Anne & Philip - Blackberry Farm Winter Mountain Wedding

Anne and Philip's wedding, recently featured on Style Me Pretty, was one of my favorite weddings at Blackberry Farm - a place which, no matter the season, is an undeniably perfect spot for a destination wedding! This stunning, rustic Tennessee wedding, planned by Jennifer Laraia, showcased the winter mountain landscape combined with the bride's color palette of gorgeous neutral colors. Anne was such an incredibly happy and radiant bride, which is truly reflected in her photographs by Natalie Watson Photography. She loved makeup - and liked the idea of playing up her striking brown eyes, so I really brought the focus to her eyes with rich browns and long, black eyelashes. I allowed the cold winter season to inspire her lip and cheek color, using deep winterberry colors to finish her classic bridal look. 

Her Romona Keveza dress was so elegant, and so perfect for a winter wedding in the mountains! (And her Jimmy Choo shoes were out of this world!) One of my favorite elements of the wedding were the bridesmaids wearing Monique Lhuillier dresses wrapped in fur stoles, gifts from the bride to wear to the wedding. Such a perfect bridesmaid gift for the ultimate destination wedding! (and such a luxe detail to complement a cold, winter wedding!)

Anne and Philip - who truly looked like Prince Charming! - were such a delightful bride and groom, and the day could not have been more perfect with their sweet families surrounding them at the wedding! I loved some of the special moments captured : Anne's sister touching up the bride's makeup, Anne with her mother and sisters, and little moments between the bride and groom. This luxury winter wedding was full of fresh mountain air, warm fires, and stunning, unforgettable details!

Photography: Natalie Watson Planning: Jennifer Laraia Venue: Blackberry Farm Hair: Bangs and Blush Gown: Romona Keveza Bride's Shoes: Jimmy Choo Bridesmaid Dresses: Monique Lhuillier Flowers: Whimsical Gatherings

RELATED POST: 3 TIPS FOR BRIDES WHO DON'T LIKE MAKEUP

3 Bridal Makeup Tips for Brides Who Don't Like Makeup

Photo Credit: Natalie Watson

I often have brides contact me about their wedding who confess that they’re “not into makeup” but know that they need to wear it for their wedding.  They experience a lot of apprehension about the process and are nervous about not looking like themselves.  My advice to you natural ladies : stay calm!  There is a makeup look for everyone. Here are my 3 wedding makeup tips for women who aren’t into makeup, and honestly, even those who are :

1. You need to wear makeup.

It’s your wedding day.  I know you say you don’t wear eyeliner on a daily basis, but this isn’t your usual day!  You’ve bought a stunning wedding dress and you're having your hair done; your makeup needs to look as special as the rest of you.

This doesn’t mean you have to be unrecognizable.  Lightly playing up your features will elevate your look from ordinary to extraordinary.  Adding some radiance to your skin and evening out skin tone will make you look flawless and dewey in pictures. Making sure your eyes stand out with a little eyeliner and mascara is so important; if you can be convinced to wear individual lashes, your eyes will be spectacular!  Framing your eyes by filling in your eyebrows will make a huge difference.  And a pop of blush on the cheeks and a soft, natural pink lip color will make you glow in pictures.

You hired a photographer to capture every special moment, you need to make sure your features are accentuated in them and that you feel gorgeous in the photographs - and it takes a little bit of all of the above to make that happen!

2. Make sure you have a makeup trial.

Doing a trial ensures that you and your makeup artist are on the same page and that you both know exactly what makes you feel beautiful - and what doesn't.  If you have makeup inspiration pictures or pictures of your dress, now is the time to share them.  This is where you consult, discuss options, where she gets to know you better and has the opportunity to show you what she thinks would be a good look for you based on all this information.

You want to be comfortable and feel like yourself, but now is also the time to experiment and allow her to maybe take you a little outside your comfort zone and try things you wouldn’t normally try.  Clients often end up surprised at how gorgeous they feel in something they might never have attempted on their own.

But generally speaking, your artist needs to listen to your likes and dislikes and make sure that the makeup is an authentic representation of who you are.  As I often tell my clients, I might think a red lip would be stunning on you, but if your idea of makeup is tinted chapstick, chances are a red lip isn’t going to make you feel beautiful.  So this is REALLY important : your wedding day isn’t about what your makeup artist thinks would be best for you, it’s about making you feel like the best version of yourself.  That being said...

3. Make sure you hire a makeup artist who listens to you and understands your style.

There should be dialogue about how much makeup you usually wear, what you like, particularly what you dislike, and just your overall thoughts about the wedding day look. If your artist is focused on you, she will take all these things into consideration.  Her job is to take your everyday look and elevate it to the most beautiful version of yourself.  This doesn’t mean there has to be an over-the-top amount of makeup involved.

The important thing is that you speak up when you don’t like something so she can adjust it.  If you don’t tell her, she won’t know!  It’s an easy fix.  Remember, it’s about you, not the makeup artist, so your voice needs to be heard!  This is why hiring someone who's makeup you like and who's work you identify with and gravitate towards is so important.  

So, don't be afraid to be a little picky! It's your day to feel the most beautiful, and your makeup artist should understand that and be willing to do everything in her power to make you feel that way. Check out some of my favorite bridal looks here in my portfolio, I'm always taking on new clients and would love to hear from you! Visit my contact page to get in touch with me, or leave a comment below!

RELATED POST: BLACKBERRY FARM WEDDING FEATURED IN MARTHA STEWART WEDDINGS

tending to the details{musings from a makeup artist to the bride}

Makeup is never one of the first items thought about when one becomes engaged.  The venue, the caterer, the photographer...these get checked off first.  Makeup tends to be a bit farther down the list when it comes to tending to details.  As a makeup artist, I've collected a somewhat random list of beauty odds and ends I think are important for brides to address as they're considering their wedding makeup.

The first item {generally remembered in a panic at the eleventh hour} is skin.  Brides need to think early on about a skincare plan.  Your makeup artist may be brilliant, but if they aren’t working with a smooth canvas, it's difficult to achieve a flawless finish.  Commit to a skincare regime months before the wedding day.  The one thing I desperately want my brides to be doing before we meet is EXFOLIATING {and hydrating...ok, that's two things}.  Whether it’s an at - home regime* or {my personal favorite} microdermabrasion treatments from a spa, brides really need to focus on smoothing and hydrating their skin long before a makeup artist shows up.  Not only will you absolutely love the way your skin looks and feels, but the makeup application will be flawless.  *{My personal favorite at - home treatments are Bobbi Brown's Buffing Grains + Balm Rinse {mixed together} and Philosophy's Microdelivery Peel.  They both leave your skin feeling deliciously soft and smooth.}

The next item on my list : LASHES.  I truly believe that every bride - whether she considers her makeup style to be 'natural' or 'dramatic' - should opt for lashes to maximize and amplify her look.  My go - to lash for weddings are individual lashes.  They look like real lashes {erase visions of drag makeup} but add polish and intensity without being over the top.  A few individual lashes on the outside of the eye will take your look from the everyday to the very special.  

Also - there needs to be someone designated to carry your lipstick / lip gloss who will actually remind you to use it when she sees you need freshening {the task generally falls to someone in your wedding party}.  I have to admit it makes me a little crazy when I see a bride in photographs who's makeup looks beautiful but who's lipstick is long gone.  It just doesn't look right - and of all days, this is the day a bride wants to look perfect - from the start of the ceremony to the final dance at the reception.  My personal recommendation is to designate a married friend this awesome responsibility.  My reasoning is this : other women who have been through the insanity of wedding planning and the craziness of the wedding day know and understand firsthand what goes into it, and tend to be a bit more locked on to the bride's needs than her single friends {no disrespect intended for the single gals, but y'all are going to be worrying about your own lipstick}.  So married friends are always my preference for delegating tasks that you don't want to be forgotten - and lipstick is definitely one of them.

Another important detail that is often forgotten : include a makeup artist in the rehearsal dinner preparations.  Remember that the entire weekend is special, not just the wedding day.  Even if your photographer isn't coming to the rehearsal {or especially if they are}, there will be many cameras flashing through the evening, and you'll want to look your absolute best as the spotlight will most certainly be on you the entire night.  Including a makeup artist will ensure you're camera ready for every photo, not just the ones taken on your wedding day.

Finally, the wedding day tends to be particularly stressful for the mother of the bride {especially} and the mother of the groom.  They’re wanting to look their best, but I sometimes notice {and am often told} they don't always feel important enough to put the focus on or pamper themselves.  That being said, having their makeup done always takes them from nervous and self-conscious to calm and confident, every time.  It's a gift I so love to give a mother : the ability to face such a big day with the confidence, polish, and assuredness that she looks and feels her absolute best.  Make sure you insist your mothers are included in the makeup lineup.  They'll thank you for it - especially when they see the photographs!  

It's all in the details, ladies.  Spend some time talking with your makeup artist about what you envision for your wedding weekend and {please!} remember to give your skin some attention long before the big day.  Follow these cues and you'll be flawless walking down the aisle...and thrilled every time you see a photograph from your wedding.