One of the many decisions any prospective bride faces when organising her wedding is whether to book a make-up artist for the big day. Rather than delve into the pros and cons (as a professional make-up artist I’ll admit I’m biased), I thought I would instead discuss some of the things prospective brides should keep in mind when choosing a wedding make-up artist.
Do They Specialise in Wedding Make-Up?
If you do decide to book a professional make-up artist it is important to make sure that the make-up artist you are considering specialises in wedding make-up, and is passionate about it. Some make-up artists can view wedding make-up as a ‘necessary evil’, needed to fund the free of charge editorial work they may do during the week.
Check to make sure the make-up artists you are considering have examples of their wedding work on their websites, and testimonials from bridal clients. If these are noticeable either by their absence or lack of prominence, think carefully before taking your enquiry any further.
Arrange a Meeting
Before choosing a make-up artist, or even having a trial, try and arrange a meeting with the artist you have shortlisted. This is so you can sit down and talk through the look you want to achieve on the day, and see examples of their work.
As well as seeing the quality of their images, these sessions can be invaluable for making sure that the make-up artist is somebody you feel relaxed with. This is someone who will be with you for at least a few hours on one of the most important days of your life. So, even if their work is fantastic, if you aren’t comfortable talking to them they aren’t the right person for you.
Book a Make-Up Trial and Go Prepared
Once you have a favoured artist in mind, it is time for a trial with them. Although it can be tempting to look to save costs by skipping a trial, I would urge you not to as it can be an unwelcome source of stress on the day.
Ahead of the trial, take time to think about the look you want on your wedding day. Take a few images from magazines of looks that you love (or loathe!), your favourite products from your make-up bag, and ensure you have applied the make-up that you wear on an everyday basis. This will all be invaluable in helping the make-up artist understand what works for you.
Before the make-up application starts, take time to talk through exactly what you’re looking for.
Will Your Look Last All Day?
One of the keys of good wedding make-up is its longevity, so try and arrange the trial for the morning so you can see how the look lasts throughout the day. Good bridal make-up will last all day at least — I’ve even had bridal clients tell me they still loved the look the following morning!
One of the secrets of long-lasting make-up is through application and blending, all of which takes time. A good test is to ask a prospective make-up artist how long they think the look will take to do on the day. If it is less than an hour, make sure you are happy with the longevity of the look before booking.
A morning trial will also let you see how the make-up looks under different lighting conditions. If the make-up starts to deteriorate after a few hours, or doesn’t translate well from natural to artificial light, it’s a good time to think carefully as to whether you’ve found the right make-up artist and the right look for you.
Take Some Pictures
Finally, take your camera with you to the trial, and try photographing the look both with and without the flash. Not only will this make sure you have a record of the look, it will also enable you to see how it is likely to photograph on the day.
Guest post by Lina Cameron
Image from Lina Cameron
