NAA Pre-Wedding Spa Guide

Whether you’re a guest, a member of the wedding party, or the radiant bride herself, wedding season heightens everyone’s desire to show off flawless skin. If your pre-wedding plans involve a visit to a spa or salon, there are likely to be questions on your mind— from what services are ideal just before you want to look photo-ready, to guidelines for ensuring foolproof makeup. We recommend a gentle approach to your wedding day skin, as too much too close to the event can add more stress to the day. Overall we believe that a pre-wedding facial can be a powerful ritual for relaxation and de-stressing, even beyond its ability to help you and your skin look a certain way on your wedding. Try one and we bet you’ll agree!

Pre-Wedding Spa FAQ:

Q: Should I schedule a day-before wedding facial?

A: The truth is, even a gentle facial can lead to minor breakouts, so it’s not the best idea to get a facial right before your wedding. If you have a favorite facial that always makes you glow, schedule that service at least a week before the big day. Instead of clay masks that are meant to absorb toxins/debris from the skin, focus on hydrating masks and packs that add hydration and nutrients.

Q: Should I look for a facial that focuses on exfoliation to really make my skin glow?

A: Not necessarily. Any exfoliation that you receive should be very gentle. Look for enzyme exfoliation over scrubs and peels. In general, opt for gentle treatments that are non-invasive and aimed to improve overall tone such as lymphatic drainage, gua sha, and acupressure.

Q: Are there any facials that I should definitely avoid right before my wedding?

A: As a general rule, skip treatments with suction! Even though it may sound like appealing technology, your safest bet is to avoid microdermabrasion or vacuum treatments. Even on a low setting, accidents like broken capillaries and bruising can happen—and cause unwanted stress when they’re highly visible on your skin. Also avoid chemical exfoliation and acid peels; it’s not always possible to predict how the skin will react or how long inflammation will remain.

Q: What spa treatments are best to de-stress ahead of the event?

A: Beyond your favorite full-body massage, which can lower the collagen-degrading stress hormone cortisol in your body and release feel-good neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine (as will as give you a mini immune boost!), we love gentle facial and head massages with carrier oils to relax your muscles and mind.

Q: What guidelines should I keep in mind for my my professional makeup?

A: Always have a schedule a trial makeup session well ahead of time, and be sure you’re happy with the look both in person and in photographs before the wedding. Your style is your preference, but it’s important to understand that more and/or different makeup than you’re used to in everyday life is used for weddings. If you’re being photographed you want to look your best up close, from a distance, and on camera, and often in different types of lighting. Be sure your makeup artist has experience doing makeup for photography and video if you’re having video taken, and ask your photographer and videographer if they have any recommendations or requests for makeup. And always have a plan for touch ups— if you’re the bride, ask a bridesmaid to be on touch up duty!