today i am excited to bring to you one of my favorite vendors, Amie from Amie Decker Beauty. her team specializes in all things make-up, hair and skin for your wedding. today we are going to focus on the make-up side of things. hopefully, this can help answer some big questions that every bride has for her wedding day!
Photo captured by the talented Maria Vicencio

how did you get started in the make-up world? I suppose I have been a makeup artist since I was a little girl. I used to paint faces on a page and now I paint faces in real life (for important occasions). It wasn’t until after I graduated college and was working full time in HR/sales that I decided to pursue education to become a professional makeup artist.

how far in advance should a bride start looking for her make-up artist? Much further in advance than you would think. If there is an artist that a bride is interested in booking, I recommend contacting them as soon as she sets her date.

what are some important details a bride should consider when shopping for a make-up artist? 1. First of all, a bride should look for someone who is experienced in bridal makeup. Just because someone sells makeup does not mean they are trained or have experience applying it for weddings. The makeup artist needs to know how the makeup will photograph, how it will wear after crying and smiling and dancing. And the makeup artist needs to be experienced with weddings in order to work quickly enough to get through an entire bridal party on the wedding day.

2. Look at the makeup artist portfolio to see if you like their work. A talented artist is able to adjust an application to fit a bride’s personal style. So if there are a few photos in their portfoio that you don’t really care for don’t rule them out because it very well may be that they did exactly what the bride requested. However, if every person on their website looks exactly the same and it is not the look you are going for then they are probably not the best fit.

3. Look into their reviews. Weddingwire is a great resource for brides to see reviews from former clients. And here’s a tip, all of the lower scored reviews are on the last pages so look at those. Keep in mind that anyone can write a review and some people are not going to be happy no matter what a company provides them so a few bad reviews show up for every company. That being said, if a makeup artist has 100 reviews and 3 unsatisfied clients, I’d say that’s a pretty exceptional track record and a safe bet.

what questions should she ask when shopping for a make-up artist? I completely understand that every bride is working with a budget, no matter how large or how small. Pretty much everything you could want to know about a makeup artist will be on their website but pricing can be tricky to hone in on. When you are comparing pricing, make sure you know what is included in their price quote. If they have an all inclusive package, make sure you know exactly what that includes and what will be extra. You want to find out if they require a minimum number of participants and if you meet that requirement. Also, make sure you know if they have an additional travel fee or “kit” fee. Some makeup artist’s prices seem like a great deal but then you find out that it is extra for a trial, lashes, travel etc. My advice is to do the math so you know exactly what you will be paying before booking them.

what are some of the biggest mistakes you see brides make?  Whenever I hear regrets from brides about makeup it usually comes down to not hiring the right person. I think that many brides do not factor makeup into their wedding budget and then when they think about booking someone, they decide they cannot afford it. They then turn to either a friend to apply their makeup or decide to do it themselves and many of them end up disappointed. It is so upsetting for me when brides spend so much money on their dress and their photos and are unhappy with how they look in them because of their makeup.

what factors should a bride consider when deciding what type of make-up to do on her wedding day? A bride should always consider what makes her feel most beautiful. I usually recommend a bride not to deviate too much from her usual “look”. Most brides want to look like themselves but the most beautiful version of themselves for the wedding. It is important to keep in mind that you will look different in photos than you do in the mirror but don’t let a makeup artist talk you into wearing more makeup or colors that you are not comfortable with. The key is to find the happy balance of looking beautiful in photos and not too done up in person. That is why bridal makeup takes a great deal of skill to achieve that balance.

how long should make-up be factored into the timeline of a wedding day? This completely depends on your artist. An experienced artist knows exactly how long they need per person. Some makeup artists take longer than others so you cannot base a timeline on what worked for the last wedding you were in. If you have done your research and chosen a makeup and hair team that is recommended by your vendors and former brides then they can be trusted to tell you how long they need to complete makeup/hair for your party without making you late.

what are some current trends you see for wedding make-up?  I am really very happy with the current trends. There seems to be a return to “healthy beauty” right now (thicker brows, glowing skin, lots of lashes, pink cheeks and lips). I think bridal makeup itself has taken strides in the past 5 years. I used to get requests from everyone that they just wanted to look natural and I think it was based on a fear of looking too “done up” or fake. Now, it seems brides are much less afraid of makeup and just want to look beautiful and radiant. I love that!

how do you feel about fake eyelashes? are they for everybody? how do you know how dramatic one should go? I am a huge fan of false lashes. And yes, I believe they are for everybody. I personally like to use individual false lashes for weddings because they look natural and will not bother the bride or start to fall off during the day. I like to use a length that is slightly longer than the person’ natural lashes. It is a subtle change but it makes a huge difference.

what is the best way to prep your skin the months leading up to the wedding? Drink a ton of water. If you can afford it, get a monthly facial. Use eye cream and sun protection every day.

what is the best way to prep your skin the morning of the wedding? Don’t do anything out of the ordinary. Cleanse your face and moisturize. It is always a great idea to exfoliate your lips and then put some sort of lipbalm on for the day to keep your lips from being dry.

any products to absolutely avoid on a wedding day? Mascara that is not waterproof. Also avoid any sun block that contains zinc; the reflective properties don’t work well with flash photography.

any other advice for brides planning their wedding day? Let this experience be fun! Hire vendors you can trust and will enjoy spending the day with. Gather advice from others but go with your gut and do what’s right for you. And keep in mind that what really matters is that at the end of the day you will be married to the love of your life.

Check out Amie’s work here!