Not every woman getting married wants to be a summer bride, so winter brides don't need to sacrifice that bridal 'glow' just because it's not 82* outside. The winter months don't pose any obstacles to looking phenomenal on your wedding day, but getting your skin ready and your makeup just right is the key.
Taking care of your skin is always important, but the months leading up to your wedding date is most essential, no matter what time of year you are getting married. You need to remember if you baked your skin all summer, you will have to deal with (possible) sun spots, faded tans, dry skin (on top of already winter dry skin), and a overall un-even skin tone to cover, so if the damage has already been done, don't fret, there's an app for that.
Spray tanning is a great way to even you out, but it needs to be a fairly light 'natural' color so you don't look fake and sprayed. Orange is not a good color on anyone, even an Oompa Loompa. Airbrush makeup is another great way to get even looking skin that is custom blended to match your skin tone (not paint it a different color), and regular foundations work well on the face but can't be used on the body (shoulders, arms, back). So depending on what you are dealing with will determine which option is best for you. Whatever you decide, you definitely need a trial-run to test it out first before the wedding.
If your skin is fair, you still need a little color on your face with a shimmery blush in a color that is 1-2 shades darker than your natural blushed state. A light bronzer is another perfect alternative to getting that 'glow' when applied sparingly. Despite the richer fall/winter colors you may be having at your wedding, you don't need to go dark on the makeup or lips if that's not your style. Finding makeup looks in bridal magazines is always a great tool to envision the look you want and help your makeup artist create.
A lot of my brides (year round) will spray tan their bodies but airbrush their face to blend it all together. If you have severe dry skin, spray tanning is not the route to go because showering will exfoliate the color and leave your skin looking dirty, and more difficult to even out. So scrub, scrub, scrub that skin (gently) to remove all dryness and then moisturize, moisturize, moisturize to keep it supple before you determine which route you are going to go. Any canvas can be painted into a work of art, and your bridal day look is no exception.
