GLOWING GODDESS My summer wedding is next year; what advice can you share to prepare my skin for my wedding? Prepping your skin well in advance of the wedding day is key to achieving a perfect base for your make-up. Focus on hydration and getting a smooth glowing base; preparations should start six to 12-months ahead of the big day. Set goals whether its collagen production, hydration or clearing breakouts/acne to give yourself time to see the results and allow products or treatments time to work. Create a home care routine based on your goals with daily skincare and weekly treatments. Book monthly facials to add in a more intensive treatment. Start using acid-based products around three months before the big day to give your skin time to adapt to them. Avoid using any new products or treatments a month before the wedding to avoid unwanted reactions. Book a facial a week before the wedding to ensure no surprise breakouts on the day. Do your usual skincare routine and add a brightening mask and some eye masks to hydrate and smooth the skin – keep the eye masks in the fridge the night before to reduce puffiness and dark circles. On the day, finish with a collagen spray to help set the make-up and give a dewy glow. The collagen spray can be used throughout the day to freshen the look of the skin. Faeye McCawly | Carol Joy London https://caroljoylondon.com/pages/collagen-eye-mask ONLINE ONLY? We’re looking for a wedding photographer, but we’re a bit worried about booking someone online we’ve never met. Do you have any suggestions? Booking a wedding photographer online can be daunting, but there are a few steps you can take to ensure a positive experience. Firstly, thoroughly explore the photographer’s portfolio on their website or social media platforms. Pay attention to their style, composition, and consistency across various weddings they’ve captured. This will give you an idea of their artistic vision and expertise. Secondly, initiate direct communication with the photographer via email or phone. Ask them about their experience, approach to shooting weddings, and any concerns you may have. A professional and transparent conversation can provide insights into their commitment to delivering high-quality results. Thirdly, request a sample contract outlining the terms and conditions of their services. Before finalising the booking, make sure all-important details, such as pricing, deliverables and cancellation policies are clearly stated and agreed upon. Lastly, consider arranging a video call or virtual meeting with the photographer to establish a connection and assess their personality and professionalism. Building trust and rapport beforehand can help alleviate any worries about booking someone you’ve never met in person online. I really encourage having a face-to-face meeting, or a video call! Marc Hayden | MH Photo | www.mhphoto.uk www.mhphoto.uk www.buzzwhite-studios.com PRE-WEDDING NERVES I’m getting really overwhelmed with wedding planning, what advice can you share to help me manage my negative thoughts? Wedding-related therapy has become a popular trend in the USA and has arrived in the UK. So, what is wedding-related therapy, and how can it be helpful? Wedding Therapies connects you with a BACP-registered counsellor/ psychotherapist who has undergone additional training in weddingrelated issues. This service addresses issues you might encounter in your everyday life but magnifies in the lead-up to the big day. It offers a short-term programme of six sessions, designed to build confidence and soothe anxiety. It can provide counselling for individual therapy and couples communication skills based on your big day. Providing confidential support and strategies for your wedding fears can offer helpful resources to navigate the day. It can also assist you in reframing difficult conversations with loved ones, allowing you to be heard and reduce conflict. What led me here was that 15 months ago, I got married. As a psychotherapist and family practitioner, I have undergone a lot of therapy myself, and a fundamental part of my job involved reflective thinking. When planning my own wedding, I sought wedding-related therapy and realised it was unavailable. I needed to discuss the impact of family dynamics, body image, fears around being the centre of attention and the challenge of having difficult conversations about expectations. Not to mention dealing with disappointments, the common: ‘someone cancelling the day before the wedding because their goldfish is sick’. It felt like all the issues I had faced throughout my life were converging on one day. I learned the importance of staying emotionally and physically connected to my partner, establishing boundaries, having an amazing support team I called ‘my A-team’ and focusing on what mattered to mute the negative thoughts. Wedding Therapies is not just for brides, my husband also went to therapy to help understand his public speaking fears. At Wedding Therapies, we’re not reinventing the wheel, we’re using different tools and resources from various theories to tackle challenges on your big day – therapy is like a gym for the mind. No one questions the importance of going to the gym to keep your body healthy, so why not keep your mind healthy during what is commonly known as one of the most significant periods of your life? Linda Hafez | Wedding Therapies https://weddingtherapies.com ASK THE EXPERTS 73
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