The day has come! Well, the day you said yes at least. The big day is somewhat ahead of you. Unfortunately, life is not a fairytale. Your dress won’t be made by your fairy godmother, and you’ll have to take care of the cake instead of letting birdies and other forest creatures do it. Let’s face it, as you’re now officially a grown woman: your wedding day will be amazing, but there’s so much work to do. While you can get help from your mom and girlfriends when it comes to the hardcore organizational stuff such as cake tasting and booking the venue, there’s another aspect of the story that sometimes get overlooked: You looking your absolute best! This doesn’t just mean booking the best makeup artist; you want to make sure that your skin and your overall look and feel is the best possible. What you didn’t know, though, is that you cannot take care of that in just one month. Want to be thoroughly prepared for the big day? Follow along our bride guide and start copying into your calendar!
One Year Out
Yes, you can (and should) start preparing your heavenly body for the wedding day a year before! This sure sounds like a lot, but you want to allow your body to achieve the best results slowly. This will also spare you any last-minute rushing!
Skin: Visit Us
This is applicable if you’re not 100% happy with the state of your skin as it is now. A skin care specialist can assess your complexion and come up with a game plan that will really work. This strategy may involve multiple treatments that take a lot of time – up to several months – so you want to be sure that your skin will be flawless in time for the big event. Just imagine: a perfect smooth canvas for the makeup of the big day. It’s easy to achieve if you start early!
One year out is also the time when you should start considering Botox and Dermal Fillers. Talk to us so we can find the best solution for your perfect face!
Skin: Consider Laser Hair Removal
Sure, you could shave the morning of your wedding… But if you’ve always wanted to enjoy smooth, silky skin, maybe now is the time to take the plunge and spend some additional money. Once the treatments are over, you will be free to get rid of all the razors in the house! Think: no shaving, no stubble in your armpits, no last-minute leg shaving and nasty cuts. If this is a part of your beauty preparations, know that you should plan laser hair removal 9 to 12 months before the wedding.
Hands: Make It a Habit to Give Them TLC
Hands often end up as the one part of your body that gets minimum care. Oh, you slather on some hand cream here and there? Good, but not perfect. Did you know that if your hands are dry and cracked, cream won’t help much? You need to get rid of the dead skin first. We are offering great hand peels that help with that! Get into the habit of doing this on a regular basis and you’ll be ready to show off your ring with no hesitation! Let’s not forget Lyft and Vivace that can really help showcase the beautiful skin on your hands!
Nails: Hydrate Them Daily
Now, did you know you should keep your nails hydrated? When they dry out, they can become brittle, leading to cracks and chips. Prevent these tiny catastrophes by applying oil every day. This will ensure that they stay in place, don’t chip, and guarantee a long-lasting nail polish!
General Health: Watch What You Eat
No, we won’t tell you to start a rigid diet, especially not one year out! But this is a perfect time to pay attention to what you eat and hone your eating habits. That way, there will be no need to frantically starve yourself a week before the wedding, ultimately resulting in binging and overeating.
If you’re not sure what do to, invest in a meeting with a health care provider who will examine your lifestyle, habits, likes and dislikes to create a unique diet for you. When we say diet here, we simply mean an eating plan that will be easy to keep up with because it’s filled with healthy and nutritional meals. Sure, don’t forget to incorporate a workout plan in your busy schedule if you aren’t doing it already. You may be skinny and healthy, but the surefire way to sculpt your muscles is exercising. On the other hand, if you work out a lot but feel like you never get where you want to be, consider a CoolSculpting treatment!
Teeth: Visit Your Dentist
Going to the dentist isn’t everyone’s favorite pastime, but it need to be done – especially when your smile will be on display for everyone and their smartphone cameras! If your teeth are more or less healthy, this is the time for cleaning and x-rays. If you’re not too happy about them, though, a year out is the time to consider braces, aligners, or tooth whitening. Talk to your dentist and decide on a perfect plan for your straight, beautiful smile on your wedding day!
9 Months Out
Skin: First Visit to an Aesthetician
Now, the dermatologist will help any skin concerns and issues you have. But even if your skin is already flawless, an aesthetician can be your best friend! They will help maintain it the way it is, cleanse deeper than you can at home, shower it with nutrients, and let’s not forget the beautiful relaxing massage! If you’re based in Phoenix, you can book an appointment with us to have some of the best facials in Arcadia. For example, we recommend a SkinBetter peel or a superb HydraFacial. It would be great if you could go once a month! After all, you are likely to need the pampering session in the middle of all the wedding planning!
Hair: Sample a Straightening Treatment
If your hair is frizz-prone and you would want to tame it for your wedding, it’s not something you do two weeks before. There are many hair-straightening treatments out there, so talk to your hairdresser to find the best solution for you. Additionally, whatever you choose, you will need to try it out months in advance to see how it actually works with your hair, and whether you should switch to something else!
6 Months Out
Hair: Test the New Color
If you want to change the color of your hair, again, it is not one of the things you should experiment with close to the wedding date. Test the color six months before, as it gives you plenty of time to change your mind and the color itself. You don’t want to ruin your hair by overdoing it, so taking the time is crucial. Of course, allocate some time for the final touch-up around ten days before the wedding!
4 Months out
Skin: Soften Your Elbows
Elbows can get really dry over time, even if you use body moisturizer after taking a shower or a bath. What’s worse, it’s easy to forget them! If your wedding dress reveals your elbows (or if you just want to feel your best, no matter the coverage!), you might want to start a new habit: salt scrubs. You don’t have to scrub really heard. It would be enough to throw salts into your bath. Do it weekly, and you’ll notice the difference! If you suffer from really tough patches, you may ask your aesthetician to put a glycolic peel on your elbows when you come in for your monthly facial.
Skin: Do Vivace Microneedling, Botox, or Fillers
Vivace is a new treatment that combines microneedling with radiofrequency (RF) and LED light therapy. Radiofrequency is a non-invasive skin tightening method, making this powerful combination work great to reduce scars, fine lines, and blemishes. Perfect to make your skin look firmer and more youthful! Four months prior to the wedding is a perfect time to do Vivace, so you could enjoy your smoother skin on the Big Day!
Same goes for Botox and Fillers. Try them well in advance so that you can see if they work for you. If they do, this is a perfect time so you can have a touch up just in time for the wedding!
3 Months Out
Skin: Give Your Décolletage Some Love
The skin on your cleavage is thin and even more delicate than facial skin. That’s why it needs extra care, but we often treat it the same as regular body skin. Wrong! It doesn’t have much “fat padding” in comparison with the skin of, say, arms, legs, or stomach. If your wedding dress reveals this area, talk to your aesthetician about incorporating retinol products in taking care of it. They might even suggest Vivace microneedling treatment, or peels to exfoliate and remove roughness.
Hair: Don’t Forget Conditioner
Three months before your wedding you should start taking extra care of your hair, making sure it is hydrated and healthy. You can always go to a salon to try out a deep conditioning treatment. Another option is to stay persistent in using conditioners every time after shampoo. Hair masks are a great choice too! Do it weekly or twice a week, and your hair will be ready to shine on the big day.
Nails: Start Doing Regular Manis
If you’ve been devoted to applying cream to your hands and massaging oils into your nails, your hands should be in a great shape by three months before the wedding. To bring them to another level, start going to a professional manicure every few weeks from three months out onwards. Your manicurist will help keep your nails in a perfect shape, and you can slowly start figuring out how you want them to be for the wedding itself!
2 Months Out
Lips: Use SPF
You do know how annoying it is when your lips are cracked and it seems there’s nothing you could do about it? Prevent that by using a lip balm with SPF 30. It is, indeed, a lot easier to prevent your lips from being chapped than to repair them. By using an SPF lip balm while outside, and a thick balm while sleeping, you will keep your lips hydrated and smooth. Ask us about isClinical Lip Kit!
Eyebrows: Try Microblading
Not perfectly happy with the look of your brows? Want to change the shape or fill them in without worrying that sweat or rain will ruin them? Microblading may be the right solution for you. Find a provider who has amazing portfolio – refer to Instagram if you don’t know many people in your area who have had it done. The eyebrows you are looking for should be bold, but still natural, without making the person look as if they are constantly surprised or worried about something! After microblading, your brows will need about a week to heal, and then you will have to have a touchup four to six weeks later. Take that into account when booking your treatment – that’s why we suggest doing it two months before the wedding for the amazing look you will love!
Hair: Try Extensions
If you play around with the idea of having longer or more voluminous hair for your wedding, there’s a way to do it! We’re talking hair extensions that can help you create so many more styles than with your natural locks. The extensions of today are of a good quality and will stay put all day long, so you needn’t worry about the hairstyle. Permanent extensions need to be put a week or two before the wedding, and clip-ins are fine a week before. But two months out are perfect for consultation and trying out what extensions would look like on you, so you can see whether they’re worth the shot!
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1 Month Out
Teeth: Invest in Tooth Whitening
A picture tells more than a thousand words – so let your wedding pictures show off your beautiful white smile! If you don’t feel you can flaunt that area proudly, contact your dentist to have professional whitening done. No more shy smiles!
Body: Keep Your Diet Healthy
Getting close to the finishing line, it’s important that you now stay away from too many sweets and booze shots! This will help you maintain flawless and spot-free skin so that the makeup can glide over your face and look amazing. Also, keep your hands off your face!
If you’re looking into introducing some extra vitamins into your regimen, try B12 shots that we offer, or schedule an IV therapy, that will make you glow with health in no time!
3 Weeks Out
Makeup: Try Lash Extensions
Okay, let’s face it: in so many cases, we can see lash extensions, we know they’re there, and if they’re done in a particularly bad manner, they look like tiny animals over someone’s eyes. But if done right, they will be an amazing asset to the whole look, so your wedding day is probably the best time to have them! Another important reason for opting for lash extensions instead of a mascara is that you might cry a lot. Happy tears, but nevertheless! Mascara smudges don’t differentiate sad tears from the happy ones. If you’re a sensitive type who cries over romantic comedies, a waterproof mascara might not cut it. Play it safe with extensions. Get a full set several weeks before the wedding for a test drive, and then have a fill-in several days before the big date.
2 Weeks Out
Skin: Last Microneedling or Peel
Now is the time to do the last big touch up on your face that will enable that perfect glow of the bride. Sure, you’ll be beaming with love, but let’s take some steps in skincare first!
1 Week Out
Body: Start Exfoliating
There are many drugstore scrubs made of salt, coffee grounds, coconut oil, and similar ingredients that you can easily apply all over your body before a shower. Our personal favorite is Generation Bee scrub, as it’s non-toxic. The harsh particles in the scrub will remove all the dead skin cells and the oil will nurture your skin. Don’t overdo it: once a day is too much, try doing it every other day or twice throughout the final week. Follow by a nutritional body milk or lotion for a sensational feeling and silky-smooth skin!
3 Days Out
Skin: Last Prep
It’s time to do HydraFacial so your face will be plump and ready for the big day. In addition, you can take advantage of Dermaplaning, that eliminates your peach fuzz and slightly exfoliates. This allows the skin to be super smooth, ready to absorb potent lotions and serums, and exhibit a perfect canvas for the application of makeup!
2 Days Out
Body: Get Glowing with a Spray Tan
Sunbeds are so last decade, but that doesn’t mean you should appear like a ghost at your wedding! A beautiful tan goes perfect with white, but whatever your dress color is, you will look better if you camouflage any imperfections and receive that sun-kissed look. You should decide on the shade when going dress fitting, and then get sprayed two days before. Ta-da! New tan just in time for the I do’s!
1 Day Out
Mind: Relax (& Hydrate)
That’s it! You almost made it! If you followed our advice, you should be more than ready to step into your gown tomorrow. Now is the time to forget about seating charts, flower arrangements, and ring bearer, and just relax and hydrate. Go to bed as early as possible, because you deserve that beauty sleep now more than ever!
The Day
Mind: Enjoy
It’s your day. Celebrate love with the loved ones, smile and laugh a lot, and don’t go overboard with champagne. Congrats, Mrs.!
