We reminisced on the best (and worst) parts of getting wedding-ready.
January 31, 2026
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If you live by your to-do lists the way I do, you might see wedding planning as your Super Bowl. You booked a venue (check), picked out flowers (check), and sent out invitations (touchdown!). Your calendar might be so full that your wedding beauty details—like your hair, makeup, skin care, and nail look—are the last thing you want to deal with. Here’s the thing: Despite what the internet may say about the beauty treatments you should be getting three, six, or 12 months before the big day, you really don’t have to do any of it. As I ticked off boxes and pulled pages out of my notebook, I reminded myself that I didn’t have to do anything I didn’t want to. After all, weddings are meant to celebrate love.
But if you want to indulge, many of us at Allure have been there and want to help. In putting together this story, I asked my coworkers to join me in reminiscing about our wedding preparation, including what we loved, learned, and would have done differently. Some of us had meticulous regimens (involving facials, veneers, and multiple hair and makeup trials) while others went with the flow (booking a hair appointment the day of). Read on for what we thought was the fun part of wedding planning. Don’t ask us about table settings.
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A note: As editors who work for a beauty publication, we have the unique privilege of receiving many products and services free of cost, including some of those mentioned in this story. Those gratis moments are indicated by an asterisk.
Jesa Marie Calaor, senior editor
Pre-wedding treatments*
I mostly focused on my skin leading up to the big day. A few months before my wedding ceremony, I visited David Shafer, MD, to get a sprinkle of Botox on my forehead to smooth, lift, and add radiance. Seven days before, I got a thorough facial with my dermatologist, Dhaval Bhanusali, MD that involved Laser Genesis, a deep cleanse, and LED light treatments. The result was my glowiest complexion ever.
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