Details: Steps to look your best

Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

By Aebra Coe, Up North Bride

Brides are often concerned with looking their best for their wedding because of the slew of photos and eyes directed their way.

There are a few steps brides can take in order to feel confident enough to not spend energy thinking about their appearance and concentrate on more important things on their wedding day.

Basic treatment

Pam Gardner, owner of Fiji Salon and Spa in Petoskey, offers some simple, relatively inexpensive options for looking beautiful for a wedding.

Services offered by her salon that are useful to brides and bridal parties include tanning beds, teeth whitening, spray tans, skin treatments, massage therapy, a dry sauna and haircuts and styling.

Gardner suggested bridal parties come in for a relaxing massage and detoxifying sauna treatment before getting their hair styled and makeup done at the salon.

“We offer complimentary tea, coffee and snacks to wedding parties and have special deals when groups come in,” she said. Teresa Marie, one of the stylists at the salon, said she offers services to the bride for free when an entire bridal party comes in for hair and makeup.

“We try to provide a stress-free, relaxing environment for the bride — that is our primary goal,” said Gardner.

Paul Retherford Wedding Photography

A cosmetic approach

There are more extensive measures that can be taken by brides to enhance their appearance before their wedding.

Courtney Sumpter, PA-C, clinical director at Cosmetic Skin and Laser Center in Petoskey, said, “It’s a special day in their lives, so brides want to feel their best, and they want to look as good as they feel.”

Sumpter said before the wedding, brides are often interested in skin rejuvenation, eyelash extensions and body sculpting services provided at the center.

Skin rejuvenation procedures available include chemical peels, microdermabrasion, acne treatments and Botox. Sumpter suggests brides and mothers of brides interested in these treatments plan on getting them a month or two before the wedding.

Positive outcomes of these treatments, according to Sumpter, include smoother skin that is more even and toned with microdermabrasion and chemical peels, and reduction of crow’s feet with Botox use.

A few days to two weeks before the wedding, many of Sumpter’s clients opt for a “red carpet treatment,” an oxygen infusion facial which can increase skin hydration, firmness and reduce fine lines, according to Sumpter.

Pearly whites

For a more drastic smile restoration than simple whitening treatments, cosmetic dentist Dr. David Ellsworth of Harbor Pointe Dental in Petoskey provides several options.

Ellsworth said the most popular service he provides for brides is composite veneers, where a layer of tooth-colored composite is used to straighten and shape teeth. He said these veneers are very strong and require minimal drilling.

“Added self-confidence is the biggest advantage to the cosmetic enhancement of teeth. It’s nice to be able to smile for photos and feel confident about the way you look,” said Ellsworth.

He said that depending on the extent of the work that needs to be done and number of teeth that are altered, this process takes about four or five hours. He suggested clients do the procedure three to six months before their wedding so alterations can be made to the veneers as needed before the event.

Another popular procedure at Harbor Pointe is Smart Moves invisible braces. This is similar to Invisalign braces, but less expensive, according to Ellsworth. He said they take six months to two years to make major changes.

The office also offers several different priced options for clinical teeth whitening.

Getting fit

One of the biggest ways women choose to make changes in their appearance before a wedding involves diet and exercise to improve fitness.

Sara Kessler, certified personal trainer for Solace Spa at Boyne Mountain in Boyne Falls, has been in the field for four years. Her advice for soon-to-be brides or recently engaged women is to begin training right away.

“It usually takes about six months to see substantial results with a workout or diet program,” she said.

Kessler suggested those who are less familiar with exercise and diet consult a professional for a plan leading up to their wedding.

“If you’re only working out and not focusing on a healthy diet, you will not see much in the way of results,” she said.

She suggested brides contact a nutritionist to ensure they get the right nutrition for their body.

“Finding a workout partner is a great way to stay motivated,” she commented, noting pairing up with the maid of honor for exercise sessions as an idea.

Kessler recommended brides try a mix of different exercises and activities to keep their body and mind challenged and prevent burnout.

According to the trainer, a realistic goal for women is to lose one to two pounds per week. She said crash dieting can be harmful and doesn’t contribute to an overall healthy lifestyle.

“If you’re dedicated to your exercise and diet plans, you should see a difference in about six weeks,” she said. “That weight was probably put on over the course of 10, 15 or 20 years, so it’s unrealistic to expect it to go away in a month.”

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