The Best Modern Bridal Makeup Looks: Soft, Dewy and Natural + Glittery, Bold and Unapologetically Cool

You might have enjoyed this set of photographs we published recently, sent in by Ellie Kime, aka, The Wedding Enthusiast. It’s utterly refreshing to be able to share this kind of editorial on Love My Dress – imagery that encourages you to think outside of the box and consider doing things a little differently.

Plus, I have a rather large soft spot for lovely Ellie, one of the ladies behind the fantastic Most Curious Wedding Fair. The images you see on this page here today were also conceived by and sent in by Ellie. They focus on bridal beauty and the matter of makeup. Ellie teamed up with professional makeup artist, Amy George, to create these images, and I love what Ellie has to say about the whole concept below…

“Despite bridal make-up being such a big topic and so important to so many brides, Amy George and I didn’t think there’s enough out there for brides who want make-up that reflects them everyday, rather than a ‘bridal’ idea of them – we think it’s super important to brides to feel like the best, probably slightly more dressed-up version of themselves on the day, rather than a caricature/bad exaggeration of themselves.”

Images by Fox & Owl

“We kept our focus soft and dewy and natural in elements, then took a playful turn with glitter, gloss, and bright orange colour pops to make it bold and unapologetic too.”

“We used a group of amazing dresses from Ghost Orchid Bride, a boutique in my native Hull (and an incredible venue in an area that is arguably underrepresented in ‘cool’ bridal), to perfect our looks – using brands like Alexandra Grecco and Marquise Bridal alongside AM Faulkner veils and earrings and a geode crown from The Jewel Cavern.”

“The first dress, a stunning caped number from Alexandra Grecco, had the most sublime flow to it (and a cape! No more needs to be said, right?!). Kit’s pearl-embellished bodysuit was a masterclass in modern bridal, whilst Tori stunned in a delicately embroidered dress in gorgeous purples and browns.”

“Altogether, they proved that bridal doesn’t need to be boring, or terrifying, or plain, or alien – you can and should still be you.”

“Inspired by the oh-so-cool bridal scene in Australia, we did our shoot in the top floor of a brewery in Leeds, using the exposed brick walls and industrial flooring to create an über-cool juxtaposition with a minimalist flower wall (with individual stems stuck to the wall with gold tape) and some hanging from the ceiling too.”

“Taking inspiration from editorial fashion shoots, we created our own mini backdrop out of MDF boards painted with messy brushstrokes in a sunset-style colour palette and finished with swipes of gold to create a backdrop for our bold and bright bridal look. Sunglasses finished the look.”

“We curated a really lovely team of ladies for this shoot – we both firmly believe in the power of collaboration, and when you get a badass team behind you you feel unstoppable. We were bouncing ideas off each other, riffing off the theme and taking it to new heights as we went, all facilitated by our wonderful brides Kit, Kimmy and Tori.”