The truth is that we all want to feel beautiful and none more so than a bride on her wedding day.
Creating the right look for a bride on her wedding day and helping her get ready for the camera is a vital part of what may be the most important day of her life. Susan Smith, make up artist at Pretty Flamingo is a qualified makeup artist and bridal make-up specialist working within the wedding industry alongside Sarah Illingworth, professional wedding photographer at Mirror Imaging Photography (www.mirrorimaging.co.uk)
Together we offer a unique and complete service creating the perfect look to ensure our brides look amazing, not just for the ceremony but throughout their wedding day and, most importantly, for a wedding album full of fabulous photographic memories. Firstly, the collaboration between make up artist and photographer ensures the Bride is ‘picture perfect’ in beautiful, natural makeup that’s guaranteed to last all day, and secondly that her bridal look is captured forever in great wedding images that she can treasure for the rest of her life.
Our friendly, professional service is the Bride’s ultimate stress-free solution to a happy wedding day, which always relies on meticulous planning and organisation. Initially, we meet with you to discuss the time, season and style of your wedding and any special photography you have planned – such as black and white, sepia or special effects. You may find further inspiration from an extensive portfolio, or rely on our wedding expertise to guide you.
In addition, our service always includes us making a prior visit to your wedding venue to professionally assess the lighting and conditions for the best photo opportunities and to resolve any potential problems so that they don’t arise on your special day. Sarah will also liaise with the Registrar, Vicar or Official who is performing the wedding ceremony to ascertain accessibility to photographing you whilst making your wedding vows. She will then create an advanced time-line of your complete wedding day schedule to ensure that the timing is perfect throughout.
Copies of your Wedding Day Plan can be supplied to all key members of the wedding party in advance, leaving the Bride and Groom free to enjoy each precious moment, confident that every major member of the bridal party knows the exact order of the day and can play their part in its smooth running.
Not less than 4 weeks before your wedding day, Susan will meet with the Bride at the Garden House Studio to discuss her ideas on how she wishes to look and to create a bridal makeup that will enhance the wedding photographs and complement her chosen colour theme, wedding dress and flowers.
Makeup, well applied, transforms the face by highlighting your special beauty and downplaying any so-called flaws so that you can look and feel absolutely beautiful on your wedding day. Whether you want larger more defined eyes, luscious soft lips, more contour and dimension to the face or to hide some feature that you’re not comfortable with, the art of makeup promises to make you look exceptional, striking and hard-to-forget – both in the flesh and in your wedding photos.
Susan will colour match the makeup to your skin tone, offer advice and apply the makeup to achieve the look you desire. To ensure that you are completely happy, Sarah will then photograph the Bride, wearing her new makeup so she can have a preview of how she will look in the wedding photos. Our trials can also include the Bridesmaids, Mothers, the Groom and any other important person – although our priority is always towards the Bride throughout her entire wedding day, which includes having a professional makeup artist on hand to ensure her makeup will always look fresh and beautiful.
Because we know that circumstances can change after your initial consultation, both photographer and makeup artist are available at all times via email, telephone or for a second meeting, if necessary.
On the morning of the wedding Susan and Sarah will travel to join the Bride at her home or chosen venue. The timing of your wedding day makeup application will have been agreed at the initial consultation or makeup trial. We will arrive before the scheduled time and whilst Susan applies her makeup magic to create stunning looks, according to the agreed schedule of bridal party members (generally the bride will be last to ensure freshness and perfection), Sarah will photograph all the details of the bridal preparations, which contribute to the excitement and anticipation of the day ahead, together with poignant moments spent with the Bride’s closest family, bridesmaids and friends prior to the Ceremony.
We will then go on ahead of the Bride to meet the Groom and his male entourage and to take their photographs prior to the Bride’s arrival at the church, registrar office or other wedding ceremony venue, where we shall be the first to greet her at her most radiant best.
Thereafter, we are dedicated to unobtrusively organising and delivering stunning wedding photography and beautiful wedding albums that you will be delighted to share with loved ones, and will look back on in memory of one of the most important and happiest days of your life.