We all know that our wedding day is a day that we want to look our best. The key to that Is finding someone trustworthy and experienced that can transform your look with a sweep of a brush, or palette. When looking for someone to do my hair and make up for my wedding I looked all over the place. It was really important for me that they had a great portfolio and lots of lovely pictures of their clients. I eventually chose Michelle Walker for my hair and Victoria Taylor for my make up.
Today I’m here to share my experience meeting these lovely ladies for my respective bridal hair & makeup trials and the questions I asked and things I did to make sure they were successful! My sister very kindly agreed to be my model for these photos as I didn’t want to share my finished look in order to maintain the mystery!
Start gathering images of looks and styles you like
It’s important for your stylist and makeup artist to know exactly what you want. If you go in with a clear idea of what you are aiming for you are less likely to be disappointed. Vicki set up a Pinterest board for me to pin makeup looks that I was aiming for. Before I met Michelle I went through her Facebook page and selected images for styles that she had created previously that I liked.
Can your hair stylist help you put on your veil?
Part of my completed look involves a veil and immediately Michelle told me that she would make sure she was around until it was placed in my hair. She also told me she would give instructions to someone else on how to remove it from my hair so it didn’t ruin it in any way. Small things like this really make a difference as the veil completes the look so it’s important you get it right!
Where will the trial run take place?
Some stylists/artists work out of their homes when doing trials and others will travel to you. Make sure you ask them where the trial will be held so you know where to head on the day!
Will your hair stylist or makeup artist come to you on the wedding day?
Both Vicki and Michelle will travel to my wedding venue on the wedding day to help me get ready. But it’s important to ask your chosen stylist/makeup artist and if there is any extra cost involved to do so.
What about False Lashes?
I was soooo excited to have some false lashes applied as I am absolutely horrific at doing it myself. Vicki stocks loads of false lashes and she had a multitude to choose from in her kit. She applied them with ease and I was so happy with the result on myself! My sister opted to not have the false lashes to differentiate from my look but as you can see from above still looks fantastic.
What products do your makeup artist and hair stylist use?
You do get what you pay for when it comes to cosmetics and styling products. It was immediately obvious that both Vicki and Michelle carried a range of high quality products to ensure that we got the best results. Michelle stocked a range of hair products from a salon professional brand named Kenra. Vicki carried a large number of products from names like Bobbi Brown, MAC, Makeup Geek and more, she also uses Airbase as a foundation product.
Is your makeup artist happy if you use some of your own products?
I’m very particular about some of the products I use and I asked Vicki if she wouldn’t mind letting me apply my own concealer under my eyes once she had worked her magic on my lids. She was more than happy and completely accommodating with my requests. This really put me at ease.
Is your hairdresser able to use clip in extensions to help achieve your wedding hair style?
You would never know it just looking at my sisters hair, but Michelle used a number of extensions in order to create her side bun. This really helped to give the look some volume and it was colour matched perfectly to her hair colour. Michelle hires out her extensions as part of her wedding hair creations and brides simply have to post them back to her after the big day.
Should you wash your hair on the morning of the wedding day?
Michelle asked both of us to make sure we had washed our hair the night before the trial and blow dried it smooth. Straight hair can be slippery and more difficult to work with so make sure you ask your stylist how you should prep your hair before a trial.
If you have a huge bridal party will they be able to bring an assistant along on the day if needed?
Both ladies told me they have worked with huge bridal parties (think 10 in total!). So they are well versed in planning, turning up very early and also bringing along someone to help them do things like prep and so on.
What happens if they are ill on the wedding day?
Obviously no one wants to think about this scenario, but what happens if your chosen stylist/artist has an emergency on the day? Many hairstylists and makeup artists are part of emergency groups that allow them to post an SOS to others in the industry if they do run into a problem that prevents them from getting to you. But hopefully it should never come to that!
As a final note I wanted to say a big thanks to Michelle and Vicki. They were both really chatty and easy to get on with. I’d highly recommend them if you live in Essex and the surrounding areas. As you can see by the pictures of my sister we achieved absolutely fantastic results and cannot wait for the real deal in July!
