Following on from my post the other week about using bows in the hair as a bridal hair accessory, I decided to do a bridal hair and makeup photo shoot showing how great this can look. My model Ruby had never been in front of the camera before and I spotted her because of her incredible white blonde hair. She was excited to try modeling for the first time and I had a clear idea of how I wanted her hair and makeup to look.
For this first bridal inspiration shoot, I really wanted to concentrate on her hair and get some movement and a natural loose wave into the hairstyle. My vision was that I wanted to create a series of images that told the story of natural beauty and highlighted her stunning white blonde hair.
I wanted the shoot to be outside and to capture a sense of spring. We had to arrange the shoot last minute as it was rather weather dependent! As is the case with many of my lovely brides, we can never guarantee the weather for the wedding day either, but on this particular spring day we were very lucky.
The central focus was definitely the loose romantic hair styles I was capturing, but I also wanted to give Ruby’s skin a fresh, dewy and natural makeup. Ruby's skin needed a little more coverage for the shoot, so I used Nars ‘Sheer Glow’ foundation to cover any imperfections and create a flawless finish.
I used a peach cream blush called ‘Fresh Melon’ by Bobbi Brown, which looks incredible on blondes. I used nude pink lipstick by Mac, called ‘Oh Goodie’ to subtly enhance Ruby's naturally full lips. On the eyes, I used bronze and copper shades of eyeshadow and a black Benefit mascara to define her lashes.
I prepared Ruby’s hair by first using a heat protector spray called ‘Good Behaviour’ by IKG. This fantastic product also smooths the hair making it easier to work with. I used a large barrel wand on a low heat setting to create very soft waves. I wanted Ruby’s hair to look very relaxed and natural, to tie in with the mood of the images I was creating. I used a dusty pink ribbon in her hair to add to the sense of nostalgic romance and provide inspiration for brides looking for a pretty and stylish way to wear their hair on their wedding day.
My neighbour has a magnificent apple blossom tree in her garden which was the perfect backdrop for my bridal hair and makeup shoot. It actually smelt incredible as well as looking beautiful! The sun peeped in and out of the clouds and I managed to catch a few shots of Ruby where the wind was gently blowing her hair too. The pink of the ribbon worked beautifully with the tone of the pink and white apple blossom.
I was really pleased with how the pictures turned out and I know Ruby really enjoyed her modeling debut too.
We are looking forward to working together again for another bridal hair and makeup shoot… so watch this space.
Here is a list of the products I used for the bridal springtime shoot:
Foundation:
Lipstick:
Masacara: Benefit