Makeup Artist | Cleveland, OH | Makeup by Merideth - Blog

3 Details to Consider Before Creating Your Wedding Morning Timeline

11/8/2020

Almost every wedding vendor you'll meet with will have questions about your timeline.

SO many details hinge on your wedding day schedule.

But where do you start?! How do know how much time to plan for each section of your day?

While I'm no wedding planner, after servicing 300+ weddings, I’ve seen plenty of morning wedding schedules that create unnecessary stress, and the ones that build in time for intentional relaxation.

First thing's first: I strongly recommend hiring a wedding coordinator. A great coordinator makes all the difference on your wedding day. They reduce your stress, ease your decision-making, and have the experience to finesse your budget in creative ways. They're worth every penny to ensure you and your family can relax without worrying about keeping your schedule on track.

Here are 3 questions to ask yourself while creating your morning timeline:

1. WILL HAIR & MAKEUP TRAVEL ON-LOCATION?

If you're worried about a narrow getting-ready timeframe, or just want your morning to be as relaxed as possible, I strongly recommend hiring beauty pros who offer on-location services. If possible, you don't want to waste any time traveling back-and-forth to a salon.

Pro Tip: Make sure both your hair and makeup pros can travel on-location, so each professional has the ability to rotate clients (i.e. after Bridesmaid 1 is finished with makeup, she'll get her hair done, and the process repeats for each person).
I cannot overstate how much time this saves on your wedding day.

APPOINTMENT TIMES VS. THE "CLIENT ROTATION" METHOD

The "client rotation" method takes place at nearly every wedding I service, and for good reason -- it ensures that no one is waiting around for their pre-set "appointment time" and keeps things moving at a smooth and steady pace.

For my organized / Type-A brides...try to resist the urge to assign specific appointment times to each person in your wedding party. Speaking from experience, this type of structure is very unforgiving, rarely works the way you think it will, and actually ends up causing delays.

Ask your beauty team how much time they'll need (per person per service), and you can work out your getting-ready start & end times from there. You'll still have the perfect amount of time to get ready, but without the stress!

2. HOW LARGE IS YOUR WEDDING PARTY?

It's no surprise that the more people you have in your wedding party, the more time you'll need to set aside to get ready.

DETERMINE YOUR "HARD STOP" TIME FOR SERVICES

Once your beauty pros have your final head count, it's essential to let them know when your "hard stop" time is for all beauty services. If you're not sure, ask your photographer! It's crucial that this time is communicated to your beauty team so your schedule doesn't run behind.

One note to consider: if your ceremony is at noon, and you have a 8-person bridal party, get ready for an early morning start-time. Bonus: you'll just be sitting the whole time, so very little effort is involved! ;)

3. WILL YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN LOCATIONS?

Consider the location(s) where your wedding day events will take place (getting ready space, morning portrait locations, ceremony, etc). If everything takes place in one central location, you'll generally have more timing flexibility than if transportation is required between multiple areas.

ALWAYS ADD CUSHION TIME

If several locations are involved, make sure your timeline allows some cushion for the unpredictability of traffic, and the unspoken “chaos factor” involved when moving large numbers of people (aka, your wedding party and guests) from place to place.

Happy people tend to move just a little bit slower (and wedding parties are some of the happiest people around)! It's beautifully joyful chaos, but can be a source of stress if not planned correctly.

xo,
Merideth

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How to Prepare for Your Bridal Makeup Consultation

6/18/2020

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Congratulations!

We are so thrilled and honored you've chosen Makeup by Merideth to be a part of your special day! This blog post is dedicated to properly prep you in advance so that you have a successful wedding makeup trial with us.

Here are our 5 tips for how to prepare for your wedding makeup consultation:

1. Gather Inspiration

There's so much inspiration online for your bridal look, so start gathering your top favorite looks on Pinterest. Even if you can’t find the exact makeup style you are envisioning, a collection of images will give your artist a ‘feel’ of the look you’re going for. Feel free to screenshot our latest work from Instagram, or take a look at our wedding makeup inspiration boards here.

2. Communicate Your Look Like a Pro

While your artist will ask you a series of questions during your appointment to nail down your vision, we recommend asking yourself a few questions to get a true understanding of what you want:

- How much makeup do you wear on a daily basis?
You might wear minimal makeup, a full face of makeup, or none at all. There's no "wrong" answer, but making your artist aware of your comfortability level with makeup will ensure that you absolutely love your look. Even if you're willing to "take it up a notch" on your wedding day, communicating how much makeup you're comfortable wearing on a daily basis will give your artist an educated starting point.

- What time of day are you getting married? Is your venue space light and airy, or dark and dimly-lit?
As a general rule, you can get away with deeper, more defining shades in candlelight and during evening ceremonies, whereas bright, daytime weddings often pair well with more natural and subdued makeup.

- What style is your wedding dress?
Is it young and romantic? Glam and structured? Is there detail around the neckline? A low-cut back? You may want to show off your décolletage, highlight your collarbones, or have us airbrush away those pesky back blemishes. Sharing these details will help us guide you toward your dream look.

- What shades and tones do you prefer on your eyes?
Warm tones, cool tones, browns, purples, grays? Share your likes and dislikes. If you're unsure what suits you best, that's ok too! We're happy to recommend a color story that perfectly compliments your eye color and skin tone.

- Are you ok with doing your own lip touch-ups throughout the night?
If not, we may not suggest a bold lip color (they require more high-maintenance touch-ups), or recommend that your Maid-of-Honor be in charge of reminding you when touch-ups are needed.

If you love the idea of changing up your makeup look before you enter your reception (our brides often request smokier looks for evening), we offer pro touch-up services so you never have to open a compact mirror or worry about your look. Touch-up services are also ideal for longer ceremonies and multi-day events so every picture looks picture-perfect.

3. How to Arrive to Your Appointment

SKINCARE:

We suggest arriving to your appointment with clean skin, free of residual face & eye makeup. Each appointment begins with ultra-pampering luxury skin prep, gentle facial exfoliation, and lip moisturizing. A week or two prior to your appointment, we recommend scheduling a facial (the HydraFacial is our personal favorite) at your local spa. We're happy to share our recommendations! This service will allow your makeup to lay on the skin flawlessly and wear to its full lasting potential.

CLOTHING:

Wear something that makes you feel beautiful! A pretty off-the-shoulder top or your favorite white dress will enhance your experience and, believe it or not, can affect your choices throughout your consultation. This is a special experience during your planning process, so enjoy it (and take all the selfies)! Tip: wearing white / cream / the color of your wedding dress to your appointment will give you a sense of how your makeup will coordinate next to your dress.

We hope this helped you feel more comfortable researching and prepping for your makeup consultation. We can't wait to meet you + create your dream wedding look!

xo,
Makeup by Merideth

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COVID-19 Update + Our Procedures

4/14/2020

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Our priorities here at MBM go so much further than enhancing your beauty. That is to keep you, our client, healthy and safe.

As things slowly ease back into normalcy, it's important for you to know that your safety will continue to be prioritized. While we have always abided by health department sanitation standards, we are, however, being more mindful than ever before.

Here are the safety measures you can expect from us:

We disinfect all surfaces before we set up our makeup stations.
We wash our hands for 30 seconds before beginning services.
We have face masks and face shields to wear during your appointment.
We use new, clean brushes that have been disinfected and washed in soap and water for every client.
We do not use brush cleaning spray between clients. Our kits contain of hundreds of brushes, so each client has a full set of clean brushes that is designated only for them. (Note: Brush cleaning spray is only meant to remove color from a brush and remove product texture; it is not intended to sanitize.)
We use new, disposable mascara wands for each application, and we never double-dip.
We disinfect and wipe down our entire kit, product by product, before we pack our kit and after completing a job.
We regularly clean surface objects with a disposable disinfectant, as well as objects that are frequently used, such as phones, keyboards, door handles, tables, counter tops, and cabinets.
After every client, whether in the studio or at your location, we clean our working surface and wipe down our makeup chair.

In addition to these everyday steps, we are vowing to remain at home should we exhibit any signs of illness, no matter how mild. Likewise, if you have an upcoming appointment with us and aren’t feeling your best, or if you're thinking about postponing your event, please contact us as soon as possible and we’ll be happy to rebook your appointment at no extra charge.

We know this situation is constantly evolving, and we will remain flexible for you. We will continue to closely monitor this developing situation and keep you posted on our company updates according to state and federal guidelines.

For information about COVID-19, please visit the website for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention here.

Thank you for your continued trust in us. I look forward to helping you look and feel your absolute best. If you have any additional questions, please feel free to contact us at any time.

Stay well,

Merideth

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5 Bridal Beauty Tips to Start Now

12/1/2016

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No matter how far away your wedding is, there are a few simple guidelines to follow now to make a SERIOUS difference in the appearance of your bridal makeup. Here are 5 tips to start now:

1. Drink water

I'm constantly asked what I recommend for healthy-looking bridal skin. Water will always be my #1 answer because there is no moisturizer in the world that can compete with hydrating your skin from the inside out.

Carry a giant water bottle everywhere you go. Track your H2O intake through an activity app. Your skin and body (and makeup artist) will thank you!

2. Start a skin care regimen

Following a skincare routine in advance will give your skin the time it needs to transform before your big day. Here are the basics that will make your skin glow instantly:

- Remove your makeup
- Wash your face with a gentle cleanser
- Exfoliate (more on this below!)
- Moisturize nightly
- Apply sunscreen daily

You can always add serums, toners and eye creams. But to start, keep it simple by covering the basics daily.

3. Exfoliate

Exfoliating your face and body a few times a week is the best way to reveal that radiant glow to the skin. This instant exfoliant spray is my #1 holy grail beauty product!

Also - don't forget your lips! Use a lip scrub weekly and follow with a conditioning lip balm.

4. Shape thy brows

Brow grooming is its own art form and varies for each person. Since you have some time before your big day, I suggest taking this time to discover your ideal brow shape. (If that means growing them out, now's the time to power through!) Then visit a trusted brow specialist, or shape them yourself if you're more comfortable. Just make sure to schedule your brow appointment at least one week before your wedding. This allows time for redness/puffiness to subside after threading or waxing.

5. Book your beauty team early

When booking your beauty vendors, don't rely on Pinterest. Most wedding timelines on Pinterest & bridal magazines suggest booking makeup 2 to 3 months before your wedding. Yikes! That's far too late! I recommend booking your beauty team at least 6 months in advance if possible. Many artists (including myself) book most dates over a year in advance. If you're having a short engagement with a small booking window, it never hurts to ask, but booking early is your best bet.

If you have your heart set on a makeup artist that aligns with your style, booking ASAP is advised, especially if your date hits during prime wedding season (hint: May-September always fill up first). Happy wedding planning!

Love,
Merideth

Still have questions about bridal beauty? Let's chat!

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<<Previous

3 Details to Consider Before Creating Your Wedding Morning Timeline

1. WILL HAIR & MAKEUP TRAVEL ON-LOCATION?

2. HOW LARGE IS YOUR WEDDING PARTY?

3. WILL YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN LOCATIONS?

xo,
Merideth

How to Prepare for Your Bridal Makeup Consultation

Congratulations!

1. Gather Inspiration

2. Communicate Your Look Like a Pro

3. How to Arrive to Your Appointment

xo,
Makeup by Merideth

COVID-19 Update + Our Procedures

Stay well,

Merideth

5 Bridal Beauty Tips to Start Now

AbOUT MBM

navigate

INFO

3 Details to Consider Before Creating Your Wedding Morning Timeline

1. WILL HAIR & MAKEUP TRAVEL ON-LOCATION?​​

2. HOW LARGE IS YOUR WEDDING PARTY?​

3. WILL YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN LOCATIONS?​

xo,​Merideth

How to Prepare for Your Bridal Makeup Consultation

Congratulations!

1. Gather Inspiration

2. Communicate Your Look Like a Pro

3. How to Arrive to Your Appointment

xo,​Makeup by Merideth​

COVID-19 Update + Our Procedures

​Stay well,Merideth

5 Bridal Beauty Tips to Start Now

AbOUT MBM

navigate

INFO

1. WILL HAIR & MAKEUP TRAVEL ON-LOCATION?

2. HOW LARGE IS YOUR WEDDING PARTY?

3. WILL YOU TRAVEL BETWEEN LOCATIONS?

xo,
Merideth

xo,
Makeup by Merideth

Stay well,

Merideth