An Irish wedding ceremony is no different to anywhere else in the world in that the focus is always on the bride, and rightly so; it’s most likely the day you’ve been waiting for your entire life! As little girls, we grow up dreaming of that special day our handsome prince will sweep us off our feet to live happily ever after.. and all that!
Having lived through a couple of decades of life, we learn that life ain’t always such a fairytale but there’s nothing stopping that one big day – your wedding day – being everything you’ve ever dreamed of. Hopefully, this wedding beauty guide will help ensure that you look and feel every bit as fabulous as you’ve pictured in your mind’s eye since childhood, so site back, relax and please take heed of the advice on offer and you’ll be simply stunning come your wedding day!
It goes without saying that you’ll be dressed magnificently and this isn’t about the fashion or apparel side to your wedding look, we’ll leave that to the bridalwear experts; this is all about getting the most from your skin’s natural, radiant beauty with the help of some tried and trusted bridal beauty techniques.
Sometimes a stray smartphone or camera may capture some pale, unattractive or unflattering pictures of you and that can be an issue for some image-conscious modern brides. If that worries you a lot, then you have to start preparing early. You have to think about the perfect bridal look which will suit you best and then work on it.
Since this is your special day, you deserve to look magnificent and gorgeous. Since you are going to be the primary focus of everyone, you will feel more comfortable if you have done a dress rehearsal before. As the old saying goes, practice makes perfect, so it pays to give your wedding look a trial run rather than leaving anything to chance on the big day, bar the ‘wonderful’ Irish weather – we can’t control that unfortunately, sorry!
Embarking on the journey to achieve flawless bridal beauty is an exciting and transformative process that begins with meticulous preparation. As brides-to-be eagerly anticipate their wedding day, the significance of radiating beauty becomes paramount. In this ultimate wedding beauty guide, we delve into the essential steps and expert tips to ensure that every bride looks and feels absolutely stunning on her special day. From skincare routines tailored to individual needs to makeup techniques that enhance natural features, this comprehensive guide is a roadmap to achieving bridal perfection. Let the transformative journey towards radiant and flawless bridal beauty commence with the right preparations and expert guidance.
So lets’ get down to basics with a run-through of some of the key things to note as you begin the process of selecting styles, colours and textures that’ll ensure achieve your desired wedding look.
With marriage rates back at boom-time levels in Ireland, there’s a pretty good chance you landed on this piece in fervent search of a plan for your own upcoming wedding; if that’s the case, you’re in safe hands as we’ve got a whole host of wedding beauty tips and advice for the excited soon-to-be-wifey!
Since your wedding day (hopefully!) only comes once in a lifetime, it is going to be a very memorable day for all involved, but particularly for the stunning bride and the handsome groom! As it’s every bride’s dream day, it’s our job as beauty specialists to ensure you look absolutely stunning. When you see the photos later on, you must feel that your beauty has been perfectly captured. Hence, since so many photos are going to be taken that day, makeup is very important to enhance all your features. And since this is a special occasion, makeup application will be different than that of normal days.
Ideally, on your wedding day, you should always go for heavy makeup. It may sound like a bit too much initially. But when you see the photos later on, you will be glad that you decided to apply heavy makeup. And if you go for light or normal makeup, there is a high chance that you may look washed out, especially in the photos.
Before your special day, you should do several trial makeup sessions to find out what suits you the best. You can visit the makeup counter at any departmental store and talk with the makeup artists or visit a specialist beauty salon like our own here in Deansgrange. Most makeup artists are usually very helpful and will be more than happy to help you out, they will suggest you what goes best with your hair and complexion and how to enhance your best features. If you like their suggestion and you think they will be able to help you, then you can consider hiring them for your wedding; it is very important to select a makeup artist whom you can trust completely.
And even if you decide not to hire a makeup artist, you can still use the advice which you have received from the makeup experts; you will definitely get an idea regarding what products to use. After planning for some time, select all the products which you want to use for your wedding day. Start practicing early, so that there is no trouble on your wedding day.
If you want to style yourself, then you should spend on a good foundation. Selecting the right foundation is extremely important to get that radiant, glowing skin. Since most women generally prefer to wear white at the day of the wedding, the last thing which you will want is your makeup rubbing off throughout the day.
You should always apply makeup which suits flash photography best. Having a strong foundation will give you a very natural and beautiful look. You can also put on some bronzing powder on your cheeks, neck and your forehead. And if you have a very pale skin, then you can apply a very light dusting around your chest region and your neck to have a more even skin tone. However, you should avoid heavily pressed powders, because they can make the skin look very unhealthy and dull. Before applying makeup, you can also use a gel primer for better results.
Whether you’re opting for a pro or going it alone (or still undecided!), simply follow these vital wedding day beauty tips to get that perfect bridal look. If you manage to look great having followed any of our tips, we’d love to see the pictures later on and you will have happy memories of your wedding day!
Importantly, you should note that your lip liner should complement your choice of eye makeup. If you want to go for a very heavy eye makeup, then a light shade of lipstick will look best. Similarly, if you want to use a darker shade of lipstick, then the eye makeup should be on the lighter side. Apart from the face, you should also apply foundation on the other exposed parts of your body as well like neck, ears and back. Otherwise, the entire look will look very artificial.
Also, you should select a fragrance which you use regularly or begin introducing it a couple of weeks in advance to ensure you’re happy with the scent that you’ll inevitably associate with your big day forever more; it’s a bit risky to experiment with new fragrances on your wedding day!
On the topic of facial makeup, the colour of the foundation should also match the exact colour of your skin tone. While applying the foundation, you should also use a brush. After you are done applying the foundation, you should next focus on your eye makeup. Instead of using a pencil for your eyebrows, you can use a slanted brush as well to control the contour. In the case of eyes, you can go for light makeup or heavy makeup, depending which suits your desired natural look best.
You can apply one layer of mascara or two, depending on the kind of style you want. If you want to apply two layers of mascara, then we always recommend you maintain a brief, 20-second interval between applications in order to avoid smudging.
Wedding ceremonies and the emotional afters usually last all day and long into the night and it’s quite conceivable that you may, at some point, accidentally rub your eyes, especially once the tear-jerking speeches are rolled out! Hence, the makeup which you are going to use on your wedding day should also be smudge proof.
Moving on to the all-important lip makeup, the shade of your lips as you kiss your way into a long and prosperous future as a wife with a simple ‘I do’, you have loads of great options to choose from. You can opt for warm colours like orange or yellow which are increasingly popular during Summer weddings but shades of red, pink and chocolaty suit many Irish brides and are by far and away the most common choices.
You could also go for darker shades like brown or purple. If you’re looking for a more subtle look, then you have to select a light shade like gold or cream, and then you should use an airbrush to apply it for the ultimate in subtle lip perfection.
As experts in the field beautifying Irish brides and their extended wedding parties, we’ve learnt a couple of things over the years working on a range of fabulous wedding congregations up and down the country from large country manors to smaller, family affairs in all kinds of weather conditions, often with four seasons in one day! Fingers crossed the rain doesn’t fall on your big day, but of course, it’s better to be safe than sorry and to factor in worst case scenarios when it comes to our lovely Irish climate and its wondrous unpredictability!
On the day of your wedding, it’s always safe to apply waterproof makeup and unless you’re 100% certain that the rain is at bay for the day, we always recommend it, plus, tears are wet too! It’s likely going to be a very hectic and highly emotional day and there is a high chance that your makeup won’t look fresh towards the end of the ceremony. Hence, it is always advisable to go for waterproof eyeliner and mascara. Otherwise, when you get the pictures of the wedding later on, it will appear as if you were crying even if they were tears of joy! Waterproof makeup may be that slight bit more expensive it they can save you from a whole lot of potential embarrassment and smudginess!
You may feel a little uncomfortable at the thought of wearing fake eyelashes on your big day. However, it actually works a charm and it’s something we’ve come to specialise in here at Araya Beauty. Since it is your wedding day, you will obviously want to look extremely beautiful and gorgeous. At the same time, the beauty should look natural as well. Eyelashes are probably one of the most effective ways to enhance your eyes, the gateways to your very soul!
There are a wide variety of different kinds of eyelash styles and extensions to choose from. For dramatic eyes, you can go for the full strip ones. And if you want to opt for a more natural look, you should select the individual lashes. Whether you’re into mink, cashmere, silk or Russian volume lashes, there’s something for everyone and we’d be more than happy to help advise you on what works best for your desired wedding look.
Every makeup artist will give you the option of taking a makeup trial to make sure that everything is perfect rather than leaving anything to chance on your big day. Ideally, you should go for the trial makeup during your hen night, in the comfort and great company of all your girlies! Think of it as a ‘dress rehearsal’, with lots more bubbly!
Taking this opportunity to give your wedding look a trial will give you an idea how your makeup looks in person and also how it looks in photos. You will also get an idea whether the makeup will last the entire day or not. Once you see the photos of your big night out, you can then decide whether you want to hire that makeup artist or not, or whether you need any changes or other requests. You can, of course, also decide to style yourself if you want and you feel up to the task!
Many people will suggest not to get a tan before your wedding ceremony, because they believe that it will turn you orange! However, that is not completely true these days and there are ways to mimimise the risk of any such nightmare scenarios! There are many tanning solutions which won’t change the complexion of your skin.
As such, we recommend that you can certainly go for a fake tan if you want, and we’re big advocates of tanning when done right. However, before opting for a fake tan to complete your wedding look. you should consider these three things:
During your pre-wedding styling sessions, you should, at all times, be absolutely honest with both your hair specialist and makeup artist. If you don’t like something, then you should mention it clearly. They will not mind, because it is their job to make you look and feel the way you want, and that’s what you’re paying for.
If you’re honest and up-front in your concerns and motivations, it will also be much easier for them and you will be able to get the exact final result which you are looking for. This, in turn, will enhance their own reputation as reliable, trustworthy practitioners, so honest and an open, fluid line of communication really is a win-win scenario in everyone’s best interests!
As I’m sure you know by now if you’re still reading, your wedding day will be one of the most memorable and important days of your life. Hence, it is always advisable to invest wisely in outsourcing some of the stress associated with wedding preparations and hire a makeup artist. The photos of your wedding ceremony will stay with you forever, so you have to look stunning!
We’re conscious of the fact that weddings can be insanely expensive affairs, with the average Irish couple spending almost €25k on their big day, according to a recent survey conducted by WeddingsOnline.ie. So, in case you are working on a tight budget, you can visit the makeup counter at any local snazzy department store such as Brown Thomas or Harvey Nichols and request them to give you a sample bridal makeup taster session. You can also ask them for suggestions regarding what products you should use and you could opt to do it yourself. But with so many decent options on the market nowadays, it would be wise to let a pro handle it if you’re in anyway feeling nervous about the final outcome.
Despite the recommendation in our previous tip to hire a pro, the wedding day itself is going to be a very long and hectic day and many brides-to-be don’t opt retain the services of a beautician beyond the point of jumping in the motorcade on the morning of their big day. If you are indeed ‘on your own’ from a makeup standpoint from this point onwards, it’s best to come prepared!
Throughout the day, you will have to apply several touches of makeup to make sure that you are looking perfect. Hence, having a makeup bag is a great idea! Ask your makeup specialist about the products which they have used for your makeup, so that you can buy them and keep them with you. And if they have used their own products, then request them to give something for your wedding day as well; if you don’t ask, you don’t get!
In order to make sure that your makeup lasts long and looks great in your wedding pictures, you should always opt for HD-quality makeup. You can use an Airbrush, because the quality is great and lasts for around 18 hours. You should always go for a high quality primer and we recommend MAC, which is by far and away the most popular brand among Irish brides.
Nowadays, pretty much all Irish wedding photographers use 4k, ultra HD cameras and pretty much all attendees will have mexapixels aplenty in their pockets in the form of the latest iPhone or Android devices so so you’d ideally want to make sure that your makeup looks great for these high-tech cameras! If you are unable to find someone who airbrushes or if they can’t be on hand for your big day in reality, we’d be more than happy to supply you with an appropriate HD quality foundation which we can ensure you will stand the test of time and look good on any canvas or indeed social media profile for many years to come!
This may not sound like a great tip, but shaping your eyebrows can make a huge difference and as Phibrows microblading, threading and shaping experts here at Araya Beauty, it’s something we can’t recommend highly enough. A well-defined, neatly-crafted set of brows can help make you look like a completely different person!
If you’ve never had your eyebrows shaped before, you should visit an expert around 3 months before your wedding to ensure you’re familiar with the process in full. So that in case you don’t like it, there is sufficient time for the eyebrows to grow back. And in the highly likely case you do like it, then keep on visiting that same expert right up until just before your wedding day!
After you are done with the wedding day, you’ll rightly be swept away in the happy emotions of the occasion and you’ll be forever grateful to your bridesmaids, flower girls and all who helped make you shine on your big day. You should always be thankful to all those who made you look and feel so good, like your hair stylist and your makeup artist, as your satisfaction is what makes them tick, professionally-speaking!
Those in the bridal beauty and wellness trade full time will oftentimes ask their clients for permission to use some of their stunning new wedding photos so that they can update their portfolio.
Hence, as soon as you get your hands on those cherished photos of your wedding, make sure to send some shots to your beautician; it will help them a lot and help others enjoy the great service you’ve encountered as they embark on the same exciting journey to wedding beauty bliss!
Here are seven things which we recommend you must do before and during your wedding day to ensure you’re on top of your game!
You are going to hire a professional for the decorations and food arrangements. Hence, there is no reason why you shouldn’t hire one for your hair and makeup as well. You may be great at applying makeup in your regular, everyday life, but wedding day is a completely different situation.
You will already have so many thoughts running across your mind. You won’t have the time to worry about what gel or liquid to use. Hence, it is best to leave those things to a professional. Apart from that, makeup artists also use professional grade products which looks excellent on photos.
Go for a series of makeup trials in the months preceding your wedding wedding so that there is enough time to make any changes if you need.
Carry lots of pictures with you when you visit your wedding beauty artist. Your stylist will probably not know you from before. Hence, they will have to look at your pictures and find out what suits you the best. In case you prefer a specific style, you should mention that to the stylist.
While going for the makeup trial, it is also a great idea to wear a robe similar to the colour of the wedding gown which you are going to select. Apart from being comfortable, you will also get an idea as to how your makeup and your hair is going to look against the wedding gown which you have selected.
As mentioned earlier, you should communicate freely with your makeup artist. Don’t hesitate to tell them if you don’t like their style. It doesn’t take a lot of time to change styles. And they also want you to be happy at your big day.
After you are done with the makeup trial, take some photos of the final look. You may wish to change some specific things, like your hairstyle later on. In case of any such changes, you should communicate it instantly to the makeup artist.
It is always a great idea to stay in regular contact with your makeup artist. Give them all the necessary details, like the wedding venue and the time of the wedding, so that everything runs smoothly and as per plan.
And here are five things which we reckon you should definitely avoid when it comes to your wedding stylebook!
In case you’re suffering from a skin condition like acne, it’s important to get it checked before undergoing any kind of cosmetic or non-invasive aesthetic treatments. If you wait till the last minute, then the condition may aggravate and there may not be enough time to recover fully in time for your wedding. Even if you have no skin issues, you should still follow a skincare routine to avoid any problem.
It is advisable not to wax at the day of your wedding. In order to avoid red skin, schedule hair removal a week prior to the wedding. In case there are some stray hairs, your stylist can remove them painlessly the day before your wedding. We offer extensive forms of waxing here at Araya Beauty and it’s hugely popular among our clientele but we still feel that laser is the forward when it comes to quick n’ easy wedding day hair removal!
You shouldn’t try anything overtly fancy at the day of the wedding. Always try to have that natural, elegant look where possibly and try to resist the temptation of being over-indulgent in your appearance on the big day.
In the case of lipsticks, pink is the perfect colour in our balanced view. You should avoid the red colour unless it is a part of your everyday look. Red lipstick doesn’t look great on photographs and you also have to apply several touches throughout the day.
Slightly converse to our previous point, but aside from the general guideline of ‘don’t overdo it’, you should always dress and do as per your own wish. There will be plenty of people with various suggestions regarding what to wear and what products to use. Following sound advice is alright, however, don’t feel compelled to follow the suggestion of someone else. You are your own woman and you should have complete trust in your own styling sense.
Before your wedding, it is advisable not to experiment too much with the colour or the length of your hair. You can also keep your hair long, so that the hair stylist can try out several styles. If you want to get a trim, then tell your stylist that your wedding day is near, so that they do not do anything drastic. And if you want to colour your hair, then go for a colour which you have tried before. It will be very risky to experiment with new colours before your wedding.
On the topic of hairdressing, obviously, we’re not a hair studio here at Araya Beauty, but the kind folk at Touch of Colour downstairs will be more than happy to assist you in achieving the look you need! Whoever you opt for on the hair front, you should plan it around 4 months before your wedding ceremony. Be sure to bring pictures of some of the bridal hairstyles which you like most.
Your hairstylist can go through the pictures with you and decide which one suits you the best; pictures are a must in order to avoid misunderstandings and potential meltdowns, seriously! You can also ask your stylist to show some bridal hair makeups which they have done before; any decent professional will have a portfolio of happy, stunning brides they can share with you to help put your mind at ease.
We’ve covered a lot of do’s, don’ts and somewhere-in-betweens to help you make an informed decision on what’s best for you and your very own upcoming wedding and we sincerely hope it’s been of some benefit to you along the way. Here’s a couple of final pointer which we feel are worth mentioning as they help complete what we hope has been a thoroughly comprehensive guide around what to expect when you’re preparing for the most special occasion in your life!
There are an increasing number of Irish girls who try to follow the style of their favourite celebrities, and that’s fine in our book, provided it’s tasteful and done right, there have been a few cringey attempts witnessed in recent times, we must admit! There is nothing wrong in taking inspiration from someone, but you have to remember that some styles may not suit everyone. If you end up blindly copying the style of someone else, you may not look great. Hence, you have to select a style which enhances your features.
It is said that your eyes are the first thing which everyone will notice on your wedding day. As such, you have to focus a lot not just on eye makeup but on the surrounding lash and brow areas. To start with, you should not apply too much mascara because it can ruin your look completely. Just one coat of mascara will be good enough. Allow it to dry completely and then shape them up properly with the help of an eyelash curler. If you wish, you can apply another coat of mascara later on. We cover lashes and brows in more detail above and on our dedicated treatments page but it’s seriously worth speaking to an eye care expert to help finalise your wedding appearance.
It may not be possible for you alone to get that perfect bridal look you’ve been seeking. You can take the help of experts in that case. Here at Araya Beauty, we’re extremely lucky to have a team of highly qualified experts, who can provide you with some great bridal tips and tricks of the trade.
Bridal consultations are regularly provided by our experts. You don’t need to worry about anything, you’re in safe hands with a qualified beauty specialist and we’d simply love to learn how we can help you meet your desired look!
If you like what you’ve read here today and would like to come in for a chat about how we can help you achieve your desired wedding style, please feel free to view our bespoke bespoke range of bridal pampering packages or give us a call or drop us a mail at any stage to book an appointment which will transform your bridal elegance forever!
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