Outdoor Summer Brides: Beat the Heat!

I was JUST talking with someone about outdoor summer weddings. We've had rain here this week, so this forecast for this weekend is HUMID! We were discussing the guests comfort, and how providing cold bottled water, fans, shade, or whatever else possible to keep the guests comfortable is so important.....but what about the bride???

Walking around in the summer heat, carrying around that heavy tulle-lined dress for hours, wearing full makeup, with nerves kicking in on top of everything else.....that can make for a sweaty bride! Make sure you're prepared to sty cool and look your best for photos all day! Check out this blog post from OneWed's Savvy Scoop about how to manage the heat if you have an outdoor summer wedding!



1. Nerves - All of the attention is on you. I’ve heard that public speaking is the number one most feared thing in America, and even though you are only in front of friends and family - everyone is there for you! It can become overwhelming standing in front of everyone having them focus on you, if you aren’t accustomed to being the center of attention.

2. It is hot outside - The most popular month to be married in is June and in most states June can reach some pretty hot temperatures! Especially if your wedding is outdoors, come prepared for the weather. Have pocket fans, cold washcloths and plenty of water to stay hydrated.

3. Your wedding dress weighs 20 lbs. - Bridal boot camp can’t always prepare you for the weight of your dress. With tulle piled under your dress, your corset to keep everything in place, the weight and amount of fabric on your dress can easily drag you down. When you try on your dress in the bridal shop imagine yourself walking in that dress for 8+ hours and always consider your wedding location and ensure the fabric will allow you to enjoy the day.

4. You are usually being pulled in 5 different directions - You are the bride, what do you expect? Your mom

needs to ask you a question about the ceremony, your makeup and hair team needs to finish the look, your pastor has the marriage license to be signed and your wedding photographer is snapping photos all the while. With all of the requirements asked of you on the big day - your stress levels may rise and in turn you might begin to sweat.

5. Everyone wants outside photos - You may tell me that your ceremony and reception are all indoors with full air conditioning so you aren’t worried about being another sweaty bride. But I haven’t met a bride yet who doesn’t want to head outdoors with their photographer on a beautiful day. It could be the sun or the humidity, or simply all of the hustle and bustle trying to get the perfect photo outside but in any case be prepared to glisten in your photos!


Ways to plan for and help prevent Sweaty Bride Syndrome:

1. Know the weather you are walking in to - research the weather and have everyone prepared with handkerchiefs and cold washcloths to keep you cool.

2. Bring backup makeup, powder and oil absorbers to help reapply and touch up. Especially during your photos you don’t want to be shining for the wrong reasons. Let your makeup artist know if your wedding is outside or if you tend to sweat more and she can hopefully help you avoid any beauty mishaps.

3. Have a close friend be your beauty police and keep an eye on any sweating. For this you need an honest friend who will step in to take control of the situation to ensure you are always looking your best!

4. Take Breaks. When you start feeling yourself heating up because of stress kindly excuse yourself and sit and relax for a few minutes.

All in all your wedding will be wonderful - I promise you won’t probably even remember sweating and if you do you will laugh about it (I sure did!). I'm not bringing this up to add another thing to your list to worry about but just one more thing you can be prepared for and easily overcome with a few fans, hankies, and touch-ups throughout the day!

- Article and photo from OneWed Savvy Scoop Blog

Makeup Tips :: Shelly Theiling, Makeup Artist

Makeup Tips from Local Makeup Artist Shelly Theiling

Tip #1: My most important tip to a bride would be stay true to who you are as far as makeup is concerned. If you are a girl that doesn't usually wear a lot of makeup then stay as natural possible. That being said, you will need a slight bit more than usual in order to look your best in photographs. This is when a professional makeup artist comes in handy, knowing just the right amount to apply and still keeping you true to yourself. Now, if you are the girl that loves the black liner and strong eyes, go for it! BUT...remember you have to look at these photographs forever. There is certainly nothing wrong with strong makeup for a wedding if that is what you normally wear.



Tip #2: I truly believe that every bride should consider wearing lashes. There are so many styles out there that you are sure to find the right look for you, even if you have never worn them before or if you are the natural girl. Lashes make your eyes pop in photos!



Tip #3: When choosing a foundation check for an ingredient named, Titanium Dioxide. Titanium Dioxide reflects the flash and causes your face to appear lighter than the rest of your body. It is an ingredient commonly used in foundation. A makeup artist will know just the right foundation to use in order to eliminate the "white face".



Tip #4: With the economy in the state that it is currently, find a makeup artist that is willing to work within your budget. I frequently have brides and bridal party members asking for ways of cutting the cost. I have come up with some creative ways of making my brides and their party very happy.

Photos by Terra Sol Studio

Makeup Tips :: Stacey Murry, Mary Kay

Wedding Day Beauty Tips from Stacey Murry
Independent Sales Director for Mary Kay


Long Lasting Lips

There are times a makeup artist will apply a bride’s makeup 3-4 hours before the big event. Even though it seems likely the makeup will wear off by the end of the evening – it lasts for hours. The trick? A three step application process that will keep color in place all night long.

• Prime the lips. The first step in achieving long-lasting lips is using primer. This provides a base for the lipstick to adhere to – allowing color pigments to stay put.

• Fill in your lips with lip pencil before applying lipstick. This will give your lipstick a good base to help the color last. Apply the lipstick onto clean lips.

• Set lipstick with a gloss. Makeup artists use this trick when preparing brides for weddings. Use a colorless gloss like Mary Kay's Starry Lipgloss which provides a wet mirror shine.
  

Stay True to You

Don’t let anyone talk you into doing something with your makeup that isn’t comfortable for you. Otherwise, you will look back on photos and dread the sight of you in bright red lipstick! A sweep of rose toned blush and a touch of cream-colored shadow can look fresh and youthful. A thin line of eyeliner will just softly define the eyes without looking like too much. Don’t forget a quick coat of mascara to open up your eyes, and you’re ready to walk down that aisle as yourself!



The Wedding Cosmetics Case

You will need a small cosmetics case the day of your wedding containing items that you can use to refresh your makeup. This case should contain the following:

• Makeup Remover - to get rid of smudges under the eyes

• Concealer - to quickly dot under the eyes and pat with your fingers

• Compact - with powder to matte late-day shiny skin

• Oil Blotting Papers - for oily skin this is better than reapplying powder

• Lip Liner, Lipstick, and Gloss - to redo your lips

• Eye Drops - in case you cry buckets and your eyes get seriously red

Photos by Kirsten Alana Photography

Fitness Tips :: Joe Butler, Prescription Fitness

Fitness Tips from Personal Trainer Joe Butler
Prescription Fitness

The big day is almost here and you need to get in shape. Everyone has their own vision of how they are going to look on their wedding day. Most women do not settle for anything except looking their absolute best. Here are some tips to help you look and feel fantastic on your special day.



Whether you want lose those pesky 5lbs or drop some significant weight before the wedding you need to begin with a plan. First and foremost you need to start writing down your food. Get a food journal and write down what you eat, at what time and how many calories you take in at that meal.. do not starve yourself, you will only look tired and have no energy when you walk down the aisle. Eat 5-6 small meals per day. These are not huge meals- for example, breakfast, snack, lunch , snack, dinner. You will keep your body fueled and in turn be eating less all day rather than 1 or 2 crazy meals.



Exercise!! A good exercise program has 2 parts, resistance training and cardiovascular training. Many women only do cardio because "they don't want to get big". As if were that easy! Resistance training will keep your muscles tone, tight and give you that shape that will turn heads. Along with a cardio program (walk, run, bike....) resistance training will round out your exercise program and help you reach your optimal weight in the shortest amount of time.

I hope these tips help. Let us know if you need additional support. Good luck!!

Makeup Tips :: Kerry Rihtar, All Eyes On You

Tips from Local Makeup Artist Kerry Rihtar
All Eyes On You

• It really is a good idea to try and use a professional makeup artist. They will know what will work best for your face. They also carry products that will help your make-up last all day. The last thing a bride wants to do on her wedding day is re-apply her eye make-up. That being said, we all know that we're trying to save as much as possible in this economy. If you decide to fore-go the make-up artist, at least visit a make-up counter. A specialist can help you obtain the right products for your very special day and often times will show you how to apply it!

• If you are going to do your own make-up for your wedding day, do your eyes first! This is one of the best lessons I've learned as a make-up artist. Eye Shadow tends to fall onto the face as you apply it. If your have your foundation on already you'll have to clean-up whatever has fallen onto your face. If you apply your eye make-up first, then apply the foundation, you will be actually eliminating a step and saving yourself some time.

• If I were to recommend any products for your wedding day, there are a few that I think are absolutely essential. First is a powder. If you want your foundation to last all day, then you will need to apply powder throughout the day as necessary. I recommend a Blot Powder which is not really meant to add color, but to just take away shine from the face. This is also great for pictures. The others are definitely your lip products. Whether you use lipstick, gloss, liner or all three, you will definitely need to apply this throughout the day. You'll be celebrating and kissing lots of folks on that day so keep the lip products handy!

• I'm sure this goes without saying but: WATERPROOF MASCARA! Even if you're not the crying type, you never know what's going to happen when you walk down that aisle. I've seen some of the strongest brides lose it on the way down that aisle so you never know. Better to be safe than sorry on this one. In fact, try to go as waterproof as possible. There are also liners that you can purchase that are also waterproof.

• If you're going to do lashes; practice, practice, practice! These are not easy to apply on yourself so try applying them over and over. First fit the lash to your eye and cut off any excess. Put a thin line of glue directly onto the lash. One of the best things that you can do before applying your lash is to wait a minute or so for the glue to get tacky. If you don't wait, then the lash will slide all over and it will be harder to place. Try to get as close to the lash line as possible. Also, put eyeliner right at your lash line so that it will be harder to see the lash strip. I like to do this before and after application. Either liquid or gel work best (remember, waterproof!). You may feel funny if you are not used to wearing lashes, but you should get used to them if a few minutes.

• Try and stay away from to much shimmer and frost. This does not bode well for pictures. A little on the eyes and a bit at the top of the cheekbone (this looks awesome) and you should be good to go!

Photos by Z Media

Planning the Perfect Makeup Look

Here are some guidelines to help every bride figure out their perfect look to take to a makeup artist or plan for themselves. These are the four factors I review with each of my brides while helping them determine the perfect look.

1) What’s your style and what are you attracted to? Go through lots of magazines looking only at makeup to get an idea of what you like. Tear those pictures out. Figure out what exactly it is that you like about the makeup. Is it that each picture has a vintage look, nude lips, or very long eyelashes?

2) Consider the over-all look or "feel" of your dress and hair. Is it sexy, princess-inspired, flirty, or casual? You may love a dark, smoky look on eyes but have to consider whether that look will fit your tea-length beachy slip dress.

3) Consider the time of your pictures, ceremony and reception. What kind of lighting will you be dealing with? For warm light like a sunset you should also use warm makeup colors so as not to be washed out by the neutralizing effect of cool colors. If your pictures are in daylight but your ceremony and reception are in the evening, you’ll want a transitional look as opposed to a very contoured "evening" look.

4) What is your color scheme? If you love color, a hint of the shades involved in your flowers and décor will flatter you most because the entire environment will combine to frame your beauty.

-Sally Sheets, Makeup Artist
www.OneWed.com


Photo by Terra Sol Studio

Bridal Beauty Week

It's Bridal Beauty Week on the blog, and we'll be sharing tons of information on looking beautiful for your big day! Hair, makeup, skin care, beauty regimens, nutrition & exercise....we'll be covering all the bases! We'll also be featuring guest posts from local makeup artists, hair stylists and personal trainers, so you can get your information straight from the local pros! Check back later today for our first guest post!


Photo by Banks Photography

Wedding Day Perfumes

Searching for that perfect scent for your special day? Here are a few floral selections that are light and airy....and perfect for wedding day! Take this list into your local perfume store and try them out!

(*TIP: When smelling perfumes, take a small bag of coffee beans with you! Smelling the beans after smelling perfumes will "clear the pallate" for the next scent. Sometimes the perfume store will provide them for you.)

Ralph Lauren Romance: Always Yours
Rose, Violet & Lotus Flower
www.ralphlauren.com

Banana Republic: Rosewood
Magnolia Blossom & Bergamot Champagne
www.bananarepublic.com

Sarah Jessica Parker: The Lovely Collection: Endless
Peony & Ivy Leaf
www.macys.com

Vivara Variazioni Sole by Pucci
Jasmine & Tomato Leaf
www.neimanmarcus.com

Michael Kors: Bermuda
Hibiscus & Freesia
www.bloomingdales.com

Bath & Body Works: Enchanted Orchid
Orchids, Violets, White Irises & Gardenia
www.bathandbodyworks.com

Shelly Theiling :: Makeup Artist

I met a fabulous makeup artist a few weeks ago at a wedding we did together. Actually, I didn't meet her that day, but the bride raved about her so much that I wanted to meet with her afterwards to exchange info and hopefully use her services again in the future. We had a nice lunch together at TGI Fridays this week, where I was able to pick up some of her business cards and view her portfolio. She comes recommended by the MAC cosmetics store in Crocker Park, and she will travel to any wedding location (not just in the Cleveland area, either).

If you're looking for a great makeup artist for your wedding, prom, or other special event, give Shelly Theiling a call at (216) 337-2598 or email her at [email protected].
www.stmakeupartist.com







Photos by Terra Sol Studio