup for my wedding). “You could even take it one step further and look for people who have similar features to you.” If you’re redheaded, freckled, with light eyes, choosing a photo of Kim Kardashian is not going to be super helpful, as the makeup that works for her is most likely not going to work for you. Again, Pinterest is superior to TikTok or Instagram, as the platform lets you search for looks based on skin tone and eye color, as well as mood and style, which will help you further narrow down your search.
Being strategic about your mood board will not only help you communicate better with your makeup artist, but it will also help manage your expectations. “We often have a situation where the client’s facial features may not be the same as what’s in the inspo pictures,” says Medrano. “But [having an image] helps us better explain how we can adapt the look in a way that will make it closer to what the client may like or what they’re seeing in the mirror.”
Keep the weather in mind … and have a backup plan
The weather usually wreaks the most havoc on wedding hair, but it’s also important to keep the climate in mind when choosing your makeup look. “For example, if you’re getting married somewhere very hot or humid, then you don’t want a makeup look that’s all about a lot of glow and dewiness as you’ll get even shinier throughout the day,” says Schmidt. If it’s very windy, maybe a lip gloss isn’t the best choice, or if it’s spring and you have allergies, don’t do a dramatic wing. Also, your wedding will go on rain or shine, cold snap, or heat wave. Though you can’t control the weather, you can anticipate the season and have a backup plan in case your original look isn’t suitable for the forecast.
Book a trial (or hop on the phone)
Nothing is really required when it comes to planning a wedding, but a majority of makeup artists highly recommend you book a trial ahead of your wedding day so you can work together on choosing your look. When you book your appointment depends on your stress levels (i.e. do you want to check it off on your list way ahead of time or not) and your makeup artist’s schedule. The most in-demand artists can book up over a year in advance. “I’d say if you want someone in particular, don’t wait to book and schedule a trial asap,” says Schmidt. As for the cost, that often depends if your makeup artist requires a trial or not. If it’s required, the price is usually part of the package. If not, it’s often an additional charge.
If you’re like me and Meghan Markle (the only time I think I’ll ever be able to say that) and can’t do a trial or choose not to, then you should still speak to your makeup artist in advance if you can. Neither Adenuga nor Schmidt make trials mandatory, but in the case their client doesn’t book one, they still make sure to do a pre-wedding consultation. Schmidt sends an email to her brides asking for references, photos of themselves and the dress, and then speaks to them over the phone or via email. Adenuga includes a free, pre-wedding video chat in all of her packages. In my case, Oquendo is flying from New York to London for my wedding so in lieu of a trial I’ve shared my wedding Pinterest board with him and texted him photos from my hair trial so he can prepare.
Show up to the trial prepared
“What we are trying to do in the trial, more or less, is tailor the look to suit your features, your skin tone, and you as a person,” says Adenuga. “It’s harder to do that when we’re trying multiple different looks in a 90-minute time slot.” That said, prep is key to a productive trial, which means you’ve already thought about the direction you want to go in and sourced images ahead of your appointment. If you can, try and get a facial the week of your trial (one that doesn’t leave you red and raw, though), avoid the sauna, and make sure you are hydrated, says Medrano. The point is to make sure your skin is in the best shape possible before your trial (as well as before your wedding) so you get a good sense of how your makeup will look the day of.
To get the full picture, wear something as close to the same color as your wedding outfit as possible. (I wish I had known this before heading into my trial in a ratty old Anine Bing eagle-print tee.) Schmidt advises clients to wear a top that mimics the neckline they’ll be wearing day-of as well. ”It really helps give you an idea of the overall picture of the day and remind you that you won’t be in jeans and a t-shirt, but rather a formal gown,” she says.
Last but not least, make sure you don’t squeeze your appointment in on a day when you have a lot of running around to do. Not only do you want to be relaxed for your trial, but you want to feel like you have time to make adjustments and tweaks to ensure you get the look you want.
But maybe go to the trial alone
A bride arguing with her family on reruns of Say Yes to the Dress makes for entertaining TV on a lazy Sunday afternoon. In reality, that situation doesn’t set you up for a successful beauty trial, which is why nearly every makeup artist we spoke to said to go by yourself or bring one person at most. In fact, most artists or bridal beauty agencies maintain a one-guest or no-guest policy because they’ve seen how it can create an overwhelming experience for brides.
Oquendo equates a makeup trial to a first date, where two people are trying to get to know each other, except in this case the makeup artist is offering their professional services for one of the biggest days of your life. “I get it, your friends and family are trying to help, but more often than not it causes confusion, even if you’re the most confident person in the world.”
If it’s important to have someone there with you, Oquendo suggests asking them to help you pick out inspiration pictures ahead of time, so that can be their contribution instead of weighing in at the trial itself.
Understand you’ll be wearing more makeup than usual
More is more on your wedding day, even when you are going for a no-makeup makeup look. “One thing people don’t account for when choosing their look is the camera flash, which is going to take away half of your makeup,” says Oquendo. “Plus, you’re going to be crying, socializing, dancing, hugging, and kissing people, all of which breaks down your makeup.”
If you’re nervous about wearing too much makeup, or your makeup looking heavy up close, Schmidt recommends asking your makeup artist to do light makeup, first, and then take a photo of you during your trial. “I’ll show clients the photo and they’ll be shocked because the camera washes out 25 to 50% of the makeup. Then, I’ll go back and add more until we hit the right balance.”
Check in with your makeup artist after the trial
Most weddings last more than a couple hours, which means you’ll want to make sure your makeup lasts more than a couple hours after the trial. Take a peek in the mirror four or five hours after to see what’s smudged or has worn off completely. Schmidt recommends updating your makeup artist after the trial and recommends texting a photo to your artist so they can make any necessary tweaks ahead of the big day. “For example, I recently had a bride with super oily skin. She texted me a few hours after the trial and her makeup was like an oil slick. That was helpful, however, because then I knew to prep her skin differently on the morning of her wedding.”
What to keep in mind if you’re doing your own makeup
If you decide to do your own makeup for your wedding, thinking about your personal style, creating a mood board using inspiration images that reflect your coloring and skin tone, and doing a trial run (or better yet, several trial runs) all still apply. “You should be practicing a whole lot more than one or two times before the big day, especially if you don’t wear makeup regularly,” says Oquendo. “Order a ring light off of Amazon and every weekend or so, practice one of your inspiration looks. You can record yourself or take photos, which will serve as a reminder of what you did and also show you if you want to make adjustments.
After that, if you still need help fine-tuning your eyeliner or figuring out your perfect blush placement, consider heading to your closest makeup counter to get your makeup done, perhaps before another big event like your bridal shower or bachelorette party. “I normally advise people to go to MAC or Clinique because the one-on-one service isn’t too expensive and often you can exchange it for the cost of product that you’ll end up using for your wedding,” says Adenuga.
Don’t be afraid to speak up
It’s your day and what you think matters most. “I find brides tend to be shy,” says Medrano. “They don’t want to hurt our feelings so they won’t say they don’t like something, or that they’re on the fence about a look, but we love the communication.”
Don’t be afraid to ask for another trial, either. Maybe you didn’t feel 100% about the look after the first trial, or perhaps after your wedding dress fitting you changed your mind (something that happened to me during my wedding beauty process). “Don’t freak out. You can always call your makeup artist and ask to come in again,” says Schmidt, who had a bride coming in for her second trial right after our interview.
Talking about what you want and like, don’t want and don’t like, is part of the process, says Martin, and it keeps you from stressing about it on the day of. “If your makeup feels heavy, say it. At the end of the day, the artist is there to service you and your needs and they want you to be happy. If you’re not happy with the trial, then find another artist,” he says. In the end, it’s important to remember it’s just makeup. “It can be fixed, it can be changed,” adds Medrano. “We just want to make you feel your best.”
Sources: https://www.allure.com/story/how-to-choose-wedding-makeup
