The main booking. Usually this means a conversation about the dress, the venue and the light, then a look that holds from the morning through to the last photograph.

Questions this booking usually raises:

• Is a trial session offered, and when?
• How long will the make-up take on the morning?
• Is a touch-up kit provided for the day?
• Does Essie travel to the venue or the home?

Mothers, sisters, bridesmaids and anyone else who wants to be done. The practical part is the schedule: who sits first, how long each face takes, and when the photographer needs everyone ready.

Questions this booking usually raises:

• How many faces can be done in one morning?
• Can the party be split across two locations?
• Is there a minimum number for group bookings?

Graduations, birthdays, baby showers, church functions, anniversaries. Usually a single face, often with a specific look in mind from a photo saved on a phone.

Questions this booking usually raises:

• How much notice is needed for a single appointment?
• Can the look be lighter or more dramatic than the reference?
• What should be brought along on the day?

Shoots where the face has to read on camera — portraits, content days, editorial briefs. These bookings usually start from a mood board rather than a single reference photo.

Questions this booking usually raises:

• Can the studio work to a shot list or brief?
• Are multiple looks across the day possible?
• What notice does a shoot date need?

Call 0716 113 474 or use the enquiry form. The date, the venue and the number of faces are the three things that decide everything else.

What to include: the day, the time you need to be ready, where you will be, and whether it is bridal, a group or a single appointment.

You will hear back with whether the date is open and what the booking would involve. No response time is published, so if the date is close, call rather than wait on a form.

Honest note: the enquiry form does not hold a date by itself. Only a reply from Essie does.

Send reference photos — two or three is plenty. Mention skin concerns, allergies, and anything a make-up artist should know before the day. If a trial is available for your booking, it happens here.

What to send: references, a photo of the outfit if you have one, and the light you will be photographed in.

Make-up is done to the agreed look, set, and checked in daylight or on a phone camera before you leave the chair. For bridal bookings, the schedule is worked backwards from when you need to be ready.

What to bring: your own lip product if you have a favourite, and anything you want matched.

For bridal and long-day bookings, ask about a touch-up plan so the look survives the ceremony, the photos and the evening. If something needs adjusting, say so — it is easier to fix on the day.

Cleanse and moisturise as usual. Skip anything new or harsh — a reaction the night before a wedding is the one thing nobody needs. If you have a routine that works, keep it.

Unless you are told otherwise, come with clean, moisturised skin and no make-up. It saves time and gives the products a better base to work on.

Two or three images are more useful than twenty. Include one of the make-up you love, one of the outfit or dress, and one of the venue if the light matters. Screenshots are fine.

Say it early — at the enquiry stage if possible. Lash glue, certain oils and fragrances are common triggers, and knowing in advance changes what gets used.

Whatever the timing, add a margin. Photographers run late, cars get stuck on the road, and the schedule on the morning of a wedding is rarely the schedule on paper.

If you have a lipstick or gloss you love and want to keep touching up through the day, bring it. It also helps to bring anything you want the make-up matched to.