Roxanne and Dennis contacted us a few months ago to help them plan a small ceremony in Paris with their two teenage daughters. The lovely California family were traveling through Europe and were in London before having planned to pop over to Paris for the big Roland Garros tennis tournament. Their ceremony was schedule for the day before and after arriving from the train station, Roxanne was pampered by our fabulous hair and makeup team in their Paris apartment in the 1st arrondissement. Our wonderful florist handled the bride’s bouquet: a beautiful arrangement of vibrant pink peonies, cream and peach coloured roses and some soft greens to compliment. The couple and their two girls were then whisked away by our friendly car service to their ceremony location: Park Monceau. The intimate ceremony was held on a beautiful bridge overlooking the rest of the park and officiated by our amazing officiant, Igor. Then the group was off to tour the rest of the city with our incredible photographer, Olivier Lalin.
We had the great pleasure of helping an amazing couple, Liza and Ira, plan their very special vow-renewal here in Paris. After passing through some very emotional personal events during the planning process, the New Jersey couple’s time in the City of Love became extremely important. WeddingLight Events, of course, was only too happy to help them make their dream ceremony a reality. We feel so fortunate to have clients like Liza and Ira who so truly trust in our abilities to do what we love most!
Liza and Ira have been together for 10 years and exchanged vow in front of a stunning marble statue titled, “Protection and Future,” by Honoré Icard framed by glorious marbled columns. After a heartwarming tearful exchange, the couple shared a dance together as husband and wife before venturing off in their vintage Jaguar MK V for a tour of the city with their photographer, Olivier Lalin. The couple finished the evening with a divine dining experience at one of Paris’ most sought out restaurants: Alain Ducasse’s Restaurant at Le Meurice.
Liza was kind enough to send us a few touching words about our work, which we are very, very grateful to hear…
“I finally had a few moments to sit quietly and go through Olivier’s photos today, and I have to say I was completely moved. Somehow he captured the essence of how Ira and I feel for each other while including every special request I made including the amazing architecture and beautiful imagery. I knew he would be a great photographer, which is how I made my decision to go with him and WeddingLight Events, but I really wanted to let you know that your whole team — the hair, the makeup, the flowers, and your recommendation of venue for the vows, your own extreme attention to detail — everything about this experience was beyond compare — I cannot recommend you highly enough to other brides; You went above and beyond through all the crazy that was in our lives, helped me through the trauma of [some unexpected personal events] and the stress and worry of planning this experience from an ocean away. In the end, it turned out more special than I ever imagined possible — thank goodness for the one day of sun!! The photos of Ira as he said he vows to me brought tears back all over again. The great photos of us laughing and truly enjoying the city, the experience, and each other are priceless.
For everything you and Olivier did for us — Merci x 1,000,000,000!”
Every bride wants to look their absolute best on their wedding day and rightly so! It’s one of the most memorable and special times in a bride’s life. (Not to mention the amount of photos that will be taken that day — no pressure!) So having a professional makeup artist create your favorite look and make sure it lasts throughout the day can make all the difference. We caught up with Fred, one of our favorite makeup artists, to hear what he says about bridal makeup and what it is like being a professional makeup artist.
Q:When did you know you wanted to be a makeup artist? How did it become your passion?
A: Actually, it began with my passion for perfume. When I was around 18 or 20 and was doing some promotion for perfume companies. There were makeup artists that came to do promotions as well and I loved watching them. Eventually, I began doing makeup there, too. After that, I had many internships to keep perfecting my craft.
Q: What is your favorite part about doing a brides’ makeup?
A: I like taking care of her (the bride) — really looking after her wellness and satisfaction. Brides are usually very stressed on the day they are getting married. So I like making them feel beautiful and when they feels happy with what I did, than that is pure fulfillment.
Q: How do you make a bride feel special on her wedding day?
A: Brides are very sensitive to the mood of the atmosphere. Most of the time they didn’t sleep well the night before because of nerves. So when she is with me, I like to make her feel relaxed and allow her to de-stress. Murielle (WLE Hair Stylist – blog post to come!) and I usually work together, so we know how each other operates and that makes things easier and is more helpful for the bride.
Q: Are there any lasting or classic styles that will always be popular with brides?
A: Brides usually tell me that they want “something soft.” This means they are wanting a classic look: nude lips with a sheer gloss, light eyes, and sometimes adding false lashes. They don’t want to change their daily makeup style to look different from how they normally do. Brides just want something simple, but with a little more sophistication than their everyday look.
Q: Do you have any memorable moments or great stories on the job?
A: Jewish weddings are probably the most memorable for me. We get to see them four times throughout the day: at the town hall, for the oriental service, at the synagogue and then for their evening party. You really get to know them when you see them so many times! Most of the time they invite me to stay for their party and I’ll have a cocktail with them.
Q: Do you have any helpful tips or advice for our fabulous brides?
A: Have a good night’s sleep. Make sure to moisturize, do a mask, a body scrub… everything. Nice makeup is made for nice skin. It is also very important to have nice eyebrows. The shape and style are essential for the overall look of the bride’s makeup. So it’s best to leave it to a professional — they always do them better. And maybe get a facial a week or up to four days before the wedding.
Q: Ok, last question! Do you have any favorite products?
A: I have many favorites. But, I really like products that get rid of dark circles under the eyes. YSL’s Touche Eclat Radiant Touch is great for that. Carmex is also really great for soft lips.
Getting to Know Fred Just a Little More: With over 15 years of experience, Fred has firmly established himself in the world of luxury makeup. Not only has he worked with some of the most fabulous makeup companies in the world (e.g. Chanel, Guerlain, Givenchy, Dior, etc.), but he has also had extensive training with some top of the line brands to make sure that his techniques are absolute perfection, his knowledge of products and tools sharp and thorough and to help him focus on his own creativity and personal touch.
To contact Fred about booking your makeup services for your perfect Paris elopement, wedding or other special event, please email us at info@weddinglightevents.com.
