Being engaged is wonderful, exciting, and joyful, but it can also come with a lot of stress and an inundation of information! Everyone in your personal life suddenly has a very strong opinion (or a million), and even people you don’t know may start to try to push you in one direction or another (vendors, bloggers, influencers, you name it)! SO, what can you do to protect yourself, your peace, and your wallet?
From the very start, you’ll want to be very intentional in setting your goals for the engagement process. There’s not shortage of online to do lists, but every engagement and every wedding is completely unique, so take everything you see with a grain of salt! There are definite truths to these to do lists, but it could also be beneficial for you to put together your own list of priorities and tasks! One that combines typical to dos with your own personal goals and wants. We highly recommend that these goals and wants include lots of self care and time to reflect, as the engagement process (just like life) can absolutely FLY by!
That being said, if and when you get started on your wedding self care journey (or ramp up a current one in preparation), be mindful of costs and personal boundaries. If you’re not someone who is particularly comfortable with - for example - massages, it may not be worth spending the money in this area! Similarly, keep an eye out for targeted ads & always have a critical eye as a bride, groom, or partner, as no matter what weddings are expensive!
If you ARE looking to spend a bit more time focusing on health & beauty in the coming months and don’t know where to start, we have quite a few partners and friendors that we recommend you check out to see if they’re a good fit for you! From hair care, to nail appts, to full spa days, we have recommendations in every category and for every budget.
Hair salons:
DryBar (multiple locations)
Massage/Chiro:
Nail salons/lashes:
Tanning:
Facials/waxing/skin care:
Boudoir (we could write a whole other blog about how AMAZING this experience can be!):
Mental Health & Misc:
Alison Raman (Counseling)
Earth Magic Academy (spiritual coach)
Fitness:
& For Those Really Stressful Days:
I personally got to experience some TLC with Valar Aesthetics, and wanted to share more about their process with you! They are incredibly up front about both benefits and cost, and take their clients’ needs seriously versus pushing people through a typical “system.” They will take the time to chat with you about your skin history, any pain points, sensitivities, etc before discussing long and short term options. I got to try a chemical peel, and spent about 15-30 mins chatting about the process before getting in the chair to ensure full comfortability. The team will walk you through the whole process, and will make you feel very at home during something that may be completely new to you!
My skin has since felt the benefits of the treatment (it lasts for weeks to months after the peel), and the experience has encouraged me to continue taking better care of myself and my skin. We highly encourage you check them out, as well as the other above companies! See below for their recommended skincare steps!
12 Months+ Out From Wedding
Ideal time for consultation at Valar Aesthetics to develop plan and budget! Neuromodulators/Botox/Xeomin: every 3-4 months up to wedding date
Dermal Filler: consider trying 12 months out if new to filler
Resurfacing Treatments: begin ASAP for full benefit as these are often a 3 treatment series every 4-6 weeks (lasers, chemical peels, microneedling)
6 Months Out
Not too late for a consultation!
Neuromodulators: every 3-4 months until wedding date
Dermal Filler: try filler now if new to filler
Resurfacing Treatments: continue series of treatments
3 Months Out
Neuromodulators: every 3-4 months until wedding date
Dermal Filler: Touch up
Finish up resurfacing treatments
4-6 Weeks Out
A facial is fine but only if tolerated in the past
Superficial resurfacing treatment only if tolerated in past ● Dermaplaning
No experimenting with new treatments or products for bride or groom
1 Week Out
No experimenting with new treatments or products for bride or groom
A gentle facial might be fine but only if tolerated in the past
Dermaplaning if tolerated in the past
Day Of
NOTHING NEW
Drink lots of water!
Have fun!