Beauty from the Inside Out - Tips from Illuminated Bride

Inner Beauty

Create a space for beauty and transformation. Designate your time in makeup as a peaceful and reflective time to gather your composure. Bring in beauty for the senses like fresh flowers and peaceful images, play soothing music. Choose your music wisely. It's not the best time for music that brings up strong emotion. Plan to have a massage before makeup or something that gives you a deep calm, perhaps it's Yoga or a good run. Let your beauty professionals in on your plan so they are supportive and not too talkative.

Set Intentions. Create your emotional insurance policy. How are you feeling one hour before your ceremony? Take the time to be alone, especially if you are running late and slow down. Let go, dim the lights, close your eyes, and sit in a peaceful room for a few minutes releasing the rush of jitters and details. Do this by thinking about what you are grateful for. Focus on what feels good until you feel a wave of peace. Let this loving feeling in by breathing deeply and slowly. This exercise can be practiced daily, by the time your wedding day arrives you will have mastered a clear focus of thought that elevates your feelings of well being and grace, quickly and effectively overcoming that sneaky, inner dialogue that brings up feelings of concern and distraction.

Allow for mishaps. A bride and groom carry the joy and rhythm of a wedding celebration. By consciously allowing for the unexpected beforehand, you will benefit by remaining in a present and graceful state of resilience. You will be in a state of mind where you may find laughter in a situation that otherwise might be recalled as a disappointment. Your emotional insurance policy in action: If a situation should arise, neutralize your tendency to be thrown off balance by recalling your "daily practice." Again, do this by focusing on gratitude. Recognize the true reasons for this gathering, your promise to each other and the loving people that have gathered to support your lives together. Your perspective is your memories in the making. Entering this day free of expectation is tricky after weeks of careful planning, but well worth the effort. Alleviating the distraction of perfection is priceless.

Delegate. An experienced wedding coordinator is essential to having your needs met. A coordinator allows the bride and groom the luxury of being present and not distracted with details. Thinking of saving costs? A generous and reliable family member or friend can do the job? By the very nature of your close relationship this person will be emotionally attached and can easily be swept up in the moment, forgetting they are on the job. It will take a great deal of focus to be working on your wedding day. Will they want to be fully present?

There is a job for that supportive friend or family member. Have this person watch for ‘the glaze" that wide-eyed, faraway look that says I'm not present, I'm overwhelmed. Just after the ceremony when the guests are giving their happy congratulatory embraces –ask your friend to wait for a natural break from the hugs and greetings from your guests and then gently remind you and your new husband to take a moment alone. It can be as simple as your friend having two flutes of champagne ready in hand and guiding you behind the nearest tree. This simple act works two-fold, your connection to each other is naturally grounding, without effort-it just happens! A more rested expression is a natural by-product of grounding, and a real asset to better photographs. Not to mention, allowing the two of you a precious moment to greet one another as husband and wife without distraction is a memorable gift, in and of itself.

Outer Beauty

Have facials no closer to the ceremony than 10 days. When the skin is so new the foundation tends to glide on, not blending well. It is similar to a mirrored surface. Also, having a facial often brings impurities to the surface. Allow time for the skin to clear. For best results, try a series of facials during the months before the wedding.

Always have beauty trial runs before selecting your beauty professional. Even if you have worked with your favorite hairdresser for years, do yourself a favor. Bring several images of styles you like and take it from there. Choose reliable, confident and calm people to be around you that day.

Dry skin? Try essential fatty acids in your diet. I recommend Dr. Udon's Blend for smooth lips and sparkling eyes.

Regular, sweaty exercise is amazing for radiant skin.

Drink plenty of water in the weeks before the wedding.

Treat yourself to a relaxing body massage hours before the ceremony.

Eat when you still have an appetite! Don't put it off!

Avoid alcohol before the ceremony. If it changes the way you feel, it will change the way you look in the photographs. Try a relaxing herbal tea like chamomile with lemon and honey instead.

Give yourself plenty of time for preparation. If you think dressing in to your gown will take 20 minutes add 15 minutes to your schedule. If your hairdresser needs an hour, pad the time by 30 minutes. Driving to the salon may take 20 minutes, but pad this too; better yet, have them come to you. Ask them to arrive a bit earlier than you need them, in case they run late. Be generous. Add extra time for your beauty needs. This is the time you can designate for peace and quiet if you feel pressure, because it can be a real challenge to regain a genuine calm so close to countdown. Who needs challenges at a time like this? Time can snowball, and it will. There is no other solution here than to be preventative. Pad your schedule with plenty of extra time! It will allow you to enjoy your day more fully.

Dressed in your wedding gown and you need to touch up your make-up or have a last sip or bite? Make sure you cover your dress with a bath sheet, think of it as an enormous bib. Touch-ups during the event: bend forward when handling make-up, if something drops it hits the floor not your gown

Illuminated Bride.com for photography and beauty

A husband and wife team, Colette Taber and John Lichtwardt are professional artists with 18 years experience in makeup and photography. They are the creators of Illuminated Bride, a simple and effective concept to make your wedding a thing of beauty from the inside out, and to preserve the soul of the occasion with wonderful images to last a lifetime. They can be reached at http://www.illuminatedbride.com and are available for travel worldwide.