6 Things to Bear in Mind When Styling Your Wedding

As a personal stylist and make-up artist, weddings are often a time when I’m asked to step in and make sure colours and styles all look perfect. Weddings are such a special occasion it’s not surprising that the happy couple want everything to go smoothly and look fabulous so they have a day to look back on with no regrets.

If you’ve just started planning your wedding, here are some styling considerations to bear in mind.

Your bridal dress

This is often your starting point and not the most difficult choice and you will often have firm ideas about what suits you.  Bridal boutiques are usually very good at making sure you they help you to find the dress of your dreams but if you do feel flummoxed or overwhelmed, an experienced stylist can help.   By narrowing down the options, focusing on what will suit your body shape a stylist will find a dress that’s really you.

Colour Scheme

One of the most important factors to consider is your colour scheme.  You’ll want to be surrounded by colours that are flattering to you and the season. Sometimes a bride is about to choose a colour for her bridesmaids and flowers just on impulse or fashion.  When she sees me, I can advise on the best shades next to her skin tone and hair colouring.

Bridesmaids & Colour

If the bridesmaids all have similar colouring, the choice can be fairly simple to choose something that suits everyone.  Should you have a number of bridesmaids that are quite different, more consideration maybe needed. For example, a blonde, a brunette and a red head or maybe different ethnicities.  A group colour analysis can be a good idea to find a colour that looks great on everyone or a range of colours.

There’s no reason why every bridesmaid has to be in the same colour. You may choose one colour and have different shades of that colour. For example, if you wanted pink, the depths could range from cerise to baby pink.  Or you may choose different colours for different bridesmaids such as peach, lilac and sage and tie the look together with the floral bouquets.

Also bear in mind the colouring of the groom and groom’s men. They’ll usually only have a hint of colour in their ties, pocket squares and button holes.  You don’t want any big clashes with hair colouring and you’ll want it all to tie in nicely for balance and harmony. A colour scheme with three shades will usually look more stylish, inspirational and individual that just two shades.

So for example, instead of just navy and pink, which could look a little bland, navy, silver and pink would be more uplifting. There are plenty of more adventurous combinations if you wanted a more unique, less traditional look.

Bridesmaids’ Dresses

This really can cause challenges even when there are only two or three.  It’s worth making sure you really find dresses that keep everyone happy. You don’t want a scowling flower girl or a bridesmaid that just isn’t confident in what she’s wearing. Here are some things to consider:

• 10-13 year olds will often feel very grown up and won’t want to be dressed the same as little 2-3 year old flower girls.
• Large-busted bridesmaids may feel more comfortable in a dress that makes the most of their assets and can be worn with a bra.
• One shape may not suit all! Women come in many different shapes and sizes and if you have quite a few bridesmaids, it’s unlikely that the same shape will suit all of them. Many bridal brands offer different styles in the same fabric or you may want to have them made. If they’re all in the same colour but different styles, more interest can be added in the flowers.

Flowers

Although my expertise is in dressing bodies, I’m often asked to give an opinion on flowers too. Flowers really can make a wedding. I am always happy to recommend a florist but choose someone whose work you’ve seen and admire. Make sure you have a meeting with them beforehand to discuss your colour scheme and style. They’ll usually ask if it’s more laid back and rustic, romantic, traditional, dramatic, chic and so on.

If possible, have samples of the dresses that they can keep so they can match ribbons/bouquet ties and make a mood board on Pinterest if possible to show them the sorts of looks you like.

Accessories

These really don’t have to cost the earth these days but make sure you leave time to consider what you want. Will the bridesmaids all wear the same shoes and jewellery or a variation on a theme? Will you also need clutch bags for lipsticks, phones etc.? Hair accessories should ideally be bought before your hair trial. You’ll also need to consider accessories for the venue such as chair covers and/or bows to tie in with your theme.

Make-up

Again, take time to think about this. Do you want to do your own make-up or bring in a professional make-up artist? Do you want a typical bridal look or something more individual. Do you want to look like you on a good day or a lot more glamorous and red carpet?

I don’t need to tell you that your wedding is one of the most important days of your life. Many brides have a good friend, sister or mum that helps them plan.  This can be great fun especially if you have creative, stylish friends that understand what you want. However, if budget allows and you need some unbiased help and advice, why not consider some professional help to style your perfect wedding day?