Bridal Beauty Tips

When it comes to Bridal Beauty, we've been there, done that, now serving 122 tips in 10 categories ranging from Becoming a Bride to When Things Go Wrong.

10 Tips for a Picture Perfect Wedding Day

Here's the secret - have more fun than everyone else! Your wedding is only the beginning; you are embarking on the start of your married life together. Focus on your new life together, and how excited you are to marry this person. The way you gaze at each other will reveal this passion, and it will allow the photographer to capture those moments.

Weddings can be very stressful for the bride and groom. Here are some tips wedding couples can use to reduce the amount of stress they encounter during their wedding to look their best in the photographs.

  • Be up-front about your expectations: Inform the photographer and videographer well in advance the type of shots you want to be taken so that he or she can learn positioning and style. Don't be afraid to tear out magazine photos or to request photographs of special heirlooms or wedding day accessories.
  • Pre-Wedding Photo shoot: Let's face it; those "Magazine Bride” photos that you see are planned, practiced, and picked from hundreds of options. Planning a pre- wedding shoot will undoubtedly improve your pictures. This practice will give the photographer the chance to capture that special once in a lifetime moment for you.
  • Scheduling a set time for the photo session: To minimize picture-taking time during cocktail hour try to take a majority of the formal pictures before the ceremony. Some photos could be the bridesmaids, groomsmen, the bride with her family, and the groom with his. If you're traditional, you can wait until after the ceremony to involve the bride and groom together.
  • Know about restrictions: Get consent from the ceremony location as to where photographs and video are allowed. Many churches, synagogues, mosques and chapels have specific areas that cannot be photographed or filmed, so make sure to check with them before the big day.
  • Consider a unique wedding-day gift: A great new idea for a groom's gift is to capture the bride's primping process, and show the groom what he missed. Documented by beautiful, tasteful pictures, the groom is allowed a peek into the bride's final moments before she becomes his forever, which will definitely become a keepsake for the groom.
  • Plan a Make up Rehearsal: Your wedding day is not the right time to experiment with makeup and hairstyles. Be sure to plan a separate day to have a hair and makeup "dress rehearsal". Try a few styles and pick one that's sophisticated and romantic, but lets you look like your beautiful and radiant self.
  • Know your Make-up: Being a blushing bride may take more than the simple mascara and lip gloss you're used to. For your wedding day, add a bit more make-up so you appear as beautiful and glowing in your portraits as you are in real life. Consider a bit of blush around the cheeks or matte lipstick to “pop” in your pictures. But don't go overboard; let your true beauty shine through on this joyous occasion.
  • Have your bridesmaids match: Double check your bridesmaids and try to get their makeup to match each other. Having a theme with hair and make up will make your wedding party look more unified and will really tie into the overall wedding look.
  • Find time for intimate shots: Let the photographer take shots of just you and your special someone. Try sneaking off to a remote location for a few minutes to capture a truly loving moment that will definitely highlight your wedding album.
  • Breathe, relax, and smile: The brides who take the best pictures are always the ones who smile the most, and look as though they don't have a care in the world. While this day is to share with friends and loved ones, it's really about the wedding couple. Enjoy your wedding: laugh, smile, and gaze at your new husband/wife. Forget about the cameras and flashes and have fun!

    Tip courtesy of A Dream Picture, of Canton, Mass. For more wedding day photo information, visit www.adreampicture.com

       
What are some stress relieving things I can do myself?

DIY Stress Relievers

You don't have to go to a lavishness spa to unwind. There are plenty of ways to do so in the comfort of your own home. Take a luxury bath with these tricks:

  • For dry, rough skin, add a cup of powdered milk to your bath.
  • To soothe irritated skin, take a warm oatmeal bath followed with a self massage of lotion.
  • Add several sprays of your favorite perfume to the bath for a sumptuous smell.
  • Create a spa mood in the bathroom by lighting candles and dimming bright, overhead lights. When it's time to get out of the bath, wrap yourself in a big plush robe and lay around and lounge awhile for the ultimate experience.

   
What are some good activities and hobbies to relieve stress?

Take a Time Out

Planning a wedding often leaves little time for other interests or hobbies. Take a weekend or two off throughout the wedding planning to do something you enjoy. Pick up a new pastime to get you out of bridal mode every once in awhile. Here are some great suggestions:

  • Read a book.
  • Take your dog for a walk.
  • Volunteer for the needy.
  • Write in a journal.
  • Scrapbook.
  • Listen to your favorite CD
  • Plant a garden.
Doing a favorite activity will help you to relieve stress and tension and will put your focus on something enjoyable. Taking time out to do something that you enjoy (besides planning a wedding) will help you reconnect with your life.

   
Can I indulge a little to relieve stress?

Indulge a Little

With all the dieting and exercising brides do, sometimes it's nice to just let loose and indulge a little. We're not saying to go overboard here and consume an entire pint of Ben and Jerry's ice cream, but it's ok to have a scoop or two every once in awhile. Indulging yourself in a few guilty pleasures once in a while won't spoil your diet, but it might spoil your bad mood. If you are feeling stressed and overwhelmed with wedding planning, occasionally indulge yourself in a favorite food or activity. Whether it be a chocolate chunk cookie or taking a day off from your workout, spoiling yourself every once in awhile can be good for you.

   
Can you give me ideas to make me laugh often?

Laughter is the Best Medicine

A hearty dose of laughter works wonders for our spirit. Laughter is known to be good for your health because of the release of endorphins. Here are some tips to get you chuckling every day:

  • Watch a funny movie with your honey.
  • Let loose and be silly. Do something quirky and comical to get the ball rolling.
  • Tell a cheesy joke. Even if others don't laugh at it, it will make you grin.
  • Listen to children laughing. There is nothing better to make you smile than that sound.
  • Visit a comedy club. There is bound to be someone there that makes you giggle.
Whatever it is that makes you laugh, find it and then do more of it because laughter truly is the best medicine.

   
How many hours of sleep do I need?

A Stress Relieving Snooze

A busy bride will often cut down on her time in bed to do late night wedding planning or to attend early morning wedding appointments. But sleep is something you truly cannot do without. A lack of sleep can leave you tired, cranky, lethargic and stressed. Sleeping restores, repairs and rejuvenates you, so that you can wake up with a clear and well rested mind. Consider a catnap on the weekends if you feel sluggish or tired. Catnaps - a few minutes here or there - are great refreshers that relax your body and mind. So give yourself the indulgence of sleeping well and watch the tension melt away.

   
Not finding the advice and tips you need on this Bridal Beauty Tip Site? Request a Tip Now!


Guru Spotlight
Carma Spence-Pothitt