This is it. My wedding week.
On Sunday morning I marry Kieran (again!) in Mauritius, with a Hindu blessing honouring his Mauritian family. I've spent weeks telling the brides in my Ashford studio to trust the plan and keep things calm in the final few days. Now it's my turn to take my own advice.
Here's the thing nobody tells you: the final week is where most bridal skin goes wrong. Not because of anything you didn't do months ago, but because of the panicked "quick fixes" you're tempted to try now. So here are the bridal skin mistakes I see most often, and the ones I'm avoiding myself.
1. Trying anything new
New serum, new mask, a facial with someone you've never seen, a product your friend swears by. Your wedding week is not the time to find out your skin doesn't agree with it.
My rule for every Novauria Bride is simple: nothing new in the final two weeks. If your skin is used to it, keep it. If it isn't, save it for the honeymoon.
2. Booking the "big" treatments too late
Chemical peels and microneedling are brilliant for bridal skin, but they need time. Your skin needs days to settle and heal properly, and it can be a little pink or flaky while it does.
That's why the strongest treatments belong earlier in your plan, not the week of the wedding. In my bridal plans, the final fortnight is all about calm, gentle and hydrating. Anything injectable belongs weeks earlier too, so it has plenty of time to settle. Your practitioner should always plan this around your date.
3. Picking at a spot
Stress, hormones, travel and late nights can bring a breakout, even if your skin has been behaving for months. I know the urge. Please don't squeeze it.
A picked spot turns a small bump into a scab that make-up struggles to cover. Leave it alone, keep it clean, use a cold compress to calm it down, and let your make-up artist work their magic on the day.
4. Over-exfoliating
It's tempting to scrub your way to smoother skin before the big day. But too much exfoliation strips your skin barrier and leaves it red, tight and sensitive, which is the opposite of what you want under make-up and in photos.
A gentle exfoliant you already use, once or twice in the week, is plenty.
5. Forgetting the sun
This one is very personal for me this year. Whether you're marrying abroad, heading off on honeymoon or getting married in Kent in October, SPF matters every single day.
A burnt nose or strap marks will show in photos for years. Apply a broad-spectrum SPF to your face, neck, chest and back, reapply it, and pack a hat. Mine went in the suitcase first.
6. Running on no sleep and no water
I'm a realist. I'm a mum of two with a business, a wedding and a long-haul flight in the same week, so I'm not going to tell you to get nine hours a night.
But skin shows tiredness and dehydration quickly. Drink water, go easy on the extra glasses of fizz the night before, and protect your sleep where you can. It does more for your skin this week than any new product will.
7. Expecting perfect skin
This is the one I care about most. Your skin on your wedding day will be your skin, and that's exactly how it should be. Texture, a few lines, the odd mark: they're part of you.
Bridal skin prep isn't about looking like a different person. It's about feeling comfortable and confident in your own skin, so you can stop thinking about it and enjoy the day. That's what I want for every bride I work with, and it's what I want for me on Sunday.
What I'm actually doing this week
Keeping my routine boring: gentle cleanser, hydrating serum, moisturiser, SPF.
No new products, no last-minute treatments.
Drinking more water than coffee (mostly).
Hands off any spots, however tempting.
Remembering that the photos will be full of people I love, and that matters far more than my pores.
Planning a 2027 wedding?
If you're getting married next year, now is a good time to start thinking about your skin. The Bridal Edit is my bridal skin programme here in Ashford, Kent, with packages from an 8-week express plan to a full 12-month journey, all built around your wedding countdown. We plan the bigger treatments early, so your final weeks are calm.
I'll be sharing how the day went (and how my skin held up) when I'm home.
If you'd like to talk about your own bridal skin plan, you can book a consultation through the website, or DM me "GLOW" on Instagram and I'll get back to you once I'm home.
Liz x
