A Bride’s Grace or Dismay
A Bride’s Guide To calm Wedding Day Nerves.
iStock Images
As a professional bridal makeup artist for over a decade, I’ve been a part of enough wedding prep hours to see what helps the day feel better, and what disrupts the flow. I want to share advice with the brides-to-be on how to keep the energy fun, how to prevent makeup mishaps, and how to ease some pressure in the midst of show day.
Take a glimpse into the future to get an idea of what to expect so you and your crew can be fully prepared. Learn what common mistakes to avoid as well as what to keep in mind for less stress. Take my advice on how to make this crazy day feel natural and get to the alter gracefully.
What To Expect On Your Wedding Day:
The day is finally here that you have been planning for months, years, or possibly your entire lifetime. This is the day you’re marrying the love of your life and emotions are throwing everyone for a loop. It’s go-time and you, your bridal party, and family are rushing around to get everything perfectly in order. Your wedding day is one of the biggest days of your life and a very hectic one at that.
For months you’ve been communicating with florists, caterers, venue coordinators, hair and makeup artists, photographers, the DJ, bridesmaids, family, and so on… And today everyone needs to talk to you at once. There’s so much to do to get ready and time is flying by when you need it to slow down. For added dramatic effect you have that one beloved member that tends to stress out everyone else with too many questions or oopsies.
And all of this is perfectly fine because as crazy as it may be this is also one of the happiest days in your life. The hours leading up to the big reveal are chaotic, but the moment of the first glance makes time poetically stand still. You’ve seen each other a million times and yet it’s still a breath of fresh air shared between your 2 connected souls.
But before that happens…
What you should Prepare Ahead Of Time:
Getting ready for your wedding is something that can take weeks. There are some obvious and some not-so-obvious details you’ll want to make sure you plan ahead of time. There’s the hair, the nails, the tanning, hair removal, and finding the perfect mementos to savor the event.
So when are you supposed to schedule these appointments? We’ll get to that in just a moment…
In all my years of working with thousands of brides through the process, I have noticed the little details that may not be as obvious but that you’ll appreciate more than you know… Did you know the sense of smell is closely linked to memory? Pick A Favorite Perfume so that you and you’re partner can transport back to those precious moments every time you wear it. This is one of my personal Favorite bridal fragrances for a starting point.
Treat yourself or add it to the bridal shower registry, A Cute Robe To Get Ready In on the big day. Here's one that’s on my personal wishlist! It’s stunning on a glowing bride and helps to set the vibe while you’re getting glammed up. You’ll avoid messing up your freshly style hair and face, perfect for transitioning into the best part of getting ready, putting on the dress. Plan to Have A Space Big Enough to comfortably fit your entire party. Having everyone interact together will help to calm nerves and keep everyone’s spirits high.
So…
How To Schedule:
Hair and Makeup:
Makeup artists and hair stylists will both recommend not scheduling the trials too early. Maybe 2 to 3 months pre-wedding day. Keep pictures from your test run for your own reference and be sure to work with your makeup artist so you can buy the same lipstick you’ll want for touch-ups.
💄 Pro Tip: Try scheduling both hair and makeup trials on the same day to get the full effect.
Tanning:
A lot of brides like to spray tan for their wedding. It helps to even out the skin tone, defines body contours, and gives a beautiful glow against the white dress. But just as you would do a trial run for hair and makeup, do yourself the favor and allow the same for a spray tan if that’s what you’re considering. The best recommendation for spray tanning is 1 to 2 days before the wedding. For all the expert tips check out this article.
💄Pro Tip: Get spray tanned 2 days before your makeup trial as well AND avoid spraying the face because it can look muddy under the makeup.
Hair Removal:
It cannot be stressed enough to avoid doing anything new to your skin right before the main event. If you want the 9 yards waxed for your wedding (legs, underarms, upper lip, etc.) make sure to… you guessed it, allow a test run. Get your skin conditioned and then plan to schedule the last appointment up to 2 days before the wedding OR 2 days before your spray tan. Anything 24 hours or less can result in irritation and will cause the makeup to not stick to the freshly exfoliated skin.
💄 ProTip: Do Not Forget The Eyebrows!
Bridal Do’s:
Do Be Flexible
Even with all the rehearsals, unforeseeable things still can happen the day of. Someone is stuck in traffic, poor weather or a misunderstanding was just conveniently discovered. Either way, try to not freak out… I know, easier said than done. Just keep moving along and most likely it will work itself out. Trust that everyone is doing their best, have faith in the day, breathe and remember what is most important today. That’ll put a smile back on your face every time. 🥰
Do Eat Something
It’s a long day and everything happens fast so plan ahead to have a little snack and beverage station. Don’t make the mistake of not eating until dinner on a day with hyped-up nerves to begin with and hours spent corsetted to your gown. Having little snacks to nibble on while people are getting ready will help to calm nerves and hold everyone over until the reception. You could delegate to one or ask each of your bridesmaids to bring something to the table. And be sure to do a smile check 😉
Popular Snack Table Hits:
Mini sandwiches or pinwheels
Fruit or veggie tray
Cold veggie party pizza
Bagels or muffins
Coffee or other caffeinated drinks
Water
Mimosas
Do Create a Playlist
When has music not been helpful in setting a tone? Ask your girls who would love to create the playlist and take requests from everyone to create a badass setlist to get ready to. Play feel-good, fun, and energetic music to help drown out any nerves to have a blast together!
Bridal Don’ts:
Don’t Doubt Your Hair Makeup Team
As hard as it may be, avoid creating a strict schedule with names and times of who gets ready and when. The more structured, the more stress. The only one to the contrary is, of course, the bride. You should be the second to last getting ready, not the first or the very last. You want your look to last and be as fresh as can be. You also don’t want to be rushing when photographers or coordinators come in asking a million questions while you’re trying to get ready.
Instead, discuss a general start time and finish time and let everything flow in between. Your artist knows this process like the back of their hand. They know not everyone will need the same amount of time to get ready, but everyone will be ready within a set time frame. If you need to create a list then go ahead but be flexible in the heat of the moment to keep everything running smoothly. For example, if someone is running late, move on to keep everything in motion…
Don’t Try Anything New Right Before Hand
This goes for everything listed so far in this guide and applies to any special occasion. You never know how your skin is going to react to a new treatment and if you’ll need to take corrective action. Don’t make major changes to your hair, introduce new products or your skin care regimen, or try some sort of fasting or cleanse in the days leading up to your date.
Instead, begin any process of change in the months leading up to the wedding to allow yourself time to correct a mishap and to live with it for a little while. This will help prevent any unnecessary insecurity and stress.
Don’t Think You Have To Do All This Alone…
Some people love having control, or at least they think they do. Having the need to control and take care of everything yourself only invites more room for things to go wrong. On this day you are going to be pulled in different directions well into the evening.
Instead, remember that you can trust the ones that are by your side today. Everyone around you only wants to see you happy and lend a helping hand. Delegate certain tasks to your bridesmaids or any family members willing to help. Sometimes it takes a village. Discuss ahead of time who wants to volunteer for what.
Cheers, to your pending nuptials 🥂
This will be a day with all sorts of excitement. Use these ideas or come up with your own to help make the getting-ready hours fun and effortless.
*Some of the links are affiliated so I receive a small commission when you purchase through the links on my page. Don’t feel pressured to use my links, you can always shop without. Thank You for supporting my brand, I truly appreciate it! 💕