Soon after getting engaged, you should sit down for a long, romantic evening with your agenda/journal and get to work on a wedding prep beauty schedule. What are some goals you have for yourself during this season? I mean, obviously, planning your wedding is goal #1, but the status of “engaged” doesn’t just end with “ – to be married.” Right now, you should focus on being engaged with every part of your LIFE! Prepare your body, heart, mind and soul for your greatest endeavor yet – marriage.
Why start now? Whether your engagement season is four months long or 24 months long, you’ll want to begin wedding day prep as soon as possible. And, in order to truly take advantage of every day, you need to have a plan from the get-go. Live out your engagement with intentionality so that you can look back and be proud of what you’ve accomplished.
Photo // Rkm Photograpy, LLC
Mind
Plan it out.
Despite being the most important part of your pre-wedding preparation, taking care of your mind during this time might require a lot of discipline. Our first suggestion – write everything down! Staying organized with a planner or agenda will play a huge part in your mental wellness during your engagement season, thus impacting your wedding beauty efforts. The important dates, the phone calls, the checklists, deadlines – it should all live on paper. And maybe even live on something cloud-based like Google Drive, just in case.
Journal your feelings.
Whether you love wedding planning or you feel like hiding in your room when your planner needs a decision from you, there are highs and lows throughout process. Documenting your experiences in a journal will help you get through the rough times and allow you to remember the really good days. You can even keep a diary in your wedding agenda alongside your other notes and appointments for a more comprehensive diary experience. If you’re a spiritual person, use a prayer journal daily! This could also serve as a wonderful, intimate gift to give your spouse on the day of the wedding, too.
Do you.
Be sure to do what you and your spouse want to do – it’s your wedding day! If the thought of having your entire family and friends in one place makes you anxious – and the actual planning process causes a breakdown – you should maybe consider altering courses. Listen to your “gut feeling” and don’t let ANYONE pressure you into a big party, excessive amounts of people or a far away destination if you aren’t comfortable!
Body
The basics.
There are a lot of articles out there detailing all the things you have to do to take care of yourself before you get married. We like to keep the wedding beauty routine pretty simple over here – just take care of yourself! Drink lots of water, get 7-9 hours of sleep every night, take your makeup off before bed, exercise and eat three meals a day. Everything listed here has been proven by science to improve the quality of your skin, body and brain functions! Get the basics down, and the other new habits you want to adopt will work for you!
Get moving.
If one of your goals was to improve your overall wellness, you must include physical activity! I used to be the girl that rolled my eyes at “gym people.” I still don’t really get them, but I can finally appreciate the feeling of accomplishment earned after a super hard workout or simply walking around the neighborhood. If you need help, reach out to a friend who knows what they’re doing or even book a session with a personal trainer! Getting familiar with gym equipment was all I really needed to build confidence in the gym AND working out on my own at home!
Skincare rules.
At Brides of Oklahoma, we like to think that we’re pretty savvy when it comes to skincare. The first piece of advice I will share with you is to see a *licensed professional* early on. They will be able to recommend products and a treatment plan after evaluating your skin type. They may suggest a series of facials, peels and other treatments in addition to a new and improved at-home regimen.
Journals, meditation, exercise and skincare – it sounds like a lot – and it is! Before going out and booking appointments, spending money and running around town, you should sit down and take the time to do some research. You certainly shouldn’t try and squeeze all of this into a schedule that’s already gasping for breath – that defeats the purpose. However, including a few of these self-care habits into your wedding beauty routine will definitely have you feeling your best on your big day. Let the planning begin!