Becoming a bride is one of the most exciting times of a woman’s life yet it can be the most stressful too. From seating arrangements and the family dynamics to the dress, the venue and the flowers, it can be exhaustingly overwhelming. And before you know it – you have focused on everything else other than yourself. There is nothing worse than a bride with incorrect make colour or fake tan marks around her wrists having left her organisation too late. So here we provide a timeline for getting your beauty-on in the 12- 6 months prior to your wedding to avoid any mistakes.
12-6 Months Prior to the Wedding
Once you have decided on the date, the venue and the dress you are wearing it is a good idea to start considering how you want to look on the day. Whether it is an updo or long floaty waves, having an idea of what your style will be on the day is a good idea.
- Face
If you are considering injectables (fillers and botox) it is a good idea to begin the treatments 12-6 months prior to the wedding so that your injector knows how you respond, what you like and worst case if you do not like it there is enough time for the product to wear off – or for corrections/dissolving if needed (fillers only).If you are considering skin rejuvenation techniques (such as micro-needling or laser resurfacing, timing these to fit in with Botox or other injectables is important. Most skin rejuvenation technologies require 2-3 applications 2-3 months apart so ensure you allow time for repeat treatments.
- Body
If you are considering treatments to contour your body like fat freezing (also called cryolipolysis or Coolsculpting)- treatment is recommended 12-6 months prior to your wedding day. Fat freezing uses the application of cold temperature via suction cups onto the area whereby the fat cells are damaged and subsequently are eliminated from the body over the course of the following 3 months. Due to the time delay for the elimination of the dead fat cells, fat freezing treatment in the 12 to 6 months prior is imperative. Fat freezing before and after photos generally indicate a reduction in a standard dress size after one treatment. This reduction in size (particularly circumference around the back/bust can lead to a smaller dress fitting for the big day. Allowing this time prior to the wedding day allows you to have further treatments if you so desire whilst still allowing your dressmaker to fit the dress perfectly to your new shape a week or 2 before the wedding.
- Make-up
After considering the time of year (spring, summer, fall) most makeup considerations will only be style considerations 12-6 months prior to your wedding. Perhaps now is a good time to find a makeup artist that you will be using for the day – whilst allowing you time to shop around for availability, price and quality if your preferred artist isn’t available on your day.
- Hair
If you have an idea of your general style of hair for the big day and if any major changes are going to happen (ie from dark to light) it is a good idea to begin this process now. Last-minute bleach disasters can ruin your day. Allowing your hairdresser time to make these changes and maintain /restore the health of your hair prior to your big day will be much appreciated. It will also provide assistance with flower colours, dress colours and bridesmaid colours so that matching palettes can be chosen. Major changes in hair colour will also determine makeup shades, tones and depth of colour needed for you to look fab, so starting this far out will take the stress out of the day.
5 – 2 Months Prior to the Wedding
- Face
Continue resurfacing or rejuvenation treatments during this period. Most treatments take 3 months to see the full effect (of collagen stimulation, fibroblast and elastin production) so treatments performed during this period will be beneficial on the day. It is potentially too soon to do -top-ups of Botox and fillers depending on your response and desired outcomes. Although the individual response to treatment varies it is common for Botox to be used 3-6 monthly. Fillers again (depending on the type used and the individual response) can be topped up at this stage, whilst knowing that another top-up may be required a few weeks before the day.
- Body
It is still not too late for further fat-freezing treatments to see the results in time for your big day, however the longer you leave it the higher the risk is of your dress being too loose on the day. Whilst it takes 3 months to see the full results it is not unusual to see some results within 2-3 weeks of fat freezing in before and after photos. It is important to consider that bruises may be seen for a few weeks after fat-freezing treatment so having treatment no less than 8 weeks prior to the wedding is recommended.
- Make-up
Getting closer to the season of the wedding will be moving your natural body colours towards this time. By now you should have your artist decided on the general style you are after on the day discussed.
- Hair
If further colour or style changes are needed or improvement of the quality of your hair is required use this time. Having your hair in healthy condition prior to your day makes it easier for your stylist, Any major issues can be dealt with during this period to get it on fleek.
1 Month Prior to the Wedding
- Face
Top-ups if required. Don’t leave it any later – because there is no time to undo any overfills. Do not do any further invasive treatments and potentially even stay away from facials during this period – as breakouts due to stress are not uncommon and do not need to be exacerbated by new or different products to what you are used to using.
- Body
If you have had fat freezing in the last month – be aware that further fat cell loss will occur. Fat-freezing treatment can be conducted during this period if it is not in an area that will negatively impact the fit of the dress. Fat freezing on arms is suitable during this time as the reduction in arm circumference if in a strapless dress will not make the dress too large and slip down. It is also a good time to have a fake tan – to test the tanner and the colour and the way it wears on you allowing time for exfoliation and deep moisturizing afterwards.
- Make- up
A make-up trial during this period is a good idea as your general body colour and tone will be close to what it is naturally on the day. Perhaps do this on the night of your hen’s party – why waste a good face sitting at home? This will also indicate how well it wears and if there is anything you don’t like about it allowing you to give feedback prior to the final day.
- Hair
Your hair quality and colour should be at your desired colour and length by this time. Conditioning treatments each week during this period will provide you with luscious locks on the day. Finally, colour touchups can be applied towards the end of this month – leaving your hair looking fabulous on the day.
1 Week to GO-TIME
With one week to go – here is hoping you have nothing to decide when it comes to your beauty preparations. Don’t make any last-minute changes that could fail or cause embarrassment on the day. You never want to regret the photos taken on your special day. Getting plenty of rest, moisturising well, drinking lots of water and gentle exercise during this period will help your natural beauty to shine through. Take this time to relax and enjoy the festivities ahead.
We hope you found our comprehensive guide to your wedding preparations helpful. Having a plan with so much to do is the only way to make the day stress-free and fun. Planning 12 months out might seem overkill but as you can see there is a lot to do in the lead-up to a wedding where you want to look and feel your best. We hope that this wedding beauty prep guide will make the lead-up to ‘I do’ nice and easy for you.
