Wedding Beauty Crashers: How to Make a Splash

I have a wedding to go to this upcoming weekend for two very good friends of mine from college. I haven’t been to too many weddings of close friends – actually, this will probably be the first. For the most part, weddings are for the older, wiser crowd. We let them put on too much makeup and get sloppy at the reception.

We wear a slinky outfit and super high heels so we don’t have to dance with the crotchety grandfathers and skeezy uncles of the bride and groom. But what do you do when the wedding is for your generation? How do you act, how do you dress? Do you have to act more responsible, or more irresponsible (taking a leaf out of Granny Smith’s book, when she rolls down her stocking legs and kicks off her therapeutic sandals, saying “you only live once, honey!” as she pinches the groom’s buttocks as he waltzes by).

I’m trying to prepare for this wedding by going both understated and classy. I picked a beautiful floor-length dress in a summery peach color with embroidered flowers on the right shoulder wrapping down onto the chest. I’m going to wear either my gold high heels or my gladiator shoes. I feel prepared to look both sexy and mature. But how to do my makeup? How to prepare for the wedding day? What does wedding day beauty entail?

Well, look at the itinerary: long drive to the pre-party to help the bride get ready, long ceremony at the church, then the after party. Eek! I haven’t been to too many weddings, but I can guess from this itinerary that by the time the reception is starting, my feet will be killing, I’ll be super tired, and my hair will be limp and makeup all gone.

So beauty for weddings is more about the arsenal of supplies you bring with you than how you use them. All the photo ops, you want to look your best. Remember to bring the necessities of makeup: powder, mascara, and lipstick. Bring a little spritzer of hair spray and a few bobby pins, but try to avoid hair ties so you don’t just whip your hair into a ponytail and call it quits. You don’t give up that easy! Also remember to bring some backup support for your aching feet: band-aids, Neosporin, and a small pair of socks will keep you dancing all night.