Countdown To Beauty
A One Year Calendar to Getting Wedding Ready
You want to look your best on your big day—we hear you. But maintaining that beautiful skin and hair, all the while keeping your fitness in check, can be a daunting task when faced with the stress and hectic schedule of planning a wedding. Fortunately, if you start early with our one year countdown, you’ll find that getting wedding-ready is as simple as 3, 2, 1.
12 MONTHS
Congratulations! You’re engaged! With a full year to go, you have plenty of time to obtain that glowing bridal look.
1. Become mindful of your nutrition It’s time to start upping your servings of fruits and veggies and scaling back on the fried favorites. Getting an early start on healthy eating will help you avoid the temptation of crash diets when the big day draws near. Plus, in addition to helping your waistline, a healthy diet will help you feel better, which will come in handy as your to-do list starts to grow.
2. Develop an exercise routine
If you aren’t already hitting the gym, the pavement, or wherever it is you get your workout on, now is the time to create a maintainable regime. Exercise won’t just help you rock that dress. Added bonus: Exercise increases your endorphins, and as we all know (Thanks, Legally Blonde), “endorphins make people happy, and happy people just don’t shoot their husbands.” Or their husbands-to-be. A 30-minute workout might be just what you need to happily take on the conversations—guest list, budget, bachelor parties, etc.
3. Get hydrated Though, according to Mayo Clinic, it’s not clear that drinking extra water affects your skin, it is true that maintaining adequate hydration is good for your overall health. And if you aren’t already in the habit of drinking up—or if water simply isn’t your go-to beverage—you may need a little time to get used to it. Same goes for regularly moisturizing. Make it part of your routine.
8-10 MONTHS
1. Talk to your dentist about Invisalign
If you’re smile isn’t quite what you wish it would be for all the photography that’ll come along with your wedding day, now is the time to talk to your dentist about getting it straightened out.
2. Laser hair removal
Because most laser hair removal requires a series of at least three sessions, spaced anywhere from four to eight weeks apart, it’s best to start early. And—according to the American Academy of Dermatology, patients are advised to avoid tanning or sunless tanners for up to six weeks prior to treatment. If you’re looking for a tan, you’ll probably be hitting that sunless tanner bottle hard a few months from now, so you’d better get your laser removal on now.
4-6 MONTHS
1. Book hair and makeup
If you live in a smaller town or are incredibly flexible, you may have a little more time, but if you live in a high-demand area and have your heart set on a particular hair stylist or makeup artist, it’s best to get those vendors booked. You can start your trials a bit later, but having a professional on the books is a good idea at this point in the game.
2. Meet with a skincare professional
Particularly if you have sensitive or problematic skin, start talking to a professional about a skincare planning and goals now. While most treatments—facials, microdermabrasion, botox, etc.–leave you looking glamorous in no time, if you’re trying any of them out for the first time, it’s important to do so early so you don’t get caught red-faced—or worse—on your big day. Be sure to ask about post-procedure at-home care. Not only will that help the benefits of your procedure to last longer, but it’ll ensure that you don’t have any adverse reactions.
3. Meet with your favorite hair stylist
If you’re interested in a whole new do, consider having your hair colored or cut now. Yes, you’ll have to maintain the color and/or cut for at least the next few months, but maintaining is a lot less stressful than fixing a dye or cut job gone awry with just weeks to go. And, you might need a whole new do and not even realize it.
2-3 MONTHS
1. Experiment with sunless tanners
If you’re looking for a little glow-from-a-bottle (and we know you wouldn’t dare think about ruining a healthy skin by tanning any of the old fashioned ways), you’ll want to pick up a couple now to try them out. Give yourself plenty of time to try out different ones. See which last, which offer the color tone you’re looking for, and which won’t rub off—a runny tanner and a white dress do not mix.
2. Quit biting your nails
If you do it, we’re sure you’ve been trying to stop. But now is the crunch time. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, women’s fingernails grow on average 3.5 millimeters per month. So if you quit now and start practicing proper nail grooming, you can lengthen your nails for the perfect manicure.
3. Attend your trials
If you’re having your hair or makeup professionally done, schedule your trial for at least one month out, so you have time to make any changes to the look. If you’re doing your own hair and makeup, start practicing.
A trial updo appointment is worth the investment . It’ll help you communicate with your stylist so you can nail the right look.
3-4 WEEKS BEFORE
1. Make your last appointments
Schedule your last haircut, hair color, skincare procedure—with the exception of a mini-facial, which can be done a few days before the big day. To clarify, we mean your last of a series of treatments.
2. Get your teeth whitened
Consult your dentist about which at-home treatment he or she recommends or set up an in-office professional whitening.
3-5 DAYS BEFORE
1. Get your mani/pedi
2. Waxing
Facial hair or otherwise, take care of this with plenty of time to allow any swelling or redness to subside—at least a few days.
