A feeling of impending doom....

Have you tried bare-minerals make up?

And try ebay for shoes, I also don't get heels and refused to spend lots. I got some 1.5inch sparkly silver ones for £12 inc postage!

I'm a bit obsessed with shoes so I can't help you there, but for make up I really would recommend a make up artist. I don't wear any make up, but for the wedding had bought all the bits and watched videos to get it right. However, I had a trial with a friend of my bm, and it was amazing. Felt good on my face, lasted all day, and most importantly made me feel gorgeous! If you can stretch to it I really would say it's worth it. If not, watch the videos, get to boots or somewhere and have a make up trial and then buy the make up from there. Be aware though, it does add up.

Keep it real!

I always find it funny when brides deviate from their usual style just because they're getting married, I get that it's the one day you get to dress up and you "should" go all out, but if it's just not you and you feel uncomfortable then I say don't bother.

Theres nothing worse than seeing a bride tottering uncomfortably in heels, or caked in make up looking like a clown.

You can get some beautiful flat shoes these days, and if you want to wear make up, keep it simple with a slick of gloss and a dab of blusher.

Be true to yourself and don't feel pressured.

Kizzi were we separated at birth?!! You sound EXACTLY like me! I will be following this thread very closely!

My H2B is 6'3" and Im 5'1" so I have accepted I will have to do heels!

Lol, I'm only 5' 2, but at least this OH is only 5' 8. My ex was 6' 2, so I know how it feels to keep looking up lol.

I LOVE wearing heels, just can't do it any more for any length of time. Used to think nothing of walking miles in them when I was younger, but age, children, taking up running and wight gain and loss have brought out my practical side, so now my heart sinks evry time I need to find new shoes. Hate the whole experience, and know I will have awful trouble trying to decide what I like, cos everything I like will hurt me somewhere or look rediculous on my short fat feet....

Excuse my cluelessness, how do you go about getting a trial done in a shop? Never done it before, rarely go in that type of shop lol, and when I do I walk straight through ;0). Any recommendations? Do you pay, or do they expect you to buy what you've had tried out? Ta

Have you tried schol foot pads? They stick in the front of the show so pushes your heel so the back meaning they don't slip and you have a gel cushion under your feet. I never wear heels without them! Next and debenhams do wider fit shoes I believe too for brides so might be worth a look. As for make up go to a make up counter and ask them to try out a few products before committing to any or book a make up artist :-)

You don't pay for them to apply it in high street shops they just hope you buy something after so they do go out of their way to get exactly what they think you are after

Find a department store with a Bobbi Brown counter - House of Fraser, John Lews etc.

They do a free 45 minute make up lesson, specifically for brides to be. I did it when I still had more than about a year to go, on the basis that my skin tone in June this year will be similar to my skin tone in June next year....rather than doing a make up lesson in February when I look like I have been hibernating and have really pasty skin.

There was no pressure to buy anything - I booked a double lesson so my daughter who is 20 and my BM could also have a go - and they worked it to go with our colours, and styles. Well worth booking in for.

They said we could have another lesson nearer the time if we want it, and since then I've had a similar one with the Dior counter at Debenhams, and my mother (who never wears make up) has had one done with Bare Minerals in Debenhams. All free, and all very enjoyable as well!

Don't be afraid - give it a go, tell them you're not used to wearing make up and they will work accordingly.

Thanks everyone ? very helpful with make up suggestions. Going on a rare trip to town on Sunday, so may stop by Debenhams and have a nosey round their bare minerals. Will have my daughter there too, as back up lol, and I'm sure she'll happily tell me what she thinks I should and shouldn't wear ?. Going out on the 22nd for Christmas, so might be nice to find something before then, get a contact lens appointment too for a free trial of those, and see how we do for an evening...

Definitely try different brands. I must have gone through five or six different brands of foundation before finding one which suited me. Some brands are "heavier" than others. For example, I can't wear YSL or L'Oreal because they make my skin feel all oily and horrible. If you can't find a foundation that you like, how about going for a tinted moisturiser instead?

I feel the same to a point. I don't wear heels very often and if I do wear make-up, it's usually subtle. I'm going to have a trial with a couple of different make up artists closer to the time and see if I like it. If I don't, I'll keep it natural. He loves me the way I am, so I don't feel the need to be untrue to myself. Do whatever is comfortable for you!

Gotta love hitched! Between all the lovely ladies here you'll always get the best advice If you can sort a free trial for earlier in the day on the 22nd then you could have a test run of the make up and feel glam for your do! You'll know how it feels to wear it from day to night, and if you get lots of compliments you'll know you're on to a winner!

Regarding low heeled silver shoes, asos have a couple of pairs in at the moment. I'm not sure about wide fit though, I have the opposite problem as I have super narrow feet and ridiculously high arches, but it does lead me to the same place of hating shoes and just wearing boots all the time!

Awww don't feel doom - you're going to look lovely on your wedding day whatever you decide about shoes and make up.

Some great advice above, so I don't have much to add, other than I find it easier to wear foundation if I've applied a lightweight moisturiser first - makes my skin feel hydrated and stops the feeling that the foundation is clogging into my pores.

Agree with everyone else here. Don't do something just because you think you should or to fit with someone else's idea of what beautiful is.

In terms of going for a trial in a shop - just be aware that the people who put the make up on in shops are very often not fully trained make up artists. Some train their staff in make up application (Bobby Brown) but not many of them will have worked as a make up artist so know about the affect of the flash and done make up for photo shoots etc. Also they are sales staff - they aren't pushy but ultimately they depend on you buying their products. So they will only recommend their own products even if none of them really fit with what you want. Try a few as you have plenty of time but I would also recommend a proper MUA who does that as a profession.

Oh my goodness Kizzi,i totally get what you mean... I really dont like shopping, im dreading it and heeeellls!!!!! Im so short and my fiance is such a tall tree! Hopefully we can manage it, I'm even considering online shopping and doing alterations locally... of course shoes are going be an absolute nightmare to shop AND wear...

Boo

Great stuff, thanks guys ?

It's not that I'm dreading having to wear either cos it's the done thing, I want to. Both make me feel much more glamorous lol. I work from home so don't need to wear make up, and do a lot of walking, as I don't have a car now, so flats are practical and comfortable. Which is why I just hate shopping for shoes, I never know what I want.

I've got teh time to shop around a bit though, and will see if I can find a friend of a friend who's a trained make up artist to help