Bridal Beauty Advice from Real Brides
Okay, okay, we know. Every bride looks gorgeous on her big day. Yet when a bride looks back at her pictures, there always seems to be something she wishes she'd done differently. That's why we rounded up 5 brides to reveal what they wish they would have done with their wedding look. Take their beauty advice and be regret-free!
1. Wedding wish: "I should have stayed truer to my fun, bold everyday style." "Now that I look back on my wedding, I think I went way too traditional with my look. I have never been labeled 'traditional' when it came to my [personal style]. I wore my hair in a very traditional way, pulled back and curled under the veil. I love bold colors but don't think that showed with my look. I am a wedding photographer now and most of the brides I shoot know exactly what they want! They have these great headpieces, small funky veils, hot pink shoes-just fun! They show their personality much more than I did."
More advice: As a photographer I'd say being too tan is out. Don't go to your wedding orange! Just be yourself. -Nicole Shilliday, 28, Centreville, VA
2. Wedding wish: "I could've brightened my smile more." "I loved my wedding look! I did my own hair, and a friend did my wedding makeup. I felt like me, which was key but I could have whitened my teeth. I kind of wish I'd done that, but the [teeth whitening strips] made my teeth sore so I gave it up. My teeth look fine, but sometimes I see those gleaming white bridal smiles and wish I'd had one, too!"
More advice: Keep a curling iron in your beauty station. My hair was pretty flat by the end of the night--I wish I'd set up a quick 5-minute refresher station where my bridesmaids and I could have re-fluffed a little together. -Melissa Walker, 33, Brooklyn, NY
3. Wedding wish: "I should have worn more makeup." "I didn't have any help with my wedding makeup and I felt I could have used some more to make my eye shadow stand out and last longer."
More advice: "Don't rule out wearing a veil. I was against wearing one until my mom made me try it on. I loved it so much and I wore the veil during the ceremony and the reception." -Kristin Burstein, 28, Las Vegas, NV
4. Wedding wish: "My hair was darker than I would have liked." "I am a natural blonde, but recently my hair started to get a little darker, so I got highlights before the wedding. I should have noticed that I needed more highlights before the big day. No one else probably thinks twice about this, but with my hair back, I think it was too dark."
More advice: "If you want to wear your hair up or down or however-do it. Choose what you want and feel good in, not what others think will make you happy on your big day. Practice your wedding day look and take photos of it from all angles to see what looks good." -Bethany Lyons, 31, New York, NY
5.Wedding wish: "I should have done my own makeup." "I had my wedding makeup professionally done and I paid way too much money for a look that wasn't special at all! I think I should have had a makeup consultation at the mall or something so that I had some pointers that I would benefit from-not just for my wedding makeup but every day as well. I didn't even like my lipstick color!"
More advice: "For my wedding I meant to be tanner, smaller, have whiter teeth, and blonder hair by the big day. Whoops! It turns out, you're great just the way you are so I would say don't stress so much about those things." -Jen Mills, 28, Lexington, KY
More onSHAPE:
Designer Bridesmaid Looks For Less
Wedding Traditions to Ignore
The Best and Worst Foods to Eat On Your Wedding Day
