Wedding Beauty Tips Fit for a (Future?) Queen

By Sophia Panych, Allure magazine

Looks like my childhood fantasy of becoming a princess was crushed with the official announcement of Prince William's engagement to long-time girlfriend Kate (now to be known as Catherine) Middleton...tear. While I will be spending the next couple of months coming to terms with the reality of the situation, I'm sure Middleton will be busy planning her royal nuptials--and while things like the location and a majority of the guests will be chosen for her, she'll get to make the decisions on her hair, makeup, and nails.

She has great taste, and she'll be getting the best of the best to help beautify her for the special day-but for us commoners, the process isn't always easy. Here are a few expert tips on how to prep for your wedding day, that even a prospective princess should follow:

Related: 4 Wedding-Day Beauty Mistakes

Hair. Book a consultation and a trial beforehand so you know exactly what to expect. After the initial appointment you should feel confident and beautiful, not uncertain. Then, take your style for a spin. If it collapses or begins to fall out, tell your stylist-it could be a sign your vision needs a revision.

Makeup. If you're going to book a pro, it's no different than getting your hair done-go for a test-run a week or two before the wedding (the same goes for if you're doing it yourself). Make sure to give the makeup artist as much detail about the event as possible (the location, how formal it is), as well as your everyday makeup preferences. If they suggest something you're not feeling, speak up. "Ultimately, it's your big day. You want to look back at the photographs fondly, not full of rage," says makeup artist Chrisanne Davis.

Nails. Ji Baek, founder of Rescue Beauty Lounge in New York City, suggests getting your manicure the day before your wedding, and our editors agree: "You are going to have a million things to do on the actual day, and you don't want to be dealing with wet nails," contributing editor Allure Alyssa Kolsky Hertzig says. "Just be extra careful that you don't chip, so bring along a bottle of nail polish on the actual day for emergency touch-ups." Choosing a pale pink or beige will also help since it will be much less noticeable if you do nick your nails-and you won't regret it later, as you might if you went for a more trendy color.

Related: The Best Wedding-Day Beauty

Self-tanning. Wearing white can make pale skin look even more washed-out, but an orange faux tan can leave you Snookified. So if you're going to use a self-tanner or get a spray tan, try it out several weeks before the big day. It takes time to figure out which faux tanning option works best for you.

For the bridesmaids. Word of advice, Kate: you may be in line to be Queen of England one day, but that doesn't mean it's okay to dictate what your bridesmaids should look like at your wedding. "All of your bridesmaids looking the exact same is too much too ask, and not everyone is flattered by the same hairstyle or makeup shades," Allure beauty director Amy Keller Laird says. "Plus you don't want them to look like robotrons either."

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Photo Credit: Getty Images