Jonali wore her mother’s wedding dress from 1989 (with a few minor alterations) when she married Michael in September last year. She wanted to play homage to her mother while still making her look her own so she had the sleeves and a bow on the butt (so 80s!) removed which she then used to wrap around her handmade brooch bouquet. Other than that, their main inspo for the day was their venue, Hammond Castle, and wanting to have a dark, ’til death’ vibe.
“My mum made by bouquet using family jewellery such as rings, brooches, necklaces, earrings and pendants” Jonali explained. “She placed and arranged each piece by hand! She did this for mine and my sister’s/maid of honour’s bouquet using fabric flowers that she hand cut, ironed and placed. It’s truly a one of a kind piece of art.”
Itâs 2020 and thinking that makeup is âjust for girlsâ is about as old fashioned as racing to blockbuster for 11pm on a Sunday to return your VHS tapes. But, if you identify as a man or non-binary, where can you go for the best advice? YouTube is obviously a great resource and there are plenty of influencers of all gender identities rocking the most incredible looks, but for your wedding day you may want something a bit more subtle. Plus, doing a face that looks great in a highly edited selfie is very different to creating a look that lasts all day. Makeup artist Natalie Flewitt has been working with male and non-binary clients for years, and today sheâs sharing some of her top tips. Over to you Natalie!
Bridal magazines are, on the whole, aimed at women and while you may see plenty of great makeup tips and product recommendations, how do you know if theyâll work for you? While obviously any person can wear whatever the hell they like, if you donât ever see yourself or your gender represented, it can be confusing.
There are a few differences between biologically male and biologically female skin. Itâs not a con or a marketing ploy when you get skincare targeted at different genders. There is often more to it than them just smelling like a rich woodland rather than a flower garden. Biologically male skin is thicker and contains more collagen (so it stays bouncier and youthful for longer), it also produces more sebum so itâs oilier with larger pores, and often has more melanin so it can have more pigmentation⌠Then there is obviously facial hair. With all this in mind, nothing bad is going to happen if you use face cream aimed at a different gender, but you will get better results by using a product created with your skin type in mind.
Over the years, I have provided makeup services and lessons for many people from the LGBTQ+ community and here are my top tips:
Before any good makeup artist takes a brush to your face, they will prep your skin with products specifically aimed at your skin type and condition. This is going help make your skin look amazing and make your makeup last, rather than just cover any areas of concern with a mask of full coverage foundation.
A dermatologist or beauty therapist who provides facial and skin treatments will be able to advise you of your skin type. If your budget wonât stretch to seeing a beauty therapist, an advisor in the cosmetic and skincare section of a department store will also be able to guide you. Remember, youâre not obliged to buy the products they have recommended from their counter and itâs ok to walk away if you want to think about it.
Whatever your skin type, start cleansing, moisturising, exfoliating and using treatments (such as masks, oils and serums) and SPF in the run up to the big day. For optimum results, start this at least three months before the wedding. In my experience, and whatever your skin type, cream, milk, oil, and balm cleansers are better than anything soapy and foaming, and liquid exfoliators containing salicylic or glycolic acid are more effective and kinder to your skin than the ones with gritty bits in.
Hannah and Nick chose Dewsall Court in Hereford for their summer 2019 wedding. They wanted an eclectic and colourful day and when they visited the venue and found out they had a canopy already set up outside that they could have their ceremony under, they were sold!
They were legally married two weeks before at the register office so they asked the bride’s uncle to officiate the blessing on the day. He came up with a ceremony that featured the two of them as Beano characters and ended with them having to don false noses as the âring exchangeâ!
Jasmine and Jack wanted to spend as little as possible on their March wedding – ÂŁ1000 covered everything! The day started with an intimate ceremony for just 15 guests and they chose the Margate Caves as their reception. Not only was it a really affordable to hire for the afternoon, but gave them a really unique location for their photos.
“Our theme revolved around three colours which were black, gold and forest green”, Jasmine told us. “I think our main inspiration for the wedding was us, weâve been together for a long time and we just wanted to celebrate!”
Jasmine’s ÂŁ25 dress came from ASOS as did her shoes and jewellery. She added a belt and headpiece, both from Amazon, and wore a jacket she already had in her wardrobe. Jack found his suit jacket at TK Maxx for just ÂŁ40 ad his shirt and trousers were Primark. The bridesmaids wore Boohoo dresses which were only ÂŁ15 each!
Lauren, who is a witch, always wanted a repeating number wedding date so when she married Alex and 22nd February 2020 was an option, she jumped at the chance! They were married at Skylight, an event’s space in Denver and were inspired by Lauren’s passion for witchcraft as well as plants and crystals for the theme of the day.
“We are not traditional people”, Lauren began. “I knew as soon as we got engaged that I didnât want to be a traditional bride – I knew my hair would be purple (my natural colour!), my dress wouldnât be white and that we would have all our favourite music involved.”
There’s nothing we love more at Rock n Roll Bride than going OTT, extra AF and living your best authentic life, no matter what that looks like to you. This shoot, which we shot just days before lockdown began in March (yes, it’s taken me a long time to getting around to blogging it!) was featured inside issue 32 of the magazine, and while we’d been planning it for a few months, the glitz, glamour and all-round flamboyant extravagance of the theme was actually JUST what we needed to see once the dreaded c-word wreaked havoc with the world!
In times of austerity we need escapism, we need fantasy, and we need motherfucking sequins and enormous bedazzled sunglasses, and Rock n Roll Bride aims to deliver. You’re welcome!
I have to give extra love and props to artist Gabriella Rosie, who loved this shoot so much she created this artwork based on the images. WOW!
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