Wedding Makeup Series Part 1: Should I hire an MUA for my wedding day?

Hello lovelies!  I'm getting married this year, and as a part-time MUA and beauty blogger nailing my makeup on the big day is pretty important to me. This is the first part in a series of posts about wedding makeup and I thought I'd start with a tough question...should you hire a professional makeup artist for the day?

So...should you hire a pro or not? If you're into makeup, which if you're reading this blog you probably are, it can be really a tough choice, especially with all the other expenses of the day! I would say it's almost always worth at least looking into, not matter your experience level with makeup, but first ask yourself these questions:

- Do you have other people who will need hair/makeup on the day who could benefit from a professional?

- Do you feel a lot of pressure when getting ready for an event? Are you prone to panicking/flapping/stress when you're getting ready for something important?

-Do you like feeling pampered?

-Do you have no clue about what makeup would be best for the day?

-Does the idea of having one less thing to worry about sound good to you?
-Are you someone who has no clue about how makeup works with photography?

If the answer one or more of those questions is yes, then I would definitely consider having a professional do your makeup on the day. Let's expand on those a little, shall we?

-Do you have other people who will need hair/makeup on the day?

Okay, so this one doesn't relate to you personally, but even if you're a total whizz with makeup yourself, on your wedding day you're not going to want to do your mum, mother-in-law and bridesmaids makeup, are you? If you want your loved ones to look great in photos, getting an MUA in is a pretty safe bet and will make your party feel pampered too. Plenty of people who do have an MUA on the day just hire one for themselves, however - it's your day after all (and your budget!)

- Do you feel a lot of pressure when getting ready for an event? Are you prone to panicking/flapping/stress?

I'll put my hands up for this one! I hate getting ready under pressure. Stressing about getting your eyeliner even on your wedding day isn't going to be any fun and if your family are anything like mine, is only going to result in a slapped wrist! If you've got an MUA on board, this worry is going to be elimated - you'll already have had at least one trial, you'll know what your makeup is going to look like so you can just sit back and relax. A professional will have a good handle on how long your look will take, so you won't run late, either.

-Do you like feeling pampered?

No brainer. Hire a pro!

Do you have no clue about what makeup would be best on the day?

Maybe you don't wear makeup normally, but want to look polished in your photos. Maybe you have no idea what will pair nicely with your dress, or maybe you know you make quick decisions and regret them later when it comes to your clothes and makeup, etc. Or maybe you have tons of ideas you can't narrow down! A good MUA will be able to talk through all your concerns and help you choose something that suits your looks, personality and wedding outfit all while making sure it's going to photograph well

Does the idea of having one less thing to worry about sound good to you?

Another no brainer, really!

-Are you someone who has no clue about how makeup works with photography?

Your wedding photos are not THE most important thing when it comes to your wedding memories in my personal opinion, but pretty bloody important and you'll probably  be looking at those photos for a long time! If you don't have a clue about how makeup works with photography, this is where a professional will come in handy because they really *do* have a clue! Also, photos taken with your camera (most of us have phone cameras or point-and-shooters) will look different to those taken with a professional camera, and your MUA will be experienced in this too.

A lot of people say they don't want to hire an MUA on the day because of the cost, but sadly, wedding day makeup *does* cost a lot of money. This is for a reason, people! It's a premium service, tailored to you, from a skilled professional, on an extremely important day in your life - if you are going to hire an MUA, get the best one for you that you can afford (this doesn't necessarily mean the most expensive!) and build it into your budget from the start of your planning! A lot of people treat makeup on their wedding day as a throw-away thing - if it's really not important to you, don't have a pro come in at all. A bad makeup-artist is worse than no makeup artist, and if you're not invested in having an MUA, you probably won't have taken the time to find one that's right for you. So if you're going to have one, take it seriously, budget for it and do your research. This, and any of the above, also all apply to things such as your manicure, fake tan, lash extensions or eyebrow shaping. My next post will be all about what to look for in a professional MUA, so stay tuned for that!

As for me - I'm doing my hair and makeup myself. It's a ritual I personally don't want someone else to take care of, plus I'm getting married abroad so trials, etc, aren't going to happen! I'll be writing posts on doing your makeup yourself as well, so stick around for those.


I hope this was helpful to someone out there, thanks for reading! If I've missed anything, please do let me know and I'll try to help.