Tuesday 11 October 2016

Choosing Bridal Makeup and Bridal Hair - important tips for Black Brides in London & UK

What is important for brides of colour?  Skill? Professionalism? Friendliness? Brides of today are expecting all three and rightly so. Too many times we have experienced good talent, let down by a poor attitude, or a great personality let down by poor timekeeping.  With weddings, it is an absolute must that your supplier has high standards of service delivery to ensure your day goes as smoothly as possible.

With bridal services, the vendor must have excellent listening skills and bridal industry experience.   Why?  Not every bride wants the same thing. And not every bride knows what they want! So it  is important that Vendors are Bridal Specialists and treat every bride uniquely offering a balanced level of guidance and support.  If you are looking for bridal makeup and hair services in the UK, see these tips below to help you make the right choice.

1. Examples. Look at as many examples as possible. Do they look samey? That is not a good sign. Lots of self taught makeup artist/stylist are limited to the few styles that they can confidently deliver, and only vary the intensity of the makeup.  Makeup should be different, because every bride is different and every requirement is different and unique. You may not even like many of the makeup examples because they are specific to that bride,  however if the bride is happy, and they look enhanced, look great in pictures and not too similar to the rest then you are on the right track.

2. Photo Enhancements.  Is the image too sharp, clear, and enhanced?  Photo enhanced pictures can look incredible however they do not give you true indication of the talent and skill of a makeup artist or stylist. Natural pictures are the best and most honestly represent skill. The bride should be beautifully enhanced but the makeup should not scream out at you, even if it is a heavy application. Sometimes a bride can look pretty natural, so a few 'before' pictures can help you to see the true transformation.


3. Team Support.  Your wedding is a one day occasion. No retakes, so there must be a plan B. When you book a bridal makeup artist or bridal hair stylist ensure that there is a team to support that person. Should the unforeseen happen, which it can, at least you are not sitting waiting for bridal services which never arrive.  If you have a large bridal party to cater for, having a team ensures that the same high standards are maintained throughout the service and that you are ready for your big day on time.


4. Establishment.  When looking for a vendor, check out how long they have been in the business. The Internet has timestamps so you should be able to see historical data. The longer the vendor has been in business, the more likely they are to want to protect their reputation and deliver a high standard of service.  New starters can come in, mess up your day and disappear with virtually no loss to reputation or income.  Also go for a company with Internet presence. Twitters, Facebook, Blogs. These types are far less likely to let you you down. Reputation is everything.

5. Cost. Often makeup and hair services come at the end of costly wedding expenses, and can be among the last things that brides spend on. With regards to getting the best services, the most important thing is that you research the company/service provider rather the find the cheapest deal.

New service providers will most certainly cut prices to gain your business. If you are looking for your service provider it's probably best you put an appropriate amount of money aside to pay for the best service to suit your needs.  If you are thinking 'this is the one, but they are a tiny bit above my price expecations' then that's probably the one to go for.  Remember you not just paying for makeup appicaton or hair styling. You are paying for education, clenliness and adherance to regulations to keep your hair and skin healthy.  Quality trained staff, insured and security checked with experience and great customer service training is unlikely to be a budget service.

6.  Specialists.  Do they specialise in weddings?  Do they understand what happens on the big day? Can they provide extras like hair extensions, hair accessories, lashes or even advice?  It does help if the vendor can take care of your entire hair and beauty needs, experts will allow your experience to be seamless and actually take stress away from you.  If your company supplies hair extensions, makeup and can take care of your entire bridal party, this will help you greatly.

7.Timing. So you are getting married in 12 months time, this is exactly the time to start looking for wedding vendors. The best vendors get bookings from the year before via word of mouth and super savvy brides. If you are getting married between May and September then you really need to secure your day as soon as you can. There are many makeup artists nowadays, however true specialists in Bridal Makeup and Hair, with the ability to give you the best experience won't chase you!  Your beauty is important, so don't leave your beauty until the last few months and ensure that on your special day,  you are happy, beautiful and satisfied.