FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
WHERE ARE YOU BASED?
I reside and am based in the Far North, and also have a base in Ponsonby, where I was born and raised. My team are Auckland & Whangarei based. Travel fees are charged from either Kaitaia or Auckland CBD, depending on which location myself or my team will be travelling to you from. We travel NZ Wide + Internationally.
WHERE ARE BRIDAL PREVIW CONSULTATIONS HELD?
Claudia is based in the Far North and her consultations are held at her Kaitaia studio, unless you have booked Claudia for an Auckland or south-of Auckland wedding, in which case she will travel to you in Auckland for your trial (availability is limited for Auckland trials).
If you book with the Auckland / Whangarei team, your trial will be held in their space (you’ll go to them).
IS THERE A MINIMUM SPEND FOR WEDDINGS?
Yes, a minimum spend of $1000 + GST is required for all weddings.
ARE FALSE EYELASHES INCLUDED?
All makeup applications include a full set of individual or strip lashes free of charge should you decide to have them.
HOW DOES A BRIDAL PREVIW CONSULTATION RUN?
You can expect that your Bridal Preview Consultation will last 90 minutes. When coming to your consultation it is helpful to have researched the style of hair and makeup looks you like. Please bring photos of these looks, plus photos of your Wedding Dress if you can so we can get the best idea of what you are wanting. If you are completely stuck, fear not! We will be happy to offer my opinion and give you ideas. We will go over your ideas and looks you are envisioning for your wedding day. We document the session to use for your wedding day, through notes and photos.
WHY IS A BRIDAL PREVIW CONSULTATION RECOMMEND?
Booking a Bridal Preview Consultation session will ensure that you know and love your makeup prior to your wedding. It is the perfect time to experiment with a look you have in mind opposed to being rushed on the day. Having a preview consultation behind you, ensures you can sit back and relax on your wedding day, knowing you love the look we created.
DO YOU WORK WITH ASSISTANTS FOR LARGER EVENTS/WEDDINGS?
Yes. Claudia is able to personally accomodate a maximum of 6 makeups on the day, with a party over 6 requiring an additional artist. If your event requires an extra hand Claudia will arrange an additional artist from the team (when possible). Time restricted weddings or bookings will require an additional artist also.
HOW SOON SHOULD I MAKE A BOOKING?
WEDDING MAKEUP: We can confirm wedding bookings 12 months out from the wedding date.
GENERAL EVENT MAKEUP: We only accept event makeup (special occasion / ball / etc) within 2 months of your event date. We do not accept them any further in advance, as we prioritise wedding bookings over event makeups.
IF YOU ARE ALREADY BOOKED, DO YOU HAVE ANOTHER MAKEUP ARTIST I CAN BOOK INSTEAD?
Yes! We have a team of superb artists in the Claudia Louis-Marie Makeup Artist Team that are based in Auckland & Whangarei, so if Claudia is already booked we can arrange for one of them to take the lead for your big day.
HOW DO I MAKE A BOOKING?
Right here via the Wedding Makeup or Event / Occasion Makeup pages. A non refundable booking fee is required to secure a booking.
WHAT TIME SHOULD I BOOK YOUR FOR MY BRIDAL PARTY ON THE DAY?
The best way to figure out what time you'd be looking at booking for is to work backwards. Start with the time you need to leave your getting ready venue by - then take an hour off that for when makeup should be finished by. By letting us know your ceremony time and the time you wish to be ready by, we will be able to create a custom timeline for the Wedding Makeup Booking that fits in with you and your hair stylist + photographer etc.
WHEN SHOULD WE HAVE MY BRIDAL PARTY MAKEUP FINISHED BY?
We always suggest that makeup be finished 1 hour prior to walking out the door. This way you have enough time to get dressed and take photos, but you’re not leaving too big of a gap between the final professional makeup touches and the ceremony. The last hour can go by very quickly so its nice to enjoy this time getting dressed, having bubbles etc. It also alleviates pressure on your hair and makeup team knowing that we aren’t super pressed for time and that once we finish you still have an hour left to finish getting ready.
CAN YOU RECOMMEND A FANTASTIC HAIR STYLIST AND PHOTOGRAPHER FOR MY WEDDING?
Yes! Click here to see the hair stylists and photographers that we highly recommend booking for your wedding
WILL I NEED TO TOUCH UP OR NEED MY OWN LIPSTICK OR POWDER?
We will use water resistant makeup where possible and everything is professionally 'set'. Makeup does require touching up throughout the day or evening to maintain a perfectly fresh look, as we naturally bump and touch our face. It might be nice to carry a lip product, touch up powder, and/or a small bottle of MAC Fix + hydrating spray too. For weddings this is usually essential – we can discuss this prior to your booking and suggest what is best suited to your skin type and tone.
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Photo courtesy of Stephan and Nakita