Unless you have a significant wedding budget and are arranging an agency or independent Makeup Artist, odds are you’re going to use the resort spa professionals to do your hair and makeup. While this is certainly the easiest and most cost effective option, for some, it raises a few concerns as to whether or not you and your stylists will appreciate a similar aesthetic or if they lean towards popular, ostentatious trends in their country.

Ideally, following your venue selection, you’d make a second trip to your destination to confer with your vendors, however, if this proves infeasible and you plan to arrive several days ahead of the ceremony to do hair and makeup trials instead, time will be of the essence so here are a few tips that might help.

The Prep

We recommend getting an exfoliating facial two weeks before the wedding date. Glycolic peels or microdermabrasion are popular choices for allowing acne and blemishes to surface and disappear. A smooth canvas means anything you apply on top will look super fresh. One week before you fly, schedule a deep conditioning treatment, colour refresh, and trim. This will ensure your ends are tidy and you start with a glossy, healthy looking palette.

The Protection

While it would be great to have a sun-kissed tan in your wedding photos, keep in mind a little goes a long way and redness, burns and peeling are not a good look. Use broad-spectrum sunscreen liberally, especially during those first few days upon arrival.

The Real

Wedding pictures tend to last generations and be seen by countless friends, family, well wishers and looky-loos, so, appearing like you’re in 'cos play' is not likely to go over well, you’ll want to look like the best version of yourself, keeping the bronzers, strobing, and volume lashes to a minimum. Thick foundation and heavy concealer can spell disaster in tropical climates so make a conscious attempt to show up with healthy, hydrated skin. Ask if the resort professionals are trained in Airbrush makeup as it’s a perfect feather-light solution to ensure long lasting radiance.

Choose a hairstyle that is simple and does not have a lot of volume, as the humidity in tropical locations can change your hairdo in just a couple of hours—seriously. And, this way you don’t have to worry about ocean breezes blowing hair into your face.

So there you have it beauties, our tips for getting you to that post-worthy, naturally glowing, gorgeous finish.