Top 10 Reasons to Hire Makeup Artists and Hair Stylists on your Wedding Day.

Top Reasons to Hire Beauty Professionals on your Wedding Day

A Beauty Professional's Point of view.

So, you're doing your own hair and makeup...

Have you considered the reasons to hire a makeup artist or hair stylist for your wedding day? While there are many reasons to hire a makeup artist AND hair stylists for your wedding, they are all rooted in looking your best on your special day. Your wedding will be forever remembered through wedding photographs and the hiring of professional artists will help ensure that you are flawless and beautiful the day of and in the lasting memories of the event. 

Furthermore, the benefits of a Beauty Agency vs. freelance artists are numerous. Considering the financial commitment and high expectations, the "beauty" of not worrying about the last minute proverbial bus - sickness, criminal backgrounds, poor character, or other hurdles - is a benefit that only reputable agencies can provide. Read our top 10 reasons why you need a professionally vetted makeup school graduate and hair stylist on your wedding day.

1. Be stress-free on your wedding day

Of all the reasons to hire a professional makeup artist and hair stylist for your wedding day, this may be the single most important benefit. Take it from experienced brides... your wedding day is guaranteed to be busy and will likely include a few unexpected challenges, so don’t let your appearance be one of them. You shouldn’t have to spend time worrying if your eyeliner is straight while ensuring that your vendors deliver on time. Any reputable artist that is a professional will meet with you prior to your wedding day to do a trial run of the makeup look or hairstyle you want. On the day-of, your beauty team rolls in, on location, and knows your skin type, your desired outcome, your theme, and any complications in the trial.

P.S. Your photographer will love you for it

See how your booking process looks with WarPaint International Beauty Agency.

The Bride Experience. Your booking process with WarPaint International Beauty Agency.

2. You want to look "natural"

Professional makeup artists study the art of their craft. They live it and breathe it like a musician, and the proper selection of colors is part of their DNA. From your foundation to your lips to the perfect eyeliner, makeup artists know how to choose the colors that match your unique character and features. Your wedding day will keep you photographed, possibly more than any day in your life. High definition optics can do some interesting things to your complexion and pores.

Even if you tend to live in the "natural" state and your photographer does to, find a makeup artist that specializes in "natural" looks so that your memories and face-to-face interactions are striking and memorable. The natural look is far more involved than most brides think. In fact, what most people categorize as difficult is the avant-garde, high-fashion looks you see all over the internet. If this were the case, more Instagram makeup artists would be showcasing breathtaking, natural looking brides than stamping out glorified brows and winged eyeliner. 

3. Professional grade products that last

Like it or not, there is a big difference behind mainstream, less expensive makeup and hair products vs. professional grade products that have been engineered for specific applications. Since makeup artists apply cosmetics for a living and hair stylists test the quality of hair products every single day, most have a kit stocked with high quality (and possibly very expensive) products that are designed for wearability and flexibility that you may not own or be able to afford. Not to mention, most artists endure years of professional training to keep up with the trends, techniques, and industry concerns. You simply can't put a price on their experience or the luxury and intimacy of having them apply it and perfect it. It is after all, what they live for - your beauty. 

4. Just enjoy the day

Don't fool yourself. You likely don't have the experience mentioned in point number 3, and even if you do why in the world would you want to exercise it on your own wedding day? Experienced makeup artists practice the art of makeup every single day. Experienced hair stylists nearly double that rate. Professional makeup artists and hair stylists have painted hundreds, if not thousands, of faces and designed hair in dozens of eras, themes, and personal taste categories. If you’re not a makeup artist or hair stylist and you haven’t studied the proper methods of executing flawless looks that withstand heat, wind, tears and very long days, then pass on the notion that you'll save a few dollars. The key to being a perfect bride is to be yourself; that usually still requires professionals to extract that state and keep it there for your wedding day. 

On a more important note, most brides envision their day beginning in an artist's chair with champagne in hand and the loving banter of their bridal party - not a stress-filled morning of racing the clock and no human interaction.

5. Application techniques

It's not that you don't already wake up looking breathtaking... We actually wouldn't change a thing about you. Industry professionals study tricks to emphasize a person’s best facial features while disguising other, less flattering ones just by applying makeup. Hair stylists have an in-depth knowledge of hair types and tendencies, scalp problems, and product benefits. If you want to really highlight your eyes for your big day, your makeup artist can use special makeup techniques to make that happen without caking on the product.

Want to pull off a bold lip color, but are afraid of transferring it onto your groom when its time to “kiss the bride”? A professional makeup artist can help prevent that, too. Scared of your hair flying away or falling due to heat? Yeah.. they've got that covered. 

6. Ensuring perfection

This is one of the most important pieces since the bulk of your day will be spent saying "CHEESE". Experienced makeup artists and hair stylists will sculpt your look using contouring techniques to add the illusion of depth in 2-dimensional photographs and in real life. You instantly turn into a 2-dimensional image instead of a 3-dimensional being when your photo is taken. If you choose to not use a makeup artist or hair stylist, you're likely to be a flat image in your captured memories. If you use a makeup artist that is not experienced, or your makeup and hair are applied and styled improperly, you'll also appear flat and in some bad cases that we've seen - orange! Lastly, you don't want to appear shiny, gray, over, or underdone. Perfection is the key. You are perfect, right?

7. Product, product, product

Like we mentioned above, beauty professionals use high-quality products that are blended with rigorous expertise. When you a hire a makeup artist or hair stylists for your wedding, you won’t have to worry about your makeup wearing off during your wedding festivities or your hair falling from its form. There are special primers, setting sprays and powders that your artists will know exactly how to apply to ensure complete bliss. Your groom may also be appreciative at the end of the day :-)

8. A cohesive look

It is amazing how many women will visually match their friends for Halloween, themed parties, even "pajama parties" but when it comes to their wedding day - the one day everyone should look the same - they turn the other cheek. Think about the last wedding you attended (or even stood for) that had no beauty or dress direction, no orchestration, and no attention to detail. Though that may be the personality of the wedded couple, it certainly spells frustration for their guests and mixed feelings about their captured memories. If cost is a factor, skip the bachelorette party and treat your ladies to luxurious beauty. Nothing is more memorable than sitting back together in a bridal suite, sipping champagne, laughing and letting the professionals unfold your beauty desires. Stress-free is the key and your entrance and impact to your guests will be memorable. 

9. Trial pains...

We said it above, but its a pain point for many. We've met brides that have paid in full for 3 or more trials and come to realize they were dealing with an amateur, or their sister's friend or aunt (who can do it for them) and walked away only spending more money on the right fit.

Demand a trial. No makeup artist or hair stylist can walk into your wedding day and smash it out of the park. This relationship is an intimate one and takes discovery questions and a few dry runs in some cases. Always, always have a makeup and hair trial. You'd hate to be orange from the chin up on your wedding day, or worse yet... your artist leaves for Vegas instead.

10. Wedding day beauty schedules

Hire a Beauty Agency. Yes there are talented, dedicated freelance individuals all of whom deliver endlessly, but they do get sick, have car accidents, run late, endure family deaths, etc, etc. When hiring a beauty agency, your selection of top professionals is much broader, but the security of not having a mishap with an artist on your wedding day is alleviated. Even if your artist gets hit by the proverbial bus, their trial notes and opinions are available to the agency and an artist that matches their skill-sets and schedule will simply step in to ensure a flawless wedding day for you as if nothing ever happened. At WarPaint International, we screen our artists, do technical interviews to test their skill level and work with a wide array of schedules. 

Criminal background checks. We are also a national partner to Trusted Employees, so we criminally background check our Artisans across state and federal databases for background information. We have passed on applicants that work for our competitors or on their own. You wouldn't want a convicted felon in your home, hotel room or personal space scoping out their options. Be smart when hiring on-site professionals.

Learn more about Safety in hiring freelance Artists at our article “Has Your Onsite Beauty Service Provider Had a Criminal Background Check?”

~ Added advice and experience

You may also find benefit in pre-wedding day skin care tips to ensure smooth delivery and a "day of" itinerary for your wedding party to follow and depend on. No one should have to ask "when is Jenny's hair getting done" or "when does this person arrive". We've got that covered. Project management comes at no extra cost and ensures that you look beautiful and we provide superior expertise and service on the most memorable day of your life.

SO... Will you be hiring a professional to do your makeup and/or hair on your wedding day? You won't regret it and though we recommend shopping around to find the perfect match for you and your bridal party, if you're looking for excellence in hair and makeup artistry with the added benefit of a wedding planner for your beauty needs, seek a beauty agency. WarPaint International. 

See how your wedding day will look with WarPaint International Beauty Agency.

The Bride Experience. Your wedding day with WarPaint International Beauty Agency.

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Want to chat with us about your wedding day beauty services? Check out our weddings page and contact us to set up a time speak with a WPI bridal consultant about the details of your big day!

Top Things to Know Before Hiring a Wedding Photographer

Top Tips For Hiring a Wedding Photographer For Your Big Day

Like any of the checklist items in your wedding day, there are a growing number of "need-to-knows" about almost every service vendor you might hire. Our specialty, hair, and makeup, ranks top of the list when it comes to doing your diligence. But photography and videography is also an area where you want to really know what you're looking for and how far in advance you need to begin thinking about it in order to secure the people that are not fly-by-night freelancers - but here for your lasting memories and the long haul. 

So we interviewed the Executive Director of Amore Lux Studios, Kelly Barry-Miller - one of the top teams in the Twin Cities when it comes to photo and video all under one roof. 

How far in advance should you book your photographer and/or cinematographer?

As seasoned professional and award-winning photographers in the Twin Cities, we receive bookings six months to one year in advance. So it is imperative to book with us as soon as you get engaged or you have set a date for your big day.  For wedding cinematography, expect to book three to six months in advance. At Amore Lux Studios we have three truly talented cinematographers, so we have more options for our Brides and Grooms when it comes to booking their wedding dates. When planning your wedding, you should know in January of 2017, we are already receiving wedding contracts for 2018. The industry, in general, has expanded its vendor commitment times. 

When looking at pricing; what can a couple expect to spend on photography when they want to book their engagement session and their wedding day with the same photographer?

You will find that the pricing structure for each photographer will be different based on the experience and education they have, as well as the quality of their work, their portfolio, camera gear, knowledge, experience, and training.  Our Associate Photographers start at $1800.00 (for full wedding day) and a Master Level photographer starts at $2400, based on package collection choices.  

We love to add a few complimentary items as an incentive for our wedding couples to book with us, such as custom print credits and engagement sessions, because it is a great way for us to get to know our clients in a personal photography setting, before their big day.  We are also one of the only photography companies in town that offer full design and wedding day branding services, which promote a luxurious and cohesive visual feel to the day. We can customize any collection to match the vision and budget of our clients.

What are some key elements to consider when looking at a photographer's portfolio?

The quality of imagery is number one when looking at a photographer’s portfolio. Every photographer has their own style, personality, and creativity that they bring to each session, so it is a matter of finding the right photographer that fits your personalities and the vision or style you are looking for.  Seasoned photographers will have consistent imagery within portfolios which showcase their unique style and full weddings within their galleries.  I would highly suggest asking your photographer to see a few of their full-coverage weddings because you will see how they are able to handle different lighting situations that can happen throughout the day.

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What advice can you give to couples about deciding whether or not to do a "First Look"? Does this typically affect pricing?

Deciding whether or not to have a “First Look,” shouldn’t affect pricing at all, however, it can affect the overall stress level of the day in regards to your wedding day timeline. We always honor our couples who want to see each other, for the first time, “walking down the aisle,” if that is what they have always dreamed of. However, having that unique and very special quality time of seeing one another “before” the ceremony for a first look, can be just as special and will produce an easier schedule for you – the Bride and Groom -- to be able to have the formal/family and bridal party pictures done before the ceremony. It usually provides more time for fun the rest of the day. We have found that our wedding couples are far less stressed and can truly enjoy one another and their guests, during their wedding day, when a first look is added.

What are some of the benefits of having a cinematographer in addition to the photographer on the wedding day?

Since we offer both photography and cinematography for our couples, we can tell you firsthand that the couples who decided to save money and not book a cinematographer have come back to us wishing they would have booked. Because even though pictures capture the day as it is unfolding, it doesn’t capture the energy, atmosphere, and living personalities of each person. A special moment captured with photography is beautiful, but being able to see the same moment in full action, HD film is another thing altogether.  It brings that extra dimension that pictures simply can’t bring by themselves. 

We recently had an after-wedding viewing party with one of our bridal couples to show them their pictures and video. They loved the pictures and had smiles on their faces afterward, but when they viewed the video they were whole-belly laughing at the fun moments, crying good tears at the sentimental ones, and were completely brought into their wedding day all over again.  It is difficult for brides and grooms to remember their wedding day because everything goes so fast that it is like a fog in their memory, but being able to view it in real-time, HD, they are able to truly enjoy all the little things they couldn’t remember, that happened.  

A quick story . . . one of our brides asked us if we had any extra film footage of her Grandfather because he recently passed away.  We were able to find it and send it to her, and she was overwhelmed with joy at being able to see him moving in real life - essentially capturing his essence and personality in action.  That is the power of video. And that is the reason every bride should add cinematography to their wedding day.

Should the bride and wedding party hire professional makeup artists and hair stylists? 

ABSOLUTELY, beyond a doubt. Every bride should at least consider, if not hire Makeup and Hair Artists for their big day.  Professional photography goes hand-in-hand with makeup and hair artistry. If a Bride and her attendants want to look and feel their best in front of the camera and have stunning images for this milestone event, they must be willing to add hair and makeup artists into their day.  

Long after the wedding day the caterers, florists, venue, DJ, etc. and all the people you have paid big dollars to (so that your day will be special) will be long gone. They won’t be able to help you remember your wedding day after it is over.  It is the photographers, cinematographers, makeup artists and hair stylists who will be the defining factor in helping you have those memories of your wedding day for generations to come. It sure also makes our post production job a lot easier :-)

In your experience, what are some regrets that couples have about their photography or videography after their wedding?

Many of the couples who booked us for photography, but decided not to book cinematography, or decided not to book one of our preferred makeup/hair artists, regretted not hiring those vital people.  They have said, “Ohhhhh I LOVE the pictures, but I wish my hair and makeup was better or lasted all day,” and “Man, I wish we would have gotten film footage of our Aunt, who recently passed away.”  

“Ohhhhh I LOVE the pictures, but I wish my hair and makeup was better or lasted all day”

These are things that new brides can learn from the ones who have gone before them, and be proactive with when they are considering who to hire for their wedding day. It is easy to look at the budget because let’s be real... not everyone has a ton of money to spend on their weddings, but they still want a fantastic day. The main money-saving area that brides will go to, is to book a lower priced photographer and no makeup/hair artist. They don’t realize at the time that the only lasting thing after the wedding celebration is the images and film footage from the day. It is VITAL to have professionals who know what they are doing and are highly educated and seasoned in their artistry, in order to have memories they will cherish through the generations.  

It’s unfortunate but wedding couples will spend a fortune on their venue, caterers, flowers, etc. and then skimp on photography/cinematography and hair/makeup artistry. Once brides’ understand the value of investing in great photography, cinematography, and makeup/hair professionals, then they understand after the wedding day, why their investment ended up producing such gorgeous memories for them, and there are no regrets. It is the couples who are only looking at cost, and not understanding the value and investment that end up with the regrets.

What are some of the perks of choosing Amore Lux Studios over other photography/cinematography companies in town?

Thanks for asking! First of all, we work hard to ensure that our client services are truly the best in town.  We give our complete heart and souls to each client, making sure their every need is taken care of with integrity, from the time of initial consultation all the way to final delivery of images/film and beyond.  We don’t see our clients as one-time bookings, but lifelong friends that we are honored to take care of. We also view each client as an individual, with individual styles and taste, and that is why we offer varying degrees of customization so they feel confident they are getting services that are custom-designed just for them.  

Most wedding photographers are what we call “shoot and burn” professionals, which means they take pictures and then burn them to a USB or DVD, and give it to the client. They don’t provide additional quality printing and design services.  However, Amore Lux Studios offers extra design/branding a-la-carte options to go with each collection, which gives the clients that luxury visual feel.  We have custom invitations, save-the-date cards, guest sign-in albums, wedding ceremony cards, reception menus, wedding websites, thank you cards, fine-art Italian albums, and so much more. Our design services are rare to find in town, so clients love being able to get that perk of working with us, along with the gorgeous imagery and film footage.

How would a client go about booking an Amore Lux photographer or cinematographer for their wedding day?

We absolutely love to meet with our clients one-on-one for a complimentary consultation. This is the time that we can truly meet and get to know them better, as well as hearing the vision they have for their beautiful wedding day. Clients can simply complete our online Wedding Day Inquiry Form, to check on our availability, and to schedule a bridal consultation with us. The photographers/cinematographers are the only ones who are with the bride and groom all day long, so we want to make sure we are all comfy together and know one another.  During the consultation, we can answer any questions and go over our packages and collections, and customize it to the client's needs.  At the end of the consultation there is no pressure at all to book, but if a client is happy and wants to book with us, then we can walk them through the contract, and they can submit a 30% non-refundable retainer fee, at that time, to reserve their Amore Lux Studios professionals for their wedding day.

Or if they want to go home and think about it, we have convenient and verified online contract-signing, and payment submissions.

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The Final Word

So there you have it. Planning your wedding can be hard enough - you don't need to worry about the minutia. Seasoned professionals may cost more in some cases, but they bring value and experience to the table. Hopefully, some of your concerns about hiring a wedding photographer have been addressed here. You can always reach right out to the Amore Lux Studios staff for more intimate conversations.

Don't forget about your hair and makeup!

You can have your cake and eat it to with Amore Lux Studios!!