As of this weekend, I have officially completed all of my 28 weddings for my 2023 wedding season… and what a year it has been! It is only my second year of being a professional bridal makeup artist but I have achieved more than I thought I ever would. I look back on this year so fondly, and truthfully I’m so proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished. So let’s talk about it!
Throughout this years wedding days, I have met and glammed over 100 girls. I have glued on countless individual eyelashes, handed out tens of mini lipsticks and travelled hundreds of miles. This year has meant a lot to me; I had a tough start to the year and realised just how challenging it is to run your own business whilst not feeling 100% yourself. However, having so many brides and big days to focus on helped me more than I knew and come the middle of May, my wedding season was in full swing!
I was back with Jess at the end of May getting her and her girls ready for her big day. I met Jess last year and glammed her for her first wedding ceremony, so it was a privilege to be invited back to do her makeup for her wedding party. Her wedding morning was so relaxed, which was a consistent theme throughout all of my weddings this year – it has been a dream!
A week later, I was at Lilibrooke Manor with my beautiful bride Megan. Megan took her bridal skincare prep SO seriously. Her skin on her big day was an absolute dream and we created a soft and effortless makeup that was full of glow. If you’re looking for a radiant bridal glam like Megan’s, check out my ‘Bridal Skincare Tips’ blog post to learn some helpful tricks in the lead up to your wedding day. Remember, your makeup will only ever look as good as the skin it sits on top of – so good skincare is a must!
In July came Alison’s wedding day at Warbrook House and it was such a special one. I met Alison a couple of times before her big day for her bridal party’s trials so come the morning of the wedding, it was like seeing an old friend. Alison’s bridal makeup was timeless and enhanced all of her natural features. I have since seen Ali for a 1-1 makeup lesson to teach her how to create an effortless makeup similar to her wedding day.
At the end of July, I was over in Oxford for Aimee’s wedding day. This one was a little different as Aimee and I have been friends since as long as I can remember and this time it was my turn to be the makeup artist! Aimee wanted to match her lipstick to her bridal bouquet so we chose a burgundy toned lip tint to ensure it lasted throughout the day – and didn’t transfer to Grant during the first kiss!
August brought with it five wedding days and my 21st birthday! I took the weekend off for my birthday and I am glad I did as I spent the Sunday in bed recovering!
I glammed 20 girls across these five weddings making it my busiest bridal month of the year! During August, I was back with my bride Louise and created one of my favourite bridal glams of the year. Louise and her girls looked absolutely gorgeous, each of them choosing similar makeups to compliment one another, but making sure each was still unique to enhance their individual features. How amazing do they look?
The following weekend I was at the Elvetham Hotel with Jess and her girls. Jess’ big day was the definition of girlhood. When I arrived, the girls let me know that they’d reserved a corner of the room for me right in front of three huge windows – it was a dream come true!! However, being set up in the corner meant that whilst the girls were being glammed with me, no one else could see the process. Throughout the morning, all of the girls periodically came over and each time there was a string of lovely compliments to each other on how gorgeous they each looked. And they absolutely did! It was such a beautiful morning to be a part of.
My wedding season quietened down slightly in September but was finished with Claire’s big day over at the Lythe Hill Hotel. Claire and her girls created their own bouquets, and if you know me personally you’ll know my love for flowers so I instantly loved the florals of Claire’s wedding. They all looked gorgeous, as did the flowers!
October was a very busy month for me, which was a wonderful indication of how my little business has grown this year as my wedding season really slowed down in September last year, so thank you all for keeping me busy! I had a three day weekend of all things weddings beginning with Chloe’s big day at Warbrook House Hotel. Below is Chloe’s beautiful before and after, and the lovely text I received the following day.
“Just wanted to say a huge huge thank you for all your help yesterday! It felt like I had a friend there rather than a makeup artist, you have such a special talent. Thank you so much!”
The next day I was over at Blacknest Golf and Country Club with Rebecca and her girls. Rebecca’s big day was one I had been looking forward to for months, I absolutely love the glam she chose at her trial and couldn’t wait to recreate it! She looked incredible.
On the Sunday I was at the Coppid Beech Hotel doing something a little different… my first wedding fair! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t incredibly nervous as this was a very new experience for me and was quite daunting considering I didn’t have a physical product to show – apart from my own face! It was however so much fun and I met so many 2024 and 2025 brides. I look forward to doing more fairs next year!
One of my final weddings this year was Lizzie’s at Rivervale Barn. I was back working alongside the very talented Francesca of Francesca Bridal Hair who I am fortunate enough to work with a lot – she is amazing! Lizzie looked stunning on her wedding day and I can’t wait to see the professional images – keep your eyes peeled!
My 2023 wedding season finished in December with a 5:15am wake up! I spent the morning with Michelle and her bridal party as they got ready at home. Michelle chose a timeless bridal makeup with champagne tones on the eyes, completed with some individual lashes on the outer corners of the eyes to add some glamour. It was such a chilled morning – both the weather and the vibes! It was a lovely wedding to finish my season.
And just like that, my 2023 weddings are complete! This year has meant so much to me and I have loved every moment, thank you to all of my brides for trusting me on such an important day. 2024 is looking even busier as I have 20 weddings booked already! I can’t wait to get to know all of next years brides and do it all over again. See you all soon! x
