Orchid's Bridal Guide to Hair & Make-up Styling
Having perfect hair and makeup on your wedding day is just as important as choosing your dress and accessories and choosing a hair & make-up company who have the relevant experience & understanding of your specific needs will give you confidence and an assurance that you are going to look and feel amazing on your most special of days.
But where do you start …
Bridal magazines are the best place to start. We always recommend our brides to start cutting out any pictures which they see and like of hair styles and make-up looks. It is a great idea to start to narrow you choices as the bridal magazines show the styling with the models wearing a tiara, veil and other hair accessories which will be similar to the ones you have chosen or have in mind, so you will always find images which give you good ideas.
Choosing your stylists or bridal company
Orchid Indulgence only uses professional artists with many years of bridal experience as we feel that a stylist personality and understanding of what happens at on wedding morning is just as important as their talent as an artist. Our our artists are also experienced in both hair & make-up which avoids having too many people milling about on the wedding morning; which is mostly fun but can be quite stressful, These are all things to consider when making your choices. Think about how many of you will be in the bridal party; whoever you book must be able to get you all ready on time without a ridiculously early start (although this is not an issue for us). Orchid Indulgence have 7 artists in total so we are able to assign as many artists as are required for each wedding booking eliminating the concern about being ready on time and also means we have back-up stylists just in case of any emergencies.
The Trial
For the bride this is essential and really should be no less than 2 hours. At your trial a professional stylist will do a full consultation with you before she/he even starts to do any styling so that they can understand your expectations and requirements, so have a good think about your like and dislikes. They should also be aware of any allergies or skin complaints you may have, if you have serious issues with your skin many artists will use your own products if you wish them too, but all our artists carry hypoallergenic ranges.
A very important thing to consider is to have your hair accessories eg tiara and veil available for your trial (or you can borrow a sample from your bridal gown shop) as this will let you see how overall styling will look on the wedding day. Some people choose a tiara/veil which does not look ideal with the chosen hairstyle – so avoid having this dilemma on the wedding day by testing this out at your trial that way your artist will have plenty of time to tweak and get things perfect for you at your trial.
Some brides ask us is they should not avoid washing thier hair before their trial, we say do exactly what you will do on the morning of the wedding day - so if you’re washing you hair wash it! This really is not required with the syling products we have available to us so we recommend not to use any styling products, just wash, condition and roughly dry your hair off; your stylist should really be using products to assist texture and often heated rollers for volume, so do not panic!
Orchid recommend our brides to consider a trial 6 approx. weeks before the wedding date, but no-one should dictate this to you, it is your choice. So you book the trial for when you feel it right for you. Try to avoid choosing the day of your hen-do thinking what a good idea! as remember everyone will them see your style and it may not be the right look for a fun night out on the town!!!
HAIR
Up or Down?
It is a really good idea to look at those styles which will suit your face shape:
Ask yourself if you would you be comfortable with your hair pulled away from your face, if this is not a look you are used to wearing. If you do not think you will feel comfortable but you still want to have this type of style then consider a sweeping fringe for a very elegant look.
 
Another popular option is having a half up and half down style which is some hair up and some hair down. Or you can soften a look by leaving a soft curls around you face.
 
Curly Hair or Straight Hair?
Once you have decided to wear you hair up or down, there are many options to choose.
Curls are soft and romantic ...
 
Contemporary styles add a modern twist
 
Pleats, twists & variations on the traditional create instant glamour.
  
And then there is the traditional bridal up-do, always classic and always a favourite.   
Your Dress
Many of us go for a low-cut or off-the-shoulder bridal gown dress, so consider how confident you will feel if you also have your hair up with this look – elegant and beautiful but if you do not want to have the feel of that little bit of flesh exposed, then maybe consider wearing your hair down.
Veils & Accessories
Veils, like hair accessorises should compliment your hairstyle not hide it. Depending on the length of your veil eg floor-length veil, your hairstyle will need to be secure enough to hold the shape until you take the veil off. Depending again on your hair style some veils look better sat at the back of the head or worn over the hair. The usual rule of thumb is that the hair should not be worn longer than the veil, but again this is totally your choice.
 
 
MAKE-UP
If you do not usually wear make - then ask the artists for a ‘natural-look’ as she/he can always add more if you want more drama with your eyes etc! Don’t go for something dramatic which may scare you into thinking you have made a mistake. Professionally applied make-up will really make all the difference to your wedding photographs as you skin will look flawless. In addition, apart from the lipstick/gloss and a little blotting if you are prone to skin shine, you should really not have to touch anything else up, so you can be hassle free all day.
Do not forget your eye brows – if they not in good order then we highly recommend getting them shaped before your trial & wedding day (some artists can do this for you) and then a good artist will improve and perfect the natural shape when they are applying your make-up, trust us this can make a huge difference as your brows often shape your face.
 
 
Again, depending of who you choose to do your styling, some artist will work for certain make-up brands so will only use that range. Others, including Orchid may be commercial artists, so they do not use just one brand of make-up, their kits are immense and for the bridal work it tends to be top end high street brands such as MAC, Trish McEvoy, Liz Arden, Bobby Brown, EL, etc, as this is much better for a natural look and also enables you to go and buy any products which they use. Most artists should also carry hypoallergenic ranges and nowadays also mineral make-up.
Your Bridal Attendants
The same advice really applies for any of your attendants, Orchid does not insist upon trials, again is it a personal choice. Often if you have pictures and are aware of their styling requirements then you can chat with your artist at your trial so they have a good idea of all requirements and can estimate start time more accurately.
Enjoy your Day
To sum up whatever you choose you should reflect your personality, as Orchid says “It is important it is on your wedding day to look as special on the outside as you feel on the inside, but you still want to look like you - just even more beautiful!”
To download this article, click Brides Guide to Hair Make up Styling
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