Your Guide To Everything Beauty Before Your Wedding Day
For most brides, their big day is, well, a big deal. Planning the theme, guest list, venue, and reception can be exciting, but also overwhelming. There are so many factors to think about when wedding planning, you might forget about the most important thing: yourself. While what you look like at your wedding doesn't necessarily need to be your primary focus, it can be the difference between feeling confident and beautiful, or distracted and self-conscious. Not only that, but your look will live on in your wedding photos and could shape how you remember your big day.
Of course, looking put-together for your wedding day may be more easily said than done, especially when you've already got a lot on your plate. That's why it can be helpful to make a checklist of everything beauty-related you need to think about. By including some timelines for each thing, you can help ensure that you're getting things done without either doing them too soon (like getting waxed too far in advance) or not soon enough (like dyeing your hair the day before). Making a comprehensive beauty plan can help ensure that you look and feel amazing on your wedding day.
Touch up your trim and hair color
Your hair is a significant part of your overall bridal look. Whether you want long cascading waves or a short, cropped pixie, taking care of your hair is important. Around three months before your wedding, you should pay attention to how you treat your hair by doing things that target your specific concerns, which might include shampooing less or using deep-conditioning treatments.
When it comes to your hair color and cut, you need to consider the kind of hairstyle you want. Some haircuts may make certain styles less achievable. For example, a haircut with lots of short layers might not be ideal if you want a complex updo. Getting regular trims, though, can help you avoid split ends and frazzled hair. Hairstylist Ashley Branda told Brides, "I book my brides a week and a half before the date for color and cut. I love when the hair is fresh but has been lived in as well."
If you're interested in trying a new hair color, you may want to start experimenting further out from the wedding, around three months before. However, if you're going with a familiar color, two weeks is fine, and if you need to touch up grays, it's okay to have your hair done even closer to the wedding. However, Matrix celebrity stylist George Papanikolas told Martha Stewart, "I wouldn't recommend a drastic change right before the wedding, as the results can be unpredictable."
Stick to a diet and workout routine that feels good for you
Some may want to lose a few pounds before their wedding day, while others may feel great in the skin they're in. Either way, whether or not you choose to lose weight for your wedding is a highly personal decision. One thing you shouldn't do, though, is stress yourself out about the scale or try fad diets to drop pounds quickly. According to Nelda Mercer, R.D., who spoke with WebMD, "It's not a good thing to stress the body at an already stressful time." Instead, she suggests that general lifestyle changes, like joining a gym or seeing a nutritionist, are a better route.
That doesn't mean, though, that you shouldn't be thinking about diet or nutrition. Nutritionist Sally Pansing Kravich advocates for easing yourself into a workout routine, telling Brides, "Start ahead of time with a healthy diet and exercise program that will give you strength, flexibility, glowing skin, and energy that makes you feel fabulous inside and out." To make sure you achieve your goals without feeling rushed, beginning a new workout and diet regimen as early as 12 months away from your wedding, or as late as six months ahead of time, can be ideal.
Check your smile
If your wedding is supposed to be one of the happiest days of your life, your smile should shine both in person and in your wedding photos. However, tooth chips, cracks, and stains could prevent your smile from being its brightest. Even worse, these imperfections could make you feel so self-conscious that you don't even want to smile.
Some may be able to manage their dental concerns on their own at home; those who just want their smile to be a little whiter, for example, can easily use products like whitening strips or whitening toothpaste to accomplish their goals. Others may need more intensive dental work, which could take longer to complete and heal from. Either way, Dr. Michael Apa, who spoke about dental health with Brides, believes it's best to "sit for a consult with a cosmetic dentist at least six months before the big day."
Regular dental care can also go a long way towards having a picture-perfect smile, as well, from making sure that you brush twice daily to getting a regular cleaning from a dentist. Something else to note: Your teeth can be particularly sensitive to stains for about two days after you've whitened them, so you may want to nix dark drinks like coffee and tea during this time.
Look after your skin
If you already have great skincare habits in place, then you may not need to make many changes to get your skin wedding-ready. However, if you have a skin condition, you may need to dedicate more time and effort to improving your skin health. According to facialist Abigail James, who spoke with Hitched, six months is an ideal start-point for caring for skin, but a shorter time frame can also work. "Three months allows you to confidently make changes to your skincare routine and not worry about any adverse reactions," she revealed.
No matter what your goals are, the months leading up to your wedding can be a good time to consider skin treatments you've never tried before, like chemical peels, facials, and even facial massages. If you don't already, including things like an LED mask and a brightening serum into your home skincare routine may be beneficial, as is regular exfoliating. That doesn't mean that you should rely solely on skin treatments, though, as good habits are also important. Doing things like getting enough sleep, drinking plenty of water, and eating a healthy diet are key for maintaining healthy, glowing skin, per Healthline.
If you would like to use Botox to take care of fine lines and wrinkles, it's best to start your treatments at least six months before your wedding, and your last appointment at least one month before the big day. This will give the injectables time to work their magic, and also give you a chance to find your Botox sweet spots.
Select a makeup artist you love
A makeup artist can truly make or break your wedding look. While a good one can help you look like an ultra-polished version of yourself, an unskilled artist could create a look that's unflattering, to say the least. The good news is there are things you can do to help ensure you find the right makeup artist for you. One key thing to do is research. By seeking out local artists with great reviews and testimonials, you can weed out the professionals from the less-skilled makeup artists. Checking out pictures on their social media or webpages can also help you get an idea of their style, and whether it will match up with the look you're going for.
Along with your research, you also need to make sure that you're asking the right questions, like whether or not the artist can travel to you, and what brands of makeup they use. The more information you have, even if it's about seemingly small details, the better of an idea you will have about whether or not the artist is the right fit. Of course, the ultimate way to ensure that you've got the right makeup artist is by scheduling a makeup trial, which should be done between three to six months before your wedding. If you can schedule your hair and manicure trials at the same time, you can get an even better idea of what your complete look will be.
Make time for a mani-pedi
Some brides may spend months contemplating what kind of manicure they'll get for their wedding, while others may not be concerned about even getting a manicure at all. Whether you have much interest in your nails or not, according to Nailing Hollywood nail artist San Sung Kim, "The bridal manicure plays an important role in elevating the overall look on the bride's wedding day," per The Knot.
If you can't decide what color manicure to go for, drawing on your wedding palette for inspiration can make for a unified look. If that doesn't work for you, neutrals, nudes, and variations of the milk-nail trend are all popular options that can help you look put together without drawing a ton of attention to your nails.
When it comes to timing, getting your nails done as close to your wedding as you can is the best way to keep them chip-free. For this reason, some may want to get their nails done within a few days of their wedding, or even on their wedding day if possible. You can get more permanent nail options, like dip powder manicures, a little more ahead of time, but still keep them within a week of your wedding to avoid grown-out nails. Also, when you get a manicure, it's important not to overlook your toes. Matching your pedicure to your manicure can not only help you look polished but also help you feel pampered, and confident, too.
Time your hair removal properly
If you choose, having smooth skin can be another part of looking and feeling your best on your wedding day. Whether it's your legs, arms, underarms, or face, going hair-free, if that's your preference, can help you feel more at ease. Of course, you also want to avoid irritation like rashes, redness, and ingrown hairs, too. Because of this, you need to make sure that you time your hair removal properly.
The timing of your hair removal will depend a lot on the method you're going with. If you plan to shave, you'll likely need to do that the day of your wedding, since you're only removing hair from the surface of your skin and it can start growing back right away. Using warm water and shaving cream can help reduce irritation. Waxing can be done a little further out, usually two or three days before. The exception is if you've never waxed before, you may want to test it out two or three months before your wedding to make sure you don't have any bad reactions to it. Depilatory creams should also be tested ahead of time, and if safe, used a day or two pre-wedding.
When it comes to more permanent solutions like laser hair removal, which still may not be as permanent as you thought, it can be a good idea to start with it at least three or four months out from your wedding. You should also stay on track with your treatments, which are repeated at four to six-week intervals.
Plan your tan
While tanning in general may not be as popular as it once was, it's still a must for many brides. When you should get a tan can have a lot to do with the type of tanning you are doing, along with your skin tone and desired result. There are two main types of tanning that you can do: spray tanning and tanning beds. Spray tanning involves spraying a sugar-based substance on your skin with an airbrush. Spray tans can begin to fade after about seven days. This means that you should plan your spray tan within a week of your wedding, but not immediately before it. Giving it a few days to settle can help ensure you have a more natural color. Additionally, making sure you exfoliate before your appointment and that you moisturize afterward can help preserve your tan and avoid a flaky look.
Tanning beds are another option that can be used over a longer period. Those with more fair skin tones may need to start a tanning regimen earlier, around six weeks before the wedding. Those with deeper, olive tones can start later, around four weeks ahead of the wedding.
Note that while tanning beds do provide an even tan, they also increase your risk of skin cancer. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, indoor tanning gives you a 58% increased chance of developing squamous cell carcinoma, and a 24% increased chance of developing basal cell carcinoma. Those who use tanning beds before the age of 20 may also nearly double their chance of developing melanoma.
Keep your eyelashes lush and your eyebrows groomed
For some, eyelashes and eyebrows are an afterthought. Who would even notice them when you've got an awesome hairstyle and full bridal makeup? While they might not be the stars of the show, they can be the difference between looking polished, or all over the place. "Brows are so, so important to a finished look, particularly on your wedding day," Benefit makeup artist Lisa Potter-Dixon confirmed to Get the Gloss. "You don't want to have spent months planning your makeup, only to have bushy or overplucked brows in every wedding photo."
From microblading and brow tinting to waxing or threading, there are lots of options, so it's beneficial to research what's best for you based on your goals. If you need to regrow patchy eyebrows you might want to start making plans as far as a year out from your wedding. If you're just looking for a touch-up, it's safe to get them threaded or waxed within a week (but no sooner) of your wedding.
If you're going with natural eyelashes, ensuring they look great will likely be your makeup artist's job. For those getting eyelash extensions, you'll need to do a little more planning. If you've never had them before, you'll need to ensure you won't have an adverse reaction. Getting eyelash extensions done about a week before the wedding allows you time to deal with any potential adverse reactions you might have.
Nip stress in the bud
For many brides, stress goes hand in hand with wedding planning. How could you avoid stress with so much to do? For some, even the notion that they need to reduce stress may itself feel like another thing to add to the to-do list, which could ironically add even more stress. The bottom line is, though, that all the potential negative effects of stress aren't worth it. It can take a toll on your mental, emotional, and physical health, as well as your beauty routine.
In particular, there are many negative ways that stress can show on your skin. Dermatologist Dr. Doris Day, who spoke to The American Institute of Stress, explained, "Constant worry can trigger the same stress response as a major threat — the release of adrenaline and other stress hormones — which over time can negatively impact our skin."
While it may not be possible to avoid stress altogether, there are things you can do to help manage it. Prioritizing quality sleep, practicing mindfulness, exercising regularly, and eating a balanced diet all help, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, at the end of the day, you may just have too much on your plate. In this case, letting your partner, friends, and family know you need some help with planning may go a long way toward nixing wedding-related stress.
Have a backup plan (and makeup bag)
Another way to ease stress about your wedding is to have a backup plan, and some backup supplies, too. No matter how well you plan and prepare for your big day, you can still have last-minute mishaps. Whether it's something big (like a makeup artist who flaked) or something small (like getting spinach stuck in your teeth), having a backup bag can help ensure that you're prepared for anything and everything that could happen on your wedding day.
You'll need to have some backup makeup, like concealer, foundation, mascara, and lipstick. Some makeup wipes are also a must. Other tools like tweezers, nail files, and cuticle scissors can also be helpful, along with nail polish that matches your mani and some clear top coat. When it comes to hair, some backup products, hair ties, bobby pins, and hair clips should be in your bag. Along with makeup and hair items, having some other backup toiletries can be a good idea. Dental floss picks, tampons, a sewing kit, Band-Aids, backup contacts or glasses, and a lint roller are all nice to have on hand, just in case.
Of course, exactly what you need to pack can depend on many different things, so taking time to think through what go-to items you might need before your wedding can be helpful. There's no time limit on this either, but the sooner you do it, the more relaxed you can feel knowing that you've got a solution for every situation.