The Bridal Trial And The Wedding Day

No one wants to walk down the aisle not looking or feeling like themselves so my main importance is that you feel the best version of you. We are all different, some people love makeup, for others it might terrify you the same amount hair dressers terrify me. Either way, even if you don't wear a lot of makeup on a day to day basis, you will still maybe wanting someone to advise and help you feel beautiful without the need of copious amounts of it. I tailor this service to be about each individual bride, there is no right or wrong with how you should look on your wedding day except for looking and feeling like you at your absolute best!

The Trial

This is the most important part of the process, so much so I have featured a blog about it. I like to do the trial around up to 3 months before the wedding day however I am more than happy to accommodate this to fit around your time frame. I am happy to come to you providing you are within 15 miles of my home address but if not I ask if you can come to me in Birmingham City Centre. I am conveniently a stones throw from Grand Central, The Bullring, Mailbox and all the bars and restaurants.

This is a service tailored around you and no two trials I have ever done are the same! If you feel like you would like to have you mum, or sister or best friend there for a second honest opinion then absolutely feel free to. We sit down initially and discuss the day itself, the getting ready location, the timings, the bridesmaids and Mother of Bride makeup. I really do listen to what you have to say and take it all into consideration when I am doing the makeup however there are six points that I feel are really important to mention

• No one feels particularly glamorous when they are in their own clothes and have their hair casually up or down so often when you see your bridal makeup for the first time at a trial your initial thought might be.. "this seems a bit too made up". Your wedding makeup is perfected in a way to create a cohesive look together with your wedding dress and hair style. It may be more than what you usually wear but I always advise you to wear it for a full day before making any decisions on what you would like to tweak or change. The idea is to imagine yourself in your dress, hair done up, prosecco in hand and feeling fabulous and I promise you, you will feel completely different to how you do at your trial, so it’s definitely useful to bare that in mind.

• You may want to consider wearing a cream or white top as this can really help to visualise how it may look against a similar colour to what you are wearing on the day, I have found that this really helps during the trial process!

• Everyone’s interpretation of “natural makeup” differ greatly so if you are a makeup wearer, it’s important to me that you wear your “everyday”makeup to the trial. It seems like a waste as you’ll have to remove it, but seeing you in your makeup tells me a lot about your comfort zones, how much you wear and what kind of colours you feel comfortable wearing. It all helps me to create the perfect look for you and trust me, it can make all the difference. If you aren’t a makeup wearer then don’t worry, but try and bring images of bridal makeup from Pinterest, my portfolio or anyone else’s which can really help us start discussions around what will and won’t work for you.

• On that note - be mindful that pictures you bring should be seen as inspiration rather than expectation. No two people look exactly the same (unless you have a doppelgänger or a Siamese twin of course!) and pictures on Pinterest have been heavily edited so we look at the images and discuss what it is you like and what draws you to them, be it the colours, tones of eyeshadows, the way the complexion looks etc. We will also discuss how we can adapt the makeup to compliment you but it’s definitely recommended to have an open mind and have fun with the idea of playing around with an idea.

• Makeup isn’t permanent! The beauty is that it can be changed or altered accordingly. We will have discussed your ideas and looked at inspirations together so we are likely to get it right from the word go, however It’s important that you are as honest as you can be if there is something you are not sure about. I'm not easily offended and I certainly won't feel upset because you would like something different! We talk it through and discuss what's worked and what hasn't and most importantly we will get it right.

• Look in a large mirror that's at least an arms distance away from you! I see too many people at the trial use a hand mirror and hold too close, they very quickly start to over analyse every imperfection on their skin (and believe me, I would know as I have acne scars and I do it too!) It’s important to remember to be realistic but also understand that the things you see, I can guarantee no one else even notices! Look in different mirrors in different lighting too as your makeup should take you through from the morning until you can’t dance anymore in the evening!

Finally, there is one thing that you have in common with all of the real brides in my gallery (other than the fact you are getting married!), you all started off by getting in touch with the same concerns about wanting to stay true to yourself on your wedding day. If they can feel amazing, you can too!

Your wedding day

A week to 10 days before your big day, I will send over a schedule of my time of arrival and the time slots depending on the size of the party. Yes, i'm very organised and hopefully that will fill you with confidence that everything will get done with plenty of time to spare. I come in the morning, always in a good mood, coffee'd up and set up my directors chair the window with the most natural light. I'm rather unflappable and calm and follow my schedule to ensure everything goes smoothly whilst ensuring everyone is having a smashing time. To this day I have never had a wedding morning which hasn't ran perfectly so rest assured. For bridesmaids I do tend to do a uniform look but I always tailor it to each individual needs as I am conscious and aware that everyone is different. Mothers of Brides also get a unique service so they need not worry about the fear of having heavy makeup applied! You will all look beautiful though and I even pop some glitter and gloss for the flower girls for free. I usually aim to have everyone ready at least 35 minutes before so there is plenty of time for photos and family time and I am even happy to stay until the very last minute for touch ups, open bottles of champagne and assist your bridal party get dressed

I welcome any questions, big or small. Essentially you'll only do this once and It's really important to me that you feel happy and confident every step of the way so ask away, I will always be as helpful as I can. Alternatively you may find the answers to your questions in my helpful FAQ page.

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