When it comes to prepping for the big day, there’s more to think about than just the dress or the suit. We’re talking about those all-important pre-wedding beauty treatments that help you look and feel your absolute best. But with so many options out there, it can be tricky to know what to book and when. Don't worry—we've got you covered. From facials to teeth whitening, here's your ultimate guide to pre-wedding beauty, tailored to help you plan each treatment at just the right time. After all, looking fabulous together is the perfect start to your forever.
To be clear, we’re not saying you need any of these pre-wedding beauty treatments to be wedding-ready. But, we totally understand that your wedding day doesn’t come around often and if you want to indulge in some pampering, we’re not here to judge! This is a thorough guide and schedule for all things beauty to help you know what to book and when! No one wants a beauty disaster too close to the day.
“Achieving radiant skin for your wedding day begins with regular facials”, says Lisa Franklin, an experienced skincare expert. Visiting a dermatologist or seeing an aesthetician to assess your skin and any of your concerns is a great first step. This is something you should start as soon as you get engaged or at least 12 months before the big day. Once you have a solid skincare routine, take a look at some of Lisa Franklin’s recommended advanced treatments that may suit you, these also happen to be some of the top trending treatments with celebrities right now.
As well as a bespoke skincare routine and professional facials, there are also at-home treatments you can do at home such as using dermal rollers or gua shas to help drain your lymph nodes, help reduce water retention and puffiness and sharpen and tone features such as your jawline and cheekbones. You may also want to consider aesthetic treatments such as botox, dermal fillers, polynucleotides, and more.
Lisa Franklin's ecommended advanced treatments and bespoke skincare are all about promoting healthy ageing. However, we understand that things like injectables may be something you're interested in. But when do you book this? Well, it totally depends on the result you want to achieve. For example, if you’ve never had botox before, this may be something you want to build over time especially since it takes around a maximum of five days to really see your results. In the same way, dermal fillers cause swelling when first injected and everyone reacts and breaks down filler differently. For some, it can last for up to two years and for others just six months. The ideal time for most pre-wedding injectables is ideally 6 to 8 months before the wedding day to work out how these injectables work for you! Speak to your aesthetician about a plan.
Body care for your wedding day starts in a similar way to your face. It all starts with a solid body skincare routine. Here are a few things you might want to consider to get that glow from within.
Dry brushing is an Ayurvedic practice that helps exfoliate your skin by removing dead skin cells and can help prevent ingrown hairs. This massage when performed in the direction of your lymphatic system can help with circulation and blood flow and naturally helps detox and drain your lymph nodes.
It goes without saying that practising a regular moisturising routine is essential in preventing dry areas on your knees, elbows and feet.
If you’re considering laser hair removal on any part of your body, the best time to book this is around 8 months before the big day. Since most people will need 6 to 8 sessions and there are intervals between treatment areas, it’s better to start early with this. Ensure your last session is around a month before the big day to allow for recovery time and to assess your results.
For a natural glowing tan, we recommend getting your spray tan done 2 to 3 days before your wedding. Most tans need 24-48 hours to fully develop and you’ll want time to wash this off and see the true tone of your tan. If you’re choosing to self-tan rather than have a spray tan, the same rule applies to allow the tan to develop. If you’re having a summer wedding, you may be thinking about unwanted tan lines and white patches. The easiest and safest way to even out your tan is with sunless tanning. According to the experts at St. Tropez, these are the top tips to achieve a flawless tan.
Buff the areas where any tan has gone patchy to help prep the skin to blend your self-tan seamlessly. Put your tanning mousse onto your mitt and press it onto the area where it has gone patchy to even it out.
For an even facial tan and to avoid colour change between the neck and face, opt for a facial self-tan. Finish with a moisturiser and SPF if applying during the day underneath your makeup.
If you have pale skin and want a dark tan, tanning serums are a good option as they enable you to tailor your tan result by layering over a few days until you achieve your desired glow.
If you want to target specific areas of sagging skin or stubborn fat then you might want to explore treatments like Cryolipolysis, Emscuplt, Aqualyx, or laser or radio frequency. Again, absolutely none of these are necessary for you to be wedding-ready, but if these are important to you, then you should aim to book our appointment/s 4 to 6 months before the wedding.
You can get your haircut and colour anywhere from one week to four weeks before, and the same applies to any wedding hair extensions you’ll be having installed. Although, we think that two weeks before the day is the perfect medium. It gives you time to adjust to the new hairstyle (if it’s a big change) and also request touch-ups or changes in time for the wedding. In the same way as your skincare, you should start getting into a good hair care routine no matter what your goal is. If it’s to grow your hair or improve the texture or scalp health, you should find good hair masks and leave-in treatments. Then, in the weeks building up to your wedding, schedule a professions conditioning treatment or smoothing treatment depending on what your on-the-day wedding hairstyle will be.
Makeup starts with your skin, but since we’ve already covered that, the best thing to focus on is finding a makeup artist and scheduling a makeup trial. If you’ve decided to do your own wedding makeup, you can have some fun doing trials with products and techniques to achieve the look you want. Take a look at makeup inspiration on social media to see what makeup looks you like and for any tips from the experts and previous brides!
They say that the eyes are the windows to the soul so, it makes sense to frame them correctly with these beauty treatments.
If you’re dreaming of fluttering lashes, lash extensions or a lash lift might be some treatments you’re interested in. If you’ve never had lash extensions before, try them out around three months before the wedding. However, if you’ve used them before (still get a patch test) but then book in your full new set around 3 weeks before and then an infill just 2 days before for the best results. You can get a lash lift and tint around a week before the wedding.
Microblading is obviously a long-term commitment and lasts for over a year without touch-ups, so you can get this beauty treatment done as early as six months before the wedding. But most experts recommend 10-12 weeks or three months, as the optimum time. This is because you’ll have to allow a healing period and a touch-up or fine-tuning appointment too.
If you’re embracing your natural brows but just want them shaped, then the good news is you can do this around one to two weeks before the wedding day. Threading or waxing can cause redness and irritation, which is why it’s important to allow some downtime in between.
If your smile is something you’d like to change before the big day, then these are some treatments brides love!
If crooked teeth will bother you in your wedding photos, Invisalign or another clear retainer aligner brand would be ideal. See an orthodontist to get professional advice and a plan that works for you. This is probably best to start as soon as you get engaged or 18-12 months before the wedding. Your treatment time will vary based on your case. Whitening happens after your treatment, so if whitening is also something you’re considering, allow time for this too. Ultimately, if you have to continue treatment after the wedding it isn’t the end of the world, your teeth will still be straighter than if you had done nothing.
An at-home oral health and hygiene routine is key and you may just want to use at-home whitening strips. However, if you are looking for professional teeth whitening, the tips to making this last is avoiding foods and drinks that stain your teeth and getting into the habit of using straws.
To help you feel even more confident in your smile (and just for good oral health) we really recommend a professional cleaning! You can do this around a month before the big day to ensure plaque and stains are removed.
If you’re going to opt for using your natural nails without false acrylics or extensions, then starting with regular manicures and pedicures is what we recommend. This is to ensure that you can grow your nails to the desired length and also work on the ideal shape. Head to our wedding nails article to learn more about trending nail art designs and popular nail shapes. If you struggle with nail strength, BIAB or builder gel can really help with this.
Using cuticle oils regularly also helps with cuticle health, nail strength and growth. If you’re opting for fake nails, make sure you have a few 'nail trials' to try out colours and designs to help give you an idea of what you’d like.
So, we’ve covered the pre-wedding beauty treatments but what about on the wedding day? Take a look at all our tips on making your wedding day makeup last. Getting married abroad? We've got everything you need to know about hair and makeup for destination weddings.