All The Beauty Elements Of My Wedding Day: My Makeup, Hair & Fragrance Choices

As the news of another royal engagement hits the newsstands, I'm still in the middle of my own wedding haze. It's been a little over seven weeks since we said 'I do' and looking back through the photos captured during that whirlwind day reminds me of all the special moments we had, and the huge amount of preparation that went into it. I've covered off some of my beauty prep in previous posts (check them out here,) but I wanted to delve deeper into the beauty elements of the day to share the decisions I made and the results that were achieved. As someone so thoroughly obsessed with all things hair, makeup and fragrance, it was never going to be straight forward ticking those boxes ahead of our big day; but the planning and prep really paid off, as I was thoroughly pleased with how the creative talents there with me that day brought my bridal vision to life. Here's a little look at the beauty elements of my wedding day, as well as some snaps of the finished look. Enjoy!

MINIMAL UNDERSTATED MAKEUP 

It was important for me to feel like me on my wedding day, opting for relatively natural and understated makeup that wouldn't date or look too much in years to come. After a couple of consultations with Zara from Bobbi Brown's pro team, we settled on a champagne eye with a subtle black wing to bring out the colour of my eyes and add some warmth to my complexion. We added in individual lashes to add volume to my lashline without looking like falsies, as well as some subtle bronzer to create a certain glow. It was important to me that the makeup stayed in place all day and required minimal touch-ups, so we played around with a combination of super light skincare, a dusting of powder and fixing spray; I only touched-up my makeup once all day and it still looked pretty flawless when I took a cleansing balm to it at midnight. The finishing touch was the warm nude lipstick with a pinky undertone, which looked like my lips but better. My three bridesmaids wore the same colour palette with the added difference of a subtle smokey eye which suited them all beautifully - we definitely looked like a team! 

SCENTS TO MATCH THE SEASON 

I've always worn different perfumes dependent upon my mood, look, the time of year and even occasion, so it was never just going to be a case of spritzing on my current favourite during the most important day of my life: it was about finding the perfect accompaniment that would always remind me of this very special day as soon as I caught an unexpected whiff. After a consultation with the talented noses at Jo Malone London (read all about my fragrance consultation here,) I settled on a combination of English Pear & Freesia and the rather iconic Blackberry & Bay - which together provide a timelessly rich, fruity and elegant scent that I simply couldn't get enough of. I've loved English Pear & Freesia for such a long time but always talked myself out of an impulsive purchase, so my wedding day was the perfect excuse to indulge; Blackberry & Bay was one of my first Jo Malone discoveries, but it's been such a long time since I've worn it that it's also like starting anew. Together they're exactly what I envisioned; they suited the venue and time of year perfectly too, so that when I wear the combination again I'll remember the special moments we had.

AN UNDONE 'UP-DO'

Thanks to a deep-rooted fear of overly 'done' looks and too much hairspray, I was a bit cautious of picking a bridal look from the very start. After a very productive and reassuring hair trial (read more about it here,) we settled on pinning my hair up and away from my face (something I rarely do) in a relaxed and undone fashion. I wear my hair down so much that it didn't seem enough for me to do the same on my wedding day, so pinning my limited locks up was the simplest way to feel and look a bit different to what everyone is used to. My hair was first curled and then pinned to perfection, alongside my diamante hair band which matched perfectly with my dress; it was actually the one I tried on during my very first appointment, so it was clearly meant to be.

My only regret on the day is that it was so windy during some moments that my hair got blown all out of place, leaving some of the photos looking less than flattering - but it's a small price to pay! We also forgot about the veil until the last minute, after the hairdressing team had left, so I just had to plonk it on my head and hope for the best; unfortunately this meant most of what they'd created was covered for the majority of the day, but when I popped off the veil for dinner my 'do still looked pretty great. If I had to do it all again my hair is possibly the only thing I'd amend, but not everything can be perfect...

The bridesmaids' hair was absolutely gorgeous, especially considering they all had completely different colours, lengths and styles. We decided upon plaits as a way to make all three girls look cohesive, adding in flowers to match their bouquets and bring to life the rustic and overgrown nature of the venue. Subtle waves and individual looks to suit their own styles meant they all looked fabulous, but still themselves. I just love the pictures of the back of their hair; I'm actually a bit jealous of their styles and kind of wished I'd opted for a matching plaited look - oh well! 

Thank you team for helping me get ready and for capturing the day beautifully!

PHOTOGRAPHY: Hannah McClune

MAKEUP: Bobbi Brown

HAIR: Headmasters Windsor for Kerastase Paris

PERFUME: Jo Malone London 

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