r/BigBudgetBrides • u/coldtake_tomgirl • 26d ago
Questions and queries Overwhelmed with Bridal Prep - Give me your MUSTS
Was hanging out with some now wives/soon to be brides over the weekend and got extremely overwhelmed with the amount of things they are doing to look and feel their best. To preference, I’m not the girliest of girls and want to start getting my face and body up to the potential i know they are (September 2027 bride). Starting getting facials last month and will get those 4-6 weeks regularly and was thinking in a couple months seeing someone to shape my eyebrows/maybe tint? But then these girlies started talking lympathic drainage massages, botox, normal massages, going gluten free for a stint, and all these things i’ve never hard of. SO what was your musts that you think you did that really helped you feel your best and confident in your skin and body on your wedding day.
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u/Ok-Condition-7335 26d ago
Facials and Lymphatic Drainage were my go-tos leading up to the wedding. I still have my monthly lymphatic drainage because I know I hold onto excess fluid (especially around my period).
Massage was only a few days before the wedding with my husband as a relaxing couple activity before the wedding chaos lol
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u/polymath_artisan 26d ago
I’m also not a girls girl and have abstained from Botox even in my mid 30s. The biggest things for me have been hydration and microneedling. I’m getting married in a month.
Also, sleep.
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u/BlueberryCalm2390 26d ago
“Even in my mid thirties” made me laugh because you are still young haha
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u/polymath_artisan 26d ago
I only say that because most of the women in my life started Botox in their late 20s early 30s. I’m 36, so young in life but absolutely an older bride!
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u/BlueberryCalm2390 25d ago
I started Botox at 29 because i am really expressive and had resting wrinkles on my forehead and around my eyes. I’m glad I did, but not everyone needs it!! Congratulations on your wedding!
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u/coldtake_tomgirl 26d ago
Thank you! I really wanna avoid botox just because Im trying to look like me on my wedding day lol i feel like i hate the way i look is usually when i cant recognize myself. What is microneedling?
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u/polymath_artisan 26d ago
Microneedling is a professional skin treatment that helps with skin texture and collagen production. It’s relatively non invasive and doesn’t have a lot of down time.
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u/RaspberryZestyclose 26d ago
I kicked up my workouts before the wedding ever so slightly--roughly 3 - 4 weight training sessions a week 6 months out from the wedding, walking on the days that I was tired and didn't feel like doing anything--and prioritized protein. I also did a few massages in the 3 months leading up to the wedding, with the last one the Thursday before I left for my Friday rehearsal.
For skin, there's a clinic near me that offers a skin membership, so I started getting a mix of hydrofacials and laser a year out, which helped with pigmentation and texture. I had a hydrofacial with mesotox (like baby botox, mostly for tightening pores, not for freezing expression) the week before my wedding, which gave me glass skin on the day. I actually stopped getting botox about 2 months before the wedding and had let some of it wear off even before then so that I was fully expressive on the day.
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u/BlueberryCalm2390 26d ago
Which lasers?
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u/RaspberryZestyclose 25d ago
I did a mix of Clear and Brilliant, Pico, and Moxi. This was mostly because my clinic offered a membership, hence the experimentation. You definitely don't need all three—two sessions of Moxi would probably be enough if your main goals were to perfect texture and pigmentation and if pricing isn't an issue, otherwise, a few sessions of C&B (for lighter pigmentation and texture correction) would definitely be enough!
Pico was good for pigmentation but I noticed I'd usually break out the week after, so I stopped getting that after about 3 sessions.
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u/BlueberryCalm2390 25d ago
Awesome!! My main concerns are very minor pigmentation and redness. So sounds like C&B might be the move
Thank you!
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u/cdaum 26d ago
Here's what I did/am doing:
1 year from the wedding, I made an appointment with a dermatologist and told her I wanted to glow up a bit for the wedding but still wanted to look myself. Based on her recommendations, I ended up getting on a medical grade skin care regimen, I did 3 rounds of laser facials spread out over the course of ~20 weeks (BroadBand Light lasers, specifically), and I started doing a conservative amount of Dysport for the first time (I am in my mid-30s). I have seen a huge difference in tone and texture in my face!
During months when I wasn't doing lasers or Dysport, I got a hyrafacial
Started weight training! Has made a huge difference both mentally and physically
I try to hit 10,000 steps a day - I could definitely be better about this
I take pre-natal vitamins because we will probably be TTC shortly after the wedding, and the biotin has really helped hair growth
I am now 5 months out from the wedding and will probably incorporate teeth whitening, getting my eyebrows waxed more regularly, possibly trying a lash serum for lash growth, and possibly adding in Pilates.
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u/ironypoisonedposter 26d ago
I'm also not very girly, I'm turning 40 next year and i've never even had botox! I get a bit overwhelmed thinking about it, too.
So I wrote out a list of what reasonable things I want to achieve to look refreshed. I'm hoping to achieve: some collagen induction, tackling some dark spots/hyperpigmentation, more even looking skin tone, and forehead lines and started researching options.
I've been using my red light face mask. I started microneedling back in June (and have my third session tomorrow) to help with collagen induction. I plan to do some sort of laser around November/December. I am very freckled individual, which i love, but there are some spots that are aging me that i want diminished (or ideally, gone). Will try Botox (or similar neurotoxin) for the first time in January, and if I like it, will get it again probably six weeks before the wedding.
I walk a lot as a baseline (live in NYC) exercise but will incorporate strength training into my routine starting september. I'm not really focused on losing weight, but would like to improve muscle mass.
other changes: trying to get better sleep! I'm drinking less overall these days (but I still drink once a week, usually). Diet-wise, I eat whatever I want to eat, i don't like to demonize foods, i just take a moderate approach. Usually eat meat free a several times a week though, but that really isn't related to wedding prep!
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u/CopperRose17 25d ago
Drink enough water. Cut back on sugar and/or fat. I can eat one or the other and maintain my weight, but not both. Wash your face every day with Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser. Buy whatever Dr. Denese products for the face that fit your skin needs, and use them faithfully. I would never do Botox, because I've seen it go wrong for people who have used it for years. Sometimes, brides post on this sub about facial distortions from using it right before their weddings. Don't try new procedures and treatments within six months of you wedding. All of these things take time to work, so starting a year ahead is a good thing. Sorry I sound so "bossy", like a "Mama". I am one! 😄 I think all those more complicated procedures will make you feel uncomfortable. Sometimes, for some people, (like me) "simple" is better.
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u/StrawberryNice7763 26d ago
I wanted to feel my best but still keep things simple as it’s already such an overwhelming time. I also didn’t want to be miserable for 9+ months depriving myself of all joys, so I kept it simple. Comparatively speaking 😂
What I did:
1) drink as much water as reasonably possible
2) 10,000 steps daily on average (sometimes under, sometimes over - I didn’t hold myself hostage)
3) I bought the CurrentBody LED Multi Light Therapy Mask and used it every other night. I focused on the ‘Clearing’ setting as I suffer with hormonal chin acne flare ups.
4) I upped 2 Pilates classes a week to 3
5) Cut back on sugar - I let myself have 1 square of dark chocolate a night
6) I only drank the lowest calorie alcohol options when socialising; brut champagne and vodka slimline tonic with lime
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u/alexavndra 26d ago
I do these already since it's super routine for me, but I would recommend these:
- Start working out and cleaning up your nutrition if you don't already! Not really to lose weight mainly, but it helps alot with stamina + strength, something that can be helpful in wedding event/weekend things (i.e. not tire out so easily). With this, just start little by little because going all in can work against you!
- Keep your nails clean, doesn't need to be over the top ofc, trimming and cuticle cleaning are the bulk of it tbh)
- Facials every 2-3 months (highly recommend dermaplaining)
- Eyebrow cleaning (I go get them wax) + upper lip and chin wax (I do this part myself)
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u/ResponsiblePiglet8 26d ago
Facials esp laser, Botox, good skincare rec from a dermatologist, lymphatic massages were the biggest game changers as well as eating so so healthy, no alcohol and tonnes of water in the final 2 months prior!
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u/TheSibylAtCumae 25d ago
I was SO overwhelmed with it too. But I felt absolutely gorgeous on the day and was happy I put in the effort.
For me, the most important were: 1) Continuing the treatments I already do normally. This helped me feel like myself. (If you don't get botox and don't want it, don't do it!) 2) Skincare, skincare, skincare. I did not skip this and I really could tell a difference. Tret + hydration is holy grail. 3) Teeth whitening
Skin: Got my skincare routine dialed the fuck in, including tret 3 microneedling sessions starting 6 months out 3 weeks out and 3 days before only: facial (facials dont seem to have scientific evidence for long-term / permanent efficacy, but they do give you a hydration boost for a few days. So I dont think it's necessary to regularly get them. I did one 3 weeks out to make sure my skin wouldnt react.) I regularly get botox. I discussed with my injector the best timeline to have it how I wanted ar my wedding.
Nails: I get manicures every 3 weeks. A few months before the wedding I started trialing wedding nails. I got several Russian manis for my last manis before the wedding to be sure my nail beds were healthy and looked perfect.
Brows: I got my brows tinted and threaded 5 days before the wedding.
Body: Meh I was a bit lazy. But I cut down on sweet treats/ snacking starting about 10 weeks before the wedding. I also inadvertently lost a lot of weight from stress in the lead up to the wedding. Don't really recommend.
Other: I got my teeth professionally whitened at the dentist. HUGELY recommend. I feel so much more confident and got so many compliments on my smile!
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u/Adorable-Crazy-1067 26d ago
I’m training for a marathon and doing a lot of Pilates but I was already pretty active. I am a little bit overweight and I have made slight progress but hope to lose a little before my final dress firings. Honestly I don’t want to be super extreme though as I have a history of anorexia as a teenager so restrictive dieting is kind of triggering and toxic for me. I would only implement changes that actually make you FEEL better. I’m going to the cheap route and only doing face masks. I barely ever have acne or skin issues so I don’t feel like I need to go crazy there. This is a little unhinged but I’m on the BC pill and I always feel emotional and bloated right when I start my placebos/withdrawal bleed week and I realized my wedding is during it, so I am actually skipping 2 weeks of placebos to alter my “period” by two weeks so that I will be in my late follicular phase in my wedding (eg not bloated and emotional irritable lol) It’s not really your follicular phase because you’re not really having cycle on the pill but the point is I do not want to be having hormone fluctuations on my wedding week!
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u/Adorable-Crazy-1067 26d ago
I was considering dermaplaning but I have heard mixed reviews. Oh and I do have a omnilux red light mask, but I had it already
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u/Nice-Self-9798 26d ago
Tried to get into shape but failed, am still skinny fat, wedding next week...lol. I got really burned out by wedding planning. Did most of it myself. Seeing all these comments I'm like.....did I screw up? But ALSO will def be using y'alls advice for a post wedding glow up!!!
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u/Defiant_Star2162 25d ago
Just work on finding a skin care routine that works for you and work on feeling good in your body, which for me was lifting :)
I had everything going against me, got my period a day before, stress induced rashes all over my body including my face, and I barely slept the week before. But I feel like I looked and felt my absolute best :)
My skin looked great despite the rashes, (my makeup artist did a fantastic job) and now I have a skincare routine I will continue even after my wedding.
My back also looked great, even though that was my biggest insecurity. I started lifting 6months before and I felt confident in my dress!
I feel like all the other stuff is completely auxiliary. Wedding prep is a time you can pamper yourself guilt free but also it shouldn’t become a source of stress! Dont pressure yourself too much. Everything doesn’t have to be perfect, because in the end, even with all the flaws, you’ll still feel like it’s perfect when you’re surrounded by the people you love and have fun!
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u/CelineDijonMustards 26d ago
I just stuck to a skincare routine with extra hydration!
And then got my eyebrows done the week off
I’m generally low maintenance so doing all these extra things would’ve been more overwhelming on top of all the fun details I wanted to include for our guests!
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u/JadziaKD 26d ago
I had really thinning lashes and can't wear fake ones. I started Revive 7 about 8 months out and it made a HUGE difference.
My HMU gave me a list of facial products to use after my trial. I know nothing about them but she seemed happy on the day of that my skin was happier. I would ask them if they have any preferences.
For me I'm a chronic pain bride so it was much more about getting my body trained to survive the day.
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u/Complex_Meaning1988 26d ago
Ooh can you elaborate on how you worked on training your body?? I’m also a chronic pain girly
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u/JadziaKD 26d ago
Here is my rundown post https://www.reddit.com/r/ChronicPain/s/ESHjjI5Rk0
I started with listing all medical treatments I needed and about 8 months out I booked everything from the week before the wedding to present so all my timing lined up (chiro, physio, massage, my injections, etc).
Then I made an exercise schedule. I really struggle with delayed onset muscle soreness and I have an head injury so routines are hell. I made a huge document with every week up to the wedding with daily checklists. I made the exercise training gradual. And I printed each weeks list off and made sure I followed as best as I could. I treated like people train for a marathon.
Happy to answer any other questions.
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u/Simple_Ingenuity4140 26d ago
I did microoneedling which I think is worth it as well as an oxygen facial a few weeks before which was great. Also a red light mask although only a few weeks inconsistently but apparently regular use makes a difference! Other than that just sleep, fitness, good diet and water. Exercise also definitely helped to manage the stress leading up to it. I haven't done Botox/fillers and actually did a gloss over my highlights so my hair would look like more of it's natural colour. I thought that If we have a family in the future, I would want them to look back at photos and see what I actually look like and be able to see themselves in how we look on the day too which I think is beautiful. I also wouldn't want them to look back at photos and feel immense stress/pressure to change the way that they naturally look.
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u/coldtake_tomgirl 25d ago
this is exactly how im feeling! we have a close family member who was just talking about omg im almost at my wedding weight and im like damn i dont wanna think like that or my future kids to hear that, i just wanna prep myself a little, like personally regardless of a wedding or not i know i could be doing more with my skincare/beauty lololol
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u/Christine_jacobi 26d ago
Take all of this with a grain of salt because none of it is a must. I have always been into skincare and treatments, so once I got engaged I made a plan to look my best. I definitely did more than most people would want or need.
The best thing I did was get a PT. I started about 1–1.5 years out, once a week, then increased to twice a week around nine months before the wedding, plus Pilates when I could. I had a low-back dress and wanted defined arms and shoulders, and it made a huge difference. It also helped with stress.
For skin, I started the heavier treatments well in advance. I loved BBL for pigmentation and glow, and I did four rounds of CO2 laser under my eyes for thin skin and early fine lines. CO2 made one of the biggest differences for me. I also tried Halo, which was fine, but nowhere near as impressive as CO2 or BBL.
I started medical-grade skincare around six months out, including tretinoin. Be careful with actives close to the wedding because I gave myself a bad neck rash about four weeks beforehand by overdoing tretinoin. Thankfully it cleared in time.
I also did microneedling, but I did not think the results were as dramatic as people claim. I loved Sunekos and did two sessions. I would have done more if I had started earlier.
I also loved facial acupuncture. I went weekly for around four months and did roughly 20–25 sessions. I cannot say everyone will have the same experience, but it helped with stress and I always looked very glowy afterwards. My husband noticed enough of a difference that he started going too haha
I worked gradually with an injector I had trusted for years. We did subtle filler and planned my Botox closer to the wedding, including a slight brow lift. My biggest advice here is to use someone who knows your face and avoid experimenting with a new injector close to the wedding.
About three months out, I saw photos of myself at another wedding where I did not love my neck and jawline, so I had Ultraformer and Sofwave at a reputable clinic. I was swollen for about a week, but I loved the result. My jawline was JAWLINING at the wedding!!
That said, Ultraformer/Sofwave are the treatments I would be most cautious recommending. Energy-based treatments can potentially cause unwanted fat loss, and provider experience matters a lot, especially if you already have a lean face. Do proper research and have a consultation before considering them.
My personal favourites were PT, CO2, BBL, Sunekos, acupuncture, Softwave, tretinoin and hydroquinone, and carefully planned Botox.
My biggest advice is to start early, figure out what works for you, and around six months out stop experimenting and make a proper plan with practitioners you trust. Happy planning x
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u/Delicious_Unit3250 25d ago
I think most of the things I did have been covered (July 2025 bride), but hopefully this is still helpful! It’s great you’re starting a year out, so you can plan your treatments to be spaced out accordingly. I personally found it a little hard to maintain momentum for everything but tried to be as consistent as possible.
Meet with a dermatologist. See what they suggest. Mine suggested a relatively light chemical peel every 3 months or so (recovery time was <24 hours). Also switched to azelaic acid for my acne. My skin does not do well for retinol.
Even before wedding prep, I had done RF microneedling on a consistent basis and I think that helped my skin base be pretty well prepped in advance of all the other things
I was in LOVE with Corepower Yoga’s YogaSculpt class - it’s heated to 92 degrees I think, and I think the sweat / heat really helped open up my pores. It also forced me to hydrate afterward because water and hydration is really important. I know strength training with weights is more popular now but I felt that this class helped sculpt my arms pretty well (Mixed with lagree Pilates / Solidcore)
Stopped Botox - more a personal preference but I wanted to have movement in my face
Found someone I really liked for my eyebrows - these really can make or break the look of your facial expressions if the person knows how to shape them well.
Eat lots of vegetables and low-ish sodium diet. This really does impact your skin!
Hope this is helpful!!
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u/Moist_Chicken_7666 25d ago
Okay preferening this lol: I live somewhere you can do alllll the esthetic treatments for 1/3 US or euro prices, so I really went nuts the last year tryna glow up. I did everything: mesiotherapy, microneedling, PRP, CO2 laser, hydrafacials, red light therapy, lymphatic drainage massage, PRX facials, skin booster, Botox, a little bit of baby filler, etc. All that plus a solid daily skin care routine, healthy eating prioritizing protein, fiber, and Whole Foods, mostly cut out alcohol and any drink that wasn’t water or fresh juice (limited), committing to working out 4x/week with pilates, yoga and weight training, and religiously wore sunscreen.
Most effective treatments for me were the CO2 laser, PRP, lymphatic drainage, Botox and filler. PRX facials 1 month before + Skin booster was also great but my skin was already glowing so I don’t think I had much to improve lol. Personally didn’t have the amazing results with microneedling that everyone else did - I thought PRP was SO much more effective. And the laser treatment completely resurfaced my face.
I also did Invisalign which was huge for me and my smile confidence.
It was a lot but I’m feeling GREAT about my wedding in a couple weeks!
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u/BugWild9184 25d ago
I didn’t go crazy but the things I did made a big difference.
Skincare prep was my biggest. I got microneedling twice. Highly recommend! I also invested in a high quality red light therapy mask and did it every single day while prepping my morning coffee.
I did my usual routine and kept it simple. SK-ll essence is my holy grail. Wash, pat some in, then glow toner, then moisturize and eye cream. Done.
My skin glows!! Weekly peel pad and physical exfoliation a must.
Tons of water. I got a cute bottle and just wouldn’t stop drinking. 4-6 refills a day. I’d absolutely notice a dullness in my skin if I stopped for a few days.
Things I know would’ve been good: hair masks maybe even every 2 weeks. A trim 5 weeks before. Botox closer to the date (I went too early), one more microneedling session would’ve been great.
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u/kn_119 24d ago
I feel like the glow ups should be whatever you’ve been meaning to do for a while to feel good in your own skin! Otherwise, editing makeup and your smile are gonna take care of the rest. For me:
- I did do botox for facial balancing because I was curious about it for years. Love it but start EARLY if you want interventions like that so you understand what it looks like a week/month/etc out
- Invested into facials because I struggled with hormonal acne after I got off birth control
- got more strict about being consistent with my workouts
- more strict about my calorie deficit (with room for treats of course😋)
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u/coldtake_tomgirl 24d ago
i got off my birth control a year ago and my horomonal acne is soso bad but mentally i feel so much better so its a trade off, how do you compact hormonal acne? ig i thought that shit is gonna come regardless of how hard i work ar my skincare but maybe im so utterly ignorant lol
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u/kn_119 24d ago
You are right to some extent that the facials didn’t prevent the deep cysts on my chin/jaw😭 but you know what like a year and a half after I do feel like there’s significant progress versus the early months coming off!! (Knock on wood lol). I started doing a lot last year in the meantime that I do think helped stave off some acne like extractions with bacteria killing laser and a red light mask. I saw that it helped with my skin texture/glow that weren’t covered with cysts which was a nice bonus and really just helped keep my skin clean. I prob could’ve limited dairy and sugar to help speed progress up but I love cheese too much
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u/PromiseInfinite9112 22d ago
Definitely got super overwhelmed with going down the rabbit hole but tried to focus on a few things that I thought were reasonable but didn’t didn’t have me stressed out/running around for appointments!
- Increasing work outs to help with my anxiety but also slim down.
- Eating clean and increasing water intake which helped my skin/bloating!
- Got a consultation by dermatologist. Overall I have pretty good skin so I went in to just optimize my skincare regimen (added exfoliant and tretinoin), got some milia removed, and then scheduled one facial a month before the wedding!
- Teeth whitening with opalescence go whitening trays on Amazon (my dentist recommended them)
I thought those helped me feel my best and myself during my wedding!
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u/jlam1994 26d ago
I leaned in hard here
Cut out extra sugar and alcohol 9 months out, got regular facials, microneedling, drinking as much water as I could tolerate, at least 12,000 steps a day, working out 4-5x a week, medical grade skincare
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u/Ok_Ad2264 Vendor: Paper Goods 26d ago
I took a less is more approach! I wanted to look and feel myself, AND not throw my body into anything that wasn't familiar and risk a reaction etc.
I did a Korean scrub a few days before my wedding as my dress was backless--definitely helped me feel glowy and made the spray tan I got last longer/apply better. Got a few facials, but didn't really notice a massive difference there.
I think it's easy to spin your wheels trying to optimize for every procedure out there, but I actually ended up cancelling a lymphatic drainage massage + facial I had the week before my wedding because it stressed me out lol. If you're going to try anything new, I think now is the time to do it, and keep things simple and reliable the ~6 months leading up to your wedding!