When I was due to get married I remember scouring the internet for beauty tips for brides. Most of these tips were from beauticians and bridal magazines, and there is even more information available online now, but I thought I could contribute to the discussion with a few ideas from a photographers, and a bride’s, perspective.
- Drink, drink & drink some more….water! You will find that no matter how long you have been preparing for your wedding, most people will still have lots of jobs to do, particularly in the week before the big day, and though you might feel like it will help, a glass of prosecco will not provide the essential hydration that you need to feel at your best, so keep cold bottled water in the fridge and make yourself drink plenty every day. If you feel better, you will look better, and that will shine through on your photos.
- When you bathe or take a shower gently exfoliate your lips with a facecloth or towel, every single time. Don’t be too rough…little and often works best…and slather on plenty of Vaseline straight away. Also, if you keep chapsticks everywhere…in the car, on your desk, in your pockets, you will be much more likely to use them and your wedding day lipstick will look so much better.
- If you can afford a wedding make up trial then it really is worth having one done. When I got married I had a trial and the make up artist suggested a coral coloured lipstick for me. I actually bought the lipstick from her and I had my trial done on the night of my hen do so that I had perfect make up all night long. At first I wasn’t sure about the colour she had chosen for me, but when I saw the hen do photos I knew she had made the right decision and this gave me the confidence to wear such a bold colour on my wedding day…whereas without the trial I would have been unsure.
- Have your engagement ring cleaned so that it is as shiny as your new wedding ring. I often take a close-up photograph of the wedding rings and the shot looks much better when both rings are looking beautiful.
- Go easy on the spray tan and have this done in plenty of time before the big day. We all want to look our best on our wedding day, and being a golden goddess is all very well and good, but if your other half is as pale as a milk bottle then you are going to look very odd stood next to each other! I did photograph a wedding once (the couple shall remain nameless as I never click and tell!) where the bride was literally dark orange and her husband was very pale. I did adjust the saturation on some of their photos, to tone the bride down a little, but it really is best to be careful with the tan in the first place.
come back next week for part 2…