For her wedding at Whitley Hall Hotel, Kerry chose a beautifully natural bridal makeup look that allowed her to feel comfortable, confident and completely herself.
Kerry got ready at Tankersley Manor before travelling to Whitley Hall Hotel for the wedding, and her journey to the final look is a perfect example of why having a bridal trial is so important.
In fact, Kerry had two.
Both looks were beautiful, but the process helped Kerry realise that what mattered most wasn’t simply how her makeup looked — it was how comfortable she felt wearing it throughout one of the biggest days of her life.
At Kerry’s first bridal trial, we created a more traditional bridal look with foundation and false lashes.
It looked stunning on her, but a successful bridal trial isn’t just about whether the finished makeup looks beautiful. It’s also an opportunity for the bride to experience wearing the makeup and decide whether it genuinely feels like her.
Kerry realised that although she loved the first look, she would feel more comfortable on her wedding day wearing less makeup.
So, we arranged a second trial and took a different approach.
This time, we swapped the foundation for a lightweight tinted moisturiser and left out the false lashes, using mascara on Kerry’s natural lashes instead. The result was softer and lighter, allowing more of Kerry’s natural skin to show through while still giving her the polished finish she wanted for her wedding.
Kerry also knew that she wanted to keep her glasses on throughout the day, so we made sure her eye makeup worked beautifully with them rather than creating a look that only felt complete without them.
Both trial looks suited Kerry beautifully, but ultimately the second one felt right.
And that was the look we recreated on her wedding morning.
Kerry’s experience is a brilliant example of exactly why I recommend having a bridal trial before your wedding day.
Your trial gives us time to experiment without the pressure of the wedding morning. We can explore different levels of coverage, colours, skin finishes and lashes, and make adjustments until we find a look that doesn’t just photograph beautifully, but feels comfortable to wear too.
And it’s completely okay to leave a trial and decide that you’d like to change something.
You might realise you’d prefer less foundation than you expected. False lashes might look gorgeous but not feel like you. You might want to keep your glasses on, change the intensity of your eye makeup or even decide that you’d actually like more makeup than you initially imagined.
That’s exactly what the trial is for.
For Kerry, having a second trial meant that when her wedding morning arrived, there was no uncertainty about what she wanted. We already knew that lighter coverage, her natural lashes and her glasses were the combination that made her feel happiest.
Bridal makeup doesn’t have to mean full coverage, false lashes or changing the way you normally look. It’s about finding the version of bridal makeup that makes you feel your best.
Kerry’s wedding morning began at Tankersley Manor, where she got ready before heading to Whitley Hall Hotel.
Because we’d already settled on every element of her makeup during the trials, the wedding morning could simply be about recreating the look we’d chosen together.
That’s another benefit of having a trial beforehand: we’re not making major decisions about foundation coverage, lashes or the overall style while you’re getting ready to leave for your ceremony.
Instead, you can sit down knowing exactly what we’re creating.
After getting ready at Tankersley Manor, Kerry travelled to Whitley Hall Hotel for her wedding.
The elegant setting suited Kerry’s understated bridal look beautifully. Her makeup was deliberately kept natural rather than overly glamorous, with the focus on enhancing her features and creating a finish that still looked and felt like her.
Choosing lighter makeup doesn’t mean your bridal makeup can’t be polished or photograph beautifully.
The amount of coverage I use is tailored to the individual bride. Some brides feel at their best with a fuller foundation, defined eyes and lashes, while others are happiest with a lightweight skin tint or tinted moisturiser and mascara.
Neither approach is more “bridal” than the other.
The important thing is creating enough balance and definition for the makeup to work beautifully both in person and in photographs, while making sure you still recognise yourself when you look in the mirror.
Kerry’s final look is a lovely example of how natural bridal makeup can still feel incredibly special.
If you’re considering a similarly understated look for your wedding, we can explore exactly how much — or how little — makeup feels right for you during your bridal trial.
If you’re getting married at Whitley Hall Hotel, Tankersley Manor or another venue across the surrounding area, I’d love to hear about your plans.
Whether you already know exactly how you’d like your bridal makeup to look or have absolutely no idea where to start, your trial gives us the opportunity to work it out together.
From lightweight, natural makeup like Kerry’s through to soft glam and more defined bridal looks, your makeup will be tailored to you, your features and how you want to feel on your wedding day.