I worked in the wedding industry for many years, have been in several weddings as a bridesmaid, and was also a bride myself. With these experiences, I learned several Wedding Day Beauty Tips along the way. However, that statement makes me feel like I’ve just said my own version of the Farmers Insurance campaign slogan “I know a thing or two, because I’ve seen a thing or two.”
Rather than just seeing and knowing it, I consulted with a beauty professional on the topic. Not just any beauty professional, but Britnye Shore the Owner/Creator of The Bardot – Beauty and Bridal with locations in both Florida and North Carolina. Britnye contributed so many great tips and words of wisdom to the conversation.
Is Britnye Shore a boss babe or what?!
I am excited to share these 9 Wedding Day Beauty Tips so that you can feel confident and let your beauty shine in the best way possible on your big day.
#1. Hire a professional makeup team and have them do both hair and makeup for the entire wedding party.
Rather than just having the bride get professional hair and makeup done, have the the whole wedding party done for the best, cohesive look possible. In addition to bridesmaids, think about your other VIPs that will be photographed a lot and who want to feel their best as well – flower girls, mother-of-the-bride, mother-of-the-groom, and grandmas too!
In addition to hiring a hair and makeup team, Britnye says, “Always have a hair and makeup trial! This eliminates stress for you and your artist on the day of. This allows yourself to experiment with different styles and makeup looks. And once you nail down that look you’ve been dreaming of, there is no stress on wedding day as to what your hair and makeup will look like!”
If you are having bridal portraits taken before the wedding, that would be a great day to do your trial! I did not have bridal portraits taken however, I did have a wedding dress alteration appointment after my hair and makeup trial so I really got the chance to see the whole look come together with my dress.
#2. Get a spray tan.
Britnye states, “Spray tans are a phenomenal way to get that bridal glow if you haven’t had time to be in the sun or if your wedding is in cooler months. We always suggest going to a professional who does spray tans by hand and not the machines. They can custom create colors based on your consultation and can contour any areas that are desired. It’s the best!“
I fake bake all the way and love a good spray tan by hand! Getting your spray tan 2 days before the big day will give you the best color on your wedding day. You can also get rid of any unwanted tan lines that might show with your dress.
Have dark skin? A spray tan is still a good idea. In Mindy Kaling’s book Why Not Me? she says, “It’s not about changing the color, it’s about evening out the color. Basically what that means is a really brave woman named Jen will show up at my house with a machine that looks like a small stainless-steel box to store a gremlin, and I will strip naked and stand in my bathroom with my arms and legs wide open and a guilty expression on my face. You don’t have to wear underwear, but I always wear mine because it’s important for Jen to know that I am classy.”
#3. Wear fake eyelashes or get eyelash extensions.
If you have never worn fake lashes, you are seriously missing out! At first, they do feel like you are wearing little baseball caps on your eyelids but once you get used to them, you are all set.
I ended up getting eyelash extensions so that they would last throughout my honeymoon as well. It was definitely worth it!
#4. Bring your own lip color so that you can re-apply throughout the day.
You will be kissing, eating, drinking, and talking a lot so your lip color is bound to wear off. In order to stay picture perfect throughout your entire wedding day, make sure that you have your own lip color so that you can re-apply as needed.
I tend to get lip color all over my teeth (I suppose that it’s the way that my lips curl when I smile and talk!) so I prefer a long lasting color or stain. My all-time favorite is Chanel’s Le Rouge Duo Ultra Tenue Ultra Wear Lip Colour.
#5. Do not try something new right before the big day!
“Same goes for lash extensions or any type of facial and peel. Always give yourself an appointment buffer to ensure that you don’t have any allergies and that you get the look you want! You just never want to try something new right before the big day. Give yourself time!” Britnye remarks.
I wholeheartedly agree. I had never had eyelash extensions before so I actually got my lashes done a few month before the wedding to try it out. All went well so I got them done again right before the wedding.
#6. Have your hair prepped and ready and get clip in hair extensions.
Britnye is a hair pro and knows the best practices and secrets for making your hair looks its best. She says, “If you’re looking to change your hair color before your wedding day, always start the process 3-4 months before hand just in case some minor tweaks have to happen before the big day! And we always suggest for the best look to color your hair 2 weeks before your date. Just that little bit of root looks natural!”
I know that it is poplar to grow out your hair for the wedding and then get the “wife chop” right after the wedding. I knew that I wanted my hair in an updo and that I wanted to have my natural hair color for my wedding so I grew it out and got it colored in order to pull it off.
Britnye advises to, “Get a professional blowout 2-3 days before your wedding day. This not only allows your hair to look amazing for your rehearsal but always gives your bridal stylist the best possible hair to style! Freshly washed hair does not hold as well. Having the professional blowout will prolong your hair and the products that they will use during the service will help hold your style on wedding day!”
Yes! I had a blowout for my rehearsal dinner and did not wash my hair again until after the wedding.
Britnye also thinks that, “It is a great idea to buy clip in hair extensions for your day. Even if it’s just a few pieces, the added fullness is a game changer! Just ask your stylist what type you should get. Chances are she or he has them for you to purchase already and the quality has been tested. Not all hair extensions are the same! “
Clip in hair extensions are a great idea if you are wearing your hair down or in an updo. Full hair is always a gorgeous look!
#7. Under eye patches will save your life!
For someone whose undereye circles sometimes can compete with Pete Davidson’s, I know this to be true! Britnye suggests, “24k gold eye patches have so much nutrients and oils to help with any type of under eye bags on the day of or any discoloration. Bonus tips to keep them in your fridge so they stay nice and cold!”
#8. Get your nails did.
A fresh manicure and pedicure is a must have! You and your partner will be sporting some new bling bling so there are bound to be some close up photos of your hands and nails.
#9. Prep your smile.
A white wedding dress is not very forgiving. If your dress is white and your teeth are yellow, they will stick out even more and it will not be a good look! I had a dental cleaning and did a round of Crest Whitestrips right before the wedding so that my teeth would be in tip top shape.
You could also get professional teeth whitening as well!
*OPTIONAL TIP* Wax on, wax and hair off.
Legs? Underarms? Arms? Bikini? All of the above? Maybe your eyebrows should be freshly waxed at the very least. If you have dark underarm hair and get em waxed, you can throw your arms up in the air like you do not care on the dance floor!
*BONUS TIP* Have a pair of comfortable wedges or platform shoes ready that are the same height as your heels.
Technically this is not beauty, hair, or makeup related but if you are a wuss like me when it comes to wearing heels for a long time, this tip SAVED MY FEET on my wedding day! All of this beauty work is no good if you are wincing from sore feet all night. I wore my pretty wedding heels for my first look and that was about it. I wore comfy platform sandals the whole night and no one knew the difference. Sneaky sneaky and comfy comfy!
Often you will see brides change into cute sneakers or flats for the reception however, I do not recommend changing the heights of your shoes as your dress has been custom altered and bustled and this will mess up how your dress lays. Unless you plan on wearing flats all day, this is actually a misconception and a no no.
Wedding Beauty Prep Schedule
Since this is a lot of information, I recommend that you count back from your wedding day and plop the appropriate dates for your beautifying services into your calendar and make appointments when applicable. Easy peasy!
I know that many people are not used to this much prep or even wearing that much makeup. However, when you are being professionally photographed all day, I GUARANTEE you that being professionally dolled up will make a HUGE difference in how you appear in your wedding photos and you will have zero regrets.
This post is mostly for the bride to prep however, it does not hurt to share some of these tips with your bridal party as well. Blush and champagne are super popular colors for bridesmaid dresses however, they definitely look best when your leading ladies have a spray tan 🙂
I have never seen a bride who was not beaming and beautiful on her wedding day. There is something about the white dress, the love, and the internal glow that brides have that makes them drop dead gorgeous and stunning but I hope that these tips make you feel your best and help you live up this exciting time in your life!
Did someone say, GIVEAWAY?!
Britnye, thank you so much for your insight, tips, and tricks! Make sure to follow her business Instagram accounts for all things beauty at @thebardotbridal and @thebardotbeauty and to follow her personal account @wearetheshores.
You should definitely follow as we are doing a GIVEAWAY and would love for you to play along! The Bardot is giving away a set of lashes and an everyday turban. You can read the rules to enter on our Instagram accounts (mine is @mollyannrussell). NOTE: This giveaway ends on Friday, June 12, 2020 at 8pm EST.