Weddings

Every bride wants to look like they just stepped off a Florida beach on their wedding day. However, you might need some help if it’s a winter wedding or your skin just doesn’t retain the perfect tan like you want it to.

Instead of stepping into the harmful UV rays that accompany a tanning bed, try an alternate solution to get the perfect glow. Here are five ways to get the faux tan you’ve been looking for before your wedding day.

Bohemian wedding dress from Grace Loves Lace

1. Airbrush Tan

An airbrush tan is a bit more invasive than a spray tan. While that might seem like a potential downside, it leads to a more even and custom colour than a spray tan. The colour gets custom-calibrated to your skin tone so your technician can create the best hue for you and contour your muscles to give you a well-defined look.

Try to book an appointment for an airbrush tan a few days before your wedding, or a week before if you’re super busy. This is the most expensive option, so you want to ask questions and make sure you’re going somewhere with plenty of experience. Like spray tans, you should try to exfoliate beforehand to make your tan last longer. Moisturize as well, since fully hydrated skin retains your tan for longer.

2. Spray Tan

Gone are the days when spray tans left you with an orange glow that made you look like a Halloween decoration. Today’s spray tans are quick and easy and leave you with a nice even tan for your wedding day. You strip down, apply some lotion, step into a booth and finish up one or two minutes later. A spray with a bronzer leaves you with an instant glow, while the regular spray works in about four to 12 hours.

It’s important to note that you should exfoliate before your spray tan to smooth out any rough areas of skin that could lead to uneven colour. Before getting into the booth, make sure you apply lotions to the places you don’t want to look too dark, such as your hands. Start the process about a month before the big day to make sure you get the exact colour you want. Take a few days to wait between each session so you can decide if the tan you have now is good or if you want to go a shade darker.

French Girl Organics Sea Polish available from Anthropologie

3. Tanning Lotion

If you don’t want to travel for your tan, you can use a self-tanning lotion to create the perfect shade at home. Every product is different, so make sure you test different tanning lotions before choosing the one you want to use on your wedding day.

You can choose to apply the tanning lotion, or you can talk to a friend or a technician to see if they will do or offer the service. Just make sure that whoever applies it doesn’t apply a small amount. If you apply only a little product, you could end up with streaks. Use enough tanning lotion so it goes on smoothly over your skin. Your body will only absorb a certain amount, so there’s no way to use too much of it.

4. Tanning at Home

You can do any of these faux tanning options at home. More and more technicians are offering at-home services, so you don’t need to leave the comfort of your house to get a spray tan or an airbrush tan. There’s also the option of doing your tan yourself. This way, you know exactly how much you’re using and can control the shade you want.

This option is inexpensive, since one bottle or tube will work through several applications. You can choose a shade that’s a little lighter than you want and reapply it every couple of days before your wedding. Make sure you use a gentle body scrub in the shower, and then use moisturiser on the parts you don’t want to get too tan. Apply an extra layer on parts of your body that you want to contour with a tanning mitt.

5. Facial Oil

Don’t forget about your face! It’s easy to go through the entire tanning process without adding a little colour here. Talk to your technician about the best option for keeping a glowing tan on your face during the wedding. However, in many cases, you can use a facial oil that’s designed specifically for your face and stays on for a while. Just make sure you choose something that won’t come off if it gets too wet.

Start Early

The key to any faux tan is to start examining your options well before your wedding day. Decide what kind of a tan you’d like and call around to see what products and options people recommend. No matter what you choose, you’ll be a glowing bride full of love on your big day.

When you are planning a wedding, you are likely to have a whole host of things to organise on your plate. It’s by no means an easy task! It’s not all too surprising that the majority of people begin to procrastinate. Now, there are various ways that people tend to do this. Some simply sit back and watch time tick away, letting the wedding day draw closer without actually preparing for it.

Others will try to make themselves feel productive by making the small, frivolous or “extra” purchases before actually sorting any major purchases out. But it’s extremely important that you avoid this means of getting things done. After all, the wedding can go on without tiny features, such as table decorations or party favours. It can’t really go on without some of the bigger parts that keep the wheels of the event turning.

Rings

The rings tend to be the purchase that kick starts the process of getting married. But increasing numbers of people are opting to propose without a ring and sort the actual ring out later down the line. You should attempt to purchase a ring as soon as possible, as it is something that is traditionally worn throughout the process of being engaged.

Consider GIA certified diamond engagement rings and, if you’re already engaged, why not take your partner or yourself to try the ring on and ensure that it fits. You should also pick up wedding bands sooner rather than later, as this will ensure that you have your size available, and that if your size isn’t available in the design of your choice, you can send them off to be adjusted. We’re having our handmade, so it’s something we’re sorting in advance!

The Venue

Generally speaking, the wedding venue tends to be the most expensive part of any wedding. So, it’s not all too surprising that most people will want to put a lot of thought into which venue they choose. But start your search as soon as possible! Many high-quality and desirable venues have months of waiting list, and you are much better booking sooner rather than later if you want to avoid putting your wedding off for a year or so.

Just make sure to visit any venue before booking, no matter how in demand it may appear to be. Visiting allows you to see the space for yourself and be absolutely sure that it is the place that has stolen your heart.

It’s time to stop procrastinating and get some actual work done! You won’t only end up rushing about, but you may miss out on what you want for your wedding, as major purchases tend to be in high demand and may sell out or be unavailable at short notice. Here are some major steps to get the ball rolling!

These are just two of the major purchases that you should really place at the forefront of your mind when it comes to planning a wedding. Ensuring that they’re purchased and paid for early on in the process will really lift a weight from your shoulders and allow you to move forward with further steps towards planning the big day!