At some point between booking a venue and choosing a playlist, someone will tell you to start your “bridal beauty journey”. It will probably involve buying things you’ve never needed before and worrying about things you hadn’t noticed.
This is your reminder that your wedding date is not a deadline for your face. You’re allowed to get married with the skin you have: pores, lines, spots, scars, texture and all. You’re also allowed to enjoy skincare, book a facial or spend an hour doing your make-up. The most important thing to ask yourself is are the treatments you’re doing are making you feel better or worse about yourself?
Wedding beauty advice has a habit of turning every normal thing skin does into a problem: six months to sort out your texture… three months to deal with your lines… Two weeks to achieve a perfect bridal glow (whatever the hell that means!) It’s an impressive amount of admin to create for a face you’ve lived in your whole life.
Perhaps you want to change your routine, or improve your skin and the wedding is a convenient excuse to finally start taking care of yourself. Or perhaps you love getting ready and want to make an occasion of it. Those are perfectly valid reasons to spend time on skincare. A fear of being photographed from the wrong angle deserves shouldn’t be the main reason.
Start with what you already do. If you wash your face, moisturise and use sun protection, you have a routine. If you’ve found products you like, the arrival of an engagement ring does not cancel their effectiveness. Frøya Organics blends this idea into an anti-aging skincare routine, so you get more from fewer products.
If you do want to think about your skin before the wedding, start with comfort. A long day in make-up, a dress that rubs or a chilly outdoor ceremony can make dry or sensitive patches feel harder to ignore. Stick with products you already know your skin likes, and give anything new a trial run well before the day. If a balm is part of your routine, you could look at options such as calendula balm from Frøya Organics for areas that feel dry. Check the ingredients and try it ahead of time, especially if your skin is reactive.
Think about the practical stuff, too. Will you be outside for the ceremony? Put sunscreen on your getting-ready list. Are you wearing a new perfume, body shimmer or adhesive under a dress you haven’t worn for more than ten minutes? Try the whole combination beforehand. If your hands get dry, put a product you already use in your bag. None of this requires a dramatic before-and-after photo. It’s simply a way to make a long day more comfortable.
Your make-up trial should be thought of in the same way. Tell your artist how you normally like to look, what feels strange on your face and which features you enjoy playing up. Bring the lipstick you actually wear. If you rarely wear foundation, you don’t have to start because the word “bridal” has entered the chat. If you want a full face, a killer winged and glitter then go for it! Take photos in different light, wear the look for a few hours and notice how it feels. That tells you more than a rule about what a bride is “supposed” to look like.
And can we retire the idea that everyone getting married is 28? People marry in their fifties, sixties, seventies and beyond. Some are doing it for the first time; some have a whole previous life together and are finally making it official. They deserve wedding beauty advice that speaks to them without treating age as an emergency. If your skin or the products you enjoy have changed over time, this guide to the best skin care routine for women over 50 might give you ideas. Take what works for you and leave the rest.
The same rules go for everyone around you. Your mum might want false lashes. Your gran might have the best red lipstick in the room. Your best mate might want bare skin and a sharp suit. Nobody needs a polite suggestion to “freshen up” for the photographs. Ask people if they want to get ready together, make space for anyone who needs a mirror and let them decide what goes on their face.
If looking after yourself sounds appealing, you can make it enjoyable. Take an evening off from seating plans. Wash your face, put on something comfortable and do whatever helps you unwind. That could involve a favourite moisturiser, a bath, a film or an early night. It doesn’t need to buy a million new products to produce a visible result to be time well spent. Rosehip oil is an great, natural option for more mature skin.
Your photographer is there to record the people getting married, not the result of a six-month skincare project. The photos will catch your expression when your favourite song comes on, the person who made you laugh during the speeches and the way you looked at each other. Let your skin come along for the ride.