Of course you want to look your best on your wedding day — and your groom does, too! Prepare yourself and your sweetie by devising a complete regimen of hair, skin, and health care as soon as you start your planning. Some simple dos and don’ts will help you develop your beauty calendar.
- Never get a “new” haircut or change your hairstyle right before your wedding. Not only do you run the risk of “looking like a stranger in your own hair,” but you might wind up hating your new coif and feeling miserable on your big day.
- Getting a facial on the day of your wedding, or anytime close to it, is also ill-advised. Most professional facials involve rigorous cleansing methods that can leave skin looking blotchy, reddened, or even damaged for a few days to a week afterward. If you want a facial, schedule it at least a week or two in advance.
- Do not use tanning the day of or the day before the wedding.
- Wax facial hair in advance; this harsh treatment may cause temporary irritation and blotchiness on your otherwise radiant visage.
Facials, waxes, artificial tans, and drastic haircuts aside, there is no proper or improper way to pamper yourself on your wedding day. If you feel confident in your ability to style your own hair, apply your own cosmetics and do your own nails, there’s no need to make a trip to the salon. Of course, if you’re anything at all like the majority of brides, you’ll reach for the security of professional stylists come wedding day.
Hair, Beautiful Hair!
As a bride, you have choices. Of course, you can do your hair yourself, or you can hire someone to do it for you — live it up, you are the bride! Depending on who you select to do your hair on the wedding day, you may have to go to the stylist’s salon, or you can find a stylist to come to the comfort and convenience of your home/hotel. Whatever option you choose, pay attention to some basic hair dos:
- Make an appointment to consult with your hairdresser or hired stylist a few months before.
- Schedule a trial run. Bring your headpiece and ask the stylist to try a few options.
- Ask the hairdresser if he/she can come to you. How much extra would this cost? Do you have to pay more for work that runs over-time, and how much?
- Make sure the hairdresser knows exactly where and when to meet you.
- Wear a button-down shirt when getting your hair styled. There’s nothing worse than realizing you’re going to have to cut yourself out of your favorite shirt, or ruin your hair pulling your shirt over your head.
Put on a Happy Face
Like your hairdresser, a professional makeup artist can help you feel more confident or give you a completely new look. Even if you’re already satisfied with your daily makeup selection and application skills, you may want to try something different for your wedding day. A professional makeup artist will ensure you have that wedding day glow without looking overly made up or overdone. It is important that you look and feel comfortable in your own skin. Ultimately, you want to look a little more glamorous. Here are some makeup dos:
- Schedule a consultation with a trusted makeup artist in your price range.
- Go in for a practice session (trial run), just so there are no surprises on the day.
- If you like the makeup application, make an appointment for the day of your wedding.
- Ask if the makeup artist can come to you? If yes, how much would this service cost?
Nails
Even if you’ve always considered manicures to be frivolous, you might want to make an exception for your wedding day. Well-manicured nails and beautiful hands are another part of the complete bridal beauty package. If your regular routine includes caring for your nails, and that is your preferred look, then you shouldn’t need any special attention — just make an appointment with your emery board! However, if you are interested in a little something extra, here are some options for beautifying your hands:
- A French manicure accents the white half moons at the tips of your fingernails and gives them a high buff. This option costs a little more but is well worth the time and expense.
- Acrylics provide real-looking nails. If you’re a biter, this is the way to go.
- A standard manicure shapes and polishes the nails.
- As for colors, stick with subtle shades such as sheer pink or off-white. Stay away from the fire-engine reds and the offbeat bright or super-dark shades; these colors might be fun for the honeymoon, but they would probably raise eyebrows during the ceremony.
