Beauty Tips for Every Bride

On Tuesday we covered hair ideas, so today, let’s focus on makeup. Whether you’re looking for that perfect smoky eye or complete natural look, we have some helpful tips for you not only for wedding day, but leading up to the day of as well. Here are some day-of and pre-wedding day tips and hints!

Sleep, sleep, sleep. Sleep is not only vital for functioning in everyday life, but it is even more vital when you’re getting ready for your big day. It helps fight dark under eye circles and puffiness, as well as makes you feel better and less stressed in general!

Cut down on dairy. It seems like dairy tends to be the culprit for most of our breakouts. If this is you, cut down on cheese, milk, even chocolate, in the days leading up to your wedding to avoid any surprise breakouts. We don’t like surprises when your special day is just around the corner.

Stick with what works. Don’t switch up your skin products, moisturizing regimen, or any other skin care routine you have that works for you too close to your wedding day. Don’t try to change something that doesn’t need to be changed—you risk the chance of a possible bad reaction. We want to avoid this at all costs!

Smoky eye. A look that we all love and chase after; the perfect smoky eye. If you want to convey a sultry, seductive bridal look, go for a smoky eye and nude lip. Since you’ll be sporting a bold eye, it’s better to keep the lip neutral, as not to overwhelm your features.   We recommend having a test run beforehand with a makeup artist that you trust and have hired for the day of.

Natural palette. Opposite of the smoky eye; a soft, romantic neutral look. If you go this route, a bold lip is welcomed, almost encouraged! However, feel free to go for a light lip if you want. Going for a more natural look inspires something sweet and simple as the overall aesthetic effect.  

Water, water, water. Drinking water helps flush out all the bad toxins from your body. In doing so, it helps cleanse your skin as well. This helps reduce any puffiness you may have from eating too much salt, etc. Water is always a good idea!

These are all simple and straight forward tips and hints that will just make you feel better in daily life, and even better in the days leading up to your wedding. We hope you can use them! 

2019 Year in Review

2019 was one hell of a year, in fact it was the most successful one for Elegant Affairs for so many reasons! And the biggest one is for all of our amazing couples and vendors!

We kicked off the season in January celebrating with one of our 2018 couples who wanted a stateside reception after their nuptials in Cabo.

We followed up by being featured in the South Sound Wedding + Event Magazine Spring Issue with two of our weddings and several articles and photos from previous EA weddings.

Our biggest challenge turned greatest triumph happened back in late March when we were notified that one of our May couple’s wedding venue had cancelled on them because they obtained a larger and more expensive event leaving my couple without a venue only 6 weeks before their big day. We were tasked to find a new venue in Central Washington during Memorial Day weekend that was available and could accommodate lodging for nearly 150 guests. Luckily, one such venue was available and in the end WAY better than the original location and we were able to give our couple their dream wedding they never thought they could have!

One of my major highlights was being part of my cousin’s wedding back in October. I always love working with family and this was my 3rd cousin’s wedding where I served as planner and it was truly and honor and a privilege to be a part of their day.

A last minute vacation to Maui with my bestie Shane from Oak + Fig Floral turned into something much more. I was asked to design an invitation suite for a incredible styled shoot in Hana! Stay tuned for photos in the upcoming weeks

This year we were honored with being awarded The Knot’s Best of Weddings and Wedding Wire’s Couple’s Choice. Both of these honors were so humbling and once again we have our couples to thank for trusting us with one of their biggest life moments.

Now I save the best for last, I would be lost if it wasn’t for Lisa! She has been my ride or die with me for 3 seasons and I truly don’t know what I would do without her. She is truly a master of her craft and she is literally my Best Friend! Thank you Lisa!

Now we close this chapter and we are ready to take whatever 2020 has in store for us head on.

Thank you,
Lori

Photo by Sarah Harris Photography

Keeping the Peace Amongst your Vendor Army

You’ve chosen your vendors and the day of your wedding is fast approaching; there are a lot of little kinks to be worked out and you want to keep the peace with your vendor team while also voicing your opinion. This can be tricky but we’re here to help! Don’t sacrifice your vision because you’re afraid to speak up. Your vendors are there to support you and make your dreams come to life. They are willing to stick with you through the thick and thin of the planning process. If this isn’t their philosophy, they shouldn’t be your vendor (of course, your demands should stay within reason—if your florist is unable to persuade live butterflies to sit delicately on your bouquet while you walk down the aisle, you need to rethink a few things)! In the following scenarios, please act accordingly.

Undesirable centerpiece floral arrangements. You want your centerpieces to be on point, but you also want your florist to want to help make this happen. You need to harvest good relationships with your vendors, so instead of panicking and getting angry, mention that you want to try something different. Ask to see the new arrangement and say “oh, I almost like that better, what do you think?” Ask for their opinion and work with them.

Food discrepancies. If you go to a tasting and the food is not up-to-par, don’t criticize outright. Help your caterer help you! They want to make your day special with the right food. Let them know that you enjoy their food and gently nudge them in the right direction. For example; “this filet mignon is great, but I’m concerned some of our guests will want something a little more well-done. What do you think? Can we try that?”

Makeup preferences. There’s nothing worse than being self-conscious at a gathering because you don’t feel confident in your outfit, hair or makeup choices. When you go for a trial run of your hair and makeup (which we highly recommend you do), always start the conversation with, “yes, I really like the direction you’re going! Can we do (insert preference here) instead? I want (insert the look you’re going for here). I’m really loving the (insert what you like most here).” Keep the peace and let them work their magic honing in on your preferences.

Ceremony/reception changes. As with all your other vendors, if you’ve hired a wedding planner, communication is key to success. As a wedding planner, we want you to have the most beautiful, wonderful and flawless event that we can make happen. Therefore, we need to know what you like and what you don’t like. All of our ladies at Elegant Affairs know that when you voice your opinion, it’s our responsibility to listen and offer guidance, structure and deliver a flawless execution. Be straightforward with your planner; explain your vision in detail and quickly let her know what you do and don’t like. We will be there to correct and fulfill your needs!

Don’t sit quietly if you have differing opinions with a vendor. This is your big day, and therefore it should be tailored to your taste. There are good ways and poor ways of going about building a relationship with your vendor team. Remember to stay positive and highlight everything you like before letting them know what you want to change; work with them, not against them, and let it flow. Now, at ease soldiers, and keep those relationships healthy!