Your wedding is one of the most important days of your life and being able to achieve perfect, glowing skin is a huge deal for most brides. Just think -- you’ll be standing in front of 100+ people and taking hundreds of photos to look back on for the rest of your life – no bride wants to be stressing about the zit on her nose or blotchiness on her cheeks.

So the question is, where do I even begin?

When it comes to pre-wedding skincare, most of us probably think of professional facials, peels, and treatments. While that’s totally an option, there are tons of at-home treatments that are just as effective and much more reasonably priced!

You’re probably wondering, what does a wedding beauty timeline look like and why is a routine so important? Great questions! Keep reading to learn all of that and more.

The Importance of a Wedding Beauty Timeline

Even if you have great skin, the stressors that come with planning your big day can often lead to bad habits that can cause your skin to react.

For instance, I tend to make poor eating choices when I’m stressed and weeks before my own wedding, I went a little heavy on the ice cream and Hot Cheetos (sorry, not sorry). What did that result in? Blotchy, oily skin. I ended up chugging mass amounts of water in attempt to clear it away, but on my wedding day, my skin was definitely not at its best.

That’s why following a wedding beauty timeline and healthy skincare routine is so important.

Don’t get me wrong – it’s not all about looking amazing on the outside (although I have no doubt that you will!), but how you feel about yourself on the inside. Our skin is one of those factors that can really help or hurt our self-esteem, and if you aren’t feeling great about your skin, you aren’t going to feel great about yourself overall.

My goal is to help you feel as confident and beautiful as you deserve to feel on your wedding day. Are you ready to take those steps?

I’ve broken out a timeline for you to get you on a path to beautiful, glowing skin!

Beauty Tips for Brides: 9 Months Before Marriage

Start making healthier food choices. We all have our weaknesses – fast food, ice cream, pizza, candy. While those things are totally fine in moderation, it’s not great for your skin (or body!) to have on a regular basis. Although it may seem early to start a “bridal diet” (try not to think of it as a diet, but as a healthier lifestyle change!), I guarantee it’s going to take you a couple months to really get into a healthy habit of eating better. Not only will your body feel better, your skin will too!

Make water your new best friend. It personally took me months to get into the habit of hydrating my body the way it should be. Even when you don’t want to, drink water. Even if you aren’t thirsty, drink water. The more you drink it, the more you will begin to recognize when your body needs it. And trust me, it NEEDS a LOT of water.

A common rule for water consumption: Take your body weight, divide it in half, and whatever that number is, is the number of ounces you should be drinking per day. Depending on your activity level, more is required.

Amp up your skincare routine. Now is the time to start trying out different brands and products that you are going to use throughout the duration of your engagement. You’ll want to be sure to find a great moisturizer, toner, exfoliator, eye cream, and cleanser at the very minimum.

Not sure where to start? I recently switched over to Penny & Pine, a new collection of skincare products curated by brides, for brides. Their products are made from high-quality ingredients that are mostly natural and organic, and unlike a lot of other companies, they really care about what you’re putting on your face.

Honestly, it wasn’t until I started looking at the packaging of my old stuff compared to my Penny & Pine products that I realized how much junk I was putting on my face.

Beauty Tips for Brides: 6 Months Before Marriage

Find a fitness routine that works for you. Now, when I say ‘that works,’ I’m not referring to getting badass results (although I am totally confident that you will!) but I mean that works FOR YOU. Find a program, gym, class, etc. that works with your schedule. Find something that you actually enjoy doing and look forward to each week. The more you love the workouts you’re doing, the better results you’ll see! Working out will boost endorphins, which are known for giving your skin a healthy glow!

Recommendation: Meet with a trainer! I never in a million years thought I would enjoy working out with a personal trainer…until I actually tried it. It has literally been life changing.

Find a ride-or-die moisturizer. If you haven’t already found one, now is the time. Finding a moisturizer that complements your skin type is so, so, so important. Seriously you guys, if you take away anything from this blog, take this: YOU NEED TO HAVE A GOOD MOISTURIZER IN YOUR DAILY ROUTINE. Whether you opt for an oil, serum, or cream, having something that effectively hydrates and balances your skin will make a world of difference.

I personally love formulas with Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid is a chemical that our body naturally produces to help keep skin plump and hydrated. Overtime, our body creates less and less, causing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles.

Recommendation: Penny & Pine Moisture Boost Cream is one of my favorite Hyaluronic Acid formulas. It’s super lightweight, non-greasy, great for under makeup, and keeps my skin incredibly hydrated!

Grow out those luscious lashes. Even if you’re planning to wear falsies on the big day, it’s so fun to have long, luscious lashes for every other day of your life! Just think – between showers and bachelorette parties, you are going to have so many events that you’ll want to look fab for.

While lash extensions are super popular, they aren’t always the healthiest for your natural lashes. Consider an lash growth application such as this Lash Growth Serum. It’s made from healthy ingredients that will hydrate your natural lashes, stimulate growth, and create the appearance of longer, fuller lashes.

These formulas usually take a couple months to start seeing significant results so the earlier you can start, the better!

Beauty Tips for Brides: 3 Months Before Marriage

Test out tanning options. If you want that bronzy, JLo glow, you should start considering and testing out tanning options now. If you’re thinking of getting a spray tan, book one early on for a test run rather than waiting just days before your wedding. If you’re going to self-tan at home, make sure to start testing various products to ensure you find one with the best color and longevity. 

Start working on your sleep schedule. YOU GUYS. I cannot stress enough the importance that a good night’s sleep has on our skin. By getting in the habit of a good sleep schedule, you’ll not only improve your energy levels by a million, but you’ll also see refreshed, more vibrant skin! Not to mention, if you have tired eyes (you know, dark circles or bags), the sooner you can start implementing this, the better.

Beauty Tips for Brides: 1 Month Before Marriage

Exfoliate your face and body. If you haven’t already incorporated this into your weekly routine, now is the time to start! You should be exfoliating your face and body twice a week to help rid of dead cells and reveal fresh, revived skin!

Recommendation: My personal favorite that can be used on your body and face is the Penny and Pine Peppermint Exfoliating Cleanser. Not only does it smell amazing, but the exfoliating beads provide your skin with a deep cleanse, while also being gentle enough for all skin-types.

Start using a vitamin-rich facial serum. Honestly you guys, this is a MUST. While at first it might be intimidating to apply an oil to your face, you’ll be absolutely amazed at the results you’ll see. Find one that is made from natural ingredients and is rich in Omega Fatty Acids, Proteins, and Antioxidants.

Recommendation: I am absolutely head-over-heels obsessed with Transformation Oil. I tend to have red, blotchy skin and this literally cures my face of any imperfections. Use it 3 times a week, just before bed, and just watch the magic happen. I mean, just look at my literal, overnight transformation!

Beauty Tips for Brides: 2 Weeks Before Marriage

Cut that crap from your diet. If you can cut out dairy and or refined sugars at this stage, you’ll notice significant changes in your skin. Just try to remember, it’s only for two weeks! It might be a big change, but it’s totally do-able!

Treat yourself to a facial. You can certainly get this professionally done, but you can also just as effectively do it at home for a fraction of the price.

You’ll want to make sure you are tailoring your facial to your skin type. For instance, in you have dry skin, find a moisturizing solution and if you have oily or acne-prone skin, you’ll want to find a clarifying solution.

At Home Facial for Oily Skin: Begin with Penny and Pine’s Rose Hip Seed Cleanser, followed by their Exfoliating Toner, and finish with the 20 Minute Rescue Mask.

At Home Facial for Dry Skin: Begin with Penny and Pine’s Peppermint Exfoliating Cleanser, followed by their Restoring Oxygen Mask, and finish with the Transformation Oil.

At Home Facial for Combination Skin: Begin with Penny and Pine’s Detox Brightening Cleanser, followed by their Exfoliating Toner, and finish with the 20 Minute Rescue Mask.

Beauty Tips for Brides: 1 Week Before Marriage

Drink more water than your comfortable with. It might seem excessive, but hydrated skin is GLOWING skin. Trust me, you’ll thank me later.

Stay on top of your skincare routine. It’s easy to break free of habits once life starts to get hectic, but staying on top of your already-working skincare routine is going to be super important! Remember to keep cleansing, exfoliating, and moisturizing. Your skin needs it.

Stop stressing! I know, I know…easier said than done, right? But try to have as many loose ends tied up by this point as possible. The more you can relax the week before, the better your body and skin will feel. Remember, our skin reacts poorly to stress and no bride wants to wake up on her wedding day with a giant pimple on her face.

Beauty Tips for Brides: 2 Days Before Marriage

Treat your face with a mask. Preferably the same mask you used if you completed your at home facial. You want to ensure that it’s a mask you know your skin will react well too and is gentle enough for use so close to the big day!

Beauty Tips for Brides: 1 Day Before Marriage

Use Transformation Oil before bed. After seeing the overnight results that the Transformation Oil gave me, I can’t help but advocate this as the must-have skincare product for all brides. Apply a light coat of this before you doze off and I guarantee you’ll wake up with brighter, more glowing skin.

Get a full night’s sleep. So cliché, I know, but it’s super important and I know how restless the night before the big day can be. Try your best to get tucked into bed around 9pm so that you wake up feeling super refreshed!

Beauty Tips for Brides: The Day Of

Perform a minimal version of your normal routine. Keep in mind, this 100% isn’t the time to try anything new. Use your everyday products that you know work, but try to keep it to just a cleanser and moisturizer. You don’t want to put on anything too heavy that won’t sit well under makeup.

Enjoy the day! Remember that the strongest glow comes from within. If you feel beautiful and confident on the big day, people will notice!

Let’s Chat Wedding Beauty Timelines

What elements are you planning to incorporate into your wedding beauty timeline? Are there pre-wedding skincare tips that you swear by? Drop a comment below and share your thoughts!