I have included a Wedding First Aid Kit list at the end – print it and prepare a bag in advance of the big event. Just don’t forget to take it with you to the venue!
Overall effect for the ladies of the bridal party:
A reminder for all the women in the bridal party: the color of your dress, the color of the flowers you may hold, the lighting effects and the décor of the venue around you all play a part in how your makeup will ultimately look on you - in person and on film.
Bridal party ladies, take a moment to think and rethink your color choices. A dark gown on a dark skinned woman in a dimly lit room will not photograph well, no matter how dramatic the makeup is. If you are set on a specific color scheme, think about accessories (jewelry, scarves, etc) or flowers to help lighten the overall effect.
I can tell you from experience that a large, bright, white basket of flowers can brighten the overall effect for a lovely little flower girl in a too-dark dress as she walked down the aisle in a dimly lit, dark-walled venue. Take pictures in advance and see the over-all effect BEFORE the big day!
Before your big day take into consideration the following:
Skin: Be kind to your skin!
Do not sit out in the sun or use a tanning bed in the weeks before your wedding. Aside from the fact that your skin needs only 15 minutes of sun a day – that's right 15 minutes, you are courting unnecessary trouble (burns, blisters, etc) and much more serious health problems down the road!
This is not the time to experiment with new creams, lotions and potions on any part of your body. Use the same trusted brands you've used for years.
If you want to improve the look of your skin start going to a cosmetician about a month before the wedding and ensure that all treatments are gentle. No extreme peelings or exfoliations.
If any dry patches develop on your face in the weeks leading up to the wedding, use a gentle peeling or exfoliation cream or simply use a little water and sugar (!) and rub it into the area each evening. Rinse in the shower and then finish up with a good facial cream. Be extra kind to this area. Depending on your skin type and age, these dry areas should improve within a week or so.
Lips:
• Chapped lips – winter and summer
This tip is especially important for the bride, but also the mothers can benefit. If your lips are chapped, begin a MONTH BEFORE THE WEDDING, apply a thin coat of Vaseline or a light cream on your lips nightly. You can also apply a very gentle peeling to your lips: gently rub sugar into your lips and then wash off and apply a very thin coat of Vaseline.
• Remember to outline your lips with a lip pencil to keep the lip color from 'bleeding' into the areas around your lips.
• Clear lip gloss will help give your lips the illusion of fullness.
• Remember the basic rules of dark and light:
o A dark lip color makes your lips look smaller.
o A light lip color makes your lips look larger.
Eyes:
If you wear glasses, think about your lenses. If you are far sighted (can’t see up close) – your glasses magnify not only what is in front of you, but also your eyes: make sure your makeup is more subtle both in color and in style. Think about using a white pencil on the lid line above your lashes from the tear duct to the very corner of your eye to give you the illusion of brighter eyes.
If you are near sighted (can't see far away) – your glasses help you see into a distance, but also make your eyes seem smaller, make sure your makeup is more dramatic. You should use eyeliner and extra coats of mascara to help further emphasize your eyes.
Eye makeup trends change from wedding season to wedding season. The summer wedding season usual brings on more romantic, old fashion, back-to nature trends. A too natural, too subtle Iook - especially when you are wearing all white - will not be flattering in pictures. If you have the hankering from something more dramatic, discuss it with your makeup artist at the trial session.
Overall effect:
Go easy on the shiny, sparkly eye shadows and blushes as these reflect the light and the flash of the cameras can create a bright spot(s) effect on your face, essentially creating blank hole in your face on film, not a pretty sight!
Touch ups on the day of the wedding:
If you are not lucky enough to have a makeup artist on call for the entire event, keep the following tips in mind:
Perspiration: Absorb any perspiration and take the shine from any areas, by first blotting the area with a dry, clean tissue. Blot the area, do not wipe it or your makeup with smudge and spread. You can prepare cotton balls with facial powder or dip in talc/baby powder for light touchups.
You can take with you a cheap concealer or makeup that matches (exactly!) your makeup shade or use talc/baby powder for mini-touchups.
Your eyes: Your eye makeup may run from the hot lights and dancing or become smudged by the over-zealous kissing of family and friends. I recommend that you bring along and have a trusted friend hold for you:
• eye shadow to match your overall eye shading (usually there is more than one shade) and simple disposable brush or applicator
• eye pencil in the same shade applied earlier to touch up the inner lid areas
Your lips: This is a day of kissing and nothing removes lipstick like kissing. Your lip treatment is the finishing touch to your overall look and will give your photographs and video a more polished appearance. I recommend that you bring along and have a trusted friend hold for you:
• lip gloss. This can be a clear lip gloss or a lip gloss with a color close to the one applied earlier.
PRINT AND SAVE!!!!
The Bride's First Aid Kit List:You can have a kit specifically for the bride and her needs and a separate one for the bridal party or have just one, well organized bag for all the ladies. If the bag does not contain pockets, think about putting each item in a separate zip-lock bag.
Advance preparations: Assign a trusted friend as the Designated Keeper of the Kit. This person will be in charge of the kit and help with any of the fist aid emergencies should they come up. I recommend that this bag of goodies be packed at least a week in advance.
This bag should contain:
• Thread and needles: White thread and also any other obvious thread colors needed (color of the bridal party's gowns, good old black for the men, etc). I warmly recommend including some pre-threaded needles, as this will save time and tears during a dress emergency. Even with pre-treaded needles, you should throw in a spool or two of thread.
• Safety pins (you can't always sew every problem!)
• Travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste
• Breath mints or gum (please don't chew, the video will not be amusing)
• Brush, comb, bobby pins
• Hairspray (hairspray can also be used to solved some problems, like run in pantyhose). I do not recommend you take hair setting gel, it can and will get messy, spill and cause too many tears.
• Box of tissues
• Box of baby wipes (without alcohol to remove smudged makeup that cannot be fixed or just to cool the hands and neck areas)
• Band aides (especially important for the all the ladies who did not break in their shoes in time for the big event)
• Elastic bandage (you will only think this is extreme, if you've never needed one!)
• Q-tips
• Hand cream
• Nail file (cracked or jagged nails can rip a dress, a veil, panty hose or even get caught in a hair style)
• Eye drops (I recommend the disposal, one-use small applicator type and not the bottles)
• Cotton balls pre-dipped in with facial powder (placed in a separate little bag) or simply dip the cotton balls in talc/baby powder for light touchups
• Cheap lip gloss (there is no reason to invest in the gloss, it will probably get lost by the end of the night)
• Cheap eye shadow and disposable applicator (these items have a habit of falling and cracking in nervous hands)
• Cheap concealer or makeup that matches your shade EXACTLY
• Talc/baby powder: great to help blot perspiration and light facial touch ups
• I know some folks also think about taking a blow dryer and curling iron. Unless you have a hair stylist on call or you have someone who will use these properly in a proper surroundings (a room with a mirror, chair, electrical outlets and so on and NOT a bathroom stall), I do not recommend taking these items. They are heavy, bulky and make get broken in transit.
• Lingerie: Pack extra underpants, panty liners, tampons and pantyhose.
• For the gals who wear contacts: extra set of lenses, lenses case and solution
• Antiperspirant
• Perfume: I recommend a light scent
• Nails: there are those who say bring glue, polish and the like. I say, the hands are secondary to the face and can be hidden from the sights of the photographer, while wet nail glue or polish is not easy to remove from a dress once wet glue/polish is smeared all over it.
• Aspirin or any equivalent
• Shawl or wrap, even in the summer there may be older members of the wedding party that will feel the extremes of the air-conditioning
• Extra pair of shoes: I recommend ballet type, white slippers to wear while dancing
• Antacid tablets
• Earring backs (take extra backs from cheap earrings)
• Crazy glue and stain remover. Two very difference products. They are both great, but I feel the damage they will cause in the hands of someone very nervous or when they are not correctly re-capped after use, will be worse than the tear or stain.
• Cell phone and charger. Make sure it is fully charged. You should not be making phone calls, but one should be handy.
The Groom's First Aid Kit:
• Extra socks
• Extra shoe laces
• Thread and needles
• Travel-size toothbrush and toothpaste
• Breath mints or gum (please don't chew, the video will not be amusing)
• Box of tissues
• Box of baby wipes (without alcohol)
• For the guys who wear contacts: extra set of lenses, lenses holder and solution
• Talc/baby powder: great to help blot perspiration and light touch ups on balding heads
• Antiperspirant
• Aftershave: I recommend a light scent
• Extra shirts for the guys, ugly perspiration circles in men's shirts are not a pretty site
• Aspirin or any equivalent
• Link brush or masking tape to remove pesky hairs or particles from a suit
• Antacid tablets
• Cell phone and charger. Make sure it is fully charged. You should not be making phone calls, but one should be handy.
• Elastic bandage (you will only think this is extreme, if you've never needed one!)
• Eye drops (I recommend the disposal, one-use small applicator type and not the bottles)
linT brush.....
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