Makeup & Hair Style Tips
How you look on your wedding day will be the single most important thing people will remember. Photographs and videos will document your glory and bring pride when walking down memory lane. Plan your hairstyle and makeup ahead of time and you will look simply radiant.
Before Your Special Day
Getting plenty of beauty sleep is the secret to not only how you will look on your wedding day, but how you will feel. This doesn't mean just the night before you get married -- it means the entire week.
While planning on beauty rest and getting your beauty rest are two different things, make it a priority to get a full night's sleep, every night. Keep any daytime naps to a minimum so they don't interfere with your ability to get that nighttime shut-eye.
Pamper yourself every night with a warm bubble bath before bed. Get out the candles and wine if necessary to set a relaxing atmosphere. Turn on the answering machine to field phone calls and ask family members not to be disturbed.
Your mind may be racing, so keep a notepad on your nightstand so you can jot down ideas and to-dos, so it won't keep you awake at night. Just knowing you won't forget the small stuff will give you piece of mind.
Eat healthy and choose your foods carefully in the days leading up to your wedding. Avoid any foods known to cause bloating and gas. Now is not the time for a crash diet. Just be sensible and you won't sacrifice your health over a couple of extra pounds.
Makeup Tips
You're going to want to look beautiful, so take into consideration if your wedding is scheduled for a day or night event. If your wedding takes place in the daytime hours, your make up should look natural. When the night falls and the party begins, touch up your make up with darker shades if you like.
- Consider having your makeup applied by a professional. Schedule a trial run.
- Exfoliate your skin and follow up with a toner.
- Your foundation should blend in with your skin tone. Blend it into your neck to avoid embarrassing lines.
- Neutral tones are the best for daytime.
- Use an eyelash curler to make your lashes appear longer.
- Waterproof mascara and eyeliner is a must! Brown/black will flatter both blondes and brunettes.
- To prevent clumping, don't use old mascara.
- Avoid a shiny face. Powder your face with loose translucent powder after you apply your foundation. Take along pressed powder for touch ups. This is especially important for your wedding photographs.
- Stay away from crème eye shadow. You need some staying power, so stick with powder.
- Apply lip liner under matte lipstick.
- Keep your foundation light to avoid any streaking and check it outdoors or in bright light when you're finished.
Generally, if you need a trim, one week before your wedding is sufficient. If you're going for a hair cut or total change, try this two to three weeks before your wedding so you have time to adjust.
If you're planning on wearing large earrings, take them along too. They may look completely different with your hairstyle and headpiece than what you imagined. Make all appointments well in advance so there are no unwelcome surprises.
- Your hair will probably be exposed to the weather more than usual. Use a conditioner or hot oil treatment to prevent frizz.
- Always carry a comb and pocket-sized can of hairspray with you or have your personal attendant carry it for you.
- Stay out of the wind as much as possible.
- Have extra bobby pins on hand for emergencies.
- When you get your final trim or haircut, get your eyebrows shaped. Have them touched up when you get your hair styled for your wedding.
- Don't forget your bridesmaids. Let their styles compliment your own.
- Remind the groomsmen and ushers to get in for routine hair cuts the week of the wedding.
Bridesmaid Dress Colors
Here are some thoughts on choosing a color for your bridesmaid dresses.
Black. Black gowns are most appropriate for an elegant evening ceremony. However, black can be made a bit more casual if you go with a shorter dress or by combining it with white or another light color. This color looks good on most women and is slimming, and black bridesmaid gowns usually are easy to recycle for a later formal occasion. In some people's minds, though, black just isn't "wedding" enough because it is associated with mourning and sexuality.
Red. Red is a bold color choice. Like black, it tends to work best for the elegant evening wedding, but can be toned down if the dress is shorter or contains other colors. To avoid the 'fire engine" effect, choose a shade that's a little muted, and to tone down the sexual connotations of this color, choose a modest dress. Red often looks best on women with olive or brown skin, and sometimes makes blondes and redheads look pale.
Pink. Pink signifies innocence and youthful femininity. It's a good choice for a springtime, outdoor wedding, but might not be appropriate for older bridesmaids. A more sophisticated choice is rum pink, which is feminine and pretty without looking too prom-like. You can also tone down the prom look by keeping the dress simple, without frilly bows and poofy stuff.
Navy blue or royal blue. Dark shades of blue can be a good alternative to black. They're sophisticated, slimming, and look good on most women, but don't have that mourning connotation. Dark shades of blue work well with older bridesmaids. If you choose royal blue, don't pick too bright of a shade, because that screams bad '80s prom dress. If you choose navy, try not to go too dark or else the dresses might clash with the tuxes.
Maroon and hunter green. Along with navy blue, maroon and hunter green are clean, vivid, "preppy" colors. They're dark and colorful without being too overpowering. Green is hard for some women to pull off, especially if you choose a brighter kelly green.
Purple. Purple can be a good alternative to red. It's bold and colorful, but doesn't come with red's sexual connotations. Like red, purple can make a woman with pale skin look paler, but it can also complement yellowish skin tones. Choose shades carefully, as some can be pretty tacky. Purple doesn't always look good on heavier bridesmaids.
Pale blue, pale green, pale yellow, or lavender. These pastel shades are nice alternatives to pink that aren't quite so girly. These shades typically work best for daytime weddings during spring or summer, and don't always look so good on older bridesmaids. If you go with pastels, minimize the prom look by avoiding frilly bows and big skirts.
Orange. Orange is in vogue, especially subtle shades of peach and coral. Not everyone can pull off orange, though, especially darker and brighter shades. Bright orange tends to look better on women with dark skin.
