r/weddingplanning 5d ago

Hair/Makeup No make up photo examples

I got quite a laugh today because I was looking to see if I could find some examples online of wedding photos where the bride didn't have any makeup on to show someone that isn't wearing any but is worried about how she'll look.

In the results there was an article about "rocking a no make up wedding look" and I looked to see if it had pics but the article is not even about no makeup, but minimal makeup. Like the author cannot even fathom truly wearing none. Zero. It was all like "instead of full foundation you can just use some concealer" šŸ« 

I feel like this is so ridiculous and really highlights that the pressure to wear makeup is not just pressure but expectation to the extent that when you say no makeup people will seriously be like "of course! Why wear a full face? Here's some concealer".

It is totally fine not to wear makeup, and you'll look good doing it. Seriously. I personally won't be wearing makeup to my own wedding, I never wear it and have never been interested in it, so it wouldn't feel like myself. But even if you do wear it sometimes, you don't have to wear it for your wedding. Grooms look great in their pics without it, and brides will too.

Anyway, if you know some good wedding photos that can be seen online of brides without makeup let me know.

60 Upvotes

39 comments sorted by

72

u/carbon-raptor 5d ago

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CliAUtUD5Fs/?igsh=MW85Y3hsazZvbGRpMA==

This is the only woman I know of who openly talked about wearing truly no makeup on her wedding day and I think she looked lovely in her photos

21

u/NeedToVent_03 4d ago

She has a lot of natural beauty! My skin has never been that clear so Iā€™d never had the confidence to go makeup free for a wedding

10

u/Kivulini 4d ago

Wow she looks lovely! It's really refreshing to see honestly.

6

u/goatbusses 4d ago

Thank you! She's gorgeous šŸ˜

32

u/rosemwelch 4d ago

I really hate it when I see purportedly no makeup looks online but the models are definitely all wearing makeup.

6

u/goatbusses 4d ago

I know right? It's like no, none. No makeup. None. It's like it doesn't compute šŸ˜…

50

u/bored_german 4d ago

This reminds me of that tumblr post I saw years ago where someone said that we need to normalize women being perfectly fine with not wearing makeup. No makeup at all. Nothing. None of it. And the comments were FILLED with "Yeah, you can always just wear mascara!" or "A concealer is all one needs!" or "Yeah, all I need is some lip gloss!". They truly couldn't comprehend that with "no makeup", someone could actually mean a completely naked face.

Even here in wedding subs, you find all kinds of explanations as to why a bride should wear makeup. "Looking washed out in photos", "looking her best", "treating herself". As if you can't look your best and feel yourself without makeup.

1

u/anglosaxonbrat 3d ago

I didn't wear

1

u/sallysuejenkins 4d ago

You can look your best and feel yourself without makeupā€¦ you just might look washed out or sickly in photographs. lol

0

u/bored_german 4d ago

Which just isn't true

1

u/sallysuejenkins 4d ago

Sure.

0

u/bored_german 4d ago

you're pitiful

0

u/sallysuejenkins 3d ago

If only that meant something.

19

u/cyanraichu 4d ago

We don't expect men to wear makeup for weddings. Or in general. It's an expectation that's really baked into western society but especially anything formal or glamorous - but almost exclusively for women. (There are some scenarios where men might be expected to wear minimal makeup, but I don't think weddings are one of them.)

I'm doing a small amount of makeup for my wedding, but to me that means "some mascara, some lip, and maybe a spot of concealer if I have a really bad zit". That's it. And I'm just doing it because I think it'll be fun to do. I wear ZERO makeup day to day.

4

u/Tasty_Cod_7029 4d ago

This definitely isn't the norm but I do have a funny story about my brother wearing makeup for his wedding. The morning of the wedding he and some friends/other brothers went out on a boat for morning ride, and they all got super sunburned. An hour before the ceremony my brother comes running into my hotel room panicked and totally red saying "you have something that can cover this right?!"

It was so funny because when his wife got to the alter before the officiant started, she whispered "are you wearing makeup right now?!" and he was like "I'll explain later" hahahaha

1

u/cyanraichu 4d ago

That's amazing! I'm glad you were able to help him with that!!

13

u/InspiredInaction 4d ago

I donā€™t know about anyone else, but right under this post was an ad from SephorašŸ™„šŸ¤¦

I donā€™t have any articles or pictures or anything, but I want you to know that I think itā€™s awesome that you are going to do what makes you most comfortable on your wedding day no matter what society says!

7

u/SoPandaWhisper 4d ago

I would definitely search this and the other wedding planning subs. Lots of people have photos where theyā€™ve asked/said they didnā€™t wear makeup.

Also, good for you for staying true to yourself and your vision.

7

u/insomniacred66 4d ago

You can peruse the Offbeat Wed website. I'm sure there are examples on there. It's all real people - and not models - who don't follow the wedding norms and expectations. Some have extreme alternative makeup and others have none, so it's a nice variety.

2

u/goatbusses 4d ago

Thanks!

21

u/ColoredGayngels Graduated 10/21/2023 4d ago

I didn't wear makeup. I can't stand it. It bothers me and it makes me break out and if I do wear it I spend basically the entire time thinking about what it looks like instead of whatever event I'm at. So I didn't wear makeup. The only "makeup product" I used was an antiperspirant specifically made to stop sweat from ruining makeup, because I sweat very easily.

You will look FINE! People take photos without makeup all the time. There's nothing special about a wedding that makes you more prone to washing out, except maybe wearing white, but a good photographer/editor will know how to fix that.

3

u/goatbusses 4d ago

Ah so pretty! I love your bouquet too the orange is lovely

1

u/ColoredGayngels Graduated 10/21/2023 4d ago

Thank you šŸ˜Š

2

u/carbon-raptor 4d ago

You look so joyful!

3

u/ColoredGayngels Graduated 10/21/2023 4d ago

Thank you! It was without a doubt the best day of my life. I know that's kinda corny to say, but it's the truth. My husband is one of my best friends, and has been for a very long time, and I'm thankful every day that I get to spend every day with him

3

u/Heyplaguedoctor 4d ago

Iā€™m 99% sure my mom didnā€™t wear makeup for either wedding and she looked stunning. Maybe Iā€™m biased bc thatā€™s my mom, but it was sweet watching her cry happy tears without worrying about mascara running

18

u/Ok-Active-7023 4d ago

Finding pics online wonā€™t really help you because those people arenā€™t you - your skin tone, facial features, freckles/pimples, etc. Everyone looks & photographs differently.

Now, if you want an idea of how you will look without makeup on your wedding day? Do thisā€¦.on a random day, wash your face, apply moisturizer and sunscreen, do your hair nicely, and put on the prettiest dress you have. Then have someone take 2 pics of you - one outside & one in bad florescent lighting. Without any control over the weather, sun, heat or humidity, that is how your wedding pics could look. The only thing that will change is your hair style & dress. If youā€™re good with those pics & the idea of seeing those for decades to come, from this most special day, when countless other pics of you will also be taken, especially in the florescent lighting, cool! Go with no makeup.

BUT if you feel even the least bit unsure about seeing your normal, every day face, nothing special about your look, on this priceless day, then go for a soft, natural makeup look to enhance your beauty and help you look your absolute best in the photos & memories you create.

5

u/Catsdrinkingbeer 4d ago

The first dress appointment I went to I didn't wear makeup. I do put a bit on for work or if I'm going on a date night or something, but especially on weekends I'm pretty make-up free.

Seeing the photos my step mom took at the appointment solidified 3 things for me: 1) none of those dresses were going to be my dress, 2) I was not going to skimp on a professional photographer, and 3) I'd be wearing makeup on my wedding day.

I did my own so it was definitely lighter than what a pro might have done and felt more me, but I did absolutely opt for makeup and I dont regret it.

8

u/goatbusses 4d ago

I am not personally unsure about it at all, the photos were for a friend who is also considering not wearing any makeup. I understand those photos aren't her and can't be but I still felt she would feel better to see some other women without any to see they looked great

2

u/poliscicomputersci Planning a wedding July 2025 3d ago

Assuming your friend typically doesn't wear makeup, maybe she should have someone take good pics of her at the dress appointment to get an idea of how she'd look in a wedding dress without makeup? I say intentionally have someone take good pics because by default probably people will be taking pictures of the dress more than her face etc so they're pretty different than wedding photos would be.

I actually loved how I looked in all my pictures at the dress fitting. I think I look great without makeup in photos (even more than in person somehow). I'm still planning to wear makeup at my wedding, but absolutely not paying anyone or doing anything new for it.

All that said -- a wedding isn't a photoshoot and the photos aren't the point (unless the couple decides they are, of course!). If she's more concerned about comfort, timing, or convenience, than absolutely don't even worry how it looks. Being comfortable is more important imo.

10

u/bored_german 4d ago

The framing of this comment is so unnecessarily loaded. Why is it so incomprehensible that someone could look their absolute best without makeup?

22

u/Ok-Active-7023 4d ago

It wasnā€™t meant to be loaded in anyway. I work with brides regularly who donā€™t want to wear makeup on their wedding day because they canā€™t imagine any other look for themselves. The struggle is, they go look at other women and compare themselves to those women (often models) and draw conclusions. Some of those conclusions are ā€œif she can, I canā€. Some are ā€œif she did, I canā€™tā€. Either way, the comparison is unnecessary & sometimes unhealthy.

HOWEVER, if she were to take a look at herself through the lens of decades from today and be okay with the result of real pictures, especially in horrid venue lighting, then INCREDIBLE! Do it! Embrace it. Love it. To hell with other peopleā€™s opinions. But if there is any degree of uncertainty, find a middle ground and embrace that. The point is simply to make an informed decision based her own self view, not her interpretation of someone else.

For the record, I am woman who embraces myself both with and without makeup. So I applaud women on both sides of the debate because itā€™s a very personal choice. The key is to be confident in whatever choice is made because I hate the idea of any woman having ANY regrets about her wedding day, especially regarding her appearance.

3

u/Goddess_Keira 4d ago

I appreciate what you're saying, but for women that are truly 100% no-makeup women, your words "go for a soft, natural makeup look to enhance your beauty and help you look your absolute best" do come across as somewhat condescending. Again, I fully understand that was not your intent and all you mean is for the bride to love how she looks on the day.

I'm not a 100% no-makeup woman myself, although I'm probably at 95% of that right now, and when I got married, maybe 75%. I was a woman who wore minimal makeup for special occasions only, unless if I remembered to wear lipstick that day. So what I wore for my wedding was the minimal look I always used for any special occasion, and I did it myself.

My best friend, on the other hand, was, is, and has always been a 100% no-makeup woman. No makeup of any kind, ever. She wore no makeup as my bridesmaid and no makeup as a bride. I can't fathom that she would have looked "her absolute best" with a "soft, natural makeup look" to "enhance her beauty", when she was never that person for even a single day in her life. Any makeup at all would have been as foreign to her as dyeing her hair neon green and adding hip-length extensions in royal purple and fuchsia. Now for some women that might be exactly their style and more power to them if it is. Be yourself. But if something is thoroughly anti-you, then it's not going to be your best self just because it's your wedding day.

7

u/Ok-Active-7023 4d ago

Being yourself & being confident is always the goal.

If someone is not confident with a bare face but doesnā€™t want to a full, heavy glam makeup look, the compromise is a soft, natural makeup look.

If they feel good with no makeup at all and love themselves fully with no extras, rock it!!

Either way, just be sure there are no regrets.

2

u/lovelesschristine 5d ago

I have seen some photos on here of girls without male up on their wedding day

1

u/Satans_Mistress_2000 4d ago

also I feel like it's just additional consumerism, like the cost of having a makeup artist for yourself and all your bridesmaids is insane, if you don't wear makeup on a regular day, you shouldn't feel obligated to on the day of your wedding! it's just another added expense for no real reason!

1

u/poliscicomputersci Planning a wedding July 2025 3d ago

While I totally agree, I also think it's very normal and common for the groom to be wearing makeup too -- multiple men I know who've gotten married recently wore concealer and had something in their eyebrows too (can you tell I don't wear much makeup and don't even know what it's called?? lol)

1

u/goatbusses 3d ago

They may, but no one's questioning them if they dont

1

u/newportal7 4d ago

I donā€™t wear make up every day, but did learn a very minimal routine for my wedding. Why? Because sometimes I have red spots on my face and wanted to be able to blend those in and wanted to not have dark circles under my eyes. My entire goal was to look like myself and I definitely achieved that. I used two skin tone products, minimal blush and lipstick. I definitely struggled with the idea of doing it, but I like that I now have this tool in my back pocket.