Bridal Tanning; advice from a Spray Tan expert

Hello and huge congratulations. If you’re reading this it most likely means you’re planning your big day; I really hope it’s going well! Having a Spray Tan for your wedding isn’t a decision to be taken lightly, because you want everything to be perfect and to feel the most confident you have ever felt. So I’ve written this blog to help you with that decision and I hope it answers some of the many many questions that you’ll understandably have.

Why do so many brides choose a Spray Tan for their wedding day?

A good Spray Tan will give a bride a healthy glow and even out her skin tone. It should make her feel radiant and sun kissed. Check out photos of some of my brides and their wedding tans here and read what they say about there experience here.

Trial once or even twice!

Every bride should have a trial tan before their wedding day. It gives you an opportunity to meet your Spray Tan artist, see what the process is like and check if the product works well on your skin. As with any beauty treatment, the result is dependent on your body, your preparation, after-care and of course the quality of the spray tan product and skill of application. All of these factors effect the result, so a trial is an absolute must. I would recommend having a trial at least three weeks before your wedding, but preferably sooner in case you would like an additional trial.

When to have your wedding Spray Tan?

You will need to have your tan applied 1-3 days before your wedding. Most of my clients choose Thursday evening if the wedding is on Saturday. The colour of the tan is very slightly different every day. Because of this, I recommend taking a photograph of yourself outside in natural daylight wearing something similar to the colour of your dress every day after your trial tan. You will then be able to look through the pictures and see how your skin would look on your wedding day. It’s important to do this outside in natural light. If you prefer the tan on day 2, that’s how to work out when to book your wedding tan. Important: make sure that your chosen therapist is free on the days before your wedding when you book a trial. You want it to be the same person that does your wedding tan as your trial; every therapist will tan slightly differently.

Your Dress

I’ve tanned brides for over five years and I’ve never had anyone complain about the tan coming off on their dress, but it could just be they felt their faux glow outweighed the slight transfer of tan - possible! I would expect the transfer to only happen on the inside of the dress but if your dress is very tight and you sweat a lot or it’s very humid, the tan could transfer onto external areas of your dress (such as under the armpits and/or your neckline). I have never known this to happen to any of my clients but I tan lightly and would always ask my clients what their dress is like at their trial.

What to Wear

Think what you’re going to be wearing following your big day. For example, are you planning any particular kind of lingerie the night of your wedding? Or are you heading off on a honeymoon and going to be wearing a bikini? It’s so important to feel comfortable during your tanning application but you may want to consider going without any underwear to avoid any tan lines.

How long will it last?

If you’re heading off on honeymoon straight after your wedding day you can expect the tan to be good for at least around five days. I’ve written another blog on how long a Spray Tan lasts here.

Make Up

If having a make up artist, you may want to let them know you’re having a Spray Tan. Ideally you would have a spray tan trial before your make up trial because this may affect the colour that the make up artist uses. If you are choosing to have a Spray Tan for your wedding day, I’m assuming that you’Lloyd opt for a fairly light/natural colour, so it shouldn’t really matter too much or affect the make up products.

Hair

You’ll wear a hairnet during the tanning application, but even a great Spray Tan artist may not be able to completely guarantee that the tan won’t touch your hair as the nets don’t fit perfectly to everyone’s hairlines. Plan to wash your hair after your Spray Tan.

Hands

I consider hands to be the most important part of a bridal tan (just think of those ring shots!), so it’s really key that these are the right colour and not patchy.  A good Spray Tan artist will always check your hands for dry patches, cover your palms in barrier cream and spray your hands very lightly.

Colour

You will find out the perfect wash off time (which determines the colour) from your trial(s). Your skin is totally unique to you, so a spray tan artist wont be able to predict the exact colour you will be. Pick a reliable Spray Tan therapist who has tanned brides in the past; read reviews and ask for pictures of their previous clients.

Good luck!

There’s so much to think about when you’re planning a wedding and so I hope I haven’t overwhelmed you with the information above and that it helped you with your decision. Spray tanning is a safer option than a sunbed, but they’re not right for everyone, so I reiterate the need for a trial. I’ve had amazing feedback from brides that I have tanned. If you’ve still got questions or would like to book a trial, please message me on Instagram.

Yx