Many brides hire a professional make-up artist rather than doing their own wedding day make-up. This saves time on the day as well as guaranteeing a natural yet flawless photo finish. It can also help to give that special day a pampered feel to the bride. Hiring a freelance make-up artist usually costs a little more than doing your own wedding make-up. However there are other advantages to hiring someone.
- It saves the worry of how to do the make-up well, what looks to go for and where to buy the products.
- It saves practice time, as usually there will only be one trial and that can often be scheduled for right after the hair trial.
- Everyone wants to feel special on her wedding day, and having this extra attention can help to achieve just that. A professional make-up artist can make you feel really beautiful in the photos with just a few products and without your having to wear too much make-up.
- Although hiring a bridal make-up artist is usually quite expensive, it will save having to buy professional cosmetics such as primers, or expensive brushes. These help to get the photo-perfect finish of a bridal make-up but are often things that would not be used after the wedding.
Looking for a Bridal Make-up Artist
Professional artists really have to advertise their services now as there is so much competition. This means that it is easy to find a list of possible bridal make-up artists to contact. Good sources for compiling a shortlist include:
- Bridal magazines. While the advertisements in these magazines do not guarantee standard, they are usually expensive to place. This means that the make-up artists advertising tend to have a solvent bridal business and plenty of experience.
- Websites are helpful because they often show plenty of pictures as well as a little of the philosophy of the artist. While these will be on adverts, some can also be found through search engines.
- Make-up brands especially high-street professional ranges such as Mac, Bobbi Brown and Laura Mercier often work with freelancers and trained make-up professionals that individual counters will be happy to recommend.
Choosing a Great Bridal Make-up Artist
Having spoken to a few make-up artists, maybe seen some pictures of their work and got an idea of fees, the best thing to do is to book a trial with someone you like the sound of. The wedding make-up trial is where final looks get decided and everything else gets ironed out. A good make-up artist will offer a trial as far in advance as possible and create a 100% perfect look for your wedding day. The length of the trial should be completely flexible to allow for any questions as well as the possibility of showing you a few different looks or techniques.
At the trial, check that the make-up artist’s kit is clean and comprehensive. Also check that they work hygienically, for example, using spatulas to remove product from containers. Ask questions to get all the information you need in order to have relaxed run up to the actual day. Find out if there are any products that you will need to buy for retouches on the wedding day, for example lipstick or blotting papers.
Other Wedding Locations
Getting married outside of big cities can mean that finding a make-up artist is harder, especially if you do not know many people locally.
- Offer to pay for travel expenses and / or accommodation to get someone you really like. Most make-up artists will travel for a job as long as basic expenses are covered.
- Local newspapers or retail brands in the nearest big town can be a great resource for looking up services and providing you have a trial beforehand, this might be more convenient than taking an artist with you.
Whichever route you choose to hiring a make-up artist, the best way to choose the right professional is getting to know the person himself or herself. Email him or her to ask about the services. Artists who send back a friendly, courteous, prompt reply that is full of information are the only ones to take further. Call the person if a number is provided and make sure that you feel comfortable chatting with him or her on the phone, because after all he or she will be doing your make-up on your wedding day.
A good knowledge of products, allergy advice and skin type is also a must for make-up artists, as is an interest in current bridal make-up and hair fashions so that you can either follow or avoid these. Someone who can provide all of this will be a great help when planning your wedding look.
Shefali Choudhury - Writer and visual artist, Suite Beauty topic editor, Shefali spent 10 years in professional makeup artistry from beauty to blood ...
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