Wedding Prep: Self-Care Tips for Brides-to-Be

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My wedding is just under 4 months away close to 3 months, and girlies, let me tell you, things are getting crazy. But when it comes to my skincare, hair, nails, and overall body, I am doing things to feel more relaxed and more me while planning a whole wedding, working a full-time corporate job, and owning a business that I am trying to grow and finalize a few things for. All of that has taken a toll on my body and my mind, so here are a few things I have been doing.

Therapy Sessions

I see my therapist about every 2 to 3 weeks, depending on how my life is going. We talk about everything and anything. With her, I can vent, cry, laugh, and just be me without feeling judged. I have been seeing her for years now, and although I have seen other therapists, I have always gone back to her because of our connection. Therapy has helped me not only mentally, but emotionally and physically too. My therapist also keeps me accountable in every area of my life.

Working Out

I have been working out for the past few weeks now, and I have been loving it. Now that my wedding is getting closer, I have become even more serious about it. The only times I skip a workout are when I have lower back pain, when I am on day 1 or 2 of my cycle, or when my body is extremely tired.

I try to work out 3 to 4 times a week at home, since my gym membership is paused. We are paying so much for the wedding that we had to cut a few things for the time being, but soon we will go back to the gym and get fit.

At-Home Facials

I do at-home facials about every 2 weeks. I keep it minimal, nothing crazy like what you see on social media, though some weeks I do a bit more than others depending on what I have going on. I do plan to book a professional facial 2 to 3 months before my wedding so I can really get a good one done.

Hydration

I LOVE WATER. I drink so much of it that my kidneys might love me or hate me. I know not everyone loves water, and that is okay for them, but not for me. I drink about 80 to 100 oz a day, sometimes a bit more or a bit less. Lately, with my Invisalign, I feel even thirstier because my mouth is drier, so my water intake has been a blessing by far.

Hair

My hairstylist hates me, I swear he does, because I went from blonde to burgundy, and now I want more red than purple. Although the color is not looking red, I still want a lighter shade of what I have. But anyway, my hair has been really important to me lately. Because of high stress, I tend to lose hair about 3 months later, so I have been trying to keep a low-stress life (planning a wedding is NOT stress-free). I was not able to fully relax until recently, once we booked our DJ, which was the third biggest item for our wedding. All that is missing now is the decor, but that is a topic for another article.

My hair care routine has changed through the years because I have curly hair. A few months ago I did a keratin, but my curls are slowly pushing through, so parts of my hair are forming small curls while other parts are wavy. I wash my hair once a week since it is fine, color-treated, and has a lot of damage.

Here are the hair products I am currently using as a girl with part straight, curly, and wavy hair.

Shampoo and Conditioner

Acidic Bonding Concentrate Shampoo

I have been using this for some time now, and I can say my hair has changed for the better, not the worse. I have tried other products in the past, but this one is the winner by far. It is a three-step process: shampoo, followed by the conditioner and the leave-in cream.

Acidic Bonding Concentrate Conditioner

This is, of course, the partner for the shampoo. It helps my hair feel soft and swing left to right without getting crazy. Well, I have curly hair, so it will look crazy on its own.

Leave-In Cream

Acidic Bonding Concentrate Leave-In Treatment for Hair Repair

I use this weekly after the shampoo and conditioner. It is perfect if your hair needs extra protection and hydration. Like I said, I have curly hair, so it is dry automatically no matter what I do, besides keratin.

Gel

Rizo Curl Defining Custard

This clump gel is key if you want your curls to clump up and be defined. I use it when I do my Rizo Curl curl definition routine. I have been using it for some time now, although it has been a few months since I last used it. I can safely say your curls clump up beautifully. When I used it before, I loved my curls even more.

Heat Protectant

TRESemmé Heat Protection Spray Keratin Smooth

TRESemmé has an OG heat protectant, and let me tell you, I have used it since high school, if not college, and I keep buying it over and over whenever I run out. It has been all over Instagram, TikTok, and just about every social media platform. When I say it is good, it is good. I use it when I am blow-drying my hair, and I add a mist or two when I am going to straighten with the iron.

Nails

I took off my gel-X a week ago as of today, and yes, my nails are as weak as they can be. They are chipping, breaking, and pretty much not the style I like, but that is okay. For the time being, I have put together a really good nail care routine without gel polish or any other enhancements. I have spent a bit over time on building my nail kits, and I recently spent $61 on nail polishes that I somewhat needed, or thought I needed. All but two of them are helping.

Here are the products I am using right now to 1) hydrate and 2) heal my nails from all the years of damage I have caused:

• OPI Start to Finish (base and top coat)
• Nail Tek Ridge Filler (please note: this does not heal the ridges, it just helps fill them in so the polish goes on smoother)
• CND RescueRXx (nail strengthener, which I use once a week, not daily)
• Vitamin E oil and Jojoba oil, mixed into a nail pen, which I apply three times a day, or more if I remember

That is all I am using for now. I am not adding color polish because it would not be good for my nails right now. My ridges still need to heal and grow out from the gel-X. I am going to start doing weekly at-home manis while I book a nail appointment for the end of the month with my friend. I will let my nails grow out on their own, and depending on how they look by the time of my wedding, I will either get gel-X again or keep them natural if they are at a length I like.

For My Brides-to-Be

If you are a bride-to-be in 2027 or 2028, I hope this helps you. Your wedding is only getting closer, so now is the time to start doing the care you need to do.