Why Your Wedding Hair and Makeup Should Still Feel Like You

There’s a lot of pressure surrounding how you’re supposed to look on your wedding day.

Your makeup should be more dramatic because it needs to “show up in photos.” Your hair should be more elaborate because it’s your wedding. You should wear more lashes, more coverage, more everything because this is the one day you’re allowed to go all out.

But what if you don’t want to look like a completely different person?

I’m a big believer that your wedding day isn’t the day to become someone else. It’s the day to look like the best, most polished version of you.

Bridal Beauty Doesn't Have to Mean More

One of the things I hear most often from my brides is some version of:

“I still want to look like myself.”

And I love hearing that.

Natural bridal makeup doesn’t mean barely-there makeup, and soft glam doesn’t have to mean boring. We can even out your skin, softly define your eyes, add dimension to your face and make everything feel elevated without covering up the features that make you look like you.

The goal is for people to notice how beautiful you look—not spend the day wondering what’s different about your face.

Your Wedding Photos Should Still Look Like You Years From Now

Wedding trends change. Quickly.

The super-sculpted brows, ultra-heavy contour or very specific hairstyle that's everywhere right now might not be what you gravitate toward five or ten years from now.

That doesn't mean you have to avoid trends completely. If you love something, absolutely incorporate it. But I like to approach bridal beauty with a little longevity in mind.

Healthy-looking skin, softly defined features and hair that complements your dress, face shape and overall wedding style tend to age beautifully.

When you look through your wedding photos years from now, I want you to recognize yourself.

You Can Still Feel Different Without Feeling Uncomfortable

There’s also a difference between looking like yourself and looking exactly like you do every day.

Your wedding hair and makeup should feel special.

Maybe we add individual lashes even though you don't normally wear them. Maybe your everyday waves become a polished, dimensional bridal style. Maybe you wear a little more coverage than usual because you want your skin to look especially even in photos.

Those little adjustments can make everything feel elevated while still staying within your comfort zone.

That's where a good bridal artist comes in.

Instead of automatically giving every bride the same version of “bridal glam,” your artist should be able to look at your features, listen to what you actually like and create something specifically for you.

Your Trial Is About More Than Picking a Look

This is also why I love bridal trials.

Of course we're figuring out your hair and makeup, but we're also figuring out what makes you feel beautiful.

Maybe you thought you wanted a full-coverage foundation and realize you feel better when your freckles still show through. Maybe the hairstyle you've saved 20 times on Pinterest doesn't feel quite right once you see it on yourself.

That's completely okay.

A trial gives us the chance to make those discoveries before the wedding day. We can adjust, simplify, add a little more, take something away and get everything to that sweet spot where you feel polished but still completely comfortable.

The Best Bridal Look Is the One You Feel Good Wearing

There isn't one correct way to look like a bride.

You don't have to wear full glam because it's your wedding. You don't have to choose an elaborate updo because it feels more “bridal.” And you definitely don't have to look like someone else just because you're going to be photographed all day.

You should be able to look in the mirror and think:

Yep. That's me. Just really, really good.

That's always the goal at Rotella Beauty.

I specialize in natural, soft-glam bridal hair and makeup for Colorado brides who want to feel polished, confident and completely like themselves on their wedding day.

If that sounds like the kind of bridal beauty experience you're looking for, I'd love to hear what you're envisioning for your day.