All brides are beautiful at The Philippine Wedding Summit

MANILA, Philippines - Makeup artist Princess Misa Hernandez believes in the saying that “All brides are beautiful.” But a bit of help from a reliable stylist wouldn’t hurt, she says.

Hernandez, with other hair and makeup artists, will offer free trial makeup, as well as beauty advice to brides-to-be at The Philippine Wedding Summit (PWS) ’09 organized by Themes & Motifs on June 27-28 at the PICC Forum, CCP Complex. There are nearly 200 featured wedding professionals at this year’s PWS.

Hernandez is popular for her flawless airbrush look. “Based on my experience and with the type of weather we have, airbrush makeup is a must.  It has so many benefits: It’s water-based, 100-percent hypoallergenic, long-lasting (up to 18 hours),  hardly requires any touchups, water- and rub-resistant, and most important, doesn’t come off on casual contact with clothing,” says Hernandez.

Best of all, she advises her clients to relax and just concentrate on being beautiful.

Hollywood-trained makeup artist Diana Kwong also does airbrush makeup and is very popular for giving brides the “you, only better” natural look.

She says that this year, the romantic look is the way to go.

“Think long, loose braids, and tousled waves. The use of unique hair accessories that would suit the bride’s personality is also big right now, like feathered flowers, pearl headbands, and lace,” Kwong says.

For her part, hair and makeup artist Victoria Gonzalez says many brides these days go for the dramatic look, meaning smoky eyes and red lips.

She advises brides to drink lots of water, have their brows shaped professionally and pamper themselves before the big day. She warns against using Retin A and alpha hydroxy creams prior to the wedding day because they may cause skin peeling, flaking, and irritation that will show in photos.

“Going to the spa is a good way to de-stress and relax. It would also help to refresh your hair color a week before the wedding to get rid of dark roots and split ends,” concludes Gonzalez.

Now in its fourth year of providing soon-to-weds with the finest selection of respected suppliers, The Philippine Wedding Summit will introduce products and services never before seen in the local wedding circuit.  Themes & Motifs invites all soon-to-weds to pre-register through www.themesnmotifs.com for free entrance.

As a special feature of the event, organizers will hold a seminar series for wedding suppliers.

Rica Rustia-Uy, an image consultant, will talk about “Corporate Imaging for the Wedding Professional” while “Tips and Techniques in Event Styling” will feature event stylist and floral architect Henry Pascual on June 27. Rita Neri will conduct a seminar on “Most Common Wedding Coordination Problems and How to Avoid Them” on June 28. Themes & Motifs consultants will talk about “Growing Your Wedding Business Through the Internet” and will provide free Web pages and directory listings to participants. Interested parties may call the Themes & Motifs secretariat at 371-9783 or 409-2555 for reservations.