Today on the blog is an important one! I’ve teamed up with the wonderful team over at goGLOW, an industry-leading sunless spray tan salon, to give you insight on all things spray tan for you and your bridal party.

GLOW on your big day:

A ‘spray tan’ may sound like a scary idea when you’re thinking about the most important day of your life. But, the professionals at goGLOW and myself are here to help you and tell you it’s a great idea!

There are a few reasons why we, professional photographers, advocate for a healthy glow before photos. 

1. The glow helps you stand out from your dress. This helps so the details of your dress don’t get washed away. Your dress is a shade of white, and we don’t want your skin to be the same!
2. It is healthier than laying out. If you’re naturally fair toned and living in Minnesota, like me, we need all the extra vitamin D we can get! Knowing how bad the sun is for our skin, this is the healthiest alternative to laying out. Also laying out or going in tanning beds can burn your skin (we don’t want you red or peeling on your big day!) and swimsuit tan lines from laying out on Lake Minnetonka aren’t cute with your dress either 😉.
3. It helps naturally contour and shade away any small imperfections you may be embarrassed about. Getting a quality custom airbrush tan instantly makes you look and feel 10 pounds lighter and I think we all need that after COVID!
4. As a Brooke Elisabeth bride, you, your fiance, and your wedding party all get 20% off your first service at goGLOW. I suggest booking your first service appointment as a ‘trial run’ 4-6 weeks before the big day, or before your engagement photos, wedding shower, bachelorette party, hair and makeup trial, you get the point… This way you can see how it looks and wears on your skin and you get comfortable with the results and overall process!

This is just a small taste of the reasons why we advocate for a healthy glow. 

Common areas of concern:

If you’re scared of being orange… rest assured. goGLOW custom solutions are selected to fit your skin tone and skin type. The more you visit them for services, the better they will know how your tans look and last. This also allows them to personalize and perfect your color. goGLOW has been doing custom sunless tans in the Twin Cities and Chicago for 11 years (!) and for thousands, literally, of brides. This is their bread and butter and they excel at creating the perfect bridal glow for their clients.

If you’re scared of your dress getting ruined…rest assured. Here is what happens (or doesn’t happen) according to goGLOW COO, Margo, “The only thing that could potentially transfer to the outside of your dress would be any leftover residue of cosmetic bronzer. The bronzer layer is washed off in your first shower, days before your actual wedding. What can happen is when you’re sweating and dancing, tight boning on the inside of your dress near your rib cage can put pressure on your skin. The friction & sweat can remove some of the color from your skin and it can transfer to the inside of your dress. This will not be seen by anyone and can usually come out when you get your dress preserved after all is said and done!”

Extra Tips:

Pro Tip: Invite your wedding party! Trying something new can be less nerve-wracking when you do it with a friend. Your wedding party will also love having a glow for your photos. This will also ensure one of your bridesmaids doesn’t end up in a booth at $5 tan and show up at your wedding looking 18 shades of orange. 

Pro Tip: Make sure to schedule your manicure, pedicure, and waxing appointments for earlier in the week. The oils and lotions used at salons can create a barrier between your skin and our solution. Exfoliate and shave a full 24 hours before your spray tan. Arrive at your appointment with clean, bare skin and loose-fitting clothing.

Xo,

Brooke and the goGLOW team

To read more bridal tips just like this one, click here.