Wedding beauty planning

Just like every other detail of your big day, your bridal look  needs to be carefully planned for weeks, and even months, in advance to ensure a picture-perfect look. Even Cinderella needed a helpful hand from the Fairy Godmother! Now, we may not have a magic wand, but our easy to follow advice and tips from the experts at Hairtrade.com are exactly what you need to get you ready for walking down the aisle. 

Getting ready for the editorial photoshoot with a helping hand from the experts 

From starting a skin care regime to having a trial run of your make-up, and choosing your hair style, there’s lots to fit in and getting the timings right is crucial.

Enter the style team from online beauty retailer Hairtrade.com, who have put together all your beauty needs into an easy to follow timetable to ensure you look beautiful on your wedding day. 

“The perfect wedding look doesn’t just happen overnight, it takes weeks and months of planning to get right." outlines Laura Meredith, beauty expert.

Six months before

Get serious about skin care

If you don’t already have a skin care routine, start getting into the habit now. No more going to bed with your make-up still on. A simple cleanse, tone and moisturise regime will keep your skin in tip top condition.
Start exercising

Exercising is not just important for getting in shape but also for reducing stress levels. If you’re prone to breakouts during hectic times, try yoga to increase posture strength and relieve tension. You’ll be looking and feeling great both on the inside and outside!

Rachel gets a few touch ups before the photoshoot

Three months before

Book consultation appointments with make-up artists

If you’re getting your make-up professionally done, consult with a few different make-up artists to see who you are happy with. Once you’ve found one that gets the look you want, book early to avoid disappointment.

Start experimenting with fake tan

You don’t want to have a streaky fiasco on the big day so leave yourself plenty of time to get your bridal golden glow. Think about the neckline of your dress and any existing tan lines you’ll need to even out.

Teeth whitening

Start an at-home teeth whitening routine to give you perfect pearly whites. Don’t leave this to the last minute as you need to factor in sensitivity and you might not get the results you’re after with a quick session a day or two before the wedding.  

A make over for our model bride for the photoshoot

One month before

Have a trial run of make-up for the big day

In your head trying Kim Kardashian style contouring may be a good idea but have a practise with it in advance, as the style might not suit you. If you’re doing your own make-up, now’s the time to buy the products you’d like. Ask for samples from beauty counters to give them a test run before you buy. 
Get your eyebrows shaped

Leave plenty of time for getting your eyebrows shaped professionally. This will leave enough time to grow them out in places if needed. 

Salon facial or facemask at home

Time to start making your skin glow. Book in for a facial or start using facemasks at home. Do not do this the day before the wedding in case you have a reaction to the product.

Cut down on tea and coffee

You don’t have to full on detox but cutting down on tea and coffee will reduce staining your teeth and flush your body of caffeine.  

Two weeks before

Exfoliate and moisturise

To get those silky soft elbows, hands and feet, start an exfoliating and moisturising treatment once or twice a week.

Drink lots of water

Staying hydrated is the cheapest and easiest beauty trick in the book. Aim to drink one and half litres of water a day for clear glowing skin.

Photo credit: Bowood http://www.bowood.org/

One week before

Bikini wax and shave legs

Make sure everything is silky smooth ready for your bikini on the honeymoon.

Splurge on a massage

You’ll probably be under a lot of pressure the week leading up to the wedding so treat yourself to a relaxing massage with your maid of honour. 

One day before

Pack an emergency make-up kit

Get all your essential make-up for touch ups packed and give it to a trusty bridesmaid.

Get mani-pedi done

You’ll be too excited to sit patiently and wait for your nails to dry on the big day so make this one of the last things you do the night before. Go for gel with your manicure and pedicure to keep the colour lasting right through to your honeymoon.

Have a long bath

Unwind in the tub to ease your mind of any pre-wedding jitters. Try adding some essential oils for luxuriously soft skin the next day.

8-10 hours sleep

They don’t call it beauty sleep for nothing, so get a good night’s rest before the big day.

Found this step by step beauty advice helpful? Let us know on our Facebook and Twitter page. 

DOs and DON'Ts for Bridal Hair

We want every one of our brides to look and feel amazing on her wedding day, and hair plays a huge part. Here we talk to Laura Meredith from Hairtrade, who shares her  expert advice on getting picture perfect locks. 

From experimenting with colour and styles ahead of the big day to handling whatever the weather throws at you, this guide will help you avoid any wedding day hair disasters.  

“There’s so much to do and think about when you’re planning a wedding. The dress will always be the number one priority and making sure your hair works with it is really important to your overall look," advises Laura. 

Here are Laura's DOs and DON'Ts for having pretty silky soft tresses on your wedding  day whatever the hairstyle:

DON'T  go for a drastic new style 

Chopping off your gorgeous long locks in favour of a chic pixie cut just weeks before your wedding might not look like you imagined and it gives you less options for updos. 

If you do decide to go for a different look, there are a few things you need to think about: will your dress work with a different hairstyle? What about your hair accessories and veil? Have you taken advice from your stylist? And if you hate it, is there a way you can rescue your hair before the wedding?

DO have a hair rehearsal

Whatever you do, don’t forget to book at least one rehearsal with your stylist well before the big day. During wedding season stylist Saturday appointments are like gold dust - you need to book your appointments for the actual day and the practice run at least four months ahead.

Practice runs are vital. Your stylist can try out a few different looks with your hair accessories and veil and you can agree on the one that works best. That way, on your wedding day, making sure your hair is picture perfect will take no time at all.

DO protect when heat styling

Blasting out your hairdryer or using straighteners every day can damage your tresses. So invest in a good heat protection spray to guard your locks against damage or lay off the styling a week before the wedding. 

DON'T experiment with colour

Trying out completely new colours is a big no – if you do want to experiment with colour, then do it three-six months before the big day. That way you’ll have time to decide if it works for your wedding day look and if you love it, simply refresh it a few weeks before the wedding.

DO prepare for all weather

The one thing you can’t control on your big day is the weather – but you can be prepared for it. If it’s going to be windy make sure you have plenty of extra hold styling products, if it’s humid, keep those unruly locks tamed, and if it’s pouring with rain, invest in a gorgeous see-through umbrella!

DO plan washing your hair

Believe it or not, it’s best to avoid washing your hair on your wedding day. Your style will hold much better if hair is washed the day before.

DON’T forget the hairspray

Remember to have hairspray close at hand for the reception so you can freshen up your look and make sure your do stays in place. There’s nothing worse than stray locks, so keep them under control!

DO remember your bridesmaids 

Throughout all of this, don’t forget the wedding party – your mum and gorgeous bridesmaids. Make sure their dos work well with yours and emphasise their outfits.

For some inspiration on wedding hairstyles, check out our Behind the scenes post here.