Spring Chicken

It’s finally upon us, say good bye to winter as spring is finally moving in. We all start to feel better, less coat wearing, scarves and gloves away, hello flip flops. Hooray!

And us girls know what spring means, surely? Not just sunglasses and the feel good factor. Oh no. Something far more exciting – wedding season!

And so I have chosen my March blog to feature weddings – are you getting married in 2016?

Do you find yourself swept up in wedding talk, even if you promised yourself that wouldn’t be all you spoke about?! It is such an exciting time.

I’m assuming if you are in the throes of your wedding planning then everything is under control, however, if you were lucky enough to recently become engaged then have you any idea where to start? Wedding season is upon us, the wedding fayres have begun and all the wedding suppliers are getting in their new stock. As I own Shore Beauty Salon in Southend on Sea, I will focus on putting together a wedding planning guide in this March blog post for brides who are keen to organise their pre-wedding treatments.

So first of all, are the following on your to-do list:

Wedding hair

Wedding makeup

Wedding nails

Waxing for the wedding

No? Well quickly add them! Yes – then that’s perfect. These are the essentials before getting married when it comes to the beauty side of things.

So, here goes. I would say once you have chosen your dress, then a wedding hair and makeup trial is essential. This is so you can plan your wedding hair do to suit your dress and to see how the makeup can complement with your chosen wedding colours or theme. However – good hair stylists and makeup artists get booked up in advance so as soon as you can book in your trial slot with plenty of time before your day and book in your date. Do you research – look for recommendations from friends and family who have recently married, have a look on their websites, are they impressive? What are their photos like? What presence do they have on social media? And of course, what is the cost? Your hair and makeup is SO important on the day. Everyone will see it and it will be with you forever in your wedding photos so you must find the right stylist and makeup artist for you.

Next comes waxing. Have you ever waxed before? If you haven’t then book in some waxing ASAP. Starting waxing a good 6 months or more prior to the wedding will help give your hair enough time to fall into a growth cycle meaning you can be hair free and care free for 4 weeks or more by the time your date comes around. It’s a good idea to book in all of your monthly appointments leading up to the wedding so you know you will attend and also book in one before your big day….maybe 2 days or so before. But hang on, before we get too carried away, what waxing is essential? Most of my bridal clients feel their brows and top lip are essential, along with bikini line and legs, sometimes underarms too. Most say they feel more comfortable knowing their hair will not grow straight back and they won’t need to shave on the day, risking a cut from a razor or a skin reaction. Here at Shore Beauty we use Harley Hot Chocolate wax on all sensitive areas to make sure the waxing is as pain free as possible, so it’s always worth checking out the quality of the waxing at a salon, because you do not need to be in agony!

And last but certainly not least, nails – these are extremely important for the wedding day. Your nails will be on show, the most important accessory! So again, as with your hair and makeup it’s always best to find the right nail technician for you. Decide whether you need nail extensions and then choose either extensions with gel polish, or just gel polish alone. This ensures your nails will stay perfect for around 2 weeks when following the correct aftercare (don’t worry, aftercare is easy peasy). Avoid nail polish as this is risky – it chips very easily and you must always be certain it is dry. Do not go near your wedding dress with nails that are not 100% dry! This is why gel polish is fabulous and so popular with bridal clients – instantly dry nails, the perfect shine, and no chipping.

So to sum up –

Once you have picked your dress, book a hair and make-up trial for whenever is convenient. And get your wedding day booked in as soon as you can when you have found the right hair stylist and makeup artist. Around 6 months prior to the wedding, or before if possible, book in your waxing appointments and get that hair into a nice growth cycle. And with nails this really is flexible – get them any time prior to the wedding to try them out. See how long the extensions last, if you have them, and see how long the gel polish lasts on natural nails. Then book in your pre-wedding appointment for the day before the wedding.

And ta-da! You are all organised and you can begin to relax. Wait a sec…relax! During wedding planning! Maybe not…but at least it allows you to focus on everything else!