One of the top items on your Bridal To Do List must be finding a professional makeup artist and
hairstylist. When should you being your
search? Aside from the obvious answer of
"as soon as possible", I believe the optimal time is as soon
as the wedding dress has been chosen.
The reasons behind this are 1) you will have a better
feeling/understanding of your wedding look once you have chosen your gown and 2) even if you have been dreaming about,
imagining and planning your wedding since you were five; choosing the gown
somehow focuses you. Sometimes the gown you ultimately chose will be very different than the gown you
imagined. Always, alway keep in mind
that your makeup and hairstyle must compliment
and harmonize with your dress. Your
picture-perfect look includes everything you wear: your gown, jewelry,
makeup, hair and veil.
Did you notice that I did not mention shoes? I would just like to add that although I
believe that shoes are one of the most important fashion choices any woman EVER
makes; wedding shoes fall into one of only three categories: (1) ugly,
comfortable and thank G-d no one sees them under my long wedding dress; (2)
insanely high, gorgeous and murderous and what a shame no one sees them under
my long wedding dress and finally (3) insanely high, gorgeous and they no longer kill me because I removed them
thirty seconds after the chuppah.
A FEW WORDS ABOUT VEILS
I want to discuss veils.
Sometimes the choice of a veil is an afterthought; bought, borrowed or
found sometime between picking out the dress and standing under the chuppah. The most versatile veil is a
"simple" veil made of layers (the number of layers is a
personal choice) of lace and/or silk and attached with a comb with the tines
facing in.
Do not choose a veil that is permanently attached to a tiara or other
hair accessory, as this type of veil drastically limits the type of hair style
you will ultimately choose.
If you chose to wear a tiara, you should be able to position the tiara
on your head, regardless of where the veil is attached.
Order of work on the day of the wedding:
ü Hairstyle
ü Tiara (sometimes the tiara is positioned while
the hairstyle is being created, as some of the hair may be combed/positioned to
hide the tiara's clips and/or combs)
ü Makeup
ü Veil
A MONTH AND HALF BEFORE THE WEDDING…
By a month and a half before the wedding you should have selected your
makeup artist and hairstylist and decided on your makeup and hairstyling
choices. This will give you enough time
to let your hair grow, you brows grow in and give your skin a chance to
improve. Write it or insert it into your
calendar:
MUST CLOSE HAIR AND MAKEUP BY ________________
HOW DO I CHOOSE MY MAKEUP AND HAIRSTYLE?
Remember: Your wedding
photos are meant to last a lifetime - this means your makeup and
hairstyle must be timeless! I always tell my brides that they should be able to look back on their wedding
photos and at their wedding hair and makeup choices five, ten and even fifteen
years from now without shaking their heads and saying "What was I
thinking? ".
This means that you should:
1)
Keep an open mind! Look and
explore the net and magazines for the latest hairstyle and makeup fashion
choices. Look at what your friends and
family are wearing on "both sides of the pond". If you Google "wedding hairstyles and
makeup" you will get millions of results. You can narrow the search a bit
by focusing on your hair length (long, short, curly, etc).
2)
Do not be fooled by wonderful shots of hairstyles using models that
have blonde hair with blonde highlights.
Blonde / blonde highlighted hair shows off just about any style and will
nearly always look gorgeous. The exact
hairstyle on dark hair will look less wonderful, as the blonde
highlights bring out the curves, curls and waves in the hairstyle. Also keep in mind that lighting and Photoshop
play a part in how the hairstyle is portrayed in photos. This is why blonde hair is the most popular
hair color to photograph for a hairstyle photo shoot. This does not mean you
should dye your hair for the wedding; it just means you should be aware of this
fact and manage your expectations accordingly.
3)
What styles appeal to you?
First of all: forget about your dress, your shoes, what hair
colors and styles appeal to you. (I know
what I said at the beginning of this article) NOW what hair and makeup styles
are the most flattering for your facial structure?
Now let's put this all together: what appeals to you, what flatters
you and what suits your wedding style.
Now that you have an idea of what hair and
makeup styles appeal to you – talk to your makeup and hair stylist. Arrange for a Bridal Beauty Trial Session. DO NOT SKIP this session! This is the only opportunity you will have to
try on and try out a variety of styles and decide – before the wedding –
which you like best. Take a trusted
friend along with you. A second opinion
is vital here.
Clear your schedule and make an
appointment. Take all the time you
need. This is not the time to rush or
choose "whatever". Be
thoughtful and patient. The effort and
consideration you put into this session will be in direct proportion to your
satisfaction with the final result on the day of the wedding! Take pictures. This session will also help you calculate the
amount of time you will need to create your bridal look on your wedding
day.
Once you have chosen your makeup artist and
hairstylist and the styles you want - you can check one more item off your To
Do List!
