Your Ultimate Guide To Pre-Wedding Skincare Preparation

There are so many exciting elements of a wedding to plan. The venue, the flowers, the dress...but the one thing many people seem to forget about, or leave until the last minute is thinking about a skincare routine. Having the perfect no-makeup makeup look is made so much easier with the right skincare prep. Plus, there is nothing that boosts your confidence quite like waking up with a glowing complexion. We chatted to Dr Saras Sundrum, cosmetic physician at Dr Saras & Co to learn about the ideal wedding skincare timeline, what treatments to try and what products to use.

How long before the wedding should I be thinking about my skincare routine and what are the first steps?

If you have the luxury of time, Dr Sundrum recommends looking at overhauling or ramping up your skincare routine up to 12 months before your big day. The first steps to take include “regular exercise, even if it’s a walk every day. Make sure you’re getting enough sleep, eat a well-balanced diet, drink lots of water and use sun protection everyday,” she says. Dr Sundrum also recommends considering Pilates once or twice a week in the lead up to improve posture.

What comes next?

“The treatments [my brides-to-be] swear by,” says Dr Sundrum include “a few treatments of the Hydrofacial a month apart, before the wedding. This allows the skin to be thoroughly cleaned out and actives such as Vitamin A to be infused.” This works to combat common problems such as acne, redness or brown spots, she explains. “Additionally, the skin will be well hydrated and will be pumped out, helping fine lines.” Another treatment Dr Sundrum recommends is Picosure laser, “this will ensure the texture of the skin is perfect. It [also] helps with softening wrinkles and fine lines, toning and tightening skin, reducing the size of pores and helping reduce the appearance of scarring.”

What can I do at home?

Leave issues such as helping acne or scarring to the experts. When it comes to your at-home skincare routine, your main focus should be hydrating and brightening. Enlist the help of a hyaluronic acid serum and rich night cream in the evening and a vitamin C serum and sunscreen in the morning. bh loves: Medik8 Hydr8 B5 (find it at adorebeauty.com.au), Indeed Labs Hydraluron Serum, La Mer Creme de la Mer (if you’re going to splurge, pre-wedding is the time), Ole Henriksen Truth Serum (find it at sephora.com.au) and Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE® City Smart + DNA Enzyme Complex + Anti‐Pollution + Antioxidants with Sunscreen Hydrating Shield.

What should I not be doing?

The main thing to avoid is changing products or routine too much, especially in the month prior. “Whether it be skincare, haircare or makeup, as allergies and hypersensitivities can occur and ruin your wedding day,” says Dr Sundrum. “I would also recommend not having any last minute injectables or laser treatments.”

Dr Sundrum notes, while all the above will definitely contribute to the ideal pre-wedding glow, her best skincare tip is to include plenty of vegetables and fruit in your diet, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep. “We all know these things but these simple rituals will make sure the bride looks healthy, radiant, confident and happy.”

For information on the treatments mentioned head to drsaraandco.com.au

Do you have any pre-wedding skincare tips?

30 Member Comments

Bohemian.Wanderlust 24 Feb 2019 8:45 PM

I haven’t yet set a date for my wedding, but I’m already prepping. Mainly with inside our beauty prep. I’ve been using beauty chef collagen liquid and it’s made such a difference. It’s taken a month but I can see the results already

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RitaB 24 Feb 2019 3:49 PM

I guess it depends on your skin type as well.

Rpear 15 Feb 2019 6:40 PM

Woah! Recommending to start a whole year in advance! That's scary haha Meghan is stunning and would look amazing without any of that mentioned haha! I do think posture is something to think about... Not just for a wedding but for everyday life.

ray_jay 12 Feb 2019 6:11 PM

This should be daily live by advise lol

Beautybabe140194 12 Feb 2019 10:29 AM

Not engaged or planning a wedding but I love the sound of the hydrofacial.

Jenniqua 12 Feb 2019 9:24 AM

I have never been married and probably will never be (by choice). So I just try to keep my skin game up all the time.

Meedee 12 Feb 2019 8:01 AM

Well my wedding was so long ago but I really dont think I did anything special at all. On the day a friend of my husband to be had offered to do my makeup and I went to a local hairdresser to get my hair done and also my nails. That was it. I was happy and felt that I looked a million dollars on the day :)

clearcrystalwater 11 Feb 2019 9:13 PM

Meghan is so beautiful I don't think she would have needed any extra special beauty treatments before she got married.

Shop A Everyday 11 Feb 2019 8:02 PM

No I can't recall doing anything other than a twice daily skincare regime

misfortune8 11 Feb 2019 7:37 PM

I'm marriage-phobic. Save money & wear a veil, haha!

Ellelily 11 Feb 2019 7:00 PM

There are lots of things people do leading up to their wedding. I just stepped up my cleaning routine

MoonlightSak16 11 Feb 2019 3:35 PM

My pre -wedding skin prep well didn't do much apart from DIY home masks and facial at a salon. I didn't even know what a foundation was back then. I only applied lipstick and eyeliner on my waterline . So simple but yet looked so elegant. I had great skin back then .

ThisIsMe 11 Feb 2019 1:16 PM

That's the one thing I never did before my wedding! Never really did much to skin until now in my 30's really..

Belleluxe 11 Feb 2019 11:16 AM

At this stage, I may as well throw myself a wedding lol

Sootyhere 10 Feb 2019 9:03 PM

Go with tried and true. Not the time for trialling a new skincare routine and risk skin flailing up

NellAdams 10 Feb 2019 2:05 PM

Yeah I would be that idiot trying all new stuff the day before the wedding LOL

skye_nicole_ 9 Feb 2019 8:00 PM

Meghan looked so stunning on her wedding day, it would be interesting to know what she did in the lead up to the wedding to see if she followed similar tips to these.

onlyoni 9 Feb 2019 7:55 PM

I don't think I even had a skincare routine nearly 40 years ago when I got married. From memory I had one bottle of moisturiser (Revlon or Olay) and I cleaned my face with a cream cleanser or soap and water. But, there's one thing I did religiously, and that was thoroughly cleanse my face every night.

I only had a two month engagement and managed to arrange the whole white wedding thing in that time.

clearcrystalwater 9 Feb 2019 10:44 AM

Wow 12 months before the wedding is a long time to prep - I had a five month engagement so that would have been out of the question anyhow. I did have professional advice from my make-up artist to ramp up my water intake hugely for two weeks before the wedding day - also to use a super hydrating mask a few times a week which was from the brand called Jager at the time. It reminds me of the Clarins Beauty Flash Balm but I think it was much more intensive.

duality 9 Feb 2019 9:27 AM

It’s certainly not the time to try anything new, stick to your usual routine

katrina176 9 Feb 2019 7:42 AM

I just clicked on the Elizabeth Arden sunscreen , great reviews and sounds good. Wouldn't mind trying it.

Hayley644 8 Feb 2019 10:45 PM

I don't recall doing anything special, don't think Meghans skin actually looks that good in the pic.

Amazeballs16 8 Feb 2019 8:31 PM

I would get a couple of facials done a couple of months prior to a big event like a wedding but nothing drastic, nothing leading up to the day itself just in case, no introducing different products, stick to what I know works well with my skin.

Neverland 8 Feb 2019 7:44 PM

I feel like a big one is don't put to much pressure on yourself to look perfect (because you will look amazing regardless!), the lead up can be stressful so it's important to take the time out to pamper yourself.