When I was preparing to marry my now husband, the pressure of masquerading as the perfect bride was almost enough to overwhelm me into submission. Did I really need to do all the make-up and hair trials everyone talked about? On the happiest day of my life, couldn’t I just look like myself? In the end, I trusted my instincts. I did my own make-up, stuck with a fail-safe beachy wave and never looked back. It was one of the best decisions I made.
I’m not alone in this approach. Where once structured up-dos and airbrushed complexions felt like non-negotiables, today’s brides are bucking convention, leaning into their personal style and choosing to look and feel unapologetically themselves as they walk down the aisle. It’s a shift observed by New York wedding dress designer Danielle Frankel, who notes a growing desire to appear more undone and comfortable in one’s own skin. “Unravelled,” she calls it. “More like the real, true version of you, rather than some fantastical version of yourself.”
Instead of agonising over how photographs might age, and expending enormous energy attempting to transform into an ultra-polished ideal, the modern bride is far more interested in optimising how much fun she’ll have during the celebrations. Joy, not perfection, is the priority. Plenty of cool brides are already behind this new mood. Photographer Harley Weir, for example, opted to do her own fresh, natural make-up for her wedding, relying on plenty of moisturiser and Sheglam’s viral peel-off lip stain, which allowed for uninhibited kissing without the usual ramifications. London-based writer Zoe Suen, meanwhile, enlisted her sister to create a soft, pared-back look. “I didn’t want to look at photos from the day – or even in the mirror – and struggle to recognise myself,” she says.
This new era of bridal beauty is partly fuelled by the sheer volume of information now at our fingertips. Tutorials, references and inspiration images empower brides to make informed – and often more individual – choices. “Today’s bride is much more discerning,” agrees make-up artist Lisa Eldridge. “The overarching trend is about being an enhanced version of yourself – less is more.”
The same sentiment applies to hair. Alex Brownsell, founder of Bleach, began her wedding day with golden blonde, post-braid waves before switching to a vivid red hue for the reception. “I wanted to feel like all the versions of myself,” she says. “I love dressing up and leaning into different characters, so having a few looks allowed me to embrace multiple parts of my personal style.” Even her manicure subverted tradition: a pearlescent finish with a tiny pearl-studded initial (her husband’s) on her ring finger.
Harley Weir Worked With Dilara Findikoglu On Her Fairytale Irish Wedding Dresses
By Alice Newbold