All About Wedding Makeup

11th June 2019 by Carrie

How to get the best wedding makeup

Working within the wedding industry not only do you meet lovely couples to be, you also meet some amazing wedding business owners. This month I spoke to Holly Williams an extremely talented Makeup Artist about her exciting role in your special day.

I wanted to share the interview with you and let you know Holly’s top makeup tips.

Holly, tell me a little bit about what you do

I am a professional MakeUp artist with nearly 17 years experience in the industry. I specialise in Bridal and Occasion Makeup. I also offer tuition on a 1-2-1 basis or to small groups, this makes a perfect Hen Do!

When and why did you start your business?

I became self employed in September 2011, shortly after my own wedding. As I struggled to find a professional that wouldn’t over apply makeup, I wanted to look and feel like myself. I also found the quotations extortionate. Therefore I saw a gap in the market to offer natural makeup to enhance a brides beauty rather than take over the bride.

What makes your business different?

I would like to think its me? I offer a welcoming yet proffesional approach to all of my customer. It so important that my clients can relax and trust me; that’s when we get the best results. I have 17 years experience in the beauty industry and nearly all of it has been client facing, and I love to utilise and share my knowledge and techniques to offer my clients the best of the best. I am pleased that many of my clients are now good friends and our relationship has gone far beyond their time as my client.

What do you love about your job?

I love to be able to give brides confidence and show the best they can be. I find it incredible how such a small selection of products makes the biggest difference to someone’s confidence, and being part of that transformation is a real privilege to be part of.

What has been your favourite wedding to be involved with and why?

This is such a difficult question. Every Bride has a piece of me.

I never sleep well the night before as I empathise with the brides and wonder how she is feeling. After I leave the bride and bridesmaids I spend the whole day thinking of them! My thoughts follow them through their day too; ceremony, speeches, first dance etc. My absolute favourite wedding has to be my very first one. It was small and intimate and close to where I live. I had just begun my business and I felt privileged the bride had chosen me and to be able to share her special morning with her. Her mum and I both stood in tears when she put on her dress. Even now, I still feel privileged to be part of the bride’s special day.

All of my weddings are individual and unique- I never see the same thing twice. The planning and love that goes into each wedding is immeasurable so picking a favourite is very hard. However my first one was very special to me. It confirmed my path as a professional.

Do you have any predictions for your industry this year? For example trends, colours, styles, ideas etc

Brows continue to dominate the industry and they really do make or break a look. A trainer told me 18 years ago, ‘Would you hang a picture on a wall, without a frame?!’ and that’s stuck with me. You’ll see celebs lightening their brows now in contrast to darkening and thickenings in recent times.

What are your top three tips for brides?

Exfoliate, moisturise and buy an eye cream! All brides want to look their absolute best on the day and you spend thousands on dresses and accessories so INVEST in your skin. The difference introducing a few products to form a regular routine before the big day is imperative. Your makeup will be so much more flawless and will last much longer without having to over apply products and look heavily made up; never a good look for Brides!

Any other tips, or things you want to tell brides to be?

Hire people that you feel or you can trust or are recommended to you. Then trust them! If someone close to you or another professional regards them highly enough to share them with you, they must be good at what they do.

They will be aware of considerations you won’t even have thought of, because it’s not your job, it’s ours! For me its timings of the morning; I know how much time to allow, when to involve the photographer, communicate with hairdresser etc. They are all things you pay us to worry about to spare yourself, so trust us.

Anything else you would like to share?

That your wedding is your day, but it also means a lot to people near to you. Take the time to enjoy the planning with them and share the load. It’s all such precious time and such wonderful memories to make. Congratulations Bride-to-be, I hope to hear from you soon.

Thanks for giving your time Holly, and we are extremely excited to announce we will be working with Holly very soon.

To get in touch with Holly to find out about her amazing Makeup services please visit:

www.hollywilliamsmua.com

https://www.facebook.com/hollywilmua

https://www.instagram.com/hollywil_mua/

Behind the scenes

14th October 2018 by Carrie

About Caroline

It’s awards season, and I wanted to share with you my background and how I came to own Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique.

Wedding dresses have always been in my blood, I remember trying to manipulate towels into wedding dresses after my baths when I was 8 years old! Wedding dresses have always fascinated me as I believe they are the closest most ladies will wear to a couture garment, and therefore they are the most special item a bride will wear. Following college where I excelled in Textiles I went on to study for a fashion degree which showed me the basics of garment construction and design.

My first job was working at the family card and gift shop where I expanded the business into the wedding industry by offering gifts, favours and handmade wedding stationery and it was at this point I discovered my passion for helping brides create their perfect day, whilst offering the best service I could.

Following the sale of the business I worked in marketing for large and small companies, whilst completing my Chartered Institute of Marketing qualification which enhanced my ability of raising awareness of companies.

Meanwhile I also got married, and recognised many wedding companies did not focus on the customer, instead the process was a money-making venture and nothing else. As a bride myself this dampened my excitement and I realised my passion was actually to revolutionise the wedding dress industry by listening to and focusing on the bride.

Finally, everything fell into place and I was offered a role as a bridal consultant in a bridal boutique. Sadly, the company had to reduce my hours due to managerial changes. After visiting many boutiques which were for sale, I realised I could turn my dream of creating happy memories for brides into a reality by purchasing Bella Brides Ltd and for the past three years I have been working to make the boutique the best possible place for a bride to find her dress.

Love Carrie xxx

Another string to our bow

1st August 2018 by Carrie

Wedding Dress Cleaning

Surely your wedding dress deserves better than being abandoned in a wardrobe?

We are really excited to announce that we can now offer our brides a fabulous dry cleaning service, in Droitwich, Worcestershire

We have teamed up with a local company to offer CCBB brides the best service to look after your most precious piece of clothing- your wedding dress.

How do I get my dress cleaned?

To make this as easy as possible for you, we simply ask for you to contact us and book in to drop off your dress for cleaning.

Once you drop of your dress, we will inspect the gown with you, just to see whether there are any severe marks, and we will then provide you with a quote for cleaning.

If you are happy to go ahead we will arrange for your dress to be cleaned and boxed and will be in touch as soon as your gown arrives in store. Then voila, your wedding dress will be beautifully clean and boxed, just as it deserves.

Please note this service takes up to one month, if you are having an abroad wedding and a UK do, then please let us know as the service is slightly different to make sure your dress in ready for your party.

To book in or to find out more simply call 01905799474, or email us at info@carolineclarkbridalboutique.co.uk

Don’t forget your most precious dress deserves the best.

Love Carrie xx

Our Royal Wedding Predictions

12th May 2018 by Carrie

What we think Meghan will wear for the Royal Wedding

Next week will be the moment the world of bridal has been waiting for, the first glimpse of Meghan Markle’s wedding dress. As every bridal boutique, at CCBB we have been chatting about what Meghan is likely to wear and here are our predictions!

Meghan’s Style

Meghan’s style is typically classic, a lover of oversized white shirts and fitted trousers, often in monochrome tones. For events Meghan is often seen wearing structured dresses with A-line or pencil skirts. Meghan is rarely seen without straps or some form of shoulder cover. Overall her style can be called polished perfection with a touch of dishevelment.

Designer

The rumoured designer for the royal wedding dress is Ralph and Russo. Ralph and Russo was founded by the Australian couple Tamara Ralph and Micheal Russo. Based in London Ralph and Russo is the only English couture fashion label. Famed for their accessible luxury, their magnificent wedding dresses often require handlers on the catwalk to assist models pivot and turn- let’s hope Meghan’s is slightly easier. A key feature of the Ralph and Russo wedding dress is the elegant embroidery and veil.

Our thoughts

We think Meghan, as a royal bride will have a wedding dress made of structured silk in a classic silhouette such as A-line, such as Stella York 6634. True to Meghan’s style, and following royal traditions we expect the wedding gown to feature sleeves or at the very least straps. Meghan favours v necks and we expect the dress to feature this neckline. Meghan is a fan of draped fabric with minimal detail and we believe the detailing on the gown to feature pleated or ruched material with some embroidery, especially on the train.

Royal wedding train prediction — Royal wedding train detail prediction

Evening Dress

Meghan is expected to have two wedding dresses, and we expect her evening gown to be more reflective of Meghans style. We envisage a fitted top, with either a slim or a-line skirt. Meghan may opt for a high neckline or a off the shoulder style dress. Could she surprise us all with a touch of colour?

Accessories

Typically royal brides wear tiaras and we do not expect Meghan to break the tradition, wearing her hair down or to the side we expect a glorious tiara to be accessorised with small earrings.

We can’t wait to see what Meghan chooses for her wedding day and look forward to seeing if our prediction is right! What do you think the royal bride will choose? Will you be following Meghan’s style?

Love Carrie and the team xxx

Hair Vines

26th April 2018 by Carrie

New Accessories & Hair Vines

What a joyous way to spend a Tuesday morning- choosing our newest collection of jewellery & hair vines by Ivory and Co. To say we were greeted by a sea of sparkle is an understatement. We were amazed by the new designs and here is a small selection of our newest selection of treasures.

How do I wear a Hair Vine?

One of our favourite pieces was the cinnamon rose hair vine. Hair vines are loved by #CCBB brides, however one of the most frequently asked questions is how do I wear a hair vine?

Hair vines are a fabulous accessory which offer complete flexibility and suit most hairstyles. Vines typically come in floral designs with pearls and sparkling accents. Vines can come in various lengths, typically the longer your hair, the bigger the hair vine, as small hair vines can get lost in amongst a lot of hair.

Worn with a ribbon or just secured with hair grips, hair vines are the hair accessory which suits most styles. If you are wearing your hair in a bun, why not wrap the vine around your bun?

If you love the boho look why not wear the vine accross your forehead?

Vines look amazing incorporated into a plait or worn at the back of your hair.

At CCBB we have a selection of vines by Richard Designs, Ivory and Co and Lily Bella. With beautiful rose gold, sparkling silver and delicate pearl hair vines we have the perfect vine to match your wedding dress.

If you would love to try on these beautiful accessories why not arrange a styling appointment at Caroline Clark Bridal Boutique? Find out more here.

How are you styling your wedding day hair? Did you choose a hair vine? We would love to hear how you wore your vine?