Top 10 Wedding Tips From Nicky Hambleton-Jones

As Nicky Hambleton-Jones launches her new site ‘Look and Feel Younger’, 5 Star Weddings gets some industry tips from the style guru herself and finds out what married life is meaning to her…

5 star weddings – If you had one piece of style advice to give to a bride when looking for her dress what would it be?

Nicky – Simple always looks best.   Don’t feel compelled to go for something completely OTT to make a statement on your big day.   Too much embellishment, fluff and puff will only make you look like a Christmas pud not the gorgeous bride you want to be.

Nicky Hambleton Jones Wedding Style
Nicky Hambleton Jones

5 star weddings – What staple pieces would you suggest for a honeymoon wardrobe?

Nicky – This is a difficult one as it depends whether you doing beach or ski break, luxury or low key.  Gone are the days when you bought a completely new wardrobe just for your honeymoon.  That said, it’s important to pack appropriately for the level of accommodation and type of holiday you’re going for.  If you’re opting for a beach retreat, you definitely want to invest in at least 3 gorgeous bikinis or swimsuits that will make you feel fabulous as this is what you’ll wear most.  In addition a few kaftans or throw over’s that you can wear from beach to bar.   For the evening a jumpsuit is a sexy alternative to a LBD.  Flattering for all ages, choose backless or plunging neckline if you want to crank up the sex appeal factor.   Lastly a hot pair of sunnies, will ensure you look uber cool poolside or beachside all day long…..and don’t forget a glam hat to protect your skin and maintain the all important air of mystery.

5 star weddings – What is your advice for wearing hair up or down with different dress styles?

Nicky – A lot depends on your hair and what will suit you.   If you’ve got the hair and have a strapless or off the shoulder dress, then I would suggest wearing it down (some or all) as this will soften your overall look.  The higher the neckline the more I would recommend wearing hair off your face so as not to detract from the detail on the dress.  Whatever you decide, it’s important that you feel comfortable with your hair.  Don’t make a big departure from your usual look – if you’re a laidback kind of girl, a soft, loose natural look will look better than a stiff up do.  So many brides go for ‘wedding hair’ which is over styled and over groomed and hate their pics for ever more.

5 star weddingsDo you have any industry top tips on how brides can keep their make-up looking fresh throughout the day?

  • Apply a primer under your foundation to hold your make-up in place.  Also good to use a primer on your eyelids to prevent eye shadow from creasing or melting.
  • Always use waterproof mascara, and make sure you’ve got a cleanser that removes it after.  Nothing worse than not being able to get it off and having to face the family at breakfast with mascara streaked all over your face.  Boots Eye Make-up Remover will take anything off.
  • Fill in your lips with lip pencil before applying lipstick.  This will give your lip stick a good base to help colour last.
  • Run a concealer pencil around the edge of your lips just above your lip line and blend in gently.  This will prevent your lipstick from bleeding into lip lines during the day.
  • Have blotting papers or powdered rice papers on hand to eliminate shine on your wedding day.
  • Put Vaseline on your front teeth.  This will stop lipstick from getting onto your teeth, which can ruin photos.

5 star weddings – You have just launched a beauty website ‘Look And Feel Younger’ what latest beauty find would you recommend for more mature brides?

Nicky – If you’re in your late 30s, 40s or beyond, the most important thing is to ensure your skin glows on your big day.  This can be increasingly challenging as you get older and your skin starts to dry out.  For any bride over 35 I would suggest a course of glycolic peels 6 months before their wedding.  The new Innerpeel available at Sk:N (http://www.sknclinics.co.uk/ ) works on the deeper layers of the skin, stimulating collagen production whilst removing dead skin cells at the same time.  A course of microdermabrasion is another alternative – great for buffing the skin to glowing perfection.  Whatever you decide to do, don’t try anything new 2 weeks prior to your wedding.  Things can go wrong and for most cosmetic treatments you need a course of treatments to really get good results. For more information on how to get your glow back – visit

5 star weddings – Who designed your wedding dress when you got married?

Nicky – I didn’t have a dress designed from scratch; I found the perfect off the peg solution by designer Alan Hannah, which I had made to measure.  When choosing a dress, the one you go for is invariably totally different to what you think you want or what actually suits you.  So it’s good to try before you buy, which is always risk if you have something made from your own design.  Find something you love and then have it made to measure for the perfect fit or add a few personal details like covered buttons or accessories to personalise it to you.

5 star weddings – Did you have any unusual accessories?

Nicky – Instead of a veil I had a vintage style fascinator with small piece of French lace covering my eyes.  I had a gorgeous drop pearl necklace which I wore during the day and then for the evening I swapped the necklace for a pearl choker with statement pearl flower and added a pair of elbow length vintage ivory leather gloves.  I didn’t go overboard with the accessories as I wanted the dress to be the focal point of my look.

5 star weddings – Where did you spend your honeymoon and why?

Nicky – We went to Sri Lanka for our honeymoon. My hubbie, Rob, arranged it all as a complete surprise.  I didn’t know where we were going till the day before.  We spent 3 weeks touring the island, with a mixture of beach villas, mountain retreats amongst tea plantations and city breaks for a spot of site seeing and shopping. I’d never been to Sri Lanka before, Rob had when he’d finished school and loved it, so wanted to take me there. It’s the perfect honeymoon destination if you want luxury beach resorts but also do a bit of travelling in between.   The people are absolutely lovely and the food in delicious.

5 star weddings What’s the best bit about married life?

Nicky – I think the companionship.  It’s so nice to be part of someone else’s life day in day out, but still be yourself at the same time.  You can go out for a girl’s night, out on the town without having the pressure of having to meet someone.  I also love being able to share the ups and downs of daily life with someone, you no longer feel like you have to conquer the world on your own, someone is always looking out for you and will be there at the end of the day to pick up the pieces no matter what.

5 star weddingsWhat fashion trends would you like to see more of within bridal couture?

Nicky – I don’t think Bridal wear should be too fashion led.  Whatever you choose, it’s bound to look dated 10 or 20 years down the line – the more fashion forward your dress the more it will date.  I think a classic dress always looks best.   What’s most important is to choose something that flatters your curves, hides your lumps and bumps, shows off your assets to perfection and more importantly makes you feel like a million dollars.

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