Interview with make up artist Liv

from Oh La La Weddings

So I got a touch excited about the royal wedding yesterday and forgot to schedule this blog post properly. Oops. What can I say, despite my initial lack of interest, when it came to the day I was glued to my screen.

So a day late here's the interview with Liv, and her skills with the brushes, curlers, and other make-up paraphernalia.

In her own words:

No bride needs to hide herself under a big layer of cakey make-up.
Every woman wants to look like herself on her wedding day, just like the best version of herself.
The key word with bridal make-up therefore is bespoke!
I am passionate about enhancing the individual bride's unique features and giving her an all day lasting, glowing look based on her skin type, style and personal preference.

Getting your wedding make up done professionally is more than just a pampering, relaxing and enjoyable experience. You can also learn more about your skin and pick up new tricks to do your own make up.

I've saved my brides a lot of bad experience and surprises advising on the right products and techniques, (the classic: veil caught in the lip gloss, reflecting make up that flashes up in photos and makes you look white as a wall, or how to deal with a stress pimple that just grew the night before the wedding).

I also offer to stay all day long, since some brides just feel more safe to have me around all day or they want a make up change for the evening. Others are happy to just book the application which will last all day long.

There are a lot of things to consider:
skin type, climate and weather conditions at the day/destination of  the wedding, skin complexion, face features, personal style and much more. 

Good stuff. On to some quick questions:

You're based in London, but do you travel for weddings?

Yes I do. I'm happy to travel anywhere from within the UK to destination weddings on the other side of the world.

Do you offer hair styling as well?

Yes, I love to do bridal hair, from natural messy looks to classic defined up-dos. Straight or curly i will be able to look after your hair as well.

How does it work when a bride books you for their big day?

During the first trial and consultation we'll decide on the look and I will discuss products. Then we'll create the full look, exactly as you'd want it on the day. I am able to give professional skin care tips so you can prepare and treat your skin in advance of your wedding day.

On the actual day I will arrive at whatever time you need and help pamper you and will create your worry-free long lasting make up. And if you wish I will design a customised colour palette for you, so you can carry the professional make up with you as well (or get one of your 'maids to carry).

Can you do any kind of look?

Absolutely. I can whatever you want from a very natural look to a more vintage glam look.

Well that's that. Got me convinced. And after seeing how amazing my skin looked and went out and bought a decent foundation. So I can definitely vouch for Liv's work.

A big thanks to Liv for working on the shoots and explaining how she works. I've definitely learned nothing makes you feel so good as decent make up!

See www.blushless.com (make up website still a work in progress) and www.blushless.com/blog or emaile liv(at)livlundelius.com and call +44(0)7716354466 for more.

Introducing Liv from Blushless and her make up box of tricks

Way back in time when I started out as a wedding planner I 'met' through the power of blogs Liv from Blushless. We were both starting out in an industry that wasn't exactly famous for it's quirky suppliers and bonded over a desire to work on more alternative and creative weddings.

Fast forward a year or so and we now live round the corner from each other, which has been especially handy for these little projects. Liv makes eco friendly and super cool wedding dresses but her real passion is make up. She recently won a place on the much sought after Jemma Kidd Make up School Academy and is launching her bridal make up website very soon. In the mean time you can check out her blog here.

We thought it would be the perfect time to work together on the first of many projects in the pipeline: a Savoir Weddings introduction to Liv, her box of make up tricks, and never ending patience with a fidgety 'model'.

These pics were snapped by the amazingly talented Gaelle from Oh La La weddings. Like all wedding planners & stylists, I like to keep my cards close to my chest. Reluctant to give away all my trade secrets and all! But I have to share. Gaelle has been a music photographer for years and has also recently branched out into weddings. Seriously, this girl is good.





Liv made my skin look a-MAZ-ing which considering I'd just had a cold is particularly impressive.

Interviews, photo shoots and Royals

Happy Bank Holiday lovely readers! I hope you had a splendid Easter weekend. Here's this week's Monday Medley...

the interview/photo shoot


from oh la la weddings

On Friday I met up with two rather talented ladies to work on an interview feature with a little make up shoot. I'll be blogging full details later this week but here's a little sneak peek. One of the things I love best about my job is all the interesting and creative people I've been able to meet and/or work with. Liv from Blushless and Gaelle from oh la la weddings and I have a couple of other projects up our collective sleeve and I can't wait to share them with you.


the royal wedding

I have to be honest, I don't really care about the royal wedding. It feels almost blasphemous to say so but I get far more excited about 'real' weddings. And being self employed I can't even get excited about the bank holiday as I'll be working. Grumbling aside, however there is one aspect I am intrigued about shall we say and that's the dress. I know whatever design house and design is chosen will pretty much dominate the bridal industry for a couple of years. Whether it's Bruce Oldfield, Alexander McQueen, Alice Temperley, the much lesser known Sophie Cranston or somebody else entirely, I will definitely be checking out the gown.

On a different note, an estimated 2 billion people will tune in at some point to watch the wedding. No pressure then. I would be absolutely terrified I would trip up or accidentally swear or do something else entirely inappropriate!


the web chat

And with the Royal wedding around the corner everyone is naturally talking about weddings. Which has also led to lots of talk about being a wedding planner (which I have blogged about here). And you can join me and a selection of other fab wedding planning pros on Wednesday 27th April as part of the Guardian's live web chat discussing how to become a wedding planner. It's between 1pm - 4pm on the 27th and you can sign up here so you don't miss out.

Some bridal beauty must haves...

Lip balm

The subject of make up and beauty products is not one I feature often on my blog. I am however, working with an AMAZING make up artist soon to demonstrate some of the different looks you can have as a bride on your big day. And in preparation for this feature I've become much more interested in make up in make up and beauty products and thought I would share my new found excitement with you all!

So I'm going to be running a new blog series whereby I introduce some of my favourite products.

The first fairly unglamorous product I'm letting you know about here is Carmex lip balm.

Like mascara, a good lip balm is pretty much essential for every girl (and boys actually, as I once had an ex who was partial to strawberry flavoured lip balm).

A lot of people are all about the Vaseline but I've never been a fan of those unhygienic little pots. But since I discovered Carmex I literally can't stop using it. It makes my lips soft and has pretty much sorted out my dry chapped lips in a week of using.

I've also been on the hunt for the perfect mascara, moisturiser, and eyeliner amongst many other so do let me know if you've got any beauty wonders.

A slightly sickly Monday Medley

What a week last week was! Working with new clients, photo shoot planning and attending the wedding Oscars aka Rock n Roll Bride's party. Unfortunately it has all taken it's toll and I am now laid up with a chest infection. Which is not all bad because it gives me time to put together a little selection of what's been catching my eye this week.

the photo shoot


from Ashton Jean-Pierre Photography

Charley from London Bride and I have been working on a new project. All I can say now is it involves weddings (but of course) and music. Fingers crossed it will be launching very soon but in the meantime here's a sneak peek of the shoot shot by the marvelous Ashton Jean-Pierre.


the engagement shoot

Which leads nicely onto this super cute and fun engagement sesh. Well worth a look through the other images.


from Polka Dot Bride


the bride

I have a bit of a thing about walls in photos and this image kind of takes my breath away.


from our labour of love via forget me knot weddings


the bunting how to guide

Daily Candy's guide to making bunting. As much a wedding staple as cake, this guide will have you crafting your little heart out.


note: this bunting is actually from John Lewis, but you could make it if you wanted to ;)


the favour

These wall garden favours are handmade which makes me love them all the more. What's more they don't look too tricky to make. Anyone fancy making some and sending me pics of the results?!



from Ruffled

Hope you had a lovely weekend and are all geared up for the week ahead. I cannot believe we're over halfway through April, where is this year going?!

For more Monday Medley's see here

What does a wedding planner actually do? Part 4

The issue of hiring staff...


from doreese illustration and photography


I get a lot of emails from people looking for a job in wedding planning and asking about paid work at Savoir Weddings and thought it was about time I tackled the issue of staff.

From the amount of interest I get it seems everybody wants to be a wedding planner these days. Which I get because it is a rewarding and varied job. So I hope no one finds this patronising, because I'm certainly not saying I know everything, but here's my advice for those of you thinking of becoming a wedding planner.

I can't speak for all wedding planners and the big guns (who don't work on weddings less than £60k) are probably different but most of us don't make enough money to hire full time staff.

I am a full time wedding planner. It took me well over a year to get to this stage. I'm certainly not rich but I make enough to live on which is great. I should point out here incidentally, if you're thinking of becoming a planner or starting a wedding planning biz to get rich, think again. It's incredibly hard work, involves working anti social hours, is at times stressful, and when you work it out per hour it definitely doesn't fall into one of those 'easy money' jobs likes some people seem to think.

So even though I am a full time planner I don't generate enough income to support staff. There is Dan who is involved in the music side of things and I work with interns during particularly busy periods. But whilst I pay the interns' expenses I definitely don't make enough to pay someone else a salary.

And this is quite common according to my fellow wedding planners.

So for those of you who want to become a wedding planner you really need to think whether you're prepared to become a business owner too. Because 99% of people who are wedding planners run their own businesses. So if you really want to do it you have to not only be good at planning/styling weddings, but also self motivating, managing your own time, finances and everything else that goes with running a business.

I don't want to discourage anyone considering a career in wedding planning. I genuinely love my job and often see it more as a way of life than a job. But it's not enough to just love weddings. There's a very high chance you'll have to establish and run your own business to become a planner and that's not a decision to make lightly.

For more on being a wedding planner see here.

What are your thoughts? Fellow wedding planners, do you agree? What about you other freelancers, do you get lots of job applications too?

Things that have caught my eye of late...

I hope you all had a lovely weekend and are raring to go today.

I'm feeling pretty positive and inspired after visiting the venue of one of my couples yesterday. To say it is beautiful doesn't do it justice. I literally cannot wait for this wedding!

And last week I got to work with the AWESOME Ashton-Jean Pierre and London Bride on a brand new project. Watch this space for more info...

And in the meantime, here's some general inspiration from my web travels.

the quote


from Momo Prints
via papersnitch

Always worth remembering.


the bride

Liking the edgy and traditional combo.


from Nordica Photography
via Wedding Sparrow


the bow tie

Aptly named Distinguished Gentlemen - Let's read a leather bound book.


via I am a hunter


the jewellery


from Le Papier Studio
via Emmeline Bride


the photo shoot

I've had a bit of a thing for masks recently. I'm interested in how they add another dynamic to an image. Be sure to check out the rest of the shoot, there's plenty more beauties included.


from Paige Newton Photography
via The Loveliest Day

Hope your week is off to a good start lovelies!

Inky indigo

from top left:
indigo dress image from bluepoolroad
cameo from Iris Schwarz on etsy
blue bottles from Savoir Weddings props
extract of indigo plant applied to paper
indigo and mint image from jed root
made up eyes from pinterest


I've always been interested in colour but since becoming a wedding planner and stylist I've looked at the concept of colour and colours in general in a whole new way.

I've always liked blues and greens best. As testified by my teal obsession. Recently it's the deep, evocative, inky indigo that's making me swoon.

You can see some of my other mood boards here.

What do you think of indigo?

Here comes the sun

I haven't done a Mixtape Masters for far too long. I've been working on a secret music project which has been sapping my musical energy (more on this very soon)!

But the sun is shining today and it feels like summer is around the corner. So here's a little mix of reggae/dub/roots to help get you in the mood...




For more Mixtape Master madness, peep the playlists on these blogs:

Hi-Fi Weddings | Tylre. | Ten Thou Bride | Fashion Under 100 | Jo, Rooting | Craft My Life | another damn life | Fancy Notion | Dead Flowers | Casa De Kaloi | Bunnies’n’Beagles | My San Francisco Budget Wedding | Existing Between Reality and Dreams

Molly Bakes...pop cakes amongst other things

Molly Bakes was set up by Molly (no surprise there really) in London in 2009. Since then she's seen her pop cakes stocked in Selfridges and she's created orders for the likes of Elle Macpherson. Not bad eh?

She also does lots of bespoke orders for brides which is why I thought she'd be perfect for an interview for Savoir hearts this supplier.

* You make all sorts of cupcakes, brownies, pop cakes and so on. What's the most fun to make?

We make all sorts in the Molly Bakes kitchen as I like variety. I enjoy making everything but when you've made hundreds of cake pops it's a welcome break to do something different the next day. The bespoke orders are most fun though.

* You were the first baker to introduce cake pops to the UK, no? What made you realise Brits would go crazy for cake bites on a stick?

I love trying new things, I first saw them on American baking sites and decided to make some to sell on my market stall on Brick Lane. I wasn't actually sure whether they'd sell or not but they did. I just make things that I like the look of and my customers have loved everything so far! People were instantly intrigued by cakes on sticks, they were soon outselling my cupcakes. They're cute, colourful and tasty - how could Brits not go crazy for them?!

* Do you do a lot of pop cakes for weddings? How does it work with brides wanting to provide cake pops on their big day? Do you offer a bespoke service?

Yes cake pops are very popular for weddings, most people have them as favours but some have ordered them in place of a cake. Yes every order is bespoke, some customers go for simple designs while others like to have cakes that look like themselves! My favourite so far was a Christmas tree shaped wedding cake made entirely of cake balls - it even had an angel on top and presents at the bottom.






* And finally, congrats on having a book out soon! When's it out, where can we buy it and what can we expect inside it?

Book is out on June 2nd. You'll be able to buy it from all good bookstores. There will be 50 recipes for making cake pops inc. 6 different flavours. You'll find a few old favourites in the book but a lot of it is stuff I haven't posted online or made for any of my customers yet. It's a mixture of pretty, cute, quirky and edgy. I can't wait for you all to see it!


Pretty, cute, quirky and edgy? Sounds like my kind of thing! Thanks to Molly for being a Savoir Hearts this Supplier. Find out more about Molly and her cakes here, here and soon here.

Should I invite my ex to my wedding?

source Better Living Through Design

This is not necessarily one of the areas of life it's good to say yes to.

The decision as to whether or not to invite an ex to your wedding can be definitely be challenging. And as it's a question a bride asked me the other day I thought it worthy of a blog post.

So, should you invite your ex to your wedding? This is mainly written with brides in mind but it could apply to the boys too.

Obviously don't invite your ex if you're no longer in touch. That's just a bit weird.

But if you're friends, or at least in regular contact it's a little trickier.

It depends on a few factors I think. Here's a rough yes/no guide to try to help you decide.


No if...

The relationship ended badly or was difficult and you best friend/dad hate him and will sit glowering/wondering why you invited him.

You're having an intimate wedding and your ex will stick out like a sore thumb.

His new girlfriend/wife is wary of you or has any not great feelings towards you. You only want people who love you at your wedding.

There's any part of you, even a teeny tiny part that's invited him to show off how beautiful you are and how great your life is.

He's single or has any unresolved feelings towards you. That could just get messy.


Yes if...

You want to and your fiancé is fine with it.

You went to his wedding and enjoyed yourself. And you like his wife.

You genuinely are friends and you see inviting him just like inviting any one of your other friends.

What do you think? If you're married did you invite any exes?