Tamara Beck

Tamara Beck is a makeup and hair stylist in Bern ("Make Up & Hair Stylist in Bern", as her site puts it). Bridal styling is one of her main services, sold as two bridal packages, one with makeup only and one with makeup and hairstyling, both built around a trial appointment 3 to 10 weeks before the wedding. Her bridal page is unusually detailed about how the trial and the wedding morning run, which is exactly the information a couple planning from abroad tends to lack.

Background

Her about section says that in 2015 she fulfilled a long-held dream and completed the Elite training as a qualified makeup artist (diplomierte Visagistin) at the Visagisten Schule New Colorline. Before that she trained as a polymechanic (Polymechanikerin) and then as a design engineer (Konstrukteurin), and she still works part-time in that second profession. Makeup is therefore not her only job, which is worth knowing when asking about availability on popular dates.

She opens the section with a quote from Bobbi Brown, given in English on the site: "I believe that all woman are pretty without make-up but with the right makeup can be the pretty powerful." Her own line is that her passion is making clients happy, and that a client leaving with a smile on her face is the best thanks.

Besides weddings, the homepage lists light day makeup, glamorous gala makeup, photo makeup for shoots, hairstyling and a business portrait package ("Fotoshooting Geschäftspartner"). She also offers a hairstyle to go with any of the makeup looks.

The bridal packages

The bridal page opens with the thought that on your wedding day you want everything to be perfect, the styling included. She writes that there is nothing more beautiful for her than styling a bride on her big day and, where needed, helping her into her wedding dress ("Für mich gibt es nichts Schöneres als eine Braut an Ihrem grossen Tag zu stylen und Ihr gegeben falls noch zu helfen das Brautkleid anzuziehen").

Her priority, she writes, is that the bride feels beautiful and happy with her styling. That is why the trial is arranged early enough to put together an individual bridal look. The look should suit the bride's type ("typgerecht"), whether she likes a natural, almost unmade-up look, something girlish and delicate, or "etwas mehr", a little more.

The packages are described as two: makeup only, and makeup with hairstyling. The site links two bridal packages by name, the Rosen Paket and the Bronze Paket, and a separate page for guest styling (Styling für Hochzeitsgäste). What each named package contains and costs is on those linked pages, not on the bridal page itself.

The trial

The trial is the part of the process she describes most carefully:

• Timing. It takes place about 3 to 10 weeks before the wedding, depending on the bride's schedule.
• Length. It depends on the package and on the bride's wishes. She plans enough time if more than one makeup or hairstyle is to be tried.
• Preparation. Come with freshly washed but dry hair and no makeup. A white top, off the shoulder if possible, helps judge the makeup.
• What to bring. Any hair accessories, since she writes that she cannot provide hair jewelry, and a photo of the wedding dress.
• Company. A person the bride trusts is welcome, ideally someone who knows the dress. More than one person, she notes, is usually not helpful.
• Changes. If the bride is no longer sure about the trial look, small changes can be reported up to 3 weeks before the wedding. If a second trial becomes necessary, it is charged in full ("zu 100% verrechnen").

For a couple arriving from abroad, the 3 to 10 week window matters: the trial has to happen weeks before the wedding (the page does not say where), so a bride who only lands a few days before the date needs to raise this in the first message.

The wedding day

On the day, she comes to the place agreed at the trial. The makeup and hairstyle from the trial are carried out as agreed, and big changes are no longer possible, because she brings only the products needed for that look. The timing is fixed at the trial so that there is enough time and the morning runs as calmly as possible. If the bride wants, she also helps her into the dress.

Other wedding guests can be styled too, but the page says this is limited, because time often does not allow many stylings, and the bride always has the highest priority. Guests get no trial; their consultation is done on the spot. If a guest wants a trial anyway, it is charged at the full price.

Booking

The advice on booking is the earlier the better, since many wedding dates are popular. Inquiries go through the contact form or by phone (079 584 46 25). She asks that anyone writing through the form give their details as precisely as possible, to make later communication easier.

What the site leaves open

• Prices. The bridal page gives no prices. The named packages have their own pages, so a couple should open those or ask for a quote.
• Travel. She comes to the agreed place, but the page does not say how far she travels from Bern or whether travel costs extra.
• Language. The site is in German, with one English quote. It does not say whether she works in English, so a couple who does not speak German should ask.
• Deposit and cancellation. Not stated, beyond the rule that a second trial is charged in full.
• Number of guests. Guest styling is limited by time, but the page gives no number.

Who it suits

Tamara Beck suits a bride marrying in or around Bern who wants a clear, planned process: a trial weeks ahead, a fixed look, an agreed time on the morning and no surprises. The rules are written down, which a couple from abroad will appreciate: what to bring, when changes are still possible and what a second trial costs.

The caveats are the ones the page itself implies. The fixed look leaves little room for changes on the day, guest styling is limited, and the trial needs the bride in Switzerland weeks before the wedding. Prices and language have to be settled by asking.