Three Tips Thursday, Vol. 11: Brianna Michele Artistry on Hair & Makeup Tips

There are a lot of rewarding and joyful moments that come from owning a venue. And I have quite a few favorite parts about it, too. Perhaps one of the most satisfying, though, is seeing the venue come to life during events and styled shoots. It really does clean up nicely when our vendors work their magic.

Last month we hosted a couple of styled shoots, which is a great way for us to meet and work with other vendors, get marketing materials, and showcase different, creative looks for the venue. Every last detail, down to the finish of the flatware and the makeup on the bride, is key to tying together all of the details and finalize a look.

Photo Credit: Steph Tarno Photography.

Because the small details are just as important as the big ones, especially if you’re going with a specific style, color scheme, or theme, I wanted to sit down with a hair and makeup artist and learn more about their craft. While many brides know hair and makeup is an important detail for both the photos and for tying together the entire bridal look, hair and makeup artists are often one of the vendors that couples book last. And I personally know almost nothing about the subject, so I thought it would be interesting to get perspective from a professional!

Enter Brianna, owner of and lead stylist for Brianna Michele Artistry. I met Bri through the first styled shoot we hosted this year, planned by La Valse Events. I immediately liked her – for many reasons – but primarily I could tell instantaneously that she was both good at and passionate about her career. And the final look(s) our models bore did not disappoint my initial impression!

Bri started her company nine years ago and has been styling for even longer. Her background as an Esthetician and deep knowledge of skincare enhances her ability to make a bride (or groom!) shine on their big day.

Aside from your photographer, who spends a good deal of your wedding day with you, your hair and makeup artist can set the tone for the whole day. And you want to feel your absolute best during one of the biggest celebrations of your life.

That’s why spending time researching hair and makeup artists is so important. Not only do they impact how you feel when you’re reading your nuptials, their work also has the ability to accentuate your inner beauty, which translates to how you carry yourself for the multitude of photos you’ll be taking and ultimately how you remember your day.

Bri’s deep level of caring about her clients often leads her to go above and beyond her craft of hair styling and makeup application. In her words, she’s “practically a bride’s assistant” on the day of their wedding. She offers trailing services in a couple of her packages, where she stays for the majority or entirety of the event to continue doing hair and makeup touchups. She also offers services to grooms as they, too, want to look their best on the big day!

As Bri put it, “You’re not booking a service. You’re booking an experience.”

Three Tips

I learned quite a bit after my interview with Bri, so I’m excited to share with you the amazing tips that she graciously shared with me.

1.  Simplicity is key.

A lot of brides don’t actually know what they want to look like on their big day. I was guilty of this myself for my wedding day! (This can also apply to party hosts and people getting a photoshoot done in general.)

A good rule of thumb to follow – especially for those who don’t have a specific look in mind – is to keep it simple. What makes you feel like your most authentic self? Draw on that and then ask your hair and makeup artist to elevate that. 

Brianna: “A lot of brides don’t know what they want. They think, ‘This is my day that I should feel like myself the most.’ And so that’s when I say, ‘Simplicity is key,’ because I feel like a lot of the time with weddings, people go extreme because they feel like they need to go extreme. Because they feel like ‘this is the biggest day of my life, so I need to go 110%.’

“Listen, if it’s your dream day, and you’re Cinderella, and you want to go to the nines, I’m like, go to the nines. Do it. But don’t forget who you are!

“I’ll have girls who do wear a lot of makeup normally who will get full glam by me. And they’re like, ‘This is incredible,’ but they’re used to full makeup. I’ll also have girls come in, who are more natural, beachy, elegant…or whatever you would label it as. And they’re like, ‘I just feel like I need to do this big look.’ And I’m like, ‘Are you sure? I know you might feel like that in your mind. But I just want you to know that you don’t have to do [full glam] because I’m going to elevate you without changing you.’”

When in doubt, simplicity is key and less is more.

2. Do a trial run.

Even if it costs extra (and you can afford it). This is when you can nail down the exact look you’re going for, discuss with your hair and makeup artist the details of your wedding or event, and form a bond with that artist. Afterall, you will be spending the majority of the morning of your wedding with this person, so you want it to be a good fit both in terms of personality and style of artistry. 

Brianna: “But when it comes to a hair and makeup trial, which is very important, it gives time for you to think about what you’re going to look like on your wedding day.

“Even when people say to me, ‘Do whatever you want,’ I’m like, ‘Okay, I’ll do whatever I want. But what colors are you attracted to? What do you love about your face? What do you feel kind of insecure about, or what about your face do you not really want to stand out?’ Give me those key factors, and then I’ll build off that. Trial. Trial. Trial. It’s a very important thing.”

Bri likens the experience of a hair and makeup trial-run to wedding dress shopping. Some brides know what they want – or think they know what they want – but a lot of brides don’t know which style of dress they’ll end up choosing. Even for the brides that go in with a specific vision in mind, they, too, often end up going with a completely different look after trying on various styles and seeing what makes them feel most glamorous AND most like them.

Brianna: “It’s like finding a wedding dress…Makeup and hair is the same thing. If you normally wear your hair down, why in the world would you put your hair up on your wedding day? [Brides] are often like, ‘Because it’s my wedding.’ I’m like, ‘We can try it. I’ll show you. But you might not like it because you might not feel like you.’ And I think it’s really important to feel like you.”

Trial runs give hair and makeup artists the opportunity to understand a bride’s essence and what will make her feel most comfortable and most beautiful.

3.  Be Flexible.

In trying to maintain your essence – even on your wedding day when you might feel like you need to be extra – it’s also important to remain flexible because there are going to be situations during your celebration over which you have no control.

Brianna: “The word weather is anxiety inducing. I did a wedding this past weekend where I wanted to put her hair up really badly because it was so windy…If you’re getting married in July in South Florida, well, that’s fine. Having your hair up would be perfect. But if you want your hair down, you need to have some type of extensions for longevity or you need to have someone trailing you [throughout your wedding] to fix any minor setbacks.”

In line with flexibility, Bri also talked at length about doing two looks in one event, which I didn’t even know was a possibility. Essentially, if you’re undecided on just one look, or if the weather is unpredictable, or if the location lends itself to one type of style but you wanted a different one, you can ask your hair and makeup artist about doing two looks. For example, you can wear your hair up during the ceremony, and thereafter, your stylist can adjust your hair to let it out of its updo for the reception. (This is what Bri did for our styled shoot!)

Brianna: “I’m a person that believes you can have it all. Some people can’t make up their mind on what style they want. But they can do a look change. I love a look change because I feel like, for me, the best version of myself. I’m a girl who wears my hair up and down. So, for my future wedding day, I’ll probably be doing the same thing – doing both. And you can do the same thing with makeup.”

Having two wedding dresses – one for the ceremony and photos and one for the reception – has become normal. So can having two hairstyles and two makeup looks.

Connect with Bri through her Instagram page or her website!

Thanks for tuning in!

-Emily, Co-Founder, The Gardens of Weber Manor

Blog News: We love to connect with our clients and friends, and we publish a special newsletter every 1st Thursday of the month. We also provide a lot of wedding tips from our preferred vendors.

“You will find that most times you have a vision of what it is that you want to accomplish and that’s most important. It allows you to work backwards and make cuts and changes that will still reflect the overall outcome you wish to achieve. What good is splurging on one particular item if it doesn’t result in the overall outcome you were trying to create?

-Emily, Co-Founder, The Gardens of Weber Manor

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