You’re engaged! Congrats! This is not only one of the most exciting times in your life, but it can also seem overwhelming, especially when it comes to looking your absolute best for your big day. We want to take the stress out of your pre-wedding prep by helping our Bride’s with simple skincare solutions and beauty tips. Great skin doesn’t happen overnight, so you’ll want to start working on your skincare regimen at least a year before your wedding.

Follow this timeline to ensure your skin is as glowy as possible.

ONE YEAR OUT

A good skincare routine is essential to achieving the perfect canvas for your bridal makeup. Start searching for a trusted dermatologist as soon as possible. It takes on average 3 months to see any noticeable improvement in your skin. For those with skin concerns such as acne or rosacea it can take upwards of 6 months. A dermatologist can start you on a skin care journey that’s catered just for you and your specific needs/concerns.
With so many skincare options, knowing where to start can seem overwhelming. Keeping it simple will ensure you’re able to maintain a consistent routine that will be sure to show results. Choose a gentle cleanser to use morning and night, followed by your chosen serums and a day/evening moisturizer. Introducing active ingredients like vitamin C for brightening, retinol to address fine lines, and an AHA (alpha hydroxy acid) for improved texture will give you that much need boost which results in healthy glowing skin on the wedding day.
Drink lots of water. This isn’t only great for your body and overall health, improving the look of your skin and hair, but it also helps to reduce bloating.
If you are growing your hair for the wedding day make an appointment with your stylist to get a nice healthy cut that you can maintain over the next several months. This is also a great time to discuss your colour care needs, keeping your wedding hairstyle in mind.
Start using a great hair mask to help maintain that beautiful shine, prevent split ends and promote new growth. This should be done once every 1-2 weeks.
If you are thinking about getting laser hair removal this a great time to start. You need several months to remove all the hair and make sure to talk to a dermatologist beforehand to get recommendations.

SIX MONTHS OUT

By this time, a Bride’s skincare routine should be consistent. Cleansing and Moisturizing daily, remembering to always use SPF during the day, alternating active’s and treatments and exfoliating once or twice a week. Youth to the People’s Yerbe Mate Resurfacing Energy Facial is my favourite exfoliating treatment because it’s the closest thing to getting microdermabrasion at home. The brand describe’s it as a triple-powered microdermabrasion treatment amplified by active enzymes, micro-exfoliants, and caffeine for smoother, visibly radiant skin in as little as two minutes. It leaves my skin with an instant glow, I am totally obsessed.
Book an appointment for your makeup and hair trial. We recommend booking your trial 1-3mths before the wedding day. It’s always best to book your trial as close to the season of your wedding day to ensure that most things will be as similar as possible-lighting, temperature, time of day etc…We want to be able to mimic the wedding day as best as possible.
It’s a great idea to look closely at your diet to make sure you’re eating foods that support glowy, healthy skin. A balanced diet with foods rich in vitamins and antioxidants will do wonders for your skin and hair.
Schedule regular appointments for waxing, nails, laser, brows, etc….that way you’ll always be on track and never have to worry about your favourite places being booked up when you’re ready to go.
Start shopping for any hair accessories that you may want to wear or clip in hair extensions that you’re considering wearing on the wedding day. Having your hair extensions for your trial appointment is essential.

THREE MONTHS OUT

If you haven’t already tried lash extensions but wanted to wear them on your wedding day you should make an appointment now to see if you like the way they look. There are several places out there that offer extensions, so please do your research and make sure you are getting them done by a professional.
If you want to book a few facials before the wedding day 3 months out is the perfect time if you’re planning on trying something new. Don’t leave facials to the weeks leading up to the wedding if you’re not used to getting them regularly.
Start putting together an inspiration board for your makeup and hair trial. We will request makeup and hair inspo the week before your trial so that we can prepare and make suggestions beforehand if needed. You can view our Pinterest page for some soft glam makeup and hair inspo.
Attend your hair and makeup trial. 1-3 mths before the wedding day is the perfect time to have your trial.
On the day of your trial make sure to come with a clean, makeup-free face. We recommend washing and blow drying your hair the day before your trial, not the day of. Read our helpful wedding hair guide for some helpful tips on preparing your hair for the trial and wedding day.
Book regular manicures from now up until your wedding date, once a week is ideal when possible. When I’m stressed I tend to bite our nails and having regular manicures really helped to keep my skin and nails looking gorgeous for the wedding day…don’t forget that you will have several photographs of that ring finger!

ONE MONTH OUT

This is a good time to try a spray tan or a self tanning treatment at a spa. If it doesn’t look good you have time to exfoliate it off. If you’re happy with the results you can book in regular appointments to maintain that beautiful glow up until the wedding day. Don’t forget to keep exfoliating your face and body as this will only improve the look of your spray tan.
Book a hair appointment with a hairdresser your familiar with to cut and colour your hair as needed. Make sure to consult with your wedding day stylist to ensure you are not removing any necessary length for your hairstyle. Adding highlights or balayage is a great way to add dimension to your hairstyle, especially if you have darker hair.
Try to relax and enjoy this time before your big day. Book a couple spa appointments, get a massage or a facial, anything that will help you to enjoy this journey and eliminate any wedding day stress.
If you decided to get false extensions now is the time to book your appointment, one week before is the perfect amount of time.

ONE WEEK OUT

Book an appointment to touch up your brows at least 3 days before your wedding day. This gives the skin enough time to relax again before the big day, especially if you tend to show redness or get slightly puffy afterwards.
Go get lash extensions applied if you have decided to wear these. Booking a week in advance allows time for touch up’s or quick fixes before the wedding day if needed.
Don’t try anything new with your skincare routine, stick to what you have been using to avoid any unwanted reactions.
If you get a pimple don’t panic! The best way to deal with this annoyance is to first relax. There are a few tips to help remove or reduce the appearance. If you notice that it seems to have fluid you can grab a hot towel and apply slight pressure for about a minute, this will soften the skin and bring any fluid to the surface, only then can you attempt to squeeze lightly. If some fluid is released clean the area and leave it alone, it should reduce dramatically. A couple drops of Visine can also reduce any reduce if needed. Pimple patches can be applied to keep the area clean and draw out the impurities. If all else fails, leave it up to your makeup artist to do their best to cover it up and then the rest is up to Photoshop!
Drinks loads of water and avoid any caffeine and alcohol if possible. This will help to keep your skin glowing and avoid any bloating.

ONE DAY OUT

Wash and blow dry your hair the day before your wedding day and follow any additional hair prep provided by your artist. Hair needs to have some natural oils in order to hold a curl well. Your stylist will have dry shampoos and hair powder’s that will help to freshen up your hair so don’t worry.
Use a gentle exfoliant that you have been using for the last 6mths, nothing new to avoid any surprises. This will prep your skin for your makeup on the wedding day.
Go in for your final mani/pedi.
Get a good night’s sleep. Drink some calming tea to help you relax and get your beauty rest.

THE WEDDING DAY

Start your morning with a healthy breakfast and drink loads of water.
Take your dress and veil out of the bag and have it steamed early in the day. We don’t recommend steaming once hair and makeup is completed.
Stay off your feet as much as possible.
Relax. All your hard work has paid off and the rest is up to the professionals.
Finally, it’s time to sit back and enjoy your mobile service as you get pampered and picture perfect by your team of artists.

makeup artist takes picture of bride makeup and hair

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The Ultimate Pre-Wedding Prep