beauty

Bridal hair and makeup tips from our own newlywed, Grace Jennings-Edquist.

There are few things we love more than a wedding, particularly when it’s one of our own.

Last month, Mamamia senior news editor Grace Jennings-Edquist tied the knot with her partner Ben in a picturesque lavender farm in Victoria in front of friends and family, including plenty of Mamamia and The Glow staff.

Naturally, no sooner than they had said “I do”, we were lining up to ask Grace all of the behind-the-scenes secrets about her hair and makeup.

Image: Pete Krotiris
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Here, she shares how long it really took to get ready, hero products that saved the day and must-know advice for any upcoming brides.

What hair and makeup did you go with for your wedding?

I went for a gold-hued smokey eye look, with fairly natural cheek and eye makeup and a sweep of bronzer. My hair must was Blake Lively, as we have a similar hair look (ie a LOT of blonde hair) - and she does a great vintage-style wave. So I asked my hair stylist Samantha for Veronica-Lake style waves with a lot of volume and slightly swept back on one side so my face was still visible.

RELATED: I did my own makeup on my wedding day, and I survived

How long did it really take to get ready?

The whole hair and makeup process took about an hour and 45 minutes for me, plus 45 minutes for each bridesmaids' makeup - my sister and I did their hair ourselves. Getting ready with my bridesmaids was one of my favourite parts of the day - we sat around drinking champagne, eating tiny sandwiches my mother-in-law brought over, catching up and generally being ridiculous.

Best of all was that my mum and I went for a massage in the morning - an excellent excuse to chat, relax and get a coffee on the way

How did you keep it intact during the day?

One little wedding hair surprise: turns out it's not easy to make veils stay in place! To fix it, my hair stylist cleverly backcombed a section of my hair, then made a couple of small braids to create hold at the back of my head before popping the veil in.

Grace and her bridesmaids (Photo: Pete Krotiris)
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Did you require any makeup touchups?

My makeup pretty much stayed put - that's the power of an expert make up artist who uses a bloody good primer - although my sister did run around with a little vial of Max Factor Colour Elixir Gloss and touch me up as I insisted on eating whenever I could get my hands on a canape.

RELATED: 14 makeup things every bride needs on her wedding day

Did you pack any beauty items in your bag for the day?

I didn't carry a bag, but one of my two Maids of Honours - my sisters - carried a teeny bag with a safety pin, lip colour, cotton buds, stain removers, tissues, Hollywood tape, bobby pins and a few other bits and pieces. Those extra bobby pins saved my hair later in the night.

Grace at the end of the night.

What fragrance did you wear?

I decided last-minute not to wear perfume, as there was a European Wasp outbreak in the area and my caterer mentioned they're attracted to sweet smells and white - not ideal for a bride.

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RELATED: How to choose a wedding perfume (and go insane)

What was your hero beauty product?

A LOT of hair spray held my waves in place.

What advice would you give brides getting their hair and makeup done for their upcoming weddings?

Brides-to-be: Get a hair trial, or at least bring a couple of clear photos of what you want your hair to look like - front and back.

Also be clear on what you *don't* want - my hair stylist was under strict instructions to avoid tight, 90s-style poodle curls, thank God.
(Photo: Pete Krotiris)

Don't be afraid to do your bridesmaids (or your own) hair if you're handy with a GHD. If all they're having is a soft wave, an easy bun or straight hair, don't bother forking out $50 or $100 for professional styling.

Finally, just try to relax and adopt the attitude that if something's going to go wrong, there's not much you can do about that. Get a massage, focus on enjoying the excellent people around you (and your new husband), and don't obsess over the small stuff (and yes, wedding makeup IS the small stuff!)
Want more wedding goodness? Check out the pictures from our Editor-in-Chief Jamila's wedding earlier this year.
Got a wedding related beauty question? Send it our way!