Appearance and Accessories

Shoes 

Wedding shoes

Stable

Make sure your shoes are stable enough that you can walk easily up and down stairs with them (if your ceremony will take place on a platform).

Comfortable

Shoes should be “broken in,” so start wearing the shoes before the wedding. To make sure they stay in good condition, just practice walking in them at home.

Extra pair

If the plans for your wedding day are long, or you will be doing a lot of walking during your photo session, you might want to bring along a pair of regular shoes to wear when they won’t be noticeable in pictures.

If ordering them, order several months before the wedding.

Veil

Find a veil that is appropriate for the length of your dress.

To save money, you could buy a basic veil with no decorations, and decorate it yourself with a strand of artificial pearls, which can be found in the craft section at a store.

Jewelry

Choose jewelry that matches the dress and veil (pearls with pearls, etc.).

Makeup

Do a trial of how your makeup will look at the wedding. If you will have someone else do your makeup, remember to schedule an appointment in advance.

Decide what time of day to have your makeup done. If you have it done before changing into your gown, the makeup could stain it; but if you have it done while you are wearing your gown, there is still a chance of staining it. So one option is to wear something to protect your dress while doing your makeup.

Hair

Set hair appointments for yourself and all bridesmaids for your wedding day, as well as a “practice” hair appointment to make sure your hair will be the way you want it to turn out.

Choose a hairstyle that will work with the veil or any other hairpiece you are using.

For hair jewelry and hairstyles with traditional / conservative photos, visit Caroline Allen’s blog and search for hairstyles: www.themodestmomblog.com.

White teeth

Avoid drinking coffee, dark tea, soda, and anything else that can leave stains.

Eat apples, oranges, carrots, and broccoli, which are good for keeping your teeth clean. Also, eat strawberries to help “bleach” your teeth, as they can remove stains.

Brush your teeth with hydrogen peroxide; do this only about once a week since it can be hard on your enamel and gums.

Other

Consider getting a bridal handkerchief if you think you may need it during the wedding.

To make your dress full enough, you may need an extra crinoline. A crinoline is a skirt of tulle or similar fabric worn under the dress.

If you plan to wear perfume, remember that some people are sensitive to it, especially if they have allergies.

Wedding gloves don’t have to be expensive. You can buy plain white satin gloves and embellish them. Appliques, lace, or pearls can be used for decoration.