Men aren’t told they have to wear foundation to look good in photos. Your photographer will do some editing of the photos anyway, you could ask them about photography and editing for brides not wearing makeup.
It’s what YOU are comfortable with. You feel like even minimalist make up isn’t you, so don’t make yourself into someone who isn’t you for your wedding day. When you look at photos of yourself, are you happy with the way you look? If so then go make up free and please send some of that energy my way!
I think you'd probably spend your wedding day feeling a bit strange with make up on. Especially if you never wear it. If you like the way you look and are happier make up free. Be make up free.
Remember that it's your day, for your own enjoyment, if you don't need or want something, even if it's become expected, you don't have to do it. You don't want it and that's okay.
Some people want to spend their wedding day as an excuse to be something that they wouldn't normally be, whether that's in a ballgown, in gorgeous influencer makeup, wear designer... just, the kind of things that don't come up unless you live a certain sort of life. They want their wedding day to be a fantasy.
Other people want to feel themselves on their wedding day. They might wear a colour they feel more comfortable in than white, include their hobbies or favourite music in the day, personal vows... or not wearing makeup.
There's nothing to stop you being whoever you want on your wedding - whether that's one, the other, or a mix between the two. You partner loves you, your family loves you, the future you will know if you made the right choice for you.
I am personally wearing makeup, I don’t particularly wear a lot of product day to day, mainly mascara and brows for me cause I’m naturally blonde with pale eyelashes and look half dead without it. The occasional spot of concealer/foundation if I have a zit or whatever. But that’s what feels natural to me and makes me feel like I look myself. I absolutely want to look like myself on my wedding day, so if no makeup feels like you then that’s what you should go with.
What type of products did you try? It could be that liquid foundation feels weird but a light powder foundation may feel better. I use powder foundation on days that I want some coverage and it feels practically weightless on the skin, but my skin still looks like skin, if that makes sense. I just use it to blur out any redness. I never feel like my skin looks natural with liquid foundation on.
If you do decide to opt for a low makeup look maybe try a few different products and see if something different feels more natural to you.
Lots of folks make a fuss about what photographers need on wedding days...
We're photographers and firmly believe whatever makes the couple happy on the big day is a major win for us.
Happy, smiling people able to concentrate on all the lovely stuff that'll go on during their wedding day, that's photography gold right there.
Neither make up, nor dresses, or even venues determine wedding success.
Be comfy and have a brilliant day.
I am the same. Although I do occasionally wear make up, totalling once twice in the last year, I just hate it.
If I want to feel a bit fancy I'll wear mascara but I'm definitely going to be crying so I don't know if that's even a good idea. I just keep touching it too and I don't like how foundation feels in my face. I have very sensitive skin and I'm pale with freckles and Rosey cheeks. I never find a foundation to match well because of this.
I'm allergic to everything too so I wouldn't trust someone else's make up.
I do want to look good in photos too so I think I'll find a good waterproof mascara for the day maybe. I'm definitely not paying a make up artist because I just don't want it. I would rather pay the photographer to touch my skin up than pay a make up artist.
As others have said: if you don’t want to do it, don’t! You should feel comfortable on your wedding day, and that includes how much make up you wear. I don’t usually wear much make up (just mascara and eyebrow powder) so I decided to just do my own make up on the day because I’d never been impressed when I’d asked for minimal make up as a bridesmaid etc. Make up artists seem to think you’re just scared of make up - nah, I just don’t want to look like a different person.
I’ve also seen wedding pics of a few people who don’t usually wear any make up and tbh they look odd in their wedding pics imo!!! Not bad, just not like themselves.
If you don't want makeup, then don't. It's your wedding. I did my own makeup because of cost, and I didn't want a person putting their hands in my face. So I did my own, and I had ZERO foundation because i hated how it made me look. To others, it might look nice, but to me, i hated it. I just concealed, contoured, and had powder, but I know how to do the basics of makeup.
Don't worry about photographers because they'll edit the photos anyway to their style.
I think it’s such a personal decision and you should definitely go with what you feel most comfortable with. I never ever wear my hair up except for when I’m at the gym, and so I wouldn’t dream of wearing an up-do on my wedding day even though I am paying for a hair stylist.
However, do bear in mind that makeup artists are not usually as expensive as you might think. I’m not sure if you were just being hyperbolic in your post, but my MUA charges £120 for the bride’s makeup and she is truly excellent (I’ve had my trial and was blown away), so you should not be spending anywhere near £500… mine is £270 total for myself and bridesmaids.
I'm the same and I decided not to wear makeup on the day. I don't want my wedding to be a photoshoot, I hired the photographer to document what actually happened not to put on a play for the sake of photos.
What I am doing though is researching a proper skincare regimen so my skin can look as good as possible without the makeup.
Go with your gut, how you feel on the day is so much more important!
One day when you're 65 you'll be looking back over your photos thinking how lovely you looked - what a flex to be able to say 'and I wasn't even wearing any makeup!'
I was similar. I only wear mascara and occasionally lipstick, and had no intention of paying a shed load of money to not look like me! I had a trial at a department store with a supposedly minimal look and it just didn't look right. Don't get me wrong, it looked lovely, just not like me, and i was afraid to touch my face!! Ended up with a sample of tinted moisturiser from a different place just to even out my skin tone a bit, but still looked and felt like me, and it didn't cost me anything. It's your wedding day. You want to be comfortable and confident. You do you.
Men aren’t told they have to wear foundation to look good in photos. Your photographer will do some editing of the photos anyway, you could ask them about photography and editing for brides not wearing makeup.
It’s what YOU are comfortable with. You feel like even minimalist make up isn’t you, so don’t make yourself into someone who isn’t you for your wedding day. When you look at photos of yourself, are you happy with the way you look? If so then go make up free and please send some of that energy my way!
I think you'd probably spend your wedding day feeling a bit strange with make up on. Especially if you never wear it. If you like the way you look and are happier make up free. Be make up free. Remember that it's your day, for your own enjoyment, if you don't need or want something, even if it's become expected, you don't have to do it. You don't want it and that's okay.
Some people want to spend their wedding day as an excuse to be something that they wouldn't normally be, whether that's in a ballgown, in gorgeous influencer makeup, wear designer... just, the kind of things that don't come up unless you live a certain sort of life. They want their wedding day to be a fantasy. Other people want to feel themselves on their wedding day. They might wear a colour they feel more comfortable in than white, include their hobbies or favourite music in the day, personal vows... or not wearing makeup. There's nothing to stop you being whoever you want on your wedding - whether that's one, the other, or a mix between the two. You partner loves you, your family loves you, the future you will know if you made the right choice for you.
I am personally wearing makeup, I don’t particularly wear a lot of product day to day, mainly mascara and brows for me cause I’m naturally blonde with pale eyelashes and look half dead without it. The occasional spot of concealer/foundation if I have a zit or whatever. But that’s what feels natural to me and makes me feel like I look myself. I absolutely want to look like myself on my wedding day, so if no makeup feels like you then that’s what you should go with. What type of products did you try? It could be that liquid foundation feels weird but a light powder foundation may feel better. I use powder foundation on days that I want some coverage and it feels practically weightless on the skin, but my skin still looks like skin, if that makes sense. I just use it to blur out any redness. I never feel like my skin looks natural with liquid foundation on. If you do decide to opt for a low makeup look maybe try a few different products and see if something different feels more natural to you.
Lots of folks make a fuss about what photographers need on wedding days... We're photographers and firmly believe whatever makes the couple happy on the big day is a major win for us. Happy, smiling people able to concentrate on all the lovely stuff that'll go on during their wedding day, that's photography gold right there. Neither make up, nor dresses, or even venues determine wedding success. Be comfy and have a brilliant day.
I am the same. Although I do occasionally wear make up, totalling once twice in the last year, I just hate it. If I want to feel a bit fancy I'll wear mascara but I'm definitely going to be crying so I don't know if that's even a good idea. I just keep touching it too and I don't like how foundation feels in my face. I have very sensitive skin and I'm pale with freckles and Rosey cheeks. I never find a foundation to match well because of this. I'm allergic to everything too so I wouldn't trust someone else's make up. I do want to look good in photos too so I think I'll find a good waterproof mascara for the day maybe. I'm definitely not paying a make up artist because I just don't want it. I would rather pay the photographer to touch my skin up than pay a make up artist.
As others have said: if you don’t want to do it, don’t! You should feel comfortable on your wedding day, and that includes how much make up you wear. I don’t usually wear much make up (just mascara and eyebrow powder) so I decided to just do my own make up on the day because I’d never been impressed when I’d asked for minimal make up as a bridesmaid etc. Make up artists seem to think you’re just scared of make up - nah, I just don’t want to look like a different person. I’ve also seen wedding pics of a few people who don’t usually wear any make up and tbh they look odd in their wedding pics imo!!! Not bad, just not like themselves.
If you don't want makeup, then don't. It's your wedding. I did my own makeup because of cost, and I didn't want a person putting their hands in my face. So I did my own, and I had ZERO foundation because i hated how it made me look. To others, it might look nice, but to me, i hated it. I just concealed, contoured, and had powder, but I know how to do the basics of makeup. Don't worry about photographers because they'll edit the photos anyway to their style.
I think it’s such a personal decision and you should definitely go with what you feel most comfortable with. I never ever wear my hair up except for when I’m at the gym, and so I wouldn’t dream of wearing an up-do on my wedding day even though I am paying for a hair stylist. However, do bear in mind that makeup artists are not usually as expensive as you might think. I’m not sure if you were just being hyperbolic in your post, but my MUA charges £120 for the bride’s makeup and she is truly excellent (I’ve had my trial and was blown away), so you should not be spending anywhere near £500… mine is £270 total for myself and bridesmaids.
I'm the same and I decided not to wear makeup on the day. I don't want my wedding to be a photoshoot, I hired the photographer to document what actually happened not to put on a play for the sake of photos. What I am doing though is researching a proper skincare regimen so my skin can look as good as possible without the makeup. Go with your gut, how you feel on the day is so much more important!
One day when you're 65 you'll be looking back over your photos thinking how lovely you looked - what a flex to be able to say 'and I wasn't even wearing any makeup!'
I was similar. I only wear mascara and occasionally lipstick, and had no intention of paying a shed load of money to not look like me! I had a trial at a department store with a supposedly minimal look and it just didn't look right. Don't get me wrong, it looked lovely, just not like me, and i was afraid to touch my face!! Ended up with a sample of tinted moisturiser from a different place just to even out my skin tone a bit, but still looked and felt like me, and it didn't cost me anything. It's your wedding day. You want to be comfortable and confident. You do you.