As a Makeup Artist, for me nothing quite beats the buzz I get from weddings or photo shoots, so I thought why not combine my two favourite parts of the job & come up with my own stylised bridal shoot!
I love to organise my own shoots every now and again because I find it so satisfying having complete creative control. I enjoy the whole process, from creating a mood board to the excitement of shoot day. And then there’s the suspense of awaiting the finished images from the photographer, it’s all so exciting!
I was so happy to have Andy Robinson onboard with this project; Andy isn’t your average wedding photographer, he’s won multiple awards for his wedding photography and has a dark and moody style to a lot of his portraiture which I really admire. My models for the day were Vicki Lemon and Amy Riley, whom I’d had the pleasure of working with before on previous shoots, so I knew they would be perfect for bringing my concept to life. Our team met at The Broomhill Art Hotel on a beautiful Sunday morning, we set up base in one of the hotels lavish rooms and got to work. Makeup wise I wanted to keep it soft and romantic with emphasis on the eyes. This was an ideal opportunity for me to use the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita eyeshadow palette. Charlotte is a legendary makeup artist and an idol of mine, so I was keen to create some bridal looks inspired by her glamorous and ever so classy style.
I used cool tones on Vicki; shimmery smokey eyes with nude glossy lips.
Amy was glammed up with warm tones; bronze eyeshadow teamed with peach/pink lipstick. I tailored both looks to showcase each of the models best features (as any good mua should do). This meant using a bronzer to accentuate Vicki’s chiseled cheekbones and we used radiance balm underneath Amy’s foundation to illuminate her glowing complexion. After makeup, the models put on the stunning wedding dresses that were supplied by Grace and Elegance Bridal Boutique. All that was left then was to add the finishing touches; some accessories and two beautiful bouquets that my very talented friend Tony from Thready, Willow Florist had lovingly made for us. I wanted us to create something a bit different from the usual images you see in most wedding magazines, so choosing the right setting was key. The hotel grounds made the most enchanting location, there were so many weird and wonderful sculptures to use as props. The walk around the gardens made me feel like Alice in Wonderland, there was something for all of us to admire and talk about… from a tipped teacup to a quartet of naked stone men, we all became art critics at some point and it made for a really fun day! I didn’t have to do many touch ups as the day went on (thank the lord for primer because it was so hot & humid!), most of my time consisted of strategically placing towels to protect the dresses, yanking Vicki’s stilettos out the ground and testing my endurance holding up lighting equipment!
We were all so tired by the end of the day, we spent hours out in the summer heat but it was absolutely worth it and I think we all left there feeling the shoot had been a complete success. I am so proud of how well the team all pulled together and what we achieved. I hope you enjoy the final images as much as we enjoyed shooting them!
By Denise Norman, Boost that Beauty Makeup Artistry.
The Details
Photographer
Andy Robinson from J&A cameras Ltd.
Models
Amy Riley and Vicki Lemon
Makeup
Denise Norman from Boost that Beauty
Venue
Broomhill Art Hotel
Dresses & accessories
Grace & Elegance Bridal Boutique
Flowers
Tony Pearce
