With all the busy times and stress that come with planning a wedding, it’s sometimes difficult to break away and make time for yourself. However, keeping up with or creating routines to take care of yourself are the only ways to truly glow on your wedding day. Exercise and a skincare routine are the two foundations of feeling your best as a bride — and for the rest of your life. We share our favourite resources for keeping yourself feeling great throughout the wedding planning process.

Skin

No amount of makeup is as good as having naturally glowing skin. Start by cutting back on the things that are stealing your hydration, like coffee, tea, alcohol, and salty foods. By keeping yourself hydrated, your body will more easily flush out toxins and produce healthy cell turnover, which equals fewer clogged pores and minimizes breakouts. This attention to hydration and elimination of hydration stealers is particularly important if you tend to break out during certain parts of your cycle.

While skincare starts with what you put in your mouth, your actual skincare products make a big difference as well. Begin seeing a reputable esthetician several months in advance of the big day. Many brides make the mistake of seeing an esthetician only once: right before their wedding. This is a big no-no for a couple of reasons, the biggest of which is that estheticians can only conquer so much in one session. Check out reviews on Yelp to find highly recommended estheticians in your area, and ask your professional for help in creating a regimen. We’re currently salivating over the product line from the talented ladies at Skin by Marywynn – our skin has never felt so soft.

Want some DIY skincare advice? Check out this recipe for an at-home facial that’s good enough to eat (literally!) from Supal at Chevrons & Eclairs.

Working Out

When you look back at your wedding day, you’ll want to see your best self. Exercise is a vital part to looking as gorgeous as possible — not just so that you can gain muscle and lose fat, but also because working out is a great way to make sure you’re getting a lot of quality rest at night and relieving stress. The earlier you start working out, the better — most experts recommend starting at least six months before the big day, but if you’re starting later than that, remember that late is better than never.

We’re addicted to Shape.com’s “A Fit & Fabulous Bride” blog, which chronicles the fitness adventures of one bride as she prepares for the big day. Need some help getting a jumpstart on your workouts? Check out Janae Wise’s simple-to-follow videos on her blog, Bring Joy. Our favourite? Her arm workout. In less than 10 minutes, Janae packs in bicep, tricep, shoulder, and back exercises that will have your muscles burning.  You’ll be photo ready in that strapless gown in no time.