7 top tips for your destination wedding hair and makeup

It goes without saying that you want to look your very best on your big day. These are the photos you’ll look back on for years! So your wedding hair and makeup need to bring out your best features, work with your dress and make you look the best possible you.

A bridal hair and make up session on the big day

Then there are your bridesmaids – they’ll want to look gorgeous too. Add your mum (and perhaps the groom’s mum) and that’s a lot of hair and make-up to arrange on the big day to make sure everyone’s looking and feeling fabulous.

With a destination wedding, arranging a trial will need to tie in with your visits to your destination country for menu tastings and venue visits. So choosing a hair and make-up artist who gets your style right away is important. And knowing how to make sure it all runs smoothly on the day is absolutely crucial. I asked Palma-based hair and make up artist Annika Brannan, one of our go-to HAMU artists, for her top tops for success.

1 Arrive ready to start

Your hair and make-up artist will have asked you to arrive with a clean face and washed hair, ready for the preparations to begin. So if you rock up with a full face of make-up and three-day old hair, you may have a problem.

2 Stick to the timings

Your HAMU artist will have worked out the timings for your preparations so that each bridesmaid or mum has the right amount of time for their look. She may start earlier than you expect and she will work on you, the bride last. So make sure your troupe know when they are expected and ensure that no-one goes AWOL or off to the pool for an impromptu swim – the timings are the timings!

3 Keep expectations realistic

This may sound obvious but if you want a full mermaid braid flowing half way down your back, you’ll need long hair to achieve it. You can have clip-on extensions but you need to plan this in well ahead of time and have a practice run. It’s not something to bring up on the day. And if you don’t usually wear much make-up, do bear in mind that your fiancee and guests will want you to look like the best version of you, not a Kim Kardashian clone.

4 Have a trial session

Most wedding hair and makeup artists are completely adept at working with you without a trial session. But it really makes sense to have one. Bring some photos of the look you want and together you can work out what’s achievable. Then relax and enjoy the session. It’s great to know you have your look nailed and there’s much less stress on the day.

5 Bring a snack 

Getting ready with your friends as the excitement builds can be a whole lot of fun. And there’s likely to be a bottle of cava (or two) going around to celebrate the mood. But preparations will often go on through lunch time and it’s very easy to forget to bring a snack. And if you are in silky bathrobes with matching lingerie sets, it’s not easy to pop out to the corner shop. So, wherever you are preparing, bring something to nibble so that you don’t rock down the aisle feeling light-headed and crash out exhausted over dinner. And after a glass or two, it’s easy to lose track of time and forget your grand entrance. Plus you don’t want to be unsteady on your feet in those heels walking down the aisle or to forget your vows.

6 Last-minute extras

When you see the flower girl looking adorable in her dress and lacking only a French plait to complete her look, it can be very tempting to ask your HUMUA if she could just do one. But hold back! Your make-up artist has worked out the timings and costs for your group carefully and she isn’t going to be able to say yes. So think about what everyone is going to want or need before the day and be prepared for it to cost. Your maid of honour, auntie or mum might also be the one to make the request. This can be awkward, because it’s not the right time or place to be changing the timing plan or discussing adding costs. Fortunately, one of the bridal party or a friend can often step in and help with a last minute request like this.

7 When it’s done, it’s done!

Given everything that’s happening on the big day, there’s no time to y change your mind about your wedding hair and makeup and ask to start again. And if you are happy with the result, it’s not helpful if one of your bridesmaids or your mum to suddenly says “Ooh, I’m not too sure that suits you”, “that’s not how you wanted it is it?” or “that doesn’t look like the photo you showed me.” With 15 minutes to go before you walk down the aisle, don’t let this derail you! So just smile, say “I really like it”, put on your dress, strap on those shoes and get on with being fabulous.

Blush Palma  is at Calle de la Fàbrica, 20b, 07013 Palma, Illes Balears   871 95 69 54

Contact Annika at: info@blushpalma.com

Annika’s prices are €350 for a hair and makeup for a bride (€165 for hair OR make up), €160 for a bridal hair and makeup trial, €80 for a bridesmaid’s hair or makeup and €70 for a trial for a bridesmaid or mum.

Looking for a wedding celebrant for your destination wedding in Mallorca? Speak to the Distinctive Team now – Contact Us here.