We all know that the true no-no at a wedding is to try and outshine the bride, but that doesn’t mean you can’t bring your best self as a guest. The secret to being a beautiful wedding guest is planning ahead to leave you free to enjoy the glory of the day.
Skin. First up, never have a facial the day before or on the day of wedding. If there’s a reaction, you need time to act but you could skip a professional facial altogether by prepping your skin yourself a few days beforehand. Beauty of Joseon has wonderful brightening and softening face mask called the Ground Rice & Honey Mask by Beauty of Joseon, combining a Korean rice wine complex and rice hull powder with honey and kaolin. It will smooth your skin, cleanse your pores and make the ideal silky and hydrated canvas for make-up to follow. I like the Beauty of Joseon Dynasty Cream as a great moisturiser that locks in hydration for plumper and more flexible skin.
Make Up. I have mid-life skin so I prefer a lighter touch for my base and Beauty of Joseon Daily Tinted SPF which fits the bill perfectly, especially if you have a summer wedding to attend. I’d recommend a tubing mascara if you think you might have tears of joy during the ceremony because it doesn’t leave the lashes as readily as standard formulas. Making lipstick last the day is an impossible task – drinks and oils from food will make quick work of dissolving it from your lips so the one item you need to have at hand in your bag is your lipstick.
Hair. Tresses that are lifted and full looking always look glamorous and ‘done’. The GHD Hot Brush is perfect for the job and you can do it easily at home. I suggest washing with a detox shampoo to really ensure your strands are as clean as they can be because this will contribute to shine once dry. Follow with a light moisturising mask to the ends of your hair before rinsing off and go straight to blow dry. Once your hair is almost dried in your normal style, that’s the time to take the GHD Rise Hot Brush to build in body, wave if you wish, and volume. I got the lift and curl more or less first time around although the second time was better, if I’m honest. So, practice a bit before you need your hair to be wedding perfect and on the day, you’ll know exactly what you’re doing. You can use a holding hair spray afterwards and I’d advise you to do so, especially if you have fine hair, to keep the wave and bounce going all day long.
The Outfit. Tempting as it is to go super-glam, what you need to be, first and foremost, is comfortable. Super high stilettos are for seasoned heel wearers only – new shoes on the day is an absolute no-no! You can go pastel, you can go bright, you can go dark but if the bride is wearing white, you should not be. Lots of wedding invitations ask guests to dress to a colour theme and if that’s the case, there’s nothing to do but fit in, but if not, make sure you choose a dress that’s as non-crease as possible by avoiding silk or linen, won’t make you too hot (you can add layers but it’s harder to take them away) and that gives you plenty of room to move on the dance floor.
Being a wedding guest is fun – all of the action and none of the responsibility! But, make sure you have prepped ahead of time with your bag contents. Triple check your phone is switched to silent, carry tissues, your lipstick and gel strips for toes in case your shoes rub so you can hit the dance floor without wincing.
