Congratulations, you’re engaged! Now comes the tricky bit, how do you plan a wedding and where do you start? There are so many factors to consider and you know people are going to start asking soon enough. Venue? Transport? Music? Food? The options are endless! You will more than likely discuss all these things with your fiance and decide together what you’d like; but when it comes to what you wear, your hair and your makeup, you’re likely to want to surprise your other half. That’s where a professional comes in.

As a hair and makeup artist, I have spent the last 15 years making brides and grooms feel amazing and it’s my passion as well as my profession. I’m there to make sure you not only look and feel great on your day but that you look and feel like yourself. Makeup can act like your own personal suit of armour, done correctly you can feel confident and ready for anything, done badly, you can feel uncomfortable at best. If you’re already someone who is unused to wearing a big, white dress and being stared at by all your family and friends (which is all of us, right?) then that suit of armour is a lifesaver.

When picking a hair and makeup artist for your wedding day you will almost certainly have a trial beforehand, this is so that you can see their work first-hand and decide together what look you would like on your day. Your personal style is something you will discuss with the artist, so it’s important to do a little bit of preparation beforehand. If your taste is more retro than romantic, let them know; an experienced artist will be able to create any look, so be sure to take some images of what you’d like, so they can see what you’re imagining.

There are, of course, lots of other variables to consider; hair up or down? For a spring wedding you may want a fresh, glowy makeup using pinks, peaches and golds. An autumn wedding lends itself to browns, bronzes and plums and at a winter wedding you may fancy a festive red lip. Skin tone, eye and hair colour are also huge factors in how your artist will know the best way to emphasise your natural features and most importantly, make you sparkle.

There have been so many changing trends in hair and makeup over the years that it’s important to remember to stay true to yourself. Your wedding day won’t last forever but your wedding photos will and the last thing you want is to look back at them when you’re 70 and think ‘who talked me into red eyeshadow and a floor length ponytail?’ You only have to take a look at your Mum’s wedding photos (Shoulder pads? Yes please) to note that trends change according to era. If you’ve chosen a style of dress that’s very specific to one period – say a gorgeous Gatsby number – then 20s makeup would be correct, but it’s not necessarily the you your fiancé will recognise at the end of that aisle. If you’re aiming for strong contour then ask yourself the question, will I still like this in a year? It’s important to remember that camera-ready doesn’t always mean looking like a celebrity, trusting your makeup artist to take an era-defined look and tailor it to you, is what they’re there for.

Once you’ve nailed your look there are still lots of other ways your artist will help you in the run up and on your day. An experienced artist will guarantee you a flawless face, but after the first kiss, the second, the hellos, the champagne and the meal, your lipstick might have left the building! If you’ve picked a specific shade, you may not have time to rush out and buy it yourself. For those all-important touch ups, I always offer to purchase my bride’s lipstick for them and bring it with me on the wedding day. That way, you’ll have your lipstick on hand and will be able to wear it on your honeymoon and beyond.

In terms of big day stress, your artist is there for that too; a huge part of the job is making sure the bride is relaxed and enjoys the morning of their wedding. I have sewn hems, steamed veils, glued hairpieces, painted nails, entertained children, pulled on spanx, placated registrars and subtly made up one ever so slightly green groom, so there’s really nothing we aren’t prepared for! If there’s one overarching piece of advice I can give, one thing that applies to everyone, it’s be yourself.. and don’t forget waterproof mascara!