Wedding Skincare Prep: How to Get Glowing Skin for Your Big Day, According to the Experts

On your wedding day, you may be worried about when the florist arrives, if that rain in the forecast is really going to fall, or whether the photographer will catch that perfect moment. But, there’s something you shouldn’t have to worry about: Your skin!

You’ll treasure your wedding day for the rest of your life. So, it’s not too much to ask to have a bright, smooth complexion on your big day. We’re here to help you separate wedding skincare facts from fiction with A-list celebrity facialist Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine and master celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram, wedding prep pros for brides and grooms alike.

Wedding Skincare 101: Our Top Tips

Let’s start with our top skincare prep tips, from the proposal to the big day.

1. Start Early.
With everything that goes into wedding planning, many brides move skincare to the back burner. While this is completely understandable, the stress of wedding prep can lead to breakouts and inflammation if you’re not properly caring for your skin.

Master celebrity esthetician Sarah Akram (@sarahakramskincare) recommends starting wedding skincare prep at least 90 days in advance:

“You should always be taking care of your skin regardless of any big event in your life, but of course you want to look your best on your wedding day. I just love the idea of doing Omnilux treatments as part of your prep because sometimes planning a wedding can be stressful!

I've seen brides that will start to break out or get so busy planning the wedding that they're not really spending time taking care of their skin, so they end up trying to do these quick fixes a week or two ahead of the big day.

So I really like to get people started at least 90 days before a big event and have them do LED treatments consistently, a few times a week as instructed, because that goes a long way. I've seen what a difference it makes! Omnilux treatments can keep the cells in your skin healthy during a very stressful time for most people.

A lot of people have told me doing their Omnilux treatments is their moment for themselves, their quiet time to meditate and it's actually really relaxing! So, I think that it’s a good ritual to incorporate during hectic times.”

Celebrity facialist Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine (@lordgmv) agrees that 90 days out from the wedding date is the right time to start pampering your skin:

“If you have the time, then it’s important to put a robust schedule together in terms of skin preparation. Starting 3 months out is ideal because it allows both bride and groom to have any procedures that may require a sense of downtime, like a chemical peel, a lifting modality such as Morpheus8 (or some other type of laser), radiofrequency, or microneedling. All of these do, in certain individuals, cause a bit of downtime and inflammation and so if you can do that at the beginning of that 3-month journey then you can get 1 or 2 sessions in before the wedding and have that optimal result.”

So, around three months before the big day (or sooner), start your wedding prep skincare routine. When the wedding rolls around, your skin will thank you for being proactive!


2. Strategize Your Skincare Products.
When it comes to starting new skincare products before your wedding, timing is everything. As a general rule of thumb, don’t start using new topical products or aggressive skin therapies in the month before the wedding. Doing so could trigger irritation or even allergic reactions and compromise your wedding day look.

Instead, choose FDA-cleared treatments that are safe for all skin types, like Omnilux LED light therapy. LED therapy has been found to soften, plump, firm, hydrate, brighten, and refresh the skin, making it an ideal choice for a wedding-ready complexion. With Omnilux, you can do it right at home – perfect for decompressing after a long day of wedding planning.

As for microneedling, facial fillers, laser therapy, and any other aesthetic treatments that you’re interested in trying, don’t wait until the eleventh hour. For complete control over your wedding-day skin, give yourself plenty of time (ideally a few months) before the big day to give these products a go.

3. Talk to a Pro.
You won’t regret adding a skincare pro to your wedding support system, especially if you suffer from skin conditions like acne, eczema, or psoriasis. A specialist, like a dermatologist or an esthetician, can provide personalized advice to bring your skin into its prime, such as in-office treatments or prescription medications. It’s a great way to take skincare stress off of your plate throughout the hustle and bustle of wedding planning.

Wedding Skincare with Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine

Dubbed the “King of Red Carpet Skincare Prep” by Vogue, celebrity facialist Lord Gavin McLeod-Valentine is no stranger to skincare for major events. He’s particularly well-known for his signature facial massage, which he learned directly from a Geisha of over 65 years. Now, A-list celebrities entrust him with their skin for the year’s glitziest events, including the Oscars, Golden Globes, and Met Gala. He’s worked with stars including Kim Kardashian, Cate Blanchett, Sharon Stone, Julia Garner, and Zoe Saldana.

Omnilux devices are in Lord Gavin’s arsenal for pre-event skincare. We were lucky enough to sit down with him for an expert take on Omnilux for wedding skincare prep.


Q: What do you love about Omnilux devices for pre-wedding prep? What makes them celeb wedding-worthy?
McLeod-Valentine: I absolutely love the Omnilux products in preparation for weddings. Specifically, the LED mask option. I find that the LED is so powerful at grounding the client in a place of meditation and deep relaxation in order to get mentally prepared for the event that’s about to unfold, in this case, their wedding day.

On a completely practical level, long term use of LED is so effective at refining the complexion and for surface pigmentation, whether it’s sun damage or post inflammatory, helping to refine the appearance and look of fine lines and wrinkles and just giving a sense of wellbeing, tone, and clarity back to the skin.

Q. Why should grooms consider their pre-wedding skin prep with Omnilux Men as well?
McLeod-Valentine: I particularly love the Omnilux mask for men, for grooms. As we become more aware of beauty, ideals, standards, modalities via social media, more men are paying attention to how they look and also wanting to participate in a proactive aging journey.

As it pertains to the wedding day, obviously the groom wants to look handsome, energized, vibrant, healthy, and kind of match the equal light play with his bride. We’ll let her be a bit glowier, but in terms of refining the texture, illuminating the complexion, and just giving a rested vitality, the Omnilux mask is just perfect for this purpose.

Q. No one wants to take skincare risks on their big day – why is Omnilux light therapy a safe and effective tool for brides and grooms?
McLeod-Valentine: Simply put, the Omnilux tools are so effective on the day of eventing because, the modality is designed to mitigate and calm down any potential hazard to the skin, whether it be a bacterial outbreak in the form of acne or spots, calming sensitivity, or just illuminating the complexion to refine the pigmentation on the skin. This is a comfortable, safe, direct response to an immediate and cumulative result with zero fear of any reaction or sensitivity.

In fact, this is your mother’s hug, your soothing agent, on the day and is really great to mentally set the mindset for what’s about to come.

Q. Are there any celebrity brides or grooms who you’ve treated with Omnilux for their big day?
McLeod-Valentine: Yes, I used the Omnilux Contour mask on Sophia Bush for her wedding to Grant Hughes. I also used it on AnnaSophia Robb when she was getting married to her partner. And then I also used it on Simon Huck and Phil Riportella for their wedding at the Bel Air Hotel, which was obviously very well documented because they’re so close to the Kardashians.

Prep The Aisle with Omnilux

Planning a wedding can strain your schedule (and your bank account!). So, it’s not always realistic to spend time and money on in-office aesthetic treatments. Omnilux makes it simple during this hectic time with at-home LED therapy.

Omnilux devices are dermatologist-recommended with clinically proven results for skin rejuvenation and acne. Just three to five 10-minute treatments per week can reduce fine lines, wrinkles, pigmentation, redness, inflammation, and acne breakouts – all in time for wedding day! Plus, it’s completely pain-free, with no side effects or downtime, making it safe to use right up until you walk down the aisle.

The pros agree: Omnilux is a saving grace for hassle-free wedding skincare prep. Omnilux Contour Face is perfect for achieving that bridal glow, while men can count on Omnilux Men for refreshed, healthy-looking skin.