Wedding Planning Articles
Beauty, Health & Pampering
...."looking & feeling your best"
On your wedding day, you want to look your very best. For some women, looking like a star can be accomplished as simply as having her hair and make up completed by a professional. Most of us, however, need a little more help than that! And what better time in your life to pamper your-self? To try a few beauty and health enhancing techniques?
To look and feel your most beautiful, you may want to consider some or all of the following beauty enhancing options: a picture-perfect wedding hair style, professionally applied wedding makeup, a wedding makeover, massages or body treatments, tanning, facials or microdermabrasion, hair removal, slimming & toning, manicures and pedicures, and teeth whitening. Maybe even that lasik eye surgery you have been considering so that you can kiss your glasses goodbye!
Makeovers
Who couldn't benefit from a makeover? You get comfortable with your makeup and never quite get around to updating your look. Well, your upcoming wedding is a great reason to try out a new makeup program. Several personal beauty experts offer complimentary makeovers for you and your wedding party - we highly recommend taking advantage of these offers.
Get your makeover early to ensure that you are satisfied with your new look. If so, you can recreate this look on your wedding day with your new cosmetics. Plus, beauty consultants also offer reasonably priced wedding day make up for you and your bridal party. Most will even travel to your home or to your dressing room at your wedding site!
Hair Styling
For your wedding hair style, bring a photo of the style you want with you to your stylist. Have your bridesmaids do the same so that your whole wedding party has a consistent complimentary look. Several weeks prior to the wedding, do a trial run of this style. Bring your veil and any other hair ornaments you will be wearing. Schedule your appointment for the morning of your wedding. Allow enough time for make up application after your hair is complete. Don't forget to wear a button-up blouse!
Facials & Microdermabrasion
If you have special skin issues or if you are an older Bride, you may want to get some skin care treatments that produce more significant results than a facial. Microdermabrasion treatments, offered in salons and doctors offices, is an intensive exfoliation process that removes the outermost layer of dry, dead skin cells. This treatment smoothes fine wrinkles and imperfections while stimulating collagen development, which helps to plump the skin reducing the appearance of wrinkles. Your skin will look radiant! A series of these treatments should be completed over a couple of months, so start early. If you are in your 40s or 50s, you might want to consider laser skin resurfacing, which is a more aggressive skin treatment that provides stunning results.
Massage
Treat Yourself to a Massage! It's never too early to indulge and relieve yourself from the stress you may be encountering during this sometimes chaotic time. Most massage therapists offer discount priced massage packages when you pay for several massages in advance. In the months just prior to your wedding, you might want to think of massage as you do your microwave oven…it was once considered a luxury, but it is now something that you want access to on a regular basis!
Slimming and Toning
Unfortunately, there just aren't any 15 minute fixes when it comes to dropping some weight and tightening the muscles. You know the drill here: a combination of a reasonable but restricted diet with both weight bearing and fat burning exercises will yield a slimmer tauter body. Whether you want to lose 10 or 30 pounds, this will take some time, so start six months to one year prior to your wedding. There are some great local gyms that specialize in slimming and toning for women. These are really great in that they give you a sense of camaraderie as well as privacy. A personal fitness trainer can also help to speed you toward your goal!
Tanning
A rich, smooth tan looks stunning against a white wedding gown. Now you can get a truly quick flawless tan in just minutes with a sunless spray-on (or airbrush) tan. How does it work? You stand in a booth and are misted with a tanning solution, which takes about 15 minutes to apply. Be sure to read and follow the tanning technician's instructions to achieve the best results. It lasts about seven days, so try it out once or twice starting about six weeks prior to the wedding date to ensure that you will be happy with your results.
Cosmetic Dentistry
The appearance of your teeth can dramatically affect the way you feel about your pictures. For some, simple whitening may be desired while others may opt for more. First, meet with a Dentist for a consultation, which some offer free. Laser enhanced bleaching takes about one hour while standard bleaching will take about two months. Both will whiten your teeth by four to eight shades. Evaluate the best procedure for you and plan your lead time accordingly.
Porcelain veneers can fill in small spaces, even out chips, and give an overall even appearance to your smile. This procedure takes two visits over ten days and it provides a significant change in a very short amount of time. Or, cosmetic re-contouring may correct uneven teeth.