Getting Ready For the Big Day
Contributed by Maggie
16 August, 2000

Okay, okay, I will admit it. Amongst all of my girlfriends, I am the last to get married. Yah, yah, I was left on the shelf for the longest time, blah blah blah But hey, you know what they say about good things come to those who wait?

Now I've got a truckload of wedding tips and tricks to gear me up for the big day. And today, I've decided to be nice and share with you what my "been-there-done-that" girlfriends have told me about getting ready for the big day. Well, I can't be telling you everything, so I will just stick to some beauty basics.

First things first, you can't have a facial the day before the big day and expect to have perfect skin overnight. (Unless you're one of those who, annoyingly, have flawless skin everyday!) So you want good skin? Well, you've got to work for it. Start three months before your wedding, or even earlier. Go for your regular facials and body treatments well ahead of time. The only thing my girlfriends recommended to do the day before, is to go for massage.

Another thing. If you're going for waxing for the first time in your life, go about four to six weeks before the wedding. Just in case you're one of those with sensitive skin and

And please try and avoid any major changes to your hairstyle, like go from all-time straight to a total perm. Too drastic. If you don't like the new perm, you might have to straighten or straight-perm your hair to rid the perm. It might damage your hair and circumstances might force you to cut it. So make changes, if any, as early as possible, to allow for mistakes or mishaps.

Do ask for a "dress-rehearsal" for your hairdo and make-up. This one should not be a major problem since most of us would go for our studio shoots way before the big day. But still, if you can, insist on a dress-rehearsal before the studio shoots. Remember to bring along a Polaroid or digital camera and take some photographs of yourself, from all angles, just to make sure you look all right.

You should also start planning your look early. Flip through magazines and cut out those that you prefer, and bring them along to show your hairstylist and make-up artist. And please, spare yourself, try to go for a more natural look. You don't want to look dated five years down the road. The truer to your natural self you look, the better you will appreciate your wedding pictures years down the road. (Don't believe me? Just look at the wedding pictures of your aunties who got married ten years ago.