The final stretch of your wedding planning journey has arrived. After months of planning every detail to perfection—from the guest list to the wedding venue selection and even the finer details like wedding shoes and wedding band—you’re eager for everything to go smoothly.Friends and family (including your bridal party) keep telling you to relax, but you can’t shake the feeling there’s still something left to do.
One of the biggest last-minute worries? Your hair and makeup for the wedding day. With so many decisions already made, it’s natural to feel flustered about how you’ll look during those biggest moments, captured by your wedding photographer. But don’t worry—we’ve got you covered!
Don’t do this one week before your wedding!
Every bride finds themselves in the same boat one week before the wedding—worrying if they’re truly prepared for the big day. And especially worrying that maybe their look isn’t quite as perfect as it should be. Many go on to do some last-minute experimenting—often with disastrous results. No one really talks enough about what you should avoid leading up to the wedding day, which is why so many brides get caught out by taking great risks.
💡 “Once it’s gone wrong, it’s not only a challenge to get it right again, but can also be really time-consuming”, says Izabella.
And time’s not on your side. So, with that in mind, here are some of Izabella’s things you should do and should not do in the run-up to your Big Day!
Don’t change your skin care routine one week before wedding
Introducing new skincare products or treatments one week before wedding day can be risky. Harsh treatments like chemical peels or microdermabrasion can cause redness, irritation, or peeling—especially if you have a reaction.
When you’ve got time to spare, a skin peel can be a great way to get super-smooth skin and rid yourself of rough texture and dead skin, but it’s definitely not a good idea one week before wedding.
💡 “Your dermatologists should recommend getting facials or chemical peels at least 2–4 weeks before a big event to allow your skin to heal”
If you’re considering Botox or fillers, plan for at least a month in advance to allow for any touch-ups or swelling to subside.
This applies to spray tan and tanning booths as well – be sure to plan these things well in advance to ensure you don’t have an uneven colour.
Your bridal makeup artist has likely tailored a skincare plan to enhance your natural glow. Stick to your trusted routine, stay hydrated, and let your beauty shine through.
Don’t experiment with new foods or diets
Your wedding planning journey has been long, and it’s understandable to want to look and feel your best. But drastic diet changes at the last minute can do more harm than good.
- High-sodium foods can cause bloating.
And as for those panic last-minute diets? Forget them!
💡 “I recommend that every bride keep themselves healthy and nourished, with balanced meals with lots of veg and few carbs”, says Izabella. “That’s the way to eat healthily and stay happy”.
One of the most important parts of your bridal hair and makeup preparation is your beauty routine’ It’s not only what you put on your body, but also – if not more importantly – it’s what you put into your body that counts.
Be careful what you drink
And no, we’re not just talking about alcohol here. Sure, you may need to cut back there – alcohol not only has tons of calories, it dilutes your blood vessels which changes your skin colour, and can also affect your digestive system.
But beware of health drinks too! So-called juice cleanses don’t nourish you but can make you edgy, whilst fruit juice is packed with sugars. So, drink lots of water instead.
- Extreme juice cleanses can cause fatigue and breakouts.
- Excess alcohol dehydrates your skin and can affect your complexion.
So, give your body the rest and nutrition it requires and resist the urge to make any sudden changes.
Don’t change your makeup
Once you’ve had your wedding makeup trial with your professional makeup artist, and agreed on your best look, now is not the time to second-guess your choices! Your wedding makeup trial is designed to ensure you look stunning both in person and in high-resolution wedding photos.
💡 “You have to trust your wedding makeup artist”, says Izabella. “The wedding hair and makeup trial, is critical to get the best possible look– and once it’s decided on, it’s important to stick to it”.
Even if you don’t suffer from sensitive skin, the bridal skin prep provided by your makeup artist will have been customised to your specific requirements, so the added risk of off-the-books adjustments is just not necessary – apart from the addition of a waterproof mascara for those highly emotional moments, if not already accounted for.
Remember that the makeup needs to look good not only face-to-face but on hi-res cameras and phones, both by day and night. You will be captured in a variety of natural and artificial lighting and ultimately, you want wedding photos that you’re always going to love.
As long as you follow your skin care, and trust in your wedding makeup artist and hairstylist, you can rest easy, knowing that everything will go perfectly on your wedding morning.
Don’t have any dramatic changes to your hair!
The temptation to refresh your look right before the wedding is real, but last-minute haircuts or colour changes can lead to unexpected results.
Cutting your hair too short might affect your planned hairstyle.
Colouring your hair could result in an unflattering shade that doesn’t match your wedding outfit or makeup.
💡 Izabella’s advice: Touch up your colour at least two weeks before your big day to allow the shade to settle. But only touch ups! We don’t want to see you on your big day with blonde hair instead of brown!
Keep in mind that the style you decided on in the wedding hair trial will be matched to your dress, neckline and jewellery – bridal hair is a very precise art, and with so much work going into making you look like a masterpiece, you don’t want any hasty decisions messing things up. Remember – the fact that a style works with a particular outfit doesn’t mean it will work with everything!
A fresh hair colour may seem tempting, but there are just too many risks, and the last thing you need is an unwanted hair disaster. Even when working with a professional hair stylist you risk ending up with a result that you don’t like, and your wedding hair stylist’s aim is to give you a result that is nothing less than stunning.
Also, the makeup that you’ve agreed on in your wedding trial may have to change if the colour doesn’t complement your skin tone in the same way as it did when your style was practised during your trial.
“If you think it’s looking faded, though, it’s probably fine to get some clear gloss applied – but check with your hairstylist first”.
Don’t try anything new at the gym
Keep to the same routine – otherwise, you may pull a muscle or sprain something, and that could take weeks to heal. If you need more exercise, even if you’re not a gym enthusiast, take a friend – or the dog – and go for walks or jogs in the park.
Apart from the benefits of exercise, the fresh air will do you good but don’t let yourself get carried away lest the bridal party have to carry you down the aisle!
Now is not the time to be a Party Animal – or binge watch that new series
Sleep is important!
Many people will want to celebrate with you and may invite you out ahead of the big day to toast your union. While that is a very beautiful thing, try not to slip into accepting every invitation.
With all of the wedding planning out of the way, socialising may seem like a great way to let your hair down, but don’t forget – you need to stay happy, calm and fresh.
Missing out on sleep, or even just changing your normal night patterns, can not only stress you out but ruin your complexion – at the very least giving you dark circles around your eyes. Plus, you want to ensure that your social battery is all charged up to celebrate on the day that counts!
What to do one week before your wedding
The week before your wedding is an exciting but crucial time to tie up loose ends and focus on yourself. While it’s natural to feel a little anxious, there’s no need to stress over last-minute details. Trust the vendors you’ve carefully chosen, take a deep breath, and make space for both quality time with loved ones and well-deserved moments of self-care. After all, you’ve put so much effort into planning—now it’s time to enjoy the final countdown to your big day! Read on to discover the top things you should do in the final week to ensure a smooth and stress-free wedding day.
Take time off work
The final week before your wedding is the ideal time to step away from work and focus on last-minute details.
Creating a to-do list can help massively with the organisation of your work responsibilities before you take time off work. Remember, space out your tasks to ensure you do not overwork yourself.
Remember, this also a self-care week leading up to your wedding. Get your wedding nails done, meditate and do breathing exercises to manage your stress or anxiety for your big day!
Taking this extra time allows you to enjoy the process without stress.
Break in your wedding shoes
The perfect wedding day shouldn’t be ruined by uncomfortable shoes. The best way to prevent discomfort is to:
- Walk around indoors for 30 minutes daily to break them in.
- Test different surfaces—wood, carpet, and pavement.
- Use blister pads if necessary.
💡 Wearing your wedding shoes before the big day helps prevent foot pain and unexpected discomfort.
Plan some “me time” and “us time”
Wedding planning can be overwhelming, so schedule moments of relaxation:
- Take a hot bath with calming essential oils.
- Write and practice your wedding vows.
- Have a quiet date night with your partner to connect before the big day.
Enjoy these special moments before the wedding reception excitement begins.
Put together a wedding emergency kit
It’s essential to have a wedding day emergency kit prepared with items such as beauty essentials, painkillers, mints, and a small sewing kit to address any unexpected issues to your wedding dress during the event.
If you’re working with a wedding planner or wedding coordinator, they will also have their own emergency kit prepared for any last-minute hiccups or needs.
Creating a comprehensive wedding planning checklist can help you organise essential tasks, reducing the likelihood of experiencing wedding day mishaps. Always keep everything organised in one place to reduce the risk of forgetting important items as the wedding day approaches.
Final thoughts
The week before your wedding is about preparing, not stressing. Avoid last-minute changes, take care of yourself, and trust your wedding planning journey.
Even if you have last minute paranoia, there’s no harm in checking in with your wedding suppliers or double checking everything with your wedding planner.
Now, take a deep breath, trust the process, and get ready to walk down the aisle!
Ready for a stress-free wedding hair and makeup?
Book your wedding hair and makeup trial in advance with Izabella Bordignon London to ensure a flawless, picture-perfect look! We do everything for you, create your dream bridal hairstyle and bridal makeup, we even create a timetable for the morning of your wedding to ensure you know exactly how the morning will run.
