Should you fake tan before your wedding? Well, if you’re asking me personally, I’m all for it!
I am an English rose through and through. I’m naturally very pale, I’ve used fake tan for years, and I completely understand the difference a bit of colour can make to how you feel.
But – and it’s quite a big but – the day before your wedding is not the time to discover that your new spray tan turns you orange, goes patchy around your ankles, or is three shades darker than you expected.
So yes, have the tan if it makes you feel fabulous… just make sure you do your homework first.
Having worked with brides and bridal parties since 2010, I’ve seen some beautiful tans on wedding mornings… I’ve also seen a few fake-tan disasters that we’ve had to rescue with makeup.
Here’s what I wish every bride knew before tanning for her wedding.
Should I fake tan for my wedding?
There is absolutely no reason you need to be tanned to look beautiful in your wedding dress.
But if you normally feel more confident with a tan, or simply prefer the way you look with a little more colour, there’s nothing wrong with wanting that on your wedding day either.
For me, how you feel matters more than how you look to everybody else.
You want to walk into your wedding feeling confident, comfortable and completely yourself – because that’s what allows you to forget about how you look and actually be present for what’s happening.
So if a tan helps you feel like the best version of yourself, I’m all for it!
Just don’t feel you suddenly have to become three shades darker because you’re getting married.
Your partner should still recognise you coming down the aisle.
Can I try fake tan for the first time before my wedding?
Yes, but please don’t make the wedding itself the experiment.
If you’ve never had a spray tan before, book one well in advance and see how it sits and how you feel with it.
Is the colour right for you? Does it develop evenly? Does it fade nicely? Does your skin feel dry afterwards? Do you actually like yourself with it??
Different tanning products and different technicians can give very different results, and what looks beautiful on one person’s skin may not be right for somebody else.
Once you’ve found a tan and technician you love, then stick with them for the wedding – this is absolutely not the week to be seduced by a last-minute offer somewhere you’ve never been before!
When should I get a spray tan before my wedding?
If you’ve already trialled the tan and know how it develops on your skin, I generally recommend around two days before the wedding.
That gives the colour a little time to settle while still looking fresh for the day itself.
However, always follow the advice of your tanning professional and the instructions for the particular product being used. Development and aftercare can vary between tans.
The important bit isn’t really whether somebody on the internet tells you 24, 48 or 72 hours, it’s knowing how your chosen tan behaves on your skin before the wedding week arrives.
Should I have a trial spray tan before my wedding?
Yes, yes and YES!
If you’re planning to have a professional spray tan for the wedding, I would always test it beforehand.
And don’t just look at it immediately after you’ve washed off the guide colour/residue.
See how it looks the following day – Look at it in daylight, look at your hands, ankles, elbows and knees, see what your face looks like and pay attention to how evenly it fades over the following few days.
Ideally, you’ll then know exactly what to expect when you repeat the same tan for your wedding.
Preparation is key here.
Should I fake tan my face before my wedding?
If you’re tanning your body, personally, I wouldn’t deliberately leave your face completely untanned and expect your makeup artist to bridge a dramatic difference between your face and body.
Can we colour-match your makeup? Absolutely.
But I’d much rather your skin tone was reasonably consistent to begin with.
That doesn’t mean you need to pile tan onto your face. Facial skin can react differently, and fake tan can sometimes make the skin look or feel a little drier – something that’s particularly noticeable once makeup goes over the top.
Again, this is why trialling the product matters.
If you know your tan works beautifully on your face, brilliant. If it doesn’t then talk to your tanning technician and your makeup artist beforehand rather than improvising the night before your wedding.
What if I wasn’t tanned at my bridal hair and makeup preview?
It’s no problem! If you were pale at your bridal preview and then have a tan for the wedding, I’m not going to arrive clutching the exact same bottle of foundation and wonder what to do with you.
Professional makeup artists carry different shades and know how to colour-match.
I’d still like to know that you’re planning to tan, particularly if you’re going significantly darker, but it isn’t a problem.
Your bridal preview is about much more than memorising a foundation shade and myself and my team always bring our full kits for all skin tones – and all eventualities! – to the wedding day regardless of what we did at the preview.
How should I prepare my skin for a wedding spray tan?
Your tanning technician should give you specific preparation and aftercare instructions, and those should always take priority for the product they’re using.
Generally, though, you want your skin to be smooth and properly prepared before the tan goes on.
I like to moisturise well the night before and exfoliate earlier on the day if the appointment is later. If you’re shaving or waxing, think about the timing of that too as freshly shaved skin and open hair follicles can sometimes cause the tan to collect in tiny dots rather than developing evenly.
Dry areas are another thing to watch.
Elbows, knuckles, knees and ankles can grab far more product than the surrounding skin, which is why tanning professionals will often use moisturiser or barrier cream strategically in those areas.
What you don’t want is a thick layer of moisturiser all over your body immediately before tanning unless your technician has specifically told you to use one, because products on the skin can interfere with how some tans develop.
Essentially: follow the instructions for your particular tan rather than winging it!
What should I wear after a spray tan?
Loose and comfortable wins.
Avoid anything tight that’s going to dig into the skin or rub against the developing tan – particularly bras, tight underwear, and restrictive clothing.
I always apply tan later in the day or in the evening and then can slink into long, loose pyjamas for sleeping.
Why long?
Because skin rubbing against skin during the night can interfere with a developing tan. Cross your legs, get warm, move around in your sleep, and suddenly you’ve created a lovely little patch you weren’t expecting.
The less rubbing, sweating, and general interference while the tan develops, the better.
What if my fake tan goes patchy before my wedding?
This is where I put my makeup-artist hat firmly back on.
I’ve seen streaky tans. Patchy tans. Orange hands. White hands. Dark knuckles. Uneven ankles.
And if something has gone wrong, we’ll do our best to help you.
Professional camouflage makeup can do extraordinary things. We use techniques capable of evening out significant differences in skin tone and concealing things such as scarring and pigmentation, so a bit of troublesome fake tan isn’t necessarily the end of the world.
But I’d much rather not have to cover large areas of your body with makeup on your wedding morning.
Particularly when you’re about to put on a white or ivory dress.
So although we can rescue quite a lot, prevention is infinitely better than cure.
Trial. Your. Tan.
Have I mentioned that yet?
Will fake tan transfer onto my wedding dress?
Potentially… and this is one of the reasons I wouldn’t recommend a wash-off body tan for your wedding.
Products designed to give instant colour and then wash away can transfer onto clothing. That’s not something I’d want anywhere near an expensive white or ivory wedding dress.
Even with a properly developed fake tan, remember that weddings can be hot, emotional and energetic affairs. You’re moving around, hugging people, dancing, and potentially sweating.
Around areas such as the underarms, perspiration combined with tan and normal skin oils can sometimes leave marks inside a dress.
So choose a proper developing tan that you’ve tested before, follow its aftercare instructions, and make sure the guide colour has been thoroughly washed away as directed before you put on your wedding dress.
Professional spray tan or DIY fake tan?
If you’re brilliant at doing your own tan and have a product you’ve used dozens of times successfully, I’m not going to tell you that you suddenly need a professional because you’re getting married.
Practice makes perfect.
There are some fantastic self-tanning products available now, and plenty of people know their own skin incredibly well.
But if you’re not confident doing it yourself then I’d book a professional.
Hands alone are reason enough – we’ve all seen the DIY tan where the body looks beautiful, and the palms tell a very different story.
Whichever route you choose, the rule remains the same: don’t introduce an unknown product or technique at the last minute.
What about my honeymoon?
One little thing people don’t necessarily think about when planning their wedding tan is what happens afterwards.
Chlorinated swimming pools, lots of swimming, oils and some holiday skincare can make a fake tan fade much faster – and rarely evenly!
You may find yourself looking slightly less bronzed goddess and slightly more tiger bread a few days later.
My advice? Don’t panic about preserving your wedding tan indefinitely.
It did its job.
Take an exfoliating mitt with you and, as it starts to break down, gently help it on its way rather than desperately trying to hang onto every last patch.
My biggest piece of wedding fake-tan advice
Do whatever makes you feel most like you.
You don’t need a tan to be more beautiful. You don’t need to change the colour of your skin because you’re wearing a white dress. And you certainly don’t need to look dramatically different from the person your partner knows and loves.
But equally, I’m not going to tell a naturally pale bride who loves having a tan that she should suddenly embrace being pale on her wedding day because that’s somehow more virtuous or authentic.
I don’t believe that either.
If having a beautiful, subtle tan makes you stand a little taller, feel fantastic in your dress, and stop thinking about how you look, then wonderful.
Because ultimately, the goal isn’t to spend your wedding day thinking about your makeup, your tan, your hair or your body.
It’s to feel good enough in all of those things that you can forget about them completely — and get on with having one of the best days of your life.
Planning your wedding hair and makeup? CJC Hair & Makeup has been looking after brides and bridal parties since 2010. Tell us your wedding date, where you’re getting ready and what you have planned, and we’ll help you create a relaxed, beautifully organised wedding morning.
