Wedding day beauty: Whether you’re the bride or a guest, 10 tips for romantic makeup and hair

Summer wedding season is here, and whether you’re walking down the aisle, standing up for your best friend or just showing up and dancing the night away, it’s important to consider how you’ll look. In terms of outfits, we certainly have you covered. But what about your hair and makeup on the big day?

More and more brides are taking the DIY approach to their wedding makeup (even Kate Middleton was rumoured to have done it herself!) and it goes without saying that most wedding guests aren’t spending a day at the salon before a friend’s nuptials. But with photographers everywhere and some weddings starting at the crack of dawn and going into the wee hours of the night, it’s advisable to put some extra effort into your hair and makeup.

To get the best advice on wedding day makeup and hair, we turned to the Beauty Panel. With a number of professional makeup artists on the panel, these experts have many weddings under their beauty belts—and plenty of tips for you, regardless of your bride, bridesmaid or guest status.

Challenge 12: How would you do your hair and makeup for a wedding? See the answers now! »

For Fiona Man from Product Wars, wedding day makeup is all about thin layers. By apply products slowly, you can control the pigmentation (no smoky cat eye mistakes for brides!) and ensure that it lasts all day and night long. Janella Panchamsingh fromBold n Beautiful Makeup agrees with the layering technique, but her her, the best bridal makeup is all about coming in under budget. No fancy brushes or expensive palettes are required to get the romantic look she shares with the Beauty Panel.

As for wedding day hair, Toronto Beauty Reviews’s Elaine Atkins shows you how to do an easy, curled bun that’s sure to standout amongst the sea of wedding guests. And if you’re feeling a little more dramatic, take a tip from Secrets From Your Girlfriends’s JJ Cowan: she enlisted the help of some hair extensions to get her show-stopping updo that any bride is sure to covet.

Have a beauty question you want to see the panel answer? Send it our way atbeautypanel@fashionmagazine.com. Read on for the answers to this week’s challenge and for more goodness, get to know all contributors on our Beauty Panel hub page.