How to Prepare for Your Bridal Makeup Consultation

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
​