Festival Wedding Makeup in Alton, Staffordshire

Open fields, rolling green hills, decorated white tipis, and hand-painted wooden signs were only a handful of the unique features of this memorable festival-themed wedding. Festivals were central to Frankie and Hayden’s relationship evoking wonderful memories they had shared together. It was clear that their wedding day celebration would continue to create lasting memories for the couple. An elegant and beautiful combination of sun-kissed glowing skin paired with a classic smoky eye was the perfect accompaniment to Frankie’s beautiful festival wedding makeup look.

The Wedding Venue

The mood was set for the wedding day, the relaxed countryside feels for the ceremony with the energy of the festival to get the party started. Frankie and Hayden chose an outdoor ceremony followed by a magical tipi reception set in an open field in Alton, Staffordshire.

There was plenty of time for people to mingle, unwind and have a good time. For the ceremony, family and friends sat on hay bales adorned with blankets adding to the rustic outdoors vibe.

Frankie and Hayden were helped by their friends and family to create bespoke wedding decorations with personalised touches. The wooden signposts and pallet bar were all made artistically by hand and perfectly complimented the festival theme.

There were several Tipis all decorated with bunting, fairy lights and balloons and the wedding tables were named after the couple’s favourite singers and bands. Instead of a traditional number-format for the tables, Frankie and Hayden chose to name each table after their favourite bands with vinyl copies of an album on each one. A perfectly personalised touch.

The Wedding Dress

Frankie’s wedding dress was from WED2B. It was an elegant and timeless style with lace long sleeves and the most stunning illusion back. The bottom of the dress was simple and sophisticated, this helped show off the gorgeous lace appliques on top of the dress. It is the perfect balance of traditional and contemporary.

The Festival Wedding Makeup

No dress is complete without makeup and for Frankie it was all about that natural glow.

To achieve longwearing glowing makeup, it is important to prepare the skin well. I prepped Frankie’s skin using the Nip & Fab Glycolic Pads. These pads cleanse the skin ready for makeup application and brighten the skin too. I followed this with Charlotte Tilbury’s Magic Cream which I massage into the skin to release blood flow and plump up the skin. Frankie’s skin had already begun looking fresh and radiant but for an extra boost, I used Becca’s Backlight Priming Filter. This product has a gorgeous pearl sheen running through it which makes your skin look luminous and helps hold your makeup in place.

I always build up thin layers of makeup because this creates a flawless long-lasting makeup look without it being heavy or fading. By applying a thin layer of foundation, you can build up the coverage with concealers on those areas which need a little more attention. I used Nars Sheer Glow foundation on Frankie. This foundation is perfect for bridal makeup as it is a medium and buildable coverage. It contains no SPF which means it will photograph beautifully and not be affected by flash photography. It is also packed with antioxidants that will keep your makeup looking smooth all day.

A festival wedding makeup look is never complete without bronzer and blusher. I believe everyone can wear bronzer if you choose the right shade to compliment your skin tone. As Frankie has a beautiful olive undertone, I used Nars Laguna Bronzer. This bronzer has a golden colour and lifted Frankie’s natural skin tone. The perfect blusher to pair with this bronzed and glowing makeup is apricot giving a warm flush to the skin.

A lot of my brides ask to emphasise their eyes especially with a classic smokey eye. Frankie has wonderful big eyes for this look. I used warm browns and champagne colours to flatter the overall makeup. If you choose to have your eyes as the standout feature in your bridal makeup, then it is best to go for a softer lip colour. This will help to maintain the focus on the eye without drawing attention away. I finished Frankie’s festival makeup with the MAC Kinda Sexy Lipstick. It has a beautiful coral nude shade and elevated her blusher.

The Wedding Flowers

For a personal touch, Frankie’s Auntie made the flowers and sourced them from a local garden centre. The wedding bouquets were kept simple with white gypsophila, peach gerbera daisies and ferns. Rustic plant pots lined the aisle and decorated the arches.

I love how Frankie and Hayden’s wedding was a reflection on them as a couple. They got creative and wanted their guests to have an unforgettable experience. They even had garden games such as limbo for a bit of fun.

The Wedding Hair

Victoria Hutchinson created a classic wedding updo on Frankie. The hair was softly pinned and incorporated braids which really worked with the different shades of blonde in Frankie’s hair. Instead of a veil, Frankie opted for a beaded vine headband to accentuate her hair style.

It looked effortless for an outdoor wedding.

I would like to say thank you to Frankie and Hayden for choosing me to be a part of your celebration and thank you to Lizzie Slater for documenting the day perfectly through the camera.

Your wedding day should be a celebration of your love in a way that is unique to you and Frankie and Hayden did just that.