Your wedding day will arguably be the most heavily photographed day of your entire life. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes prep that goes into making sure you look your best. Just like your place settings and wedding favors, the key to your beauty routine before your wedding is planning; for your sanity, body and wallet.
DISCLAIMER: ALL of this is obviously totally optional. If you need to budget, these are some options to consider:
Places you can save:
- Invest in a good clarifying mask you can do at home
- Opt for a gradual self-tanner instead of getting a spray tan (test this out well before the wedding)
- Work out at home with YouTube or an app
- Use at-home whitening strips
- Pedicure
Things I would splurge on:
- Get your hair professionally colored
- If you’re doing your own eye makeup, get eyelash extensions Bonus: your lashes will look amazing all week with pre-wedding activities
- Your hands will be heavily photographed the day of the wedding, so a manicure is worth the money!
Here is a 12-Month Guide to Wedding Beauty Prep for your wedding day:
You can download the guide here: Wedding Beauty Prep Timeline
9-12 MONTHS
- BUDGET: Establish your beauty budget. Find hairstylists, makeup artists and estheticians that fit within your given price range. Thoroughly research everyone’s work on Instagram and ask your hairstylist/MUA for recommendations within their network.
- FITNESS: Start thinking about your fitness routine. You don’t have to train for the olympics, but if this is something you’d like to incorporate, find fun activities you enjoy or join a recreational sport team in your area. It will not only help with wedding stress, but can also be something fun for you and your fiancé to do.
6-9 MONTHS
- HAIR: If you’d like an updo, start growing out your hair. If you’d like to make a color change before your wedding, start your first appointment now so that you have enough time to change your color slowly so you don’t damage your hair.
- SCHEDULE: Book your hair and MUA. The sooner the better, especially if you’re in a large city or getting married during wedding season.
- EYEBROWS: I got my eyebrows microbladed 8 months before the wedding. This was a risky choice, but one I don’t regret at all because I thoroughly researched my eyebrow artist. If this isn’t for you, start growing out your brows and meet with an esthetician to start creating a shape you love.
3-6 MONTHS
- FACIALS: If your skin isn’t in a place you’re happy with, schedule a facial every 4-6 weeks from now until the wedding. See if you can buy facials in packages to help with costs.
- FITNESS: You may have had your first fitting by now. Depending on where you’re at, now is NOT the time to kick your fitness into overdrive. It’ll drive you and your seamstress crazy as she tries to maintain the integrity of your dress.
1-3 MONTHS
- SMILE: Start whitening strips or consider having your teeth professionally whitened
- EYELASHES: If you are planning on eyelash extensions, schedule your first appointment for 4 weeks before your wedding so you can just get a fill the week of your wedding
- TRIALS: If you’re going to have a spray tan, make sure you have it for your makeup trial so your MUA can have a good trial. Ideally schedule your hair and makeup trial on the same day as one of your dress fittings so you can see the entire look.
- SELF CARE: Make sure you are getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of fluids and moisturizing your skin.
1 WEEK BEFORE
- RELAX: Get a massage. Don’t do it the day before because sometimes a massage can make you sore!
- WAX: Eyebrow and Bikini Wax
- GLOW: Start self tanner if you are using a gradual self tanner (which is what I did)
- TOUCH-UP: Color touch-up and trim (do NOT opt for a full hair cut or get layers as this will effect your updo)
2 DAYS BEFORE
- BRONZE: Get your spray tan so you can wash it off before rehearsal dinner
- FILL: Lash Fill and Gentle Facial (consider a hydra facial – it’s the celebrity red carpet trick)
DAY BEFORE
- WASH: Wash your hair for the last time
- NAILS: Gel Manicure and Pedicure
WEDDING DAY
- EAT breakfast! Even if you normally aren’t a breakfast person, the day is about to fly by. Assign your MOH to “food watch” to make sure you have something on your stomach.
- BATH: Take a bath and relax by yourself for 20 minutes
- MASK: Apply a Moisturizing Sheet Mask. This will help your makeup go on like a dream.
- HAVE FUN!
Lastly, I need to give a HUGE shoutout to the ladies that helped prep me for the big day. If you’re in the Denver area, check them out!
- Lashes & Facial: Rayna @radiantskinspa
- Color: Sarabeth @sb_hairmagician
- Brows: Paige @ethereal_eyebrow_studio
- Nails: Sarah @ellablissbeautybar
- Updo: Bailey @fadedandbraided
