Bridal Hair by Briony

My most memorable wedding is that of Lauren. A beautiful, vintage style wedding at The Out Barn, Ribble Valley. I had the pleasure of being part of this beautiful, winter wedding where I styled the bride & bridesmaids like something out of a vintage, Hollywood film. Truly beautiful.

Boho, Soft, Youthful, Clean and Glowing.

I am proud that after nearly 9 years as a business owner in the industry that I have been able to build a loyal client base, despite re-locating and have so many brides trust me to make them feel beautiful on the biggest day of their lives.

There are areas that you can save money on or DIY, however I think it's important to invest in your photography and makeup/ hair because they're your lasting memories of the day. You don't want to be looking at those pictures and hating them for the rest of your life.

I once did the wedding of a bride who was interested in astrology, so each member of the bridal party was given a gift bag based on their star sign as did the day guests. Although astrology may not be everyone's interest, the amount of time and care put in by the bride to ensure the guests and bridal party felt special was really nice.

I typically will deal with the bride and will start off with initial contact to establish the needs of the bride; wedding date, size of bridal party, location, ect. Once this is established, a bridal brochure will be sent out to the bride to look over as this contains all information needed. If there are any further questions, these will then be answered. If the bride wishes to have a phone call/ zoom call with me then this can also be arranged as I know it's sometimes easier for people this way.

Once all details are established and the bride is happy to proceed, I will get the date booked in my diary and I ask for a 50% non-refundable deposit which will secure the wedding date. An invoice will be sent out with bank details for the deposit to be transferred.

A trial is heavily advised as this will ensure the bride is 100% happy with how everything will look on the wedding day and this is recommended to be booked in around 6-8 weeks prior to the wedding date. The trial will be located at your location and payment for the trial is required on the day. The trial typically takes around 2 hours if it's just makeup/ hair and around 3-4 hours if it's both makeup and hair. Some people request to have their trial on the day on their hen do, however I advise against this as firstly if you're wanting to keep your bridal look a secret but also most people wish to have a heavier look on their hen-do.

Once the trial is complete and the bridal look is agreed, I will take notes of products I've used and this will be re-created on the day. If any other member of the bridal party wishes to have a trial this can also be arranged and will work in the same way. The cost of the trial is to be paid on the day.

Around a week before the wedding I will always check in with my brides and this is when the final balance is required as I find that this is less stressful than dealing with money on the morning of the wedding. I will confirm all details in terms of arrival times, location and bridal party at this point to ensure everything is clear for the morning of the wedding. I will also put together a schedule of services so that each member of the bridal party knows what time they need to be sat in my chair for.

Lastly, I will arrive on the wedding morning at the time agreed and complete the bridal makeup/ hair services. I will stick to the timings outlined in the itinerary and will stay until the very last minute to ensure that after the bride is dressed, I can touch anything up that needs it.

I love being able empower brides to feel confident and beautiful in their own skin without changing their appearance. Instead I enhance a bride's features to harness their natural beauty.

Drink lots of water to keep your skin hydrated & if you have a skincare routine that you have used regularly, please don't change this as you don't want to risk any reactions so close to the wedding day.

I am really good at reading the room, after being in the industry for this long I am able to mirror a bride's energy. Therefore if I can feel that a bride wishes to have a bit of quiet time whilst I do their makeup/ hair, I will only really speak when the bride speaks to me as I knows nerves set in and the only moment of stillness on the wedding morning is usually in my chair. On the other hand, if a bride is chatty and wants to talk, I can talk for England so will happily converse.

As a person I am very calm natured and patient, I am very relaxed and can get along with everyone therefore I slot into the wedding morning seamlessly.

I always advise that the bride either buys her own lipstick that I can use on the wedding morning as this can then be used throughout the day, or vice versa, if a bride likes the lip colour I use at the trial to invest in this so the bride can keep it topped up all day. I also love the blotting papers, that on a wedding day, are so much more convenient and easy to use than powder to keep the bride shine-free throughout the day.