Behind the scenes at a bridal photoshoot in London

Behind the scenes at Makeup By Barbara, I have been organising something very exciting: my first-ever wedding styled shoot.

A styled shoot is a staged wedding that follows a designated theme and uses models as the wedding couple. Various wedding vendors, such as make-up artists, hair stylists, designers, photographers, and videographers, collaborate and lend their talents to achieve a specific theme. This theme can revolve around a colour scheme, a consistent visual component, a particular time era, or a clothing style. A styled shoot helps wedding vendors create a strong portfolio that will attract their dream clients. You may have heard that what you post can attract more of the same.

In this piece, I will run through how I chose the theme, style, and suppliers for this styled shoot. I will, of course, also be sharing my favourite photographs that came out of the shoot.

The Feeling: An Elegant City Wedding

I wanted this city shoot to evoke a sense of classic, elegance, and timelessness, and I am delighted with how it turned out.

The Venue: A London Wedding

I selected the beautiful HLD Studios, located near St Paul's Cathedral, as the perfect venue for this shoot. Not only is it an iconic London City landmark, but the studio itself has stunning features, including a beautiful fireplace, doors that open out to a gorgeous French-style balcony, and a rooftop with a breathtaking view of St Paul's Cathedral. These elements capture the essence of being in a truly remarkable venue.

The Couple: Timeless & Classic

For the shoot, my main focus was to showcase a couple enjoying a glamorous and intimate City-style wedding.

The model couple I chose, Eloise and Tom, are based in London and are already very familiar with everything the city has to offer. They possess a timeless and classic look that I believed would align perfectly with the overall atmosphere I wanted to create.

Wedding Photography: Fun & Bright

For photography and videography, I collaborated with Jenn and Mike, who are based in Florida. Although they are based in Florida, they specialise in destination weddings, which was perfect for this shoot. What attracted me to Jenn's work was her ability to capture vibrant and bright images that evoke joy and create a modern atmosphere. Her style resonated with me, as her work has a timeless quality that I find myself drawn to. It was important for this shoot to convey that timeless essence, and I knew Jenn's work would bring everything to life in the way I envisioned.

Wedding Dresses: Square Neck A Line & Fitted Lace

Working with the Wedding Wardrobe was an effortless decision, as they offer a wide range of breathtaking dresses that perfectly align with the classic City wedding theme I envisioned. For this shoot, I carefully selected two dresses that beautifully captured the essence of the theme. The first dress is a fitted lace wedding dress, exuding elegance and sophistication. The second dress is an A-line wedding dress with a square neckline, known for its clean and simple lines that exude glamour. It's a perfect combination of simplicity and striking beauty.

Wedding Jewellery: Blue Pearls

To enhance the beauty of the dresses, I collaborated with the jewellery boutique, IJ Avenue. Their London-designed jewellery collection seemed like the perfect fit for the shoot. IJ Avenue offers a selection of freshwater pearl jewellery with unique accents, which aligned perfectly with the classic elegance I aimed to capture. Among the pieces, the "Something Blue" pearl necklace was an ideal choice to incorporate the tradition of "something blue" on a wedding day. We incorporated various items from IJ Avenue into the shoot, including earrings, necklaces, and bracelets, to elevate the overall look and add a touch of sophistication.

Wedding Flowers: Garden Roses

For the floral arrangements, I collaborated with Elbe Floristry. I specifically chose to work with Lawrence, the florist, as I wanted the flowers to have a classic yet feminine touch. Lawrence's style is known for being blousy and luxurious, yet versatile enough to suit different themes. To achieve the desired look, Lawrence incorporated garden-style roses, including VIP roses. These roses were not only chosen for their exquisite scent but also for their intricate beauty. They added a delicate and intricate touch to the arrangements, enhancing the overall elegance of the shoot.

Wedding Hair: Old Hollywood Waves

For the makeup and hairstyling, I aimed for a clean and simplistic look that would align with the overall theme. I specifically chose Hollywood waves for my model's hairstyle. This timeless style is known for its sleek and clean appearance, capturing the essence of Hollywood glamour that has stood the test of time. Initially, I envisioned the hairstyle on longer length hair. However, Ana at Style Is Beauty worked her magic and created this stunning style on my model's natural short hair, which still looked absolutely gorgeous. This demonstrated Ana's talent and ability to adapt the hairstyle to different hair lengths while maintaining its elegance.

Wedding Make Up: A Timeless Bridal Look

For the makeup, I decided to go for a timeless look with a brown winged eyeliner and a soft nude matte smokey eye. Since my model had a normal skin type with a tendency for redness, I started by prepping her skin using my go-to Charlotte Tilbury magic cream. To neutralize the redness, I applied a green color corrector and followed up with concealer to smooth out those areas. For a flawless base, I used the Nars Natural Radiant Longwear foundation, which provides a demi-matte coverage and photographs beautifully, making it the perfect choice for this shoot.

To complete the look, I chose a classic nude lipstick in Charlotte Tilbury’s Pillow Talk shade. Its neutral tones added the perfect finishing touch to the overall makeup, enhancing the timeless and elegant vibe of the shoot.

If you are a bride and love the makeup showcased here, please feel free to get in touch to reserve your space in my diary. Alternatively, you can browse through my wedding makeup services to get a better understanding of pricing and what is included.. I would be more than happy to discuss your specific needs and create a customised makeup look for your special day.