Real Bride Spotlight: Skye’s Timeless Look at Historic Terrara House

I recently had the pleasure of working with my bride Skye, who celebrated her wedding at the breathtaking Terrara House. Set amid lush gardens and steeped in history, Terrara House provided the perfect blend of elegance and charm, creating a magical atmosphere for Skye’s special day. With natural, glowing makeup and a classic bouncy blow-dry hairstyle, we crafted a timeless look that suited both Skye’s personality and the grandeur of this historic venue.

The Venue: Terrara House - A Historic Gem

Terrara House, built in 1904, is a piece of Australian heritage that exudes old-world charm and grandeur. Originally established as a grand estate in the Shoalhaven region of New South Wales, this stunning property has been lovingly restored to preserve its unique character and history. With its beautifully manicured gardens, elegant architecture, and historical significance, Terrara House offers a captivating backdrop for weddings, making every bride feel as though she’s stepping into a storybook.

For Skye, the venue’s history and charm were the ideal complement to her elegant yet understated bridal style. From the lush green lawns to the classic architecture, every detail of Terrara House enhanced the timeless aesthetic we envisioned for her wedding day.

I am so excited to share this stunning Bridal editorial, Shot by photographer Paul Suesse it was recently published on Australian wedding blog Polka dot Bride.

It was a super windy, rather chilly day our stunning bride for the day was Sarah Hendersonwho did such an incredible job of looking warm & effortless throughout the entire shoot.

Our stylist Mel McQueen used pieces from The Bridal Atelier & Lost In Paris Bridal with some incredible lace numbers from Kate Sylvester lingerie. So not to overshadow the incredible dresses Mel used super fine jewellery from and Reliquia Jewellery Petite Grand& YCL Jewels in gold to tie the whole lot together.

The flowers were by the amazing Lina of Chanele Rose Florals & Styling who create this incredible rustic headpiece for Sarah to wear. Soft dusty pinks & warm ivory tones complimented Sarah’s beautiful English rose skin tone.

What to Expect at Your Bridal Hair & Makeup Trial Everything You Need to Know

Your wedding day is one of the most memorable days of your life, and you deserve to feel and look absolutely beautiful. A bridal hair and makeup trial is a crucial step in making sure your look is everything you’ve dreamed of—and more. But if you’ve never had a trial before, you might wonder what to expect. Here’s everything you need to know to feel prepared, excited, and confident as we work together to create your perfect wedding look.

1. Preparing for Your Trial

Before the big day arrives, spend some time gathering inspiration. Look at Pinterest boards, magazines, and bridal sites to find looks that speak to you. Think about the overall vibe you want for your wedding day. Do you envision soft, romantic waves or a sleek updo? Natural, glowing makeup or something a bit more dramatic?

Bring photos of your wedding dress, accessories, and any inspiration images with you. These will help me understand your style and ensure that your hair and makeup complement your entire look. If you have a veil, headpiece, or any hair accessories, please bring those along as well, so we can see how they’ll fit with your hairstyle.

European Destination weddings are fast becoming the new norm for many couples when planning their big day. No longer reserved for the rich & famous, European Destinations such as Lake Como, Tuscany & Ibiza offer excellent packages for weddings.

Couple get to enjoy the perfect idyllic backdrop for the most important day of their lives & their chosen guests get to holiday in Europe after! Win Win in my book.

Destination Brides tend to fly out their hair & makeup team rather than run the risk of having someone they don’t know & have to battle with a language barrier.

It's always good to have some basic knowledge about makeup application before heading into your Bridal makeup Trial. With so much makeup advice out there, it can get overwhelming so I’ve rounded up a few basic tips on each aspect of your makeup to help with your understating.

Primer

A primer is basically a silicone-based moisturizer; it puts a barrier in between your skin and foundation. Allowing smoother application and makeup longevity. Apply a small amount to lightly moisturized skin and leave for a minute or so before applying foundation. If your oily you can skip the moisturizer.

Foundation

Always apply foundation before your concealer with the highest concentration of product to be in the center of the face and blended seamlessly out towards (but not in) the hairline. If you have applied too much foundation, use a damp beauty blender or spritz a skin mist over your foundation (MAC 'fix plus' is perfect for this) match your foundation to your chest (not jaw/neck/chin) you want your face and chest to match!

Your foundation should melt into the skin not mask it!

Jasmine arrived for her bridal hair & makeup trial with her 2 sisters in toe for moral support and honest opinions, I mean if your sisters aren't going to tell you how it is then no one will! The girls encouraged Jasmine to go a little heavier on the eyes than she had originally anticipated, Jasmine's every day makeup is quite natural but obviously on her big day she wanted to look a little bit more glam & she was happy to be guided by me as to how far we took it. I used a Tom Ford eyeshadow quad in 'Orchid Haze' which has stunning eggplant tones which compliments Jasmine's brown eyes.

I initially met Sheree on a shoot for The Australians Woman’s weekly; Sheree was the beauty Editor at the time. I was doing her hair & makeup for a feature in the mag.

Sherre had always struggled to find artist’s who could make her hair hold a curl, she has fine long virgin hair, she loved what I did on the photo-shoot and so reached out to me for her wedding day.

Sherre’s wedding style was sophisticated and elegant, her stunning gown was a custom Pallas Couture so she wanted her hair & makeup to compliment that exquisite style.

Sheree sent me some hair inspo shots which are really handy to have from your brides so you can get an indication the overall feel & vibe they are going for.

We decided on a Hollywood wave, elegant & timeless. I used special products & techniques to ensure that her wave lasted into the night. I also added some secret hair extensions, this gave the hair extra hold & I recommend them for all brides who want to have there hair down on the big day.

As a beauty Editor Sherre knows her way around a makeup brush, on the day we both worked our magic to create a Smokey eye, softly contoured skin & fluffy individual lashes.