As you start making preparations for the big day — choosing your dress, your hairstyle, the flowers and even what your bridesmaids will wear — don't let your makeup be the last item you check off your to-do list.

If you want to look effortlessly beautiful on your wedding day, a natural look is subtle yet memorable, leaving everyone asking, “Who did your makeup?” Not a makeup expert? There’s no need to worry. Here are a few tips on how to achieve the perfect natural wedding day look when the makeup artist is you.

1. The first step to a beautiful, natural face is flawless skin. Serving as the base of your look, it’s important to choose the right shade for you. Instead of picking a color exactly the same as your face, try to match to the tone of your shoulders and chest. Matching a color to your decollatage creates a more even look, since the face tends to be a different, much lighter color than other visible areas of the body.

Choose a water-based formula like Rae Cosmetics Climate Control Mineral Sheer Tint. It is water-resistant and infused with moisturizers, vitamins and mineral pigment. This is a foundation that looks more natural and designed specifically to last longer than heavy, oil based products.

Also, a common mistake that often leads to a more caked-on look is choosing a concealer that is too light and using too much of it. Find a shade that is very close to your natural skin color. You may even want to blend it with a bit of your foundation to get a better match. Make sure to apply concealer after the foundation. If you apply it first, it gets moved when the foundation goes on. And remember — a little goes a long way.

Try Smashbox’s Camera Ready Full Coverage Concealer. It has a thick, creamy consistency, making it easy to blend.

2. For the eyes, 3 components are necessary to complete this natural look: eyeshadow, eyeliner and perfectly primped lashes.

When applying eyeshadow, always remember that blending is the key to a beautiful, natural look. There should be a smooth transition from color to color without edges or harsh lines. Blend, blend, blend and if you are wondering if you have blended enough, blend some more.

For the liner, be sure to apply at the lashline. It will make your lashes appear thicker, further emphasizing your eyes. Using a crayon-based liner like Stila’s Smudge Crayon makes application easy. It glides on smooth and is easy to smudge right into the lashes versus liquid liner. It’s also water resistant — a must on your big day.

The last thing to do is curl your lashes. It instantly makes your eyes appear bigger and brighter, adding that perfect “pop” in pictures. Apply a couple of coats of Rae Cosmetics’ water-resistant Lush Silk Mascara, which builds into strong flexible threads for long, natural looking lashes to complete the eyes.

3. Don’t go overboard on blush, but do use two colors. A natural shade should be used for contouring along the cheekbone and a brighter shade should be used on the apples of your cheeks. Also apply a bit to your forehead, chest and shoulders for a sun-kissed look.

For the lighter shade, try Laura Mercier’s Second Skin Cheek Colour in Rose Petal for a perfectly flushed look.

4. Last but definitely not least — the lips. Line the entire lip with a shade very close to your chosen lipstick color. Apply the lipstick and lightly blot with a tissue, then re-apply lipstick to just the center of the lips. With a small brush, lightly apply powder to the outside edge of lip line. This will help prevent the lip color from bleeding.

While you want to make sure your lip color lasts, you also want to make sure it’s comfortable. Mac’s Pro Longwear Lipcream is just like its name describes — creamy — and lasts for hours without drying out your lips. A nice, natural shade is Soft Shell.

Rae Cosmetics Lip Lust Lipstick contains rich pigment levels, making the color last for hours, which is very important because you will be too busy to make frequent trips to the mirror.

5. Before making your grand entry, be sure to lightly dust a mineral based powder over your face. Do this after you finish all of your eye makeup, so you can correct any mistakes before you set everything in place.

A nice, light option is Bare Essentials’ Mineral Veil Finishing Powder. It gives just the right amount of coverage without altering your completed look.

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Rochelle Rae is a professional makeup artist and CEO of Rae Cosmetics.