I used Shelby for my wedding hair and makeup for me and 5 bridesmaids! Shelby is the epitome of a 5 star business owner! She communicated with me with in her allocated hours every time I had a question or concern! She offered a variety of availability for the trial beforehand and was so flexible! She showed up on time ready to go and was so personable to me and all of the bridesmaids! My makeup was so light for wanting full coverage and it last all night through tears and sweat! My hair felt great and secure with minimal spray/bobby pinning for a half up/half down look! She was amazing and I will be recommending her to anyone who asks!
Beni L.
5.0
Shelby was professional, timely, kind, and is very talented. She did an exceptional job for me and all the girls, including the 4 year old who played hide and seek with us during our makeup session. Shelby didn’t miss a beat! She went above and beyond and we couldn’t be any happier!
Theresa J.
5.0
About this vendor
Shelby Valaer
OWNER
AWARD WINNER (2X)
Thanks to recommendations from couples on The Knot
Valaer Artistry in Vancouver, WA, is a hair and makeup company founded by Shelby Valaer. With over 7 years of experience, their team has the knowledge and skill set to make all your wedding day dreams come true.
No matter the look you envision, the stylists at Valaer Artistry will ensure that it's tailored to your preferences and features. The team only uses high-quality products and tools when working with their clients, giving them a luxury and flawless treatment experience. From sleek updos with a red lip to beachy waves with subtle glam, they can do it all.
Valaer Artistry offers a number of packages and services at varying price points. In the lead-up to your big day, you can arrange trials with a stylist to try a variety of looks and select the one that fits you best. Other services available include facials, hair extensions, fake eyelashes, and tattoo coverage. On your big day, the glam squad will travel to your desired location and work their magic on you.
The Knot independently assesses vendors for this award—it’s never self-reported. We base it on firsthand experiences from real couples and guests, and they must have a 4.5-star average across 7+ reviews in the qualifying year.
Join couples who chose award-winning vendors for their wedding
Meet the team
Shelby Valaer
Owner
Shelby has been a professional makeup artist since 2018 and a licensed esthetician since 2021. She trained at L makeup institute in Las Vegas before coming back to Portland to continue her career. Not only has Shelby been certified in makeup, she also has trained in body painting and special effects. After coming back to Portland, she attended Portland School of Beauty where she became 2x certified in esthetics. Shelbys main focus for esthetics is treating clients with rosacea and acne. With each new client, a consultation will be preformed to put together a skincare plan specifically for you.
Reviews
5.0
out of 5.0
25 reviews
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Review Summary
This AI-generated summary is a snapshot of this vendor's ratings and feedback.
Reviewers rave about the wedding hair and makeup artist, praising her professionalism, warmth, and communication from booking through the trial and big day. She created flattering, long-lasting looks for the bride, bridesmaids, and family, accommodated feedback, and made the morning relaxed and fun. Highly recommended.
Review photos
Showing slide number 1 out of 9
Katie J
Highlighted review.
5.0
1/22/2025
I had such a wonderful experience! She made my hair dreams come true and my make up with exactly what I wanted. She did an amazing job on the bridesmaids and mothers hair/makeup. S...
he was warm, accommodating, fun, and really made the time getting ready light and relaxing. Could not recommend more! ♥️
Beni L
5.0
8/24/2026
I used Shelby for my wedding hair and makeup for me and 5 bridesmaids! Shelby is the epitome of a 5 star business owner! She communicated with me with in her allocated hours every ...
time I had a question or concern! She offered a variety of availability for the trial beforehand and was so flexible! She showed up on time ready to go and was so personable to me and all of the bridesmaids! My makeup was so light for wanting full coverage and it last all night through tears and sweat! My hair felt great and secure with minimal spray/bobby pinning for a half up/half down look! She was amazing and I will be recommending her to anyone who asks!
Any questions?
Theresa J
5.0
8/19/2026
Shelby was professional, timely, kind, and is very talented. She did an exceptional job for me and all the girls, including the 4 year old who played hide and seek with us during o...
ur makeup session. Shelby didn’t miss a beat! She went above and beyond and we couldn’t be any happier!
Alli H
5.0
8/12/2026
Shelby was an absolute joy to work with!!! She was so personable and made everyone in my group feel so comfortable and beautiful! She had great communication throughout the entire ...
process, from booking, to the trial to the day of! She took my feedback from the trial and created the absolutely perfect look for my day, that still felt like me! I was in complete awe!! I cannot recommend her enough!! BOOK HER!!!!!!
Rachel C
5.0
7/21/2026
Shelby was absolutely amazing! Her photos show how good her work is but they don’t show her ability to put you at ease, how wonderful she is to chat with or how friendly and accomm...
odating she is.
She knocked out hair and makeup for my bridesmaids, my mother, and me in a super reasonable amount of time. I’ve never felt so beautiful on my wedding day and couldn’t recommend her more!
Melanie D
5.0
7/06/2026
I am so, so happy I found Shelby to do my wedding hair and make up! I felt absolutely beautiful on the day. She really listened to what I wanted and didn't want during the trial. S...
helby was also super responsive to any little tweaks I wanted. We loved chatting with her as she got us ready on the big day. Her warmth and humor made the day extra special and fun!
Casey S
5.0
6/22/2026
Shelby has great communication, professionalism, and interpersonal skills, while also remaining down to earth! She did an amazing job on my hair and make-up and was able to produce...
the exact vision I had for myself on my wedding day! I really enjoyed working with Shelby and she has a great sense of humor! I highly highly recommend Shelby for wedding hair and make-up! Thank you again so much Shelby!
Daniel B
5.0
4/21/2026
Shelby did such an amazing job for my wedding. She had great communication and everything turned out better than I had hoped. I would recommend her for any event.
Cassandra B
5.0
10/12/2025
Shelby is amazing! She is a wonderful person to work with and super talented! She did my makeup as well as my 4 bridesmaids. She made everyone happy and made us beautiful for my bi...
g day! Both the makeup trial and day of she was so sweet and very easy to talk to! I would highly recommend her to anyone!
Lara Lee I
5.0
10/08/2025
Shelby was a dream to work with! I hired her to support me and my bridesmaids with our hair and makeup on my wedding day. She helped me bring my vision to life and I felt radiant. ...
She's also super sweet as well as professional. Highly recommended!
Erika W
5.0
8/12/2025
Shelby was absolutely amazing to work with. She has so much talent with hair and makeup! I couldn't have asked for a better experience for my wedding
Meagan K
5.0
8/11/2025
I am thankful for the knot for helping me find Shelby! Shelby was fabulous to work with! She is such a warmhearted person who provides you comfort throughout your services! I had n...
ever had a facial or my makeup done professionally so I was a little nervous as someone who hardly wears makeup! A lot of my bridesmaids wear little to no makeup either! Shelby nailed exactly what all of us were going for, soft glowy glam, we all felt the most beautiful we have in a long time! I would definitely use Shelby again for future events!
Anne G
5.0
7/21/2025
If you’re thinking about hiring Shelby for your wedding, JUST DO IT!! She turned me into the fairy princess of my dreams for my wedding and I have never felt more beautiful than I ...
did on that day. She totally understood my vision based on my inspiration photos and what I described. When I wanted to tweak a few things, both at my trial and on my wedding day, she made it happen. A few of my bridesmaids and my mom also had their hair and make up done by Shelby and everyone looked great. The make up lasted all night even through tears and lots of dancing.
She also provided a lot of great information when I booked her and set me up for success. She provided a few recommendations for clip in hair extensions that totally made the look come together. She’s also just a fun, amazing person who was really easy to talk to during the 4 hours we spent together (2 hours at the trial and 2 hours at the wedding). I would recommend her in a heartbeat to anyone looking for a make up artist and hope that I have some reason to book her again in the future 💗
Kathryn C
5.0
7/17/2025
So glad I booked Shelby—she made our wedding morning perfect! She was professional, friendly, and incredibly talented at both hair and makeup. She made the whole process easy and s...
tress-free, and she was so accommodating to everyone’s needs. Myself, my family, and my friends all felt beautiful and so well taken care of. I highly recommend her to any bride looking for someone warm, skilled, and reliable.
Brittany C
5.0
7/04/2025
Shelby made my girls and I look stunning! Our wedding was outdoors on a hot day. My makeup made it through sweat, tears, and dancing for hours on end. By the time my husband and I ...
made it to the hotel after our reception my makeup still looked on point! Shelby is so fun to chat with and it was so fun having here there glamming us. Cannot recommend enough!
Brett B
5.0
6/27/2025
Shelby is simply the best! She’s attentive, kind, and so much fun to work with. Both my trial and my day of wedding hair and makeup appointments were amazing, it felt like sitting ...
and talking to an old friend. I will absolutely be reaching out for any and all future hair and makeup needs!
Response from Valaer Artistry on 06/29/2025
I feel so honored that I got the be a part of such a special day ❤️
Jackie N
5.0
10/17/2024
10/10 highly recommend! Shelby is an incredible make up artist and my hair looked amazing for my wedding. She has a great vibe and is professional at the same time. Book her!!
Stephanie V
5.0
10/15/2024
Working with Shelby for my personal Branding and any special event I need to look and feel my best for. So grateful I was referred to her by not one but 2 Brides she has completed ...
last year!
Julie E
5.0
10/10/2024
As mother of the bride I couldn’t have been happier with our wedding day experience!! Everything went so smoothly!! As an older client I felt she did the most amazing job on my hai...
r and makeup! It was the best I have ever felt!!!
Kenzie K
5.0
10/10/2024
The absolute perfection that Shelby delivered was amazing! I’m not usually one to have makeup on in the first place and Shelby did a great job making sure I had the most natural gl...
ow and absolutely made me feel so beautiful. 10/10 reccomend to anyone who needs their makeup done for any ocassion!!!
Taylor H
5.0
10/10/2024
I can't say enough good things about Shelby!! She did my hair and makeup for my wedding on 10/04/24 and I was just blown away with how well it all turned out. Her professionalism, ...
kindness, and skills were beyond incredible. After my trial, she was open to any feedback that I had and she absolutely delivered on the big day! I had to hold back tears of happiness because I felt absolutely gorgeous for our wedding day. I even booked her to do my hair and makeup for my rehearsal dinner the night before because she was so incredible. Thank you, Shelby!!
Amy W
5.0
6/03/2024
Shelby was absolutely amazing handling hair & makeup for me (the bride) and my bridesmaids! She is so sweet, professional, and skilled at what she does! I cannot thank Shelby enoug...
h for just how perfect my look was for my wedding and it lasted through all of my tears and dancing the night away!
Stephanie H
5.0
4/03/2024
Shelby was an absolute pleasure to work with! She was very easy to communicate with and put both my wife and I at ease as two women who’ve never had professional makeup done before...
. She was open to our preferences and did everything within her power to make our wedding day makeup and hair perfect. I expressed a small concern about how my hair was laying (I have extremely thick difficult hair) and Shelby took the time to rebraid it so that at the wedding I was focused on the meaning of the day and not what my hair was doing. The makeup held perfectly for the entire wedding despite it being very hot outside and limited air conditioning at our venue, this is the sign of a true master makeup artist in my opinion. She was able to highlight both of our best features despite my wife and I having very different skin complexions. She was kind enough to help my friend fix her eyeliner despite not being paid to do so which touched me greatly. I also appreciate that Shelby doesn’t have a set minimum fee as most other makeup artists do. She also provided a small bag with samples of the makeup she used on us so that we could touch up our makeup if we wanted to throughout the night, we thought that was very thoughtful of her to provide this to us. I can easily recommend Valaer Artistry to all my friends without any reservations. The experience was warm, welcoming and above all the work was impeccable.
Felicia B
5.0
4/25/2023
Shelby was AMAZING!!! From taking time to make me feel super comfortable during the whole process, to working with me in detail to achieve my desired look. I can be very picky with...
makeup and she hands down nailed it. Will be using her as my MUA for all future events!!!
Leah B
5.0
4/25/2023
Shelby did such a wonderful job on my bridesmaids and my hair and makeup. She listened to what we wanted and was great at getting ahold of for any questions. I couldn’t be happier ...
