Beauty in Bloom | A Bride’s Guide to Wedding Prep & Pampering

Written by Alyssa (Roundy) Phillips

Looking and feeling your best on the day of your wedding is an essential part of the occasion. Between engagement pictures, wedding photoshoots, and walking down the aisle, there’s a lot of pressure to look a certain way come time to marry. And while this can feel overwhelming at times, with the proper guide to wedding prep and pampering, beauty in bloom can easily be achieved.

No matter how far along you are in your journey to say, “I do,” this one is for you! Get your glow on this wedding season by following this ultimate beauty bridal timeline:

1. MANAGE STRESS WITH SELF-CARE

When planning a wedding, stress is nearly inevitable. Experiencing high levels of stress can negatively affect not only your wedding experience, but also your body’s regulation. From its ability to trigger inflammation and acne breakouts on your skin, to worsening your mental health, stress can play a dangerous role when you’re preparing for a special occasion like your wedding. That’s why managing your stress with self-care practices is a critically important step to pampering yourself before your wedding. The sooner you can get your stress under control, the more likely you are to maintain a bright, beautiful look throughout this special journey. 

So, as part of your pre-wedding glow-up, focus on finding self-care practices that genuinely work to alleviate stress and support your well-being. These techniques may look different for you than they do for other brides, and that’s okay! Self-care is meant to be unique to the individual, so try not to overthink it. Yoga, journaling, reading, or meditating are all great ways to unwind and relax, but self-care can also look like getting yourself organized or getting all the items checked off your to-do list. The possibilities are truly endless! Figure out what works for you and embrace this time to the fullest. 

2. MEET WITH A DERMATOLOGIST

Unexpected acne breakouts are frustrating as it is, and on the day of your wedding, the frustration becomes all the more real. To ensure your complexion remains free of pesky pimples or another skin issue, be sure to set up an appointment to meet with a dermatologist. Even if you aren’t currently struggling with any specific concern, consulting with a professional is one of the best ways to prevent any unforeseen problem from arising. 

Plus, with regard to the fact that stress has been linked to the appearance of acne, the likelihood of you experiencing blemishes during this time is especially high. That being said, whether you are in need of your own specialized acne cream prescription, or are simply looking to gather more insight on your skin type and how to treat it, seek out guidance from a skin care professional. Trust us, you’ll thank yourself later for taking action early-on!

3. PERSONALIZE YOUR PRE-WEDDING SKIN CARE REGIMEN

After you’ve spoken to the experts, the next step is to focus on personalizing your pre-wedding beauty regimen. Although you may already have a specific routine you follow on a daily basis, tailoring your current regime or curating a new one may be more beneficial for reaching your wedding beauty goals. What’re you looking to perfect or treat come time to marry? What products are practical for achieving this goal in a timely manner? How long will it take to see visible results?

Remember that the types of products you use during this time all work independently from one another, depending on the types of ingredients they have within them. This means that it’s imperative to learn about the different skin care ingredients that are formulated within the product(s) you are currently, or planning on using, and how long these ingredients take to work in the way they’re meant to. Particularly if you are introducing a new treatment that contains an active ingredient such as retinol or vitamin C, it’s crucial to understand how long they take to effectively work as ‘actives’ tend to have a longer timeline compared to other common ingredients used in skin care.

Keeping this in mind, try to make a point to read through the label of listed ingredients and do your own research on them before incorporating new products into your routine. From there, pick out the products that best suit your beauty bridal goals and begin using them consistently up until the day you say ‘I do.’ To learn more about popular active ingredients and their timeline to visible results, check out this infographic below!

** REMEMBER: Every bride’s skin and body are different. If a product doesn’t work for you, there is nothing wrong with ditching it!

 

4. STEP UP YOUR HAIR CARE GAME

In addition to personalizing your skin care routine, it’s also a good idea to step up your hair care game. Taking care of your hair can oftentimes play a part in your bridal day look. Regardless if you plan to style your hair in an updo or leave it down, it’s vital that you take proper care of your hair in the days leading up to the wedding so that you can further exude confidence and radiance as you walk down the aisle. Stepping up your hair care game should follow a similar approach to the way in which you determine your pre-wedding skin care regimen. Again, you’ll want to evaluate the current state of your hair as it relates to your bridal beauty goals. Is it damaged? Shorter than you’d like it to be? What about the color? Use these questions to guide you on your path to healthy hair. 

Aside from this, you should also make a point to meet with a hairstylist in the months leading up to your big day. Much like seeking the expertise of a dermatologist, meeting with a cosmetologist who specializes in hair is a sure-fire way to know that you are on the right track to reaching your hair goals in time for your wedding. Not only that, but their expertise can also provide you with more insight as to how to go about stepping up your hair care and what products to use. Not to mention that scheduling a trial run with them will give you a chance to see how the hairstyle or updo you had in mind actually looks on you and allow you to decide if you truly want to move forward with your initial idea or not. Getting one step ahead on your hair will give you peace of mind and reduce stress as the wedding gets closer and closer. 

5. EXPERIMENT WITH NEW MAKEUP

Your wedding day makeup can make or break your bridal look, which is why it’s necessary to revamp your beauty stash and experiment with new products. It doesn’t matter if you want to try and take on your wedding day makeup by yourself or if you plan to hire a wedding makeup artist, learning what products wear well on your skin plays a significant role in finding which makeup is ideal for enhancing your natural beauty on your wedding day. Many times, if a bride doesn’t know what she likes or what she wants, a makeup artist will decide for them, which can sometimes work out in your favor, and other times be the complete opposite. So, by knowing what you want ahead of time and what makeup you like, you’re more likely to get the look you’re going for, even if you aren’t physically the one making it happen.

Don’t be afraid to try something unfamiliar or experiment with makeup products and/or brands you’ve never tried before. You don’t have to apply it all over your face, either. In fact, when it comes to experimenting with new makeup, namely, skin makeup, it may be in your best interest to perform a patch test on one area of your complexion first to prevent any irritation or worsening skin conditions from occurring. If the product applies well and wears well on your skin, it’s probably safe to use it all over your face, and if it doesn’t, then you’ll want to avoid further application altogether.

 

 

Prepping and pampering yourself for your wedding can seem like a lot, but with this simple guide, you’re sure to be looking and feeling beautiful in no time! For more assistance on all things bridal and beauty, don’t hesitate to make an appointment with our team here at LatterDayBride to get an inside look at our wedding dress showroom, accessories, and of course, our top-tier advice from some of our bridal experts!

** DISCLAIMER that every single bride is beautiful just the way she is! You will still shine on your wedding day despite following any of these steps. These are just a few tips that we’ve identified that can help brides feel more confident and prepared for their wedding day!