And The Bride Wore--Tan Lines?

Is Spray Tanning Your Weapon Of Choice?

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Many brides wrestle with the decision on tanning before their wedding.  Any bride getting married in the summertime needs to consider what to do about the dreaded tan lines! Tanning booth? Makeup? Self tanner? Bronzing? You need to plan ahead to decide which option is right for you. 

While some brides tan naturally and develop a beautiful dark tan that lasts for months without assistance from lights or lotions, their pale cousins have to opt for other ways to achieve that extra bronze glow on their wedding day or opt to go natural. 

It's important to note that being 'pale' on your wedding day is not a wedding day disaster.  You want to look like YOU, not your cousin who tans well.  So if you're naturally pale consider opting to have your photographer simply warm up your photos if you look a little washed out in some of them. 

What are your other options?  Tanning booths, spray on tans, and bronzing makeups all can give you the tan look temporarily.  No matter which type tanning you choose,if you choose to tan you need to plan ahead for your wedding day look.  Getting that 'natually tan' look means NOT overdoing it either with a chemical tanner or tanning booth or lying on the beach.  If you overdo it the excessive redness in your skin will show up in your photos--not the look you want! A tan that's turned disaster can't be hidden by your photographer or makeup artist and peeling skin is impossible to cover up.

If you're planning on spray tanning realize that not all spray tans are created equal.  Tanning in a spray tan booth is fast (it takes about three minutes) but the results are less than flawless.  These tans distribute the same amount of tanning solution to your entire body resulting in faces that are too dark and legs that aren't dark enough.  If you're planning to spray tan for your wedding consider getting a custom spray tan.  It costs a little more but the results are well worth it.  A custom spray tan is the closest you can get to a flawless, natural looking glow for your skin.  A custom tan can give you a light, even looking, sun-kissed tone that will hide those freckles.  Not all salons do custom work so be sure to check around and try them out prior to your wedding.

If you're naturally pale work with your makeup artist or experiment with your makeup on your own and take photos to see how it looks in photos.  Often a white or pale dress has warm or cool tones in it that will help you not look washed out. 

Be aware of tan lines if you're planning on lying outside to get a tan.  While your makeup artist can minimize lines with makeup so it doesn't show up in your photos or Photoshop can retouch your photos, you don't want your look walking down the aisle to be anything but sensational!  You don't want your guests saying "She wore a gorgeous dress, her hair and makeup looked perfect but...those tan lines!" 

Your face, neck and visible skin should all match, so consult with your makeup artist in advance.  It's well worth the extra cost.  The makeup artist will need to know if you're going to be a totally different color the next time they see you so they can adjust your makeup accordingly.

So the keywords for tanning and makeup on your big day are "PLAN AHEAD."  You've spent a year planning your wedding, why not spend a few hours on thinking out your tanning and makeup strategies? Or opting to go 'au natural.'