Avenue

Altered for the Altar

Looking your best on your big day means weeks, even months, of advance planning and pampering

By Jennifer Hamilton
Illustration By Benjamin Huen

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The most beautiful brides are the ones who look youthful, glowing, healthy and relaxed — their figure flaws and skin imperfections seem to vanish under the spell of love.

But as every wedding planner knows, a fairy-tale wedding doesn’t happen by magic. And rarely does a bride of any age look naturally, effortlessly healthy and radiant by accident. More likely it’s the result of exercise, nutrition, grooming and a host of beauty treatments that help a bride put her best face — and body — forward as all eyes turn to her.

As with all elements of a wedding, the key to success is planning. The more advance preparation a bride can do, the less she’ll have to stress at the last minute. With this in mind, Avenue has come up with a guide to help brides (and anyone else involved) plan ahead so when the big day rolls around, looking their best really is practically effortless.

3 to 6 months ahead . . .

Alas, the days of covering up with layers of tulle and taffeta are gone as the trend toward sleek, body-baring dresses has put the figure at the forefront. Sculpting your body for a day of non-stop staring should begin at least three months in advance, keeping in mind that most experts agree a safe goal is to lose a maximum of one to two pounds per week.

Many gyms offer bridal packages, and even brides-to-be who are regular exercisers can benefit from working with a personal trainer for a routine revamp.

Training is only half the battle, though. Nutrition is equally important, not only for weight loss but also for energy, stress management and healthy skin, hair and nails. Many spas and wellness centres offer nutrition counselling with a holistic approach to health, wellness and beauty. A certified nutritionist can assess your current diet, suggest menu ideas and recommend supplements to help you look and feel your best.

When it comes to healthy skin, start by having your skin analyzed by a dermatologist or a medical esthetician who will point out problems such as environmental damage, redness, veins, big pores and other such facial faux pas and suggest procedures to combat these imperfections to achieve a clear, radiant complexion.

Among the treatments generally classified as medical esthetics are laser treatments, chemical peels and microdermabrasion, which, though non-surgical, use stronger active ingredients and methods, and produce more obvious results than spa facials. Although results can be seen with just one visit, they’re generally more effective with multiple treatments (usually eight weeks apart), so it’s best to start well in advance to ensure maximum benefit and give your skin time to heal.

Botox is another treatment that has brides, grooms and likely a good chunk of the guests over 30 running to the skin doctor faster than you can say, “I do.” Not only is Botox effective for smoothing lines and wrinkles and lifting the brow, it’s also used to treat excessive sweating in the armpits.

Results are noticeable after about five days and last approximately three months, so you could do it in the week or two leading up to your wedding, but it’s better to have your first treatment several months before so there are no surprises in terms of how you’ll react.

1 to 3 months ahead . . .

In the months leading up to your wedding, your left hand — and specifically what’s on your fourth finger — will be the object of endless ogling, so make a manicure part of your personal maintenance. Skip the fake nails and opt for neat, nicely groomed nails with natural-looking polish.

Moisturize your hands like it’s your job and remember: the more diligent you are with your hand-care regime, the healthier your nails will look by the time your wedding day rolls around.

The same goes for your skin care regime. A spa facial (one every eight weeks or so) will give your skin a healthy glow, but it’s important to have one well before your wedding, especially if you’ve never had one before since you don’t know how your skin will react. Your esthetician will be able to recommend products to use at home to help you maintain that glow, including a good exfoliant and an excellent moisturizer to combat Calgary’s Sahara-dry climate.

2 weeks to 1 month ahead . . .

Nothing says “beautiful bride” quite like a beautiful smile and a set of gleaming pearly whites. There are various ways to whiten your teeth, most of which involve peroxides — chemicals that release oxygen bubbles to lift out staining and pigmentation. The fastest and most dramatic results happen with a visit to the dentist’s office for bleaching and laser whitening, where teeth can be lightened up to eight shades with a single visit.

Next best is whitening your teeth at home with a kit from a dentist, which also can result in brighter teeth up to eight shades, though it takes seven to 10 days of applying the bleaching product.   Drugstore whiteners are also widely available — they’re cheaper than the professional products but generally less effective. Tooth and gum sensitivity is a common side effect of teeth whitening, so give yourself time to adjust and heal.

2 weeks ahead to 2 days ahead . . .

Beauty-wise, it’s officially crunch time, especially if you’ve neglected your vanity in the previous weeks and months.

If you want long, beautiful lashes, consider semi-permanent eyelash extensions, which negate the need for mascara and thus the worry of having it streaming down your face during your vows. An esthetician will glue individual synthetic lashes to your existing lashes, giving you natural-looking long, full lashes that will look good for three to four weeks, after which time regular touch-ups are needed. The process takes two to three hours.

If you’ve been diligent with facials and skin care, your face should already be glowing, so it’s time to get the body to match with a salt scrub treatment that exfoliates, invigorates the skin, increases circulation and coaxes tension out of muscles. Combined with a Vichy shower treatment available at most spas, it’s not only a great beauty treatment, but a superb stress reliever. It’s also a perfect precursor to a tanning cream application.

Airbrush spray tanning produces excellent, natural-looking results and uses a water-based formula that won’t stain clothes and lasts up to 10 days. Whether you go this route or that of a Mystic Tan or cream application, best to do it a few days before the wedding to ensure your dress won’t get stained and to allow for the correction of any streaky mishaps. Be especially careful around your hands, which are notoriously difficult to deal with, tanning cream-wise.

Before you do any artificial tanning, get whatever waxing you need done because if you wait until after, your tan will come off along with your hair.