by Melissa Zorn

Created on: October 21, 2008   Last Updated: October 28, 2008

I hate to say my friends were right, but they couldn't have been more right than when they advised me to do my own makeup on my wedding day. Of course, being the stubborn person that I am, I didn't listen. My fiance and I had spent hours, days and months planning the entire wedding on our own and I wanted everything to be perfect. I'd known since I was a teenager that I didn't have a knack for applying makeup, so naturally, I decided I would entrust my wedding day beauty to a so-called expert.

As a bride-to-be, trust me when I say you had better do your homework before booking a professional makeup artist for any event, especially your wedding. Due to our wedding location being out-of-town, I shopped for my makeup artist in the advertisements in the back of a local magazine. The ad was very professional-looking and the lady sounded knowledgeable on the phone. She told me she had been in the business for over 15 years and actually specialized in hair and makeup for television commercials. Sounded good to me. I couldn't believe I was getting an appointment with her on such short notice (one month from the wedding date) for a trial run. She was a bit expensive, but I was getting a professional and I thought I deserved it on this one special day.

When I arrived at the makeup artist's place of business, it was her home. We sat at the kitchen table with what looked like a mishmash of old makeup. Her house was a wreck. The phone rang constantly. Several times the lady disappeared only to return looking very disheveled and her hair a mess. She finally stated she was not feeling well and excused herself to lie down while I was still sitting at the kitchen table! Unbelievable! I excused myself shortly thereafter and wrote her off.

But, a quitter I am not. So, I tried once again with a hair salon makeup artist. It was last minute, the day before the wedding, however, I really wanted to look beautiful for my future husband. The salon booked me with one of their professional makeup artists (a male artist-not that it really matters) and he gave it his best shot. I was used to wearing mineral makeup and the salon did not carry mineral makeup. He offered to apply my own makeup or let him try what he recommended for staying power and reduced shine. Again, he sounded very knowledgeable about his makeup and it was a very reputable salon, so how could I go wrong? If I only had a picture from that "practice" day you would truly understand. Dracula's bride: need I say more?

My point for you is this: save yourself some stress and do your homework on the makeup artist well in advance, should you plan to use one. It's likely I would've managed to find the right person in good time-someone who knew me, my skin and the makeup that's right for me. If you don't have the time, money or your wedding is out-of-town, I recommend applying your own makeup. If you're doing your own makeup, you can still look different that day by trying a new color of lipstick or eyeshadow to spice it up. Your fiance fell in love with you the way you look everyday, thus I trust he will find you even more beautiful walking down the aisle, even if it's in your own lip-gloss and blush.

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