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By Guest Author: Jessie Harbin
October is supposedly the driest month all year, so it makes sense why outdoor weddings are so popular (although it rained on my October 3 outdoor wedding). There are a few things to discuss with your vendors before you walk down the aisle this fall — things most of them won’t consider because they’ve never worked with a redhead bride before.
1. Makeup:
Make sure your do a trial run with your makeup artist. Fall is the perfect time to use dark browns (or blacks, if you’re comfortable), so don’t let your makeup artist go wild with teal unless that’s what you want. Talk about it in advance. Bring photos of models or celebrities with similar coloring. Just remember: you have been doing your own makeup for years. They have studied makeup, but they still don’t know your own face as well as you do.
Make sure to ask this question to rate their ability: “Have you ever worked on a redhead or someone with fair skin before?” Their answer should make you feel comfortable… or make you run.
2. Photography Tip for Flawless Skin:
I mentioned this in an earlier post, but ask your photographer what kind of flash they will be using. Depending on that answer, you might want to skip products with sunscreen as the light can reflect off of the sunscreen and give you a white face. This website, APracticalWedding.com, states, “Using moisturizer with SPF with an SPF-free foundation on top is the safest bet for all situations.
3. The Dress:
If you’re a traditionalist like me, you’ve dreamed of the white dress. However, a stark white dress might not complement your skin tone as well as some other alternatives. These days it is acceptable to wear candlelight, champagne or blush for your wedding. If you want the avant garde look, try on some wilder colors–light blue or maybe a darker pink. I ended up wearing my mother’s candlelight wedding dress that a seamstress altered for me. I kept the skirt the same but she redesigned the top to give it a more modern feel. We won’t talk about how my mother weighed 90 pounds on her wedding day and I didn’t.
4. Flowers:
The flowers should be ‘redhead friendly’ shades too! I didn’t think of it either until my florist showed me several options. Sunflowers are a fall favorite, but “high magic” roses were made for redheads. They start yellow on the inside and change into red at the end of the petals. Your florist should be able to help you find some selections that match your decor and complement your hair.
5. Hair
Lastly, talk to your hairdresser before the wedding. Do a trial run with the stylist you choose. Much like the makeup, you know your hair better than they do. You know where your cowlicks are and which way your hair parts. Do you want it up or down? Will you wear a veil?
From one bride to another, just remember this: There are going to be a lot of people telling you what you should and shouldn’t do. The hardest part of wedding planning is blocking all those unsolicited opinions out and focusing on what you want your day to be about. Also, your spouse can have a say too. It will go by in a blur. Things will go wrong. It may even rain on your wedding day. If that does happen, don’t panic. Just remember that your wedding photos in the rain will be amazing–trust me on that one.
Rock it like a Redhead!
Main Photo: © How to be a Redhead, Co-Founder, Stephanie Vendetti, on her wedding day. Hair by Kiera Doyle.
Rock it like a Redhead!
