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Bride walks down the aisle without makeup on her wedding day, faces backlash: ‘She’ll regret it’
A Nashville bride chose to skip makeup on her wedding day, inspiring millions online and encouraging others to embrace their natural beauty.
Calynn Chapman, a 25-year-old from Nashville, made a bold and personal choice on her wedding day—she walked down the aisle without wearing any makeup.
Growing up, Chapman wasn’t surrounded by people who wore makeup, and she had never struggled with acne, scarring or blemishes. Her interest in makeup only developed later out of curiosity. But as her wedding approached, she found herself debating whether to hire a makeup artist or embrace her natural look, reported People.
“I believe that God made me perfect just the way I am, blemishes and all. And I wanted to embrace that,” Chapman told PEOPLE. “I also didn’t want to risk spending a lot of money on a makeup artist and potentially not liking the way I looked on the big day.”
Chapman shared her decision with her mother and bridesmaids, who supported her completely. “Since they knew I had never worn makeup before, it didn’t come as a shock to them, and they were fully supportive of my decision,” she said.
On her wedding day, January 27, 2024, Chapman stuck to her regular skincare routine—using only face wash, moisturiser, and a clear lip gloss. She then slipped into her wedding dress and walked down the aisle with confidence. “I don’t think there will be any other event in my life quite like my wedding. If I can go makeup-free for that, I think I can go makeup-free for anything,” she added.
Leading up to the wedding, Chapman spent time watching wedding-related videos on TikTok and noticed a variety of bridal makeup tutorials and unconventional wedding choices. However, she hadn’t seen a bride go without makeup. She decided to share her own unique experience online—never expecting what would come next.
Take a look at the video:
Her TikTok video went viral, racking up more than 25 million views and over 25,000 comments. While many supported her choice, others criticised it.
“Your wedding photos, not mine!” one comment read.
Another wrote, “trust me ull regret it.”
“I was quite overwhelmed reading the comments,” Chapman said. “I still remember the first negative one. I had never had so many views or received negative comments before. I thought about deleting it, but more began to pour in from people who thought I was bragging or said I needed makeup. But for every negative comment, there were hundreds of people backing me up — people I didn’t even know, which I thought was really cool. They were willing to stand up for a stranger.”
Chapman said she’s since received messages from girls who said her confidence inspired them to consider going makeup-free for their own weddings or even prom.
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“I think every girl should feel confident in her own skin,” she said. “This experience has made me want to encourage even more girls to be comfortable in their own skin, even on the biggest days of their life. There is absolutely nothing wrong with makeup and wanting to enhance features. But it should not be required for anyone, regardless of the event.”
