Wedding | My Recommended Suppliers (Part 2)

If you caught my previous post: “My Recommended Suppliers (Part 1)”, you’ll know I shared our venue, florist, cake maker and stationer. Well, tonight I'll be recommending our suppliers for the main event: outfits, hair and makeup.

These things are definitely more personal and can be really tricky to get right. At the end of the day, if you don't look and feel the way you want or expect, then the likelihood is you won't have a good day and won’t have those happy memories when you look back at the photos. This is definitely the case when it comes to things like hair and makeup.

As I mentioned in the last instalment, the earlier you contact these kinds of suppliers, the better. Makeup artists are always in high demand and will likely have their books open for 2023 (and potentially 2024!) already.

Anyway, read on to find out who I used…

Dress: Ivory Wardrobe, Woburn Sands

I blogged about my experience of choosing and buying my wedding dress at The Ivory Wardrobe, but I could not recommend the shop – or Laura's expertise and professionalism –enough. After the initial consultation, in which I got to try on several dresses, I went back a couple of times – my fitting and then the final try-on once the alterations had been made. The whole process was smooth and nowhere near as daunting or stressful as I had expected. Laura put me at ease quite quickly and I felt like such a Princess.

In my post, I obviously didn't reveal which dress I went for. The one I had seen prior to entering The Ivory Wardrobe (which has since discontinued) was Spencer by Rebecca Ingram, while the dress I ended up choosing was Francesca by Maggie Sottero. It had a really gorgeous illusion back – and not all of the buttons were real, although it looked as though there were a lot. And as I mentioned before, it proved to be the dress of my dreams – a recommendation from Laura, as I'd never considered a fitted dress previously.

MK or Bucks brides to be – I highly recommend The Ivory Wardrobe, which is on Woburn Sands high street.

Mother of the Bride outfit: N Shelley

From one outfit to another now and my mum got hers from N Shelley, which is on Billericay high street. The shop is on two floors and downstairs is plenty of womenswear, while upstairs is formal wear – ideal for weddings and especially outfits for the mother of the bride. There’s even an accessories shop next door.

Mum had seen some Condici outfits online prior to the appointment and knew what she wanted. She ended up choosing a really gorgeous navy and mint number (there was a similar set in navy and blush pink) – complete with hatinator.

Again, the staff were really helpful making recommendations based on her style preferences as well as our colour scheme and the whole experience seemed effortless. Mum decided upon her outfit there and then, and when it came to the big day, looked absolutely beautiful.

Makeup: Amber Kear

Greenwoods’ preferred supplier for makeup, Amber Kear was an absolute dream to work with! She instantly put me at ease and was incredibly knowledgeable and passionate about all things makeup. I didn't really know how I wanted my makeup on the day, but Amber just instantly got it – obviously choosing styles and colours that complemented my tone, as well as the colour scheme and other elements, like flowers.

I went to her home for my trial, and I instantly loved the outcome – there was genuinely nothing I wanted to change or have done differently. And the makeup stayed put for most of the day, although she asked me to update her in case I had any problem areas on the big day. I think she had to prime my skin slightly differently as the coverage on my forehead and chin was slightly different to the rest of my face – but that’s also what the trial was for.

During the trial, she explained all the products and her kit was super extensive! Amber also explained how the timings on the day usually work – so we confirmed the time she was due to arrive and how the order of the morning would usually go. It wasn’t something I had thought about before then, so completely put me at ease as well as making me feel more organised than I was at the time.

Not only that, but she ordered me a Charlotte Tilbury lipstick for the day – just in case the photographer wanted a stereotypical lippy shot. I went with Pillow Talk, a really lovely soft pink/nude colour. While most of my lipsticks are Charlotte Tilbury, it’s not a shade I had purchased before, but it’s definitely one I’ll order again!

Amber also did my mum’s and my bridesmaid’s makeup on the day – even though neither had a trial. And oh my gosh, she did an amazing job and both ladies looked so beautiful. I also have to admit, when she finished my face and held the mirror out in front of me, it brought a tear to my eye. Amber said that often happens with her brides, but I didn't think I’d get so emotional… must have been the reality setting in!

If you fancy checking out her various looks, follow Amber Kear Weddings on Instagram.

Hair: Leila Roach

Leila used to be my hairdresser when I was living in Essex. Having done my hair for both my proms (year 11 and 13) and giving Alfie his first haircut (14^th February 2019), there was no-one else I wanted to do my wedding hair.

My current hairdresser Zoe had prepped my hair in terms of the colour. I had been toying with having extensions but decided against it when I realised how heavy (and expensive!) they would be – especially I was as I wasn't used to wearing them. I had bleached my hair as I wanted to be blonde, and Zoe had done a root drag, so that my natural colour still came through. I knew that I wanted that balayage or baby-lites natural effect.

In terms of my hair on the day, I went with half up-half down and I knew that I wanted my hair to be curled. Although I didn’t know how it would be styled. Luckily, Leila knew immediately how to do it. She had come to mum’s house prior to the day for a trial and like makeup, I was instantly happy! I ended up ordering some gypsophila clips from Etsy, as I was also considering real flowers in my hair. This was definitely the easier (and cheaper!) option.

Leila also did my mum’s and bridesmaid’s hair. She is my mum's hairdresser so knows her hair well. My mum just went with a nice blow dry on the day. Leila is natural miracle worker and my hair looked beautiful in the photos, especially from the back. I couldn't have been happier with the outcome – and the colour was perfect too.

So, there are my recommendations. I've linked all the suppliers above and if you want to catch up on part one, scroll to the top of this post.

Love, Lucy xx