Frequently Asked Questions…
Pricing questions
Dates book up quickly for a quality makeup artist, especially on Saturdays in the summer season.
A booking fee of 50% secures the date. The balance is due 6 weeks prior to wedding date.
You can book a makeup trial before booking if you wish (this is recommended).
For wedding planning, a deposit is also required to secure the date and Helena Victoria’s availability when you require her services. This varies according to the package agreed upon.
If you cancel a makeup booking more than 16 weeks before the wedding date, there is no further payment.
If you cancel between 16 and 7 weeks before the date, 50% of the outstanding balance is due (i.e. 25% of the total cost).
If you cancel within 6 weeks of the wedding date, the full cost is due, and there is no refund offered.
For wedding planning, a similar sliding scale is in operation, depending on the package agreed upon.
Yes, certainly! Helena is available to work wherever you need her to. She will charge mileage, or train/air fare if that is more appropriate.
Travel costs are additional to the base rate, if required, and car journeys are charged at the standard HMRC travel rate (currently 45p per mile). Helena Victoria is based in the PL24 postcode area, and does not charge for travel within that area. Brides are welcome to visit her for their makeup trial, or she can travel to them.
For wedding planning, any travel that Helena Victoria undertakes will be charged at the standard rate.
Mileage is calculated by Google Maps.
Makeup questions
No – you don’t need makeup, at all. No-one’s going to force you.
However, a lot of people will be looking at you, all day. Makeup applied with a delicate hand can smooth out any uneven skin tone or blemishes, and give you confidence that you’re looking your best.
Also, you’re going to be in a lot of photos. Many people find that the camera washes them out, and lending a little colour in advance can help you look radiant in the pictures, as well as in person.
It’s your decision though.
Helena specialises in a natural look, so you’ll still look like you!
That’s not a problem. If you have decided that you do need it for your big day, then Helena Victoria will have a makeup trial with you, where you will work through what you’re comfortable with, and what precisely you dislike, so that can be avoided.
If you have trauma around makeup or makeup artists, that’s not uncommon, and Helena Victoria has experience working with clients with similar issues.
She has a naturally calming personality, so she will help make the process painless for you.
Helena Victoria prefers her clients to have a trial, ideally. It offers opportunity to try out different styles and colours, and check whether the client has any preferred skin products or allergies (that they may not have known about). It can be the case that what a bride thinks she wants is actually not the right look, in the end.
Yes, of course!
Children under 12 are free of charge, and will be given age-appropriate makeup, to match the rest of the party.
Young people aged 12-16 will be charged at half the adult rate, and young people aged 16 and over will be treated as adults.
Helena Victoria uses a variety of good quality skincare and cosmetic brands, specifically sourced to be eco-friendly, natural without toxins or parabens. On-the-day lashes are included as part of your quote if you would like. Current brand favourites are Younique, Charlotte Tilbury, Illamasqua, No7, Temple Spa, Arbonne, All Earth Mineral Cosmetics… fabulous products that provide excellent results!
If you have a preferred makeup brand that you use, or ones that you wish to avoid, that can also be incorporated, and Helena Victoria will always check in during the makeup trial to ensure that the client’s skin is happy with the product.
She has access to colour palettes to suit all skin tones, and is happy to discuss your preferences here too.
Certainly! Please do get in touch to discuss what you have in mind.
Wedding Planning questions
Helena Victoria has been involved with planning many weddings, and has a great understanding of how to go about it. She will help you decide on the basics, (date, venue, style, etc) before moving on to the smaller details that will help make this ‘your day’, such as colours and styling.
She is also very good at helping couple narrow down their options, and has many creative suggestions, as well as an extensive list of suppliers, to help you arrive at a celebration that feels just right.
Of course!
Helena Victoria offers standard packages for styling, and on-the-day co-ordination, but also offers a customisable partial planning package. You can see more details on the Wedding Planning page, but if nothing there quite fits what you need, give Helena Victoria a call, and discuss what might work for you.
Yes!
Helena Victoria will need a certain amount of input, for instance major colours, overall vibe, guest lists, food and cake choices, and so on, but can take all the small decisions off your hands. Exactly which supplier will be making the balloon arch, where the champagne and flowers are coming from, when the band is booked … all of those details are things that you can simply forget about!
At our initial consultation, Helena Victoria will hear all your ideas, even if you have no clue if they’re actually possible, to see how you imagine your wedding.
Please do bring photos, colour samples, Pinterest boards, and your imagination!
If you have already booked or approached suppliers, please bring their details as well, together with any you’d like to use if they’re available.
The other essential things to bring are the nuts and bolts – your chosen date, the number of guests, and an idea of your budget.
Certainly.
Helena Victoria has been to those weddings too, and hated it!
The wedding party and family members deserve to have a lovely day too, so Helena Victoria can offer set-up and take-down services on the day, including returning all the equipment to the suppliers, and ensuring the venue is returned to its original condition. This is either included with the packages, or can be added if required.
Yes, for sure.
Helena Victoria has experience wrangling awkward family members and other guests, managing diverse dietary requirements, accommodating disability access needs, amongst other things, plus coping with weather that wasn’t what you ordered!
Give her a call and see what she can do for you, with her guaranteed discretion for any sensitive issues. She does not yet have a hotline to manage the weather directly, but can help you plan for various contingencies.
Yes – destination weddings are so much fun, aren’t they!
The details for a destination wedding are often co-ordinated by a wedding organiser at the other end, so Helena Victoria is happy to liaise on your behalf, to make sure that everything runs smoothly. Her attendance on the day is subject to your budget, and can be discussed before a booking is finalised.
How kind of you – that’s a lovely thought.
Yes, that could be done.
Helena Victoria is happy to work with the couple getting married to plan their wedding, whoever is picking up the tab, and can discuss with you and them how that might work.
General questions
Yes, to cover her work.
However, she strongly recommends that her clients take out wedding insurance, to cover for failure on the part of any suppliers, or natural disasters, etc.
She is also registered as a data controller with the Office of the Information Commissioner, so you can be assured that your personal data is safe with her.