Pandemic Bride Chronicles Part Five: You Deserve the Glam

Despite my best efforts, I have never quite gotten a handle on my hair or makeup without a lot of assistance. Typically, my daily routine consists of Chapstick, quality lotion, and taking extra time in the shower if I am feeling like I want to dress up. Which is why the thought of wedding hair and makeup felt overwhelming. I am fortunate that my hairstylist Alisa Brown and I have been figuring out my hair for over a year and my makeup artist Jocelyn (Jossy) Chia has the patience of Job. Jossy lets me drink coffee when she is doing my makeup and, yes, she knows how to handle when I inevitably tear up, do not hydrate like she asked, or look down when she says up. They are my trusted team. As I get ready for glam on my wedding day, I have three questions you should ask yourself and three proactive action steps:

1.   How do I want to look on my wedding day? For me, I decided I wanted a natural look because, while I experiment when doing other shoots, I am most comfortable with a minimalist look and, frankly, that version of me is what my future husband loves. However, regardless of your look, I highly recommend that you have a trial run with your hair and makeup professional so that you are not surprised the day-of.

2.   What hair styles am I comfortable with? My favorite thing about my hair is that I do not have to do it. In thinking about my wedding day, I knew I wanted to wear my natural hair which is healthy and long. This is a great opportunity to discuss with your hairstylist their process and if you are comfortable with the products they are using, added hair, etc. I cannot stress enough that you should ask a lot of questions in advance so that the day-of feels easy.

3.   How long do I want hair and makeup support? In thinking through my day, I realize that I need additional support between ceremony and veil because of my chosen headpiece, which is why I have asked both professionals to stay a bit longer. Yet, I imagine every bride/groom should consider this same question because amid wardrobe changes you may need to be freshened up. Is it a splurge? Yes. But are you worth it? Absolutely.

And here are three steps I highly recommend you take:

1.   Proactively find pictures of your ideal hair and makeup. I found this to be an extremely useful exercise in having a conversation with my makeup and hair professionals because they gave me great insight I had not considered when pulling my random celebrity picks.

2.  Months in advance of your day make sure your hydration routine is stellar. I dislike water but the truth is that makeup application looks better on hydrated skin and doing it a week in advance is not enough. I have dramatically increased my hydration routine for months now and can see the difference.

3. Review your wedding schedule with your planner and discuss where might you need a touch up and how that will be managed if you decide not to keep your professionals onsite. Your wedding planner should keep you abreast of your entire day-of schedule so that you have a clear understanding of what is happening and when. Specifically, when it comes to your hair and makeup expect to allocate more time because for this occasion, they should really take their time.

As I get ready to walk down the aisle, I am confident that I will look like myself with a few wedding day enhancements. Ultimately, I think that is the goal for any bride to feel her best on her wedding day because this moment will be captured and treasured for years to come. Bottom line: You Deserve The Glam.

p.s. Don’t forget to follow along with our journey via IG @belajoyful.