Wedding beauty tips - 3 months to go

So it's a step closer to your dream day, we give you advice on everything from manicures to tanning.

3 Months to go

• Plan ahead and book your treatments.

The beauty salons and beauticians often get booked up months in advance. If you use the same salon regularly then tell them your wedding date as soon as you can. If you are trying a few then now is the time to make the choice and book them before they get snapped up

• Book a course of facials.

Don't leave it until the last minute to book a facial. As with the beauticians we mentioned earlier, the best ones tend

to book up months in advance. Also, if your skin needs a specific treatment, it will need time to settle

and return to it's healthy glow.

• Test your tan.

Whether you're going for the full Saint-Tropez or a bronzing gel, choose your shade with care.

Choosing your shade

Fake tans come in different shades and choosing one that’s too dark is a big mistake. You will find that tans come in two basic types.

Golden – This is a yellow-based tan best for blondes, redheads, those with black hair, those with Asian-type or very pale skin, and anyone whose brown hair gets golden lights in summer

Bronze – This is for everyone else. Remember that your face never goes as dark as your body; keep it one to two shades lighter for a natural look.

Healthy, glowing, sun kissed skin set off by your ivory wedding gown - gorgeous!

In our next instalment we look at choosing your wedding perfume to help you smell as beautiful as you look.

Top 10 Wedding Beauty Tips

In the first of our series of wedding beauty tips we look at what all you gorgeous brides to be should be doing to make sure that you are in peak condition for the biggest day of your life.

6 months to go

• Drink water! Preferably 8 glasses a day, but don't rush to drink it all at once. Slowly sipping over an 8 hour period allows your body to absorb the excess fluid. Your skin should start to shine and take on a healthy complexion.

• Find the perfect skincare regime for your face. Many of the big department stores will offer a free consultation giving you the chance to find products that are perfect for your skin.

• Start scouting for a make-up artist. Word of mouth is best for finding one, the referral from another bride he / she has made up is the best advertisement a make-up artist can get! But make sure you're comfortable around them and that they understand what you currently wear.
• Establish a skincare routine for your body. Ex foliate at least twice a week and dry brushing in circular motions before a daily shower clears away dead skin and encourages blood flow and circulation. Also, remember that you're getting your skin ready for the honeymoon too - ex foliating helps to maintain a tan!

In our next post we'll be looking at treatments, facials and giving tanning advice.

Hen Party Inspiration

I regularly get asked by brides and bridesmaids-to-be to offer some hen party inspiration. The trend in the past has leaned towards weekends away but lately, I find brides are happier with something a little closer to home that is easier on everybody’s wallet.

La Cucina Caldesi, based in Marylebone London, offers hen’s a delicious day out with all sorts of Italian inspired cookery classes. Eleven friends and I recently trotted off to Marylebone Lane to try it for ourselves.

Met by the charming Giancarlo Caldesi we started with glasses of prosecco. With sleeves rolled up we learnt how to make fresh pasta from scratch with a number of sauces, my favourite being a zesty vodka and lemon sauce. A couple more friends joined us for dinner afterwards to enjoy the fruits of our labour which were served to us along with beautifully paired Italian wines.

Another great idea Giancarlo told us about is Hell’s Cucina at Caldesi in Campagna, Bray. There, guests get the chance to become their version of Gordon Ramsay, working behind the “pass” dishing out abuse to their fellow chefs in the kitchen! A group of 12 to 16 get to cook for their guests, up to 40, experiencing what it is really like to work in a professional kitchen.

www.caldesi.com
email julie.tooby@essentially-you.net for more information

A rose by any other name...

Your bouquet gives the perfect opportunity to add in one of your old, new, borrowed or blue items. I have previously added a little blue ribbon at the top of the stems, a beautiful antique brooch and a granny’s handkerchief tucked into the flowers.

Spring flowers are now in the market from October/November onwards, so always ask your florist what’s available and when.

If a tulip is one of your favourite flowers you are not as limited as you may think. They come in stunning tones of reds and oranges and make the perfect autumnal centrepiece.

Do think carefully about the height of your table decorations, whilst people worry that flowers too high will block the flow of conversation, if the flowers are too low they have no impact at all when you walk into the room and all you see is a mass of wine glasses.

With thanks to Emma Lappin
www.emmalappinflowers.com

Here comes the.... rain

If it is raining on your big day, fear not some of the best photos I have seen are in the rain. So grab an umbrella and go for it!

Keep the chill of your shoulders by adding a wrap to your ensemble, sophisticated and practical.

Check if a gazebo is available at your venue, these can be invaluable in any weather as shelter from all the elements.

Activity tables, perhaps set up a table full of fun for your younger guests, this can keep them entertained whatever the weather, put out some colouring books and pencils, lego and puzzles and it will keep the kids happy for hours.

Hire a wedding planner, they cannot influence the weather, we are in England after all, but they will be able to come up with a back up plan.

Whatever the weather brings do not panic, we can not always predict it, so it is not worth getting stressed over, remember the meaning of the day and just relax.

Thanks to Llewellyn Robins Photography
www.lrphotography.co.uk

WOW!!! We did it again!!!

THE 2010 WEDDING IDEAS AWARDS
– WINNERS ANNOUNCED!

The winners of the Wedding Ideas Awards 2010, the most prestigious and sought-after consumer wedding awards, were announced at a lavish lunch in London. And local company Essentially You has WON in the Best Wedding Planner category for the 2nd year running! Voted for by readers of the UK's best bridal mini mag, the awards acknowledge the very best companies who deliver fabulous products for every bridal budget, coupled with exceptional customer service. There were 16 categories and in excess of 6,000 nominations this year. It's been a record, recession-busting year in every way – for the awards, the magazine and the parent company – Giraffe Media Ltd.

The awards were presented at a lavish lunch awards’ ceremony at Andaz on London's Liverpool Street on Friday the 22nd of January, following a Champagne reception and a delicious lunch. The event was hosted by TV presenter Jenni Falconer and 200 leading names from the bridal industry were present.

Rachel Morgan, the editor of Wedding Ideas magazine, explained what an achievement it was to be nominated for the awards:

"We were thrilled to recognize the achievements and celebrate the success of the winners of these coveted awards, especially in these tough economic times. Julie Tooby and Essentially You should be hugely proud and thrilled that our readers – their customers – think highly enough of them to vote for them. We look forward to working with them to grow their business even more in the next year and beyond. Congratulations!"

Wedding TV - Wedding Awards 2009

Last night saw the transmission of the Wedding Awards 2009 on Wedding TV / Sky. Things have been very busy for us all at Essentially You since we won the Wedding Planner of they Year award. We have been hard at work with and all our happy couples making their day a dream come true. See us at the moment we won this special award. . . .