Olsen-Media reached out to a great makeup artist who we have worked with and she was kind enough to offer writing up a blog for us!  Thank you Jacquelyn for your contribution to this series!  This is a very good read by someone who has worked with many brides and has been one herself! 

For all of the cultural noise and opinion surrounding marriage, relationships and weddings, there’s still nothing quite like getting engaged and planning a wedding celebration.  Whether you and your partner had a spontaneous engagement in the middle of a music festival with no jewelry (true of two of my best friends!) or an elaborate proposal with props and cinematography and an engagement ring, the moment you say “yes” to spending your life with your partner, everything shifts a little bit.

As a professional makeup artist who has worked many weddings, I have gathered up tips, tricks, and advice from my wedding clients that I not only incorporated into my own wedding, but try to pass on to present and future bridal makeup clients, as well.  And for all of the magic and shifting of your life I just mentioned, tip number one is:

TIP I.  Don’t take yourself too seriously!  It’s just a wedding.  This person will be your spouse for the rest of your life, but they are also a perfectly normal human being who will clog the shower drain and forget your dad’s birthday and swear obscenely at slow drivers and bring most of your dishes to their workplace and then forget them there over the weekend, (and yes, those are all things I’ve done to my husband – sorry, babe!).  Life is important, but it’s also just life!  The same holds true for your wedding. 

TIP II.  Keep everything in writing!  One of the best things we did (and I love when my bridal makeup clients do this, too) was creating a separate wedding email account for communication with our vendors.  We also used Google Drive for everything; guest list, itineraries, menus and invitations drafts, our photo lists, everything!  This worked well because we were able to each have access to all of the information at all times, and we were also able to share (select) documents with our parents.  Which brings me to…

TIP III.  Picking your battles.  Here’s something my husband and I forgot: while the two of us had clear pictures in our heads of what we wanted our wedding to look like, each of our parents also had pictures in THEIR heads of what our wedding was going to look like.  I don’t think they themselves had even realized what they’d been assuming until suddenly a decision was made that went against that assumption!  Some of the stuff was small, and some was bigger – pick those battles wisely, and let the small stuff go!

TIP IV.  Early in the planning process, be sure to identify 2-4 other “key stakeholders” (usually parents, but they don’t have to be) who you and your partner decide will have any kind of bearing on your decision-making, and then decide that everyone else is just gravy.  This can be harder than it sounds!!  It meant that we kept our parents’ opinions in mind with almost all decisions, but had to let go of most of the opinions of siblings, members of our wedding party, random relatives, and everyone else.  Obviously, we tried to respect the wishes of as many loved ones as possible – but for major decisions, keep your “influencers” to those 2-4 people. (This is a great way to live life, too!) 

TIP V.  Have the budget conversation early.  It can feel weird to jump into a money talk right away, but depending on how much time you give yourselves to plan, decision-making has to happen pretty quickly!  Knowing exactly where you stand in terms of your total budget and who’s paying for what makes those decisions so much easier. 

TIP VI.  Take time to research your vendors.  I was so addicted to checking items off our to-do lists that I didn’t really look at things like past work and client reviews, and man, that came back around to bite us with our photos and video!  Read more than two or three reviews, and go through people’s photo galleries.  Take advantage of things like free consultations or trials.  The wedding industry is full of vendors, and many of them are amazing; find ones that feel like they “fit!” 

TIP VII.  Hire beauty professionals!  I know, I’m biased – but hair and makeup professionals can do SO much for your wedding.  It takes all of the stress and responsibility off of you and your wedding party, ensures that everything will last, and is a beautiful way to celebrate. Having a few hours to relax, drink mimosas, and let professionals pamper you and your loved ones as a start to your wedding day is so special – and if there was ever going to be a time to have your hair and makeup professionally styled, your wedding day would be it! 

Most importantly, keep your focus on your partner. It’s said repeatedly, but your marriage is so much more important than your wedding! Go with your gut, ask for help when you need it, and remember that this whole shebang is just one day. And hire Olsen Media for your photo and video!! 

Thank you for reading and be sure to check out Jacquelyn's website by clicking on the link below!

BeautybyJacquelyn.com

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