Beauty, plump skin, beautiful outfit, flawless candid pictures, festivities and self care – brides to be, THIS is the crazy month for you so putting a checklist will be super helpful. Edition has put together a fool proof, simple list of things to look out for for those of you are setting off on the beautiful journey and wanting to look perfect for it. Remember, make up alone or starving yourself just to look good on the day of barely works. Instead you end up more fatigued, a crippled immune system and make up alone can’t do wonders, you need rest, calmness – as this is already a stressful and busy
time for a bride to be you need to force yourself to do it. Your skin and your skin prep does not have to extensive and include age old techniques but we can use some easy modified ones for the people who have chosen to work in their office till the absolute last minute (not advisable girls). When you tell a male boss you need time off please know that does not mean a day before your first event, it means at least 2 weeks before or even ideally more, however holidays are numbered and you may need to save some for your honeymoon later on so work out something that’s a win – win situation.
Your Bridal Outfit
Always tell the designer at least a month or two before it’s due but I’m sure that stage is over for most of you, do not hesitate to get fitted because starving or not, you may be on a diet and exercise and lose weight. If you think this is the case just make sure you sort it out. As for your other outfits for your mehndi and dholki you can beautiful ones yourself on low budgets or even if you have a favourite designer at a mid range you can customise things. For the barri, focus on getting sarees, they are timeless and blouses can always change, you cannot go wrong with a classic collection of sarees. Have some formals for any events you have to attend post the wedding (although the best is to run away right after your wedding for honeymoon!). Some semi
formal organza suits can be embroidered or bought of the rack at various designers whose prices not exorbitantly high.
Your Jewellery
The set you wear on your wedding day doesn’t have to scream big stones, keep it you and keep it intelligent. As for jewellery you get as gifts from parents, it is so practical to have some small sets but also to have wearable jewellery, once you join work and on an everyday basis, small diamond pendants, small precious stone pendants, charm gold bracelets or whatever you like.
Me time for massages
Give yourself plenty of massages, whether you have a great massage lady who comes at home or you have a favourite spa, these are relaxing like nothing else, try to bring an oil that moistures and soothes your skin, for me its coconut and almond oil. Also a big fan of a mix of argan oil and castor oil for warm head oil massages. Really helps your circulation and if you’re scared of hair loss or are experiencing it in the summer. Please try the castor and
argan mix. Recently a company has emerged by the name of Zo Nano’s, we’ve given her a try and I believe from her original Nani’s recipe she also sells various products
(via Vectorstock)
Hydration
Drink a lot of water – A LOT. Keep yourself so hydrated that you have to go to the bathroom every 10 mins – that’s fine. If you’d like to start the day with something, oust the coffee just for now and make a nice blend of hot water, lemon and ginger – maybe a bit of honey too.
Sleep
Yes, there will be guests at your house and a lot of friends from different cities and countries but you cannot entertain everyone no matter how much you want to. Make sure you click sleep time and get in at least 8-9 hours of sleep – I know we often get conflicted because last minute wedding weddings don’t finish, we also want to spend time with our families before leaving the house (sentiments will feel all over the place during this time, and that’s normal let it out, make fun plans with your cousins, with your siblings and with your parents! You will never get this time back – full pampering in every way possible! Although not advisable but if the stress and excitement is getting you to stay awake – have a melatonin gummy or even a CBD oil meant for relaxation.
Boost your immune system
Take all your vitamins, we are SOLD on vitamin B and it really gives you energy levels like nothing else, we would advise to take some multivitamin and a good prescribed vitamin for hair, skin and nails. But if it doesn’t suit you then stop it and ask for another. Best thing to do to boost the immune system is to drink warm milk before going to bed, put some haldi (turmeric) and honey in it. It may sound gross but chug it and you can always use lactose free milk or soy milk or almond milk. Stay warm even though its not that cold but you can catch a chill in December / January, we personally wore bulky sweaters, socks and whenever we went at night for casual stuff we took a warm hot water bottle. So soothing especially if you are going to sit outdoors.
Have a great support group
Undoubtedly all of your family will be super excited for you and support you no matter but you also need your girls – the ones who are going to run around for you during the events, host and manage the dance practises, but you alone cannot do it. They will also give you excellent tips and just having them come over and spend time with you is amazing – you do need a break from random relatives and some girl time.
Photographer and DJ
even though said try not the micromanage and run all the tasks, the photography choice which you may have done right now, you have all the right to do special sittings with – tell them what styles you like and that’s what they are for. Some goes for your DJ makes sure he actually gives you a playlist and then you can add on to it with other dance songs and your medley. So many we recommend, DJ Raj – he’s got a huge playlist! Top photographers than you need to snag right away are: Mehlum Sadriwala for portraits, Aisha Talha for event photography and beautifully candid photos, Fatima Tariq for amazing photography and of course last but not least O Shoot! Snag them asap people, if you’re looking at January and February dates you still have time! AND beware if you’re a micro manager – do not, do not, do not take care of event planning yourself! They’ll call you even if you’re at the salon getting ready (no courtesy!)
Smiiiiile
trust me you’re going to have to do this on camera several times during all your events, don’t chew gum, don’t be a grump it all shows and you’ll hate your photos or videos later on. Please tell your significant other to do the same – he will be naturally happy as he’s getting you – euphoric in fact!
Exercise and Eat Healthy
Get a personal trainer, Dosti Zehra at the Strength Project comes highly recommend, either join her classes, she’s the wisest and most motivating coach I’ve ever had. But she won’t make you work out and starve yourself, she’ll get you acquainted to the myfitnesspal app where you can eat everything and track your macros. Eating clean, not processed, not a lot of sugar (if you’re prone to break outs), wouldn’t recommend a lot of salty foods either because they cause water retention and your face can look bloated. If you’re not a high intensity workout person, join a calming yoga class – either try the wellness studio, MUV, Studio X and if pilates is your thing then definitely go to the Pilates Lab run by the ever customer friendly Sania Sheikh. Manaal does some great classes there, they do early mornings & afternoons and post work times! We would recommend to get some natural eggs, chia seeds to
make smoothies and if you need to drink green tea get some brews and those net dispenser kettles – the packaged green tea is just so processed. Camomile tea is also great – visit the farmer’s market and get yourself some awesome products.
Skin care
I cannot stress how getting skin peels, microneedling and dermabrasion repeatedly is so terrible for your skin, don’t self diagnosis which treatment you need and definitely do not go to any skin clinic. Go for a consultation, yes you’ll end up paying big bucks but the skin care will be worth it. Let the dermatologist decide what’s good for you and advisable. No matter what is happening to your skin, yes stress pre wedding times makes your skin break out but frankly don’t try to pop any zits and don’t go for invasive treatments right before your first event, at least 3 weeks before it and a week left you can get a hydrafacial (the hydration part of it) and a photo facial. Trust me it does wonders and there are no side effects.
Frankly even if you don’t want to go for medicated skin care make sure you hydrate your skin really well, some of the things that have given an overnight magic glow to it:
o Green Glow – a few strips of aloe vera from the plant, slice the gel out, mix with an egg white, honey and olive oil. Leave for as long as you can and it dries and trust the next morning your skin WILL glow.
o Better than Ubtan – if like us you think Ubtan is too much work and it gives that yellow glow, try using the Conatural Better than Ubtan mix, it takes less time to prepare, is slightly pricey (available at any natural, most likely Neco’s at Bukhari and now even perhaps at Springs and other big supermarkets like Aghas.
o Rosey dew – in reality your body also needs some loving, mix some rose water and glycerine and absorb it into your body and sleep with it.
o Scrub it – without even noticing we have layers of dead skin which can easily be peeled off or you can go for an expensive scrub at the Amethyst spa by Roohi (you deserve to be pampered like they do), or you can ask your massage lady to do it for you, a mask that always works for me, brown sugar, lemon water, rose water, honey and a tiny amount of yogurt.
o Baby feet: before sleeping put some Vaseline all over your feet and rub it till its absorbed and put on very clean pair of socks and see the softness the next morning.
o Medicated foot and hand treatment: one word AZHAR – at Foot Comfort, he’s the diva and most popular at the Zamzama branch, insist on him giving you a medicated pedicure and manicure and you will be shocked at how much dead skin and cuticles your hands had gathered, buy their scrub while you’re at it and they have some interesting oils and lotions the head doctor makes himself!
The day before:
Cannot insist this enough, do not stay up till 4 am and hog on kolachi and ruin your routine, you’re going to need a lot of stamina to sit on the stage back straight and smiling continuously. So please sleep well, if you don’t want to be drowsy, take a melatonin natural gummy and shut out everyone. If it works for you before sleeping either do the aloe mask or put some hydrating mask on your face – I really love the snail masks, spritz over with rose water and pray to the skin gods that you look awesome (and you will I’m sure). Try not to wash your hair before going to the salon and wash and dry it the night before – it needs to have lots of volume. Washing it on the day of will make it flat!
This is it from us, so whether you’re being bridezilla now, entertaining people endlessly, hogging away, starving yourself these tips are so doable and even just following these and not doing much else will help you, and yes last but not least: SUNSCREEN a lot before you go out into the sun, every time.
And, congratulations, happy marriage and prep awaits!
